things from their desks. I would speak at home—sometimes. But once I left home...
Teachers at school worried, but Mum thought they made too much fuss. She had her own problems. She only had enough energy for one person and that was her. We didn’t stay long. I was glad to move that time.
Then we moved to Amanda’s school. When I found Amanda, I found my voice. She didn’t seem to notice that I didn’t talk. And then it happened. Little words escaped from my throat like canaries from a cage. Single words forced their way through the bars of my teeth. Then whole sentences. When we were together, alone, the words tumbled out of me. All those words that had built up for so long forced their way out. It was a prison break. At first it was scary. Then it became normal. I can’t remember when I began talking properly at school.
I could still go for days not talking at high school. But it seemed that was okay, because I was a teenager. I answered if the teachers asked me questions. It was just easier that way. But if it wasn’t for Nathan I probably wouldn’t have bothered to talk to anyone else at school.
Sometimes I still have days when I find it hard to talk. Maybe that’s why I had trouble asking anyone for help when Griffin took me.
23
Fitzroy Police Station: 25 December, 3.17a.m.
‘Tully, could I just interrupt here?’ asked Constable Tognetti. ‘Can you give me the name of the boy you mentioned. Nathan...?’
‘Furlong. Nathan Furlong,’ said Tully.
‘And he is...?’
Tully shrugged. ‘He was my lab partner for Science.’
‘Right.’ Constable Tognetti made a note in her book. ‘Can I please ask you what happened after you reached Deer Park? After Griffin came out of the chemist.’
‘I told him I wanted to go home,’ said Tully.
24
Christmas Eve
Griffin had parked in a No Standing zone. Tully only realised when a grey-uniformed man tapped on her window and signalled to roll it down so he could talk to her.
‘Shit,’ said Tully.
She shook her head, but the man tapped again on the window.
‘It doesn’t open,’ Tully said loudly.
The parking inspector walked around to the driver’s side and stood waiting. Tully leaned across and opened the door.
‘Sorry,’ said Tully.
‘This is a No Standing area.’ The man pointed to the sign.
‘Sorry,’ she repeated. ‘We’re not from around here.’
Tully wondered if Griffin’s car registration had already been sent through to police stations nationwide. Even if it had, she thought, they probably hadn’t extended the bulletin to local parking officers.
‘Well, you need to move this car or I’m going to give you a ticket.’
‘He won’t be a moment. My friend had to go to the chemist—’
‘I don’t care if he had to put a fire out. No Standing means you can’t park here.’
‘Maybe you should just give him a ticket then,’ said Tully.
‘What?’
‘Could you just hurry up?’
Then Tully saw Griffin. He’d come out of the chemist and stopped dead as he caught sight of what was going on. She was reminded of the first day she’d noticed him at school. He had a slightly lost look about him. She’d seen that look before. Every day she looked in the mirror.
Griffin took a couple of steps away from the car before stopping and looking back her way. Tully wasn’t sure what she wanted him to do. If he left her now, she would be free to go. And yet...
‘Here he is now,’ said Tully.
‘Is something wrong?’ Griffin’s face was nearly as grey as the parking inspector’s shirt as he walked towards the car.
‘This is a No Standing zone,’ barked the inspector.
‘I’m sorry. I—’
‘Your girlfriend here was telling me to give you a ticket. Have you two had a fight?’
Griffin shrugged.
‘I think you’d better move this car or I’ll be giving you a Christmas present from the council,’ said the inspector, waving his ticket machine. ‘Merry Christmas,’ he added gruffly as he strode off to another car
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