she pushed off the ground and rolled along on the board. Simon got bored of watching after five minutes, especially since she hadn’t stacked it, and went back inside.
With him gone, she attempted that thing she’d seen Marcus do and quickly realised it took a lot of skill to get the board off the ground, let alone as high as he had. Maybe she should watch a few YouTube ‘how to’ clips. That could be her job tomorrow.
After putting the skateboard in her room by the door, she texted Taylor and asked him if he was busy. His reply was instant.
Nup.
Cool. Can you give me a ride to the cemetery pls?
Sure. C U in 5
Jaz pulled out one of the fake plastic hydrangeas in a vase on her desk. She’d brought them from a shop a few days ago. They had a stem perfect for hiding a note in.
Jaz pulled out the coded message hidden in her book and rolled it up tightly. She slid it into the fake flower stem and plugged the end. When Taylor turned up and honked his horn, Jaz was still sitting there looking at the flower. So many things running through her mind. The message, her job and, most of all, going to the cemetery to see her sister. The last time she’d been was with her parents for Becky and Simon’s tenth birthday. It was a milestone and he’d wanted to celebrate with Becky. That was going close on five years ago now.
Shaking herself from her daze, she headed downstairs. Simon was in the kitchen raiding the same chocolate stash she had earlier on. He looked like a kid caught stealing, guilt all over his face. Simon never was good at lying or being bad. Jaz chose to ignore an opportune time to tease him. ‘Can you let Mum know I’m off with Taylor for a drive? Be back later.’
Without waiting for him to answer, she pushed through the large French doors to the side driveway where Taylor was waiting.
‘Hey you.’
‘Hey yourself,’ she replied.
Jaz put on her sunnies and slid onto the front leather seat.
‘Nice flower,’ he said as he reversed out of the driveway. ‘For Becky?’ he asked.
Jaz nodded as she touched the soft blue petals. ‘Yeah, it’s been a while.’
He didn’t say anything but Jaz could feel Taylor was wondering ‘why now?’
They drove in silence, radio playing in the background and the breeze blowing in through their open windows on the warm afternoon Saturday.
‘I just got a skateboard,’ she said, out of the blue. ‘Have you ever tried it?’
Taylor turned to her at the red light and gave her a look as if to say ‘who are you?’ ‘No. Guns are my thing, remember?’ he said with a smile.
Jaz laughed. ‘You’re a guy, I just thought you might have done it at some stage.’
‘Gee, thanks, Jaz. You just made that sound like you were asking about my sex life.’ They both cracked up and were still joking about it when he pulled into the cemetery.
Taylor turned off the car. ‘Remember where she is?’ he asked.
‘I think so. I’m sure I can find her.’
‘You want me to stay here?’
She shook her head. ‘No, I’d like you to come. Please,’ she added.
The first time back to see Becky she wanted company, and her note was already hidden. Later, when she would be picking up a message, she’d go alone, but for now, she was grateful for Taylor’s presence.
Jaz took the path that she remembered, letting her memory guide her. She passed the gardener who was trimming some of the lawn and tending to a flowerbed. ‘Do you think he finds this job lonely, or do you think all these people keep him company?’ she whispered to Taylor.
‘Who knows? To me it feels eerily quiet and a little creepy, but I can’t say I go to cemeteries a lot. The last time I was here was for Mum.’
Jaz nodded as they came to stop by Becky’s grave. Taylor’s mum had passed away four years ago. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t think to ask if this would be hard for you.’ She reached for his hand as they stared at the large headstone. It was big for such a tiny grave.
Taylor squeezed her
With him gone, she attempted that thing she’d seen Marcus do and quickly realised it took a lot of skill to get the board off the ground, let alone as high as he had. Maybe she should watch a few YouTube ‘how to’ clips. That could be her job tomorrow.
After putting the skateboard in her room by the door, she texted Taylor and asked him if he was busy. His reply was instant.
Nup.
Cool. Can you give me a ride to the cemetery pls?
Sure. C U in 5
Jaz pulled out one of the fake plastic hydrangeas in a vase on her desk. She’d brought them from a shop a few days ago. They had a stem perfect for hiding a note in.
Jaz pulled out the coded message hidden in her book and rolled it up tightly. She slid it into the fake flower stem and plugged the end. When Taylor turned up and honked his horn, Jaz was still sitting there looking at the flower. So many things running through her mind. The message, her job and, most of all, going to the cemetery to see her sister. The last time she’d been was with her parents for Becky and Simon’s tenth birthday. It was a milestone and he’d wanted to celebrate with Becky. That was going close on five years ago now.
Shaking herself from her daze, she headed downstairs. Simon was in the kitchen raiding the same chocolate stash she had earlier on. He looked like a kid caught stealing, guilt all over his face. Simon never was good at lying or being bad. Jaz chose to ignore an opportune time to tease him. ‘Can you let Mum know I’m off with Taylor for a drive? Be back later.’
Without waiting for him to answer, she pushed through the large French doors to the side driveway where Taylor was waiting.
‘Hey you.’
‘Hey yourself,’ she replied.
Jaz put on her sunnies and slid onto the front leather seat.
‘Nice flower,’ he said as he reversed out of the driveway. ‘For Becky?’ he asked.
Jaz nodded as she touched the soft blue petals. ‘Yeah, it’s been a while.’
He didn’t say anything but Jaz could feel Taylor was wondering ‘why now?’
They drove in silence, radio playing in the background and the breeze blowing in through their open windows on the warm afternoon Saturday.
‘I just got a skateboard,’ she said, out of the blue. ‘Have you ever tried it?’
Taylor turned to her at the red light and gave her a look as if to say ‘who are you?’ ‘No. Guns are my thing, remember?’ he said with a smile.
Jaz laughed. ‘You’re a guy, I just thought you might have done it at some stage.’
‘Gee, thanks, Jaz. You just made that sound like you were asking about my sex life.’ They both cracked up and were still joking about it when he pulled into the cemetery.
Taylor turned off the car. ‘Remember where she is?’ he asked.
‘I think so. I’m sure I can find her.’
‘You want me to stay here?’
She shook her head. ‘No, I’d like you to come. Please,’ she added.
The first time back to see Becky she wanted company, and her note was already hidden. Later, when she would be picking up a message, she’d go alone, but for now, she was grateful for Taylor’s presence.
Jaz took the path that she remembered, letting her memory guide her. She passed the gardener who was trimming some of the lawn and tending to a flowerbed. ‘Do you think he finds this job lonely, or do you think all these people keep him company?’ she whispered to Taylor.
‘Who knows? To me it feels eerily quiet and a little creepy, but I can’t say I go to cemeteries a lot. The last time I was here was for Mum.’
Jaz nodded as they came to stop by Becky’s grave. Taylor’s mum had passed away four years ago. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t think to ask if this would be hard for you.’ She reached for his hand as they stared at the large headstone. It was big for such a tiny grave.
Taylor squeezed her
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