Read Online The Other Side of Nowhere by Stephen Johnston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephen Johnston
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Seeing her response, Nick softened his tone.
‘I’m just saying I can’t … we can’t rely on him to come straightaway, that’s all.’
George sighed and squatted down on her haunches. She looked up at me with raised eyebrows as if to say, He’s your friend. Do something.
But I was struggling to keep up. From what I could piece together, for some reason, Nick’s dad – the only person on earth who knew where we were – might not be coming to get us anytime soon. I had no idea what was making Nick think that, but I also had zero desire to push him on it, so I shrugged at George. She had as much chance as I did of getting an answer out of him – probably more, given she didn’t try to drown him the night before.
George chewed on her fingernail and I could almost hear the cogs whirring as she processed what was happening. ‘We don’t have any water,’ she said, half to herself.
‘Exactly,’ said Nick, sparking up. ‘So let’s get going as soon as we can.’
Every bone in my body, every instinct was screaming the same thing: Stay put, be patient and don’t do anything stupid.
‘Well?’ said Nick looking around. It sounded like a challenge. When his blue eyes settled on me, my heart quickened. It was a challenge. It was a challenge to me.
I was totally unprepared for any of this. Nick was a person who I never argued with, hardly ever traded a cross word with. If anything I always backed down.
I stood up, feeling totally confused. I couldn’t look at him, but I couldn’t agree with him either.
‘I think we should stay,’ I said, my eyes shooting down to the sand.
‘Me too,’ said George, with all the assurance I wished I had.
Nick nodded slowly, biting on his lip. ‘Matt? What about you?’ he asked pointedly. ‘Stay or go?’
My stomach somersaulted. Nine times out of ten, if I said ‘black’ Matt would say ‘white’, so I wasn’t expecting him to agree with me. But I hoped he might feel torn about siding against George.
‘Jeez, I dunno,’ he said scratching the back of his neck. ‘I guess stay?’ He looked apologetically at Nick.
‘Three to one. We stay,’ George announced, glaring at Nick.
‘Fair enough,’ Nick said tight lipped. ‘But you’re wrong. No-one knows we’re here. We have stuff-all to eat, no water and in about an hour it’s going to be hot as an oven on this beach. So I guess I’ll see you guys around.’
Then he turned his back on us and started off along the beach.
‘Come off it, Nick,’ I yelled. I never imagined he would go it alone after we voted.
‘What is his problem?’ George asked, staring after him.
‘Beats me,’ I said, fighting to keep the quaver from my voice.
As I watched Nick head towards the rocks at the end of the beach my stomach began to ache again. I felt sure that somehow I had just massively let him down. Again.
Standing in a moody silence on the beach, the three of us might not have moved at all if George hadn’t spoken.
‘If, for some reason that I completely don’t get, we do have to spend another night here, there’s no way I’m sleeping on a rock again,’ she said, hands firmly planted on her hips in a stance that reminded me of Mum. Right at that moment I was pretty happy to be told what to do, so Matt, George and I agreed to split up to search for a better camping spot and to meet back at the cave in one hour, assuming no-one had come to get us by then.
I wandered off along a line of trees, looking for a way in to the bush. But it was thick and seemingly impenetrable. I quickly discovered that anything that looked like an opening soon came to a dead-end, blocked by a wall of leaves, vines and dead wood. I also found out that every plant seemed to scratch, prick or slice. After being slashed to bits each time I tried to get through, I was just ready to give up when I came upon the first sign of a track of sorts. It was massively overgrown, but nonetheless I managed to find a way through.
A fallen tree
‘I’m just saying I can’t … we can’t rely on him to come straightaway, that’s all.’
George sighed and squatted down on her haunches. She looked up at me with raised eyebrows as if to say, He’s your friend. Do something.
But I was struggling to keep up. From what I could piece together, for some reason, Nick’s dad – the only person on earth who knew where we were – might not be coming to get us anytime soon. I had no idea what was making Nick think that, but I also had zero desire to push him on it, so I shrugged at George. She had as much chance as I did of getting an answer out of him – probably more, given she didn’t try to drown him the night before.
George chewed on her fingernail and I could almost hear the cogs whirring as she processed what was happening. ‘We don’t have any water,’ she said, half to herself.
‘Exactly,’ said Nick, sparking up. ‘So let’s get going as soon as we can.’
Every bone in my body, every instinct was screaming the same thing: Stay put, be patient and don’t do anything stupid.
‘Well?’ said Nick looking around. It sounded like a challenge. When his blue eyes settled on me, my heart quickened. It was a challenge. It was a challenge to me.
I was totally unprepared for any of this. Nick was a person who I never argued with, hardly ever traded a cross word with. If anything I always backed down.
I stood up, feeling totally confused. I couldn’t look at him, but I couldn’t agree with him either.
‘I think we should stay,’ I said, my eyes shooting down to the sand.
‘Me too,’ said George, with all the assurance I wished I had.
Nick nodded slowly, biting on his lip. ‘Matt? What about you?’ he asked pointedly. ‘Stay or go?’
My stomach somersaulted. Nine times out of ten, if I said ‘black’ Matt would say ‘white’, so I wasn’t expecting him to agree with me. But I hoped he might feel torn about siding against George.
‘Jeez, I dunno,’ he said scratching the back of his neck. ‘I guess stay?’ He looked apologetically at Nick.
‘Three to one. We stay,’ George announced, glaring at Nick.
‘Fair enough,’ Nick said tight lipped. ‘But you’re wrong. No-one knows we’re here. We have stuff-all to eat, no water and in about an hour it’s going to be hot as an oven on this beach. So I guess I’ll see you guys around.’
Then he turned his back on us and started off along the beach.
‘Come off it, Nick,’ I yelled. I never imagined he would go it alone after we voted.
‘What is his problem?’ George asked, staring after him.
‘Beats me,’ I said, fighting to keep the quaver from my voice.
As I watched Nick head towards the rocks at the end of the beach my stomach began to ache again. I felt sure that somehow I had just massively let him down. Again.
Standing in a moody silence on the beach, the three of us might not have moved at all if George hadn’t spoken.
‘If, for some reason that I completely don’t get, we do have to spend another night here, there’s no way I’m sleeping on a rock again,’ she said, hands firmly planted on her hips in a stance that reminded me of Mum. Right at that moment I was pretty happy to be told what to do, so Matt, George and I agreed to split up to search for a better camping spot and to meet back at the cave in one hour, assuming no-one had come to get us by then.
I wandered off along a line of trees, looking for a way in to the bush. But it was thick and seemingly impenetrable. I quickly discovered that anything that looked like an opening soon came to a dead-end, blocked by a wall of leaves, vines and dead wood. I also found out that every plant seemed to scratch, prick or slice. After being slashed to bits each time I tried to get through, I was just ready to give up when I came upon the first sign of a track of sorts. It was massively overgrown, but nonetheless I managed to find a way through.
A fallen tree
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