Chapter Five Hundred and Sixty Nine

"Are you sure you're not going to get into trouble for this?" Casey asked hesitantly.

Xavier paused and looked at his friend.

"Are you sure you're really a River Boy?" he asked.

"I'm not a River Boy," Casey replied. "My brothers are River Boys."

Xavier shrugged and opened the door to the Mad Max car that he and John had been working on together for months.

"Same difference, isn't it?"

He climbed in. Casey climbed in the other side.

"Not really," he replied gruffly. "I mean, are you exactly the same as your brother?"

He might be new to Summer Bay High but he knew how to research the locals, the people he was attending school with and Xavier, not to mention the school Principal had quite the colourful family history. He tried not to smirk when Xavier glared at him.

"So, where are we going?" Casey asked.

Xavier shrugged.

"Just for a drive," he said. "I thought we deserved to celebrate our win today."

They and Dex had done extremely well at their Science project and Miles had invited Casey to go forward for a specialised Science program. Casey was nervous about it and unsure whether to accept but privately, he was touched that a teacher believed in him. It was definitely the first time it had ever happened.

"Onward, driver," he said.

Xavier grinned, strapped himself in and revved up the engine.

Bianca brought April to the restaurant to visit Joey. She and her sister had spent a lot of time talking about April's anxiety levels, something Bianca felt terribly guilty for not realising she was suffering with. But Bianca also didn't feel equipped to deal with the situation all by herself. She needed help and Joey had been so good the night before.

Ruby was bored and frustrated. She had managed to escape the confines of her house. Charlie and Joey were both at work and with nobody watching her and she had happily slipped out for some fresh air. She stopped when she saw Xavier's distinctive Mad Max car coming up the road towards her. She grinned and flagged him down.

"What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" her ex-boyfriend asked.

Joey wasn't sure how much help she had been to Bianca and April but she had given them the list of counsellors she had initially drawn up for Ruby and then ended up using for herself. She had spoken to April again about her feelings of anxiety, empathising and admitting to her own moments of panic. April said she wouldn't have guessed that someone capable of running a business and who seemed so happy, was in a successful relationship and was such an important part of Summer Bay could still have such difficulties. Joey was grateful for the compliment. But it served to remind them both that those kinds of struggles could hit anyone and it wasn't anything to be ashamed of. The important thing was to reach out and accept the help that was offered.

"Looks like a party up ahead," Ruby noted.

She had joined the boys for their drive and somehow persuaded Xavier to let her drive. Nothing like a bit of blackmail on a sunny afternoon.

"Uh, I don't think this is such a good idea," Casey said anxiously from the backseat.

He recognised his brother and his brother's mates from a distance. He was enjoying hanging out with Xavier and especially with Ruby. He did not want to go to a River Boys' party.

"Yeah, we don't need to hang out with those guys," Xavier agreed.

The River Boys were not his kind of people.

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, pulling the car past the gathering.

She had Charlie and Joey's warnings in her head. She knew she ought to listen. She suddenly slammed on the breaks. Xavier snapped at her to be careful with his car. Then he realised that Heath was standing in front of the car. He moved round to knock on the window. Casey rolled his eyes. Ruby rolled her window down.

"Come to join us?" Heath asked.

"No," Xavier told him firmly, leaning across. "Just passing through."

Heath peered at him.

"Don't you think you can handle a grown up party?" he asked.

"Can you tell us where there is one?" Ruby shot back.

Heath laughed. Casey was impressed.

"Come on," the River Boy coaxed. "You don't have to stay long. You want to hang out with your big brother, don't you, Case?"

It was the last thing he wanted to do. And yet he found himself agreeing. Perhaps if they only stayed a little while, nothing awful would happen.

"Hey, um… can I tell you something?" Charlie asked.

She and Watson were out on patrol. They and their colleagues were having to be out and about much more often now that the River Boys had expanded their area of partying and hanging around. They had to be ready to act whenever trouble was going to break out. So many locals were up in arms about their very existence.

"Yes, please!" Watson said eagerly.

"Okay, well, it's a secret," Charlie told her. "Like, nobody knows."

"Just you, me and Joey?"

"Not even Joey," Charlie said. "Especially Joey."

"Oh?" Watson said.

Now she was really interested.

"I'm thinking of asking Joey to marry me," Charlie told her.

She had been dying to tell someone. She couldn't keep it to herself any longer. Watson stopped walking abruptly.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "That's amazing!"

"I mean, obviously it wouldn't be a legal thing but we could still have the ceremony, the vows…"

"The party."

"The dress."

"The beer."

"The flowers."

"The cake."

Charlie laughed.

"So, what's brought this about?"

"My Dad," Charlie explained, as they started walking again. "It was kind of his dying wish. He gave me my mother's engagement ring before he died. He told me to propose. He wanted us all to be a proper family."

Watson smiled.

"That must have meant the world to you, Charlie," she said.

"It did," Charlie admitted. "It was really him, you know? He fought through his illness, his confusion… he fought it all to tell me what he wanted for me, for us. He always called Joey one of his girls and I know she loved him too. She was always so good with him, so gentle."

"That's our Joey."

Charlie smiled and nodded.

"So, when are you going to do it? How?"

"Well, it's coming up to our two year anniversary," Charlie ventured. "So, I thought I'd do it then. As to how, I have literally no idea. I want it to be special. But not over the top."

"One question: Can I be your best woman?"

Charlie laughed and immediately agreed.

"Ha! In your face, Bianca!"

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Charlie shook her head, baffled. She slung her arm around Watson.

"You do know we'll be best mates forever, right?" she said.

Watson leant her head on Charlie's arm.

"Don't get sappy but I do love you."

Casey, Xavier and Ruby stayed close together as they ventured into the River Boys party. Ruby was half feeling rebellious and half terrified that her parents were going to find out what she had been up to. She knew they would be livid at her spending time with the River Boys. Charlie had a vendetta against them right now and she knew that Joey had a hard time with Heath being around all the time. Ruby didn't know the details but she understood that her step-mother was in a lot of pain and anxiety. It was hard to see.

"Beers!" Heath said, handing some bottles over.

"I don't drink," Ruby said, firmly handing her bottle back.

"Why?" he asked, genuinely baffled by the concept.

"Because I choose not to."

Casey felt awkward, having immediately opened his bottle. Xavier handed his bottle back too, explaining that he was driving.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to drink," Heath remarked, shaking his head at him. "But why don't you relax and have some fun?"

He aimed his latter question at Ruby.

"I don't really like you," Ruby replied bluntly.

Casey laughed. Heath glared at them both.

"You haven't spent time getting to know me," he said.

"I know enough," Ruby told him.

"What the hell do you know?" he asked, more seriously.

"I know you have history with my step-mother," Ruby replied. "And that's enough for me."

Heath furrowed his brow.

"Who's your step-mum?" he asked.

"Joey Collins."

"Oh, the chick who's accusing me of breaking her wrist or something?" he said dismissively.

He laughed.

"Come of it. It was an accident."

He shrugged and opened the beer that he had offered to Ruby.

"There's no way those charges are going to stick."

"Hi, Joey, have you seen Xavier around?" John asked, getting right to the point.

Joey shook her head. She had been rushed off her feet for most of the day.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I haven't."

John looked fretful. Joey asked after his concern.

"I haven't seen him since he was supposed to be back from school," John explained and the car's gone. You know, the one he and I have been working on together. He doesn't have permission to drive it solo yet."

"Oh… Well, he hasn't been in here," Joey informed him. "I can give Ruby a call if that would help? Ask her if she's seen him around?"

John accepted gratefully. Joey called. It rang out to voicemail. She tried not to worry.

"What's the issue between Joey and Heath?" Xavier asked.

Casey had been dragged over to hang out with Heath although really, he just wanted to spend time with Ruby. He knew he didn't stand a chance with her. She had already told him that she liked someone else. But he still liked her. He couldn't help it.

"I'm not entirely sure," Ruby said. "But she's had a pretty tough time lately."

"Romeo said he's been worried about her," Xavier remarked. "He really adores her. He adores your whole family."

Ruby shifted uncomfortably. Things had definitely changed in that department in recent days.

"When do you think is a polite time to get out of here?" she asked.

"Do you really think we need to be polite to these morons?" Xavier asked.

Ruby laughed. Sometimes she missed the boy she had once been in love with. It had been a simpler time back then.

"Do you think we can prize Casey away from that particular moron?" she wondered.

"Well, if not, we can just leave him here," Xavier said, standing up and calling Casey over.

Casey returned to them.

"We're heading off," Xavier told him.

"Sure," Casey shrugged.

He decided not to make a big deal of it to Heath who would try to make him stay. The three of them would have slipped away unnoticed if it hadn't been for the rev of the engine of the Mad Max car.

Charlie and Joey popped into Bucktons' to grab a coffee and say hello.

"How are you?" Joey asked, serving their drinks as they pulled up stools at the newly refurbished bar.

"We're okay," Charlie said. "Mostly patrolling. Had quite a nice catch up really."

"Yep," Watson agreed.

"Hey, have you heard from Ruby today?" Joey asked, serving their drinks.

Charlie sipped hers and then put it down quickly. She was always too eager. It was always too hot.

"No, not since we parted ways this morning," Charlie said.

She froze.

"Why?" she asked. "Do I need to be worried?"

"No… I mean, I don't think so."

"Joey?"

"It's just that John came in here, flapping about Xavier vanishing with that Mad Max car and now I can't get in touch with Ruby either. It might be coincidental but…"

Charlie was already on the phone. No response.

"We're getting that coffee to go, aren't we?" Watson realised.

"Why are you hanging around with these losers when you can stay here with us?" Heath asked, leaning into the window of the car, past Xavier who had told Ruby in no uncertain terms that he was driving back, and craning his neck to see his brother in the back.

"Because I can hang out with you any time," Casey said.

"Yeah, like now," Heath said. "Come on, we're having a party! Loosen up! Have some fun!"

"I'm having fun with my mates, Heath," Casey said.

"These two?" Heath asked doubtfully. "This square and her?"

"Hey!" Ruby protested.

"You're not exactly his type," Heath said. "I mean, for starters, your Mum's a cop. Not to mention a dyke."

Ruby just shook her head. She couldn't even be bothered to engage with him. Xavier obviously had other ideas.

"Don't be so ignorant!" he snapped.

"Oh, you're speaking up now, are you?"

"You can't go round calling people names like that," Xavier told him.

"And who's going to stop me?" Heath asked. "You?"

"If I have to!"

"Xavier, stop being ridiculous," Ruby told him. "My parents aren't going to be impressed with you getting your face smashed in just to defend their right not to be called names."

"Yeah, calm down," Heath said. "Listen to the dyke's daughter."

He leaned in closer and peered at Ruby.

"Hey, how do you even exist if your Mum's a lesbian anyway?"

Xavier quickly wound up the window, making Heath jumped out of the way to avoid getting trapped. He sped off.

"Thank you," Ruby said quietly.

Xavier nodded. Casey sat in the back, sure he was missing something but not wanting to ask.

"Is this what I've got to look forward to with Danny when he gets older?" Watson asked in the car.

"It's possibly going to be worse," Charlie told her.

Watson rested her face in her hands.

"On the plus side, he's a good kid," Charlie said, searching for signs of Ruby or Xavier anywhere around as she drove.

Watson sat up straighter and also continued looking.

"When Ruby was his age, she was already showing signs of being badly behaved," Charlie continued. "I had no chance!"

Watson laughed.

"He's a good boy," she agreed. "He's still seriously cute. We're lucky. I'm lucky."

She sighed happily, thinking of the home life she had never expected to have.

"Hey, do you think you'll ever pop the question?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Maybe… maybe," Watson said shyly. "I mean, I love Kerri. We're happy together. She's the person I want to be with for the rest of my life. And she's divorced now so it wouldn't feel weird to have a ceremony or anything."

"Well, I don't think you've given yourself any reasons not to do it," Charlie said.

"There is one… And he's coming out of prison in less than a year."

"Oh…"

"Yeah," Watson said, suddenly looking for the kids more seriously than ever.

"What has she said about him?"

"Not much," Watson admitted. "And I don't really know to raise it. How do you start a conversation about your girlfriend's jailbird ex-husband who nearly killed her and her son by driving under the influence? Who did kill a teenage girl?"

"It's not exactly the kind of chat you have over breakfast," Charlie agreed.

"If it wasn't for him, she'd be able to walk," Watson said. "She's had such a difficult life because of him. Long before the accident. But I know she still cares about him, regardless. I know she doesn't hate him."

"You're scared you're going to lose her when he comes out," Charlie realised.

"I lost Monica for less," Watson said sadly. "I thought we were forever and she abandoned me for a job on the other side of the world. I wasn't worth keeping."

"Hey," Charlie said, squeezing her friend's hand. "You're worth keeping, okay? Come on. You're my best woman!"

Watson laughed and thanked her.

"Oh, party up ahead."

Charlie nodded, hoping that neither Ruby nor Xavier would be so stupid as to get involved with any of this crew but they definitely had to ask.

"Um… what just happened?" Casey asked, leaning forward.

Xavier tried the engine a couple more times.

"Uh… yeah, that can sometimes happen with this car if… if you don't fill up the tank," Xavier said awkwardly.

Ruby shook her head.

"I can't believe I used to date you," she said.

Casey silently absorbed that small nugget of information.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"I guess we have to get more petrol," Xavier said. "I think we passed a petrol station a mile or so back…"

"Run along then!" Ruby said, nudging him.

"Why me?"

"Well, it's your car and you're the idiot who didn't think to fill up!" Casey told him.

"This wasn't just my idea, you know!"

"Actually, it was," Casey reminded him. "I didn't want to do any of this and you convinced me."

"And I just came along for ride partway through," Ruby said. "Filling up the tank had nothing to do with me. You were already on your way."

"Plus, it's your car; it's your responsibility."

Growling in frustration, Xavier climbed out of the car and slammed the door. Ruby sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"So, you dated him?" Casey asked.

Ruby chuckled.

"It was a while ago," she said. "He was my first boyfriend when I moved to Summer Bay."

"Why did you break up?"

"It sounds really harsh but I just… outgrew him," Ruby admitted.

"I get that," Casey said. "Sometimes you fit with people and then you just don't fit with them anymore."

"I went through a pretty difficult time not so long ago and he just… he wasn't who I needed him to be during all of that," Ruby said. "Everything he said and did to try and help… just irritated me. I know it sounds awful. It was mostly me being a Princess, I'm sure. He was trying to be kind. But everything that happened… it changed me as a person. And I guess I wasn't the person who fell in love with him anymore."

"It sounds like you went through a hell of a lot," Casey empathised.

"I did," Ruby said. "But it's better now. I'm better. I mean, every day is a journey, right? Every day we're learning. But things are definitely better."

"I'm glad."

He studied her profile as she looked out of the window. She was so beautiful.

Charlie and Watson climbed out of their car and approached the River Boys party, which for once didn't seem to be causing a disturbance. Heath stepped up as their disturbance.

"Is there a problem, Officers?"

Several others hovered in the background, catcalling and wolf whistling.

"We're looking for two teenagers, Xavier Austin and Ruby Buckton," Watson said, taking the lead. "They might have been driving a Mad Max car. Have you seen them?"

"Yeah, we saw them a little while ago," Heath said. "They stopped by for some beers, then wandered off again."

Charlie tried not to react, aware that Heath was usually vague with the truth.

"Anyone else with them?" she asked.

"Nah," Heath lied.

"Do you know where they went?"

"Nah," he said. "Hey, isn't that Ruby chick your daughter?"

Charlie didn't reply.

"Hey, guys, this is the one I was telling you about," he called back to his friends.

He put two fingers to his lips and poked his tongue out in an extremely rude gesture. Charlie rolled her eyes and walked away.

"With the one at that bar. And her too! She's one too!"

"What all three of them together?" another guy asked.

"Nah, she's with that woman in the wheelchair," someone else said.

A crowd of guys began to follow them to their car, spurred on by alcohol.

"Hey, do you only go for disabled people or do you like normal people as well?" he asked. "And is it just women or are you one of those greedy ones?"

Watson ignored him and continued walking.

"Does the chair turn you on?" he pestered.

Watson whirled around. Charlie stopped.

"Do you want to continue asking inappropriate, offensive questions down at the police station or do you want to have some respect and we both continue our day?" Watson asked firmly and almost calmly.

The River Boy stepped back and blinked a couple of times.

"On your way, Officer," he said.

Watson climbed into the car and slammed the door. Charlie watched them head back towards their music and beers. She hated to think of what was becoming of their lovely, seaside town.

"I'm sorry Heath was so rude to you before," Casey ventured.

"Oh, I don't care," Ruby assured him. "Don't worry about it. No offence but your brother's an imbecile."

He laughed and had to agree with her.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm very protective of both my parents but they've both dealt with worse than that in their lives," Ruby told him. "And they've both taught me to pick my battles when it comes to guys like him."

"To be honest, I don't think he's necessarily homophobic," Casey ventured. "I think he probably just doesn't understand the concept of a woman not being sexually attracted to him."

Ruby laughed.

"I think a lot of heterosexual women wouldn't be either!" she said.

"Yeah but he doesn't know that!" Casey grinned.

Ruby turned her head and smiled at him. She really did think he was cute.

"So… have your parents been together for a while?" Casey asked.

He couldn't help being curious. He was curious about everything in her life.

"Two years," Ruby said. "And for the record, my mother isn't gay, she's bi. Joey's gay."

Casey nodded.

"And your Dad…?"

"My biological father is dead," Ruby said tightly. "I met him but I didn't know him. I would never have wanted a relationship with him. He was a very bad person."

"Okay," Casey said. "I'm sorry."

Ruby met his anxious smile.

"My Dad's in jail," Casey offered.

She wasn't surprised but didn't say so.

"I never met him. Brax pretty much raised me. Me and Heath. And a lot of the River Boys. He's always looked out for everyone. I know your Mums hate him but he is a good guy. He cares about people. He does right by people."

"Well, I can't really comment on Brax," Ruby said. "But I'm glad that he's been a good big brother. You turned out well."

She grinned. Casey blushed.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked.

"I just can't understand the ignorance of those guys," Watson said, shaking her head. "What's wrong with them?"

"They're just… morons," Charlie concluded.

"Oh, hey!" Watson said, pointing to the sorry form of Xavier walking up the road, carrying a can of petrol.

Charlie pulled up ahead of him.

Ruby was now sat in the back of the car. It hadn't taken Casey long to bring up the subject of her 'mystery boyfriend' and she had explained that it was all over. Her 'mystery boyfriend' had turned out to be nothing but a user.

"Well, it's his loss," Casey said. "And for the record, he must be crazy to have let someone as incredible as you go, Ruby. If you were my girlfriend, I'd think I was the luckiest guy in the world."

She kissed him.

Xavier had anxiously explained that he and Casey had gone for a drive and Ruby had joined them. They had briefly and reluctantly stopped at the party where they had not drunk any beer. Then on the way home, they had run out of petrol.

Charlie and Watson had invited him into the back of their car and driven him to his own. Charlie led the way to the car.

"I definitely left them here," Xavier said, following her.

Charlie opened the back door and then jumped back as if she had been stung, nearly landing on Xavier. He too peered into the car where Ruby and Casey were quickly covering up on the backseat, mortified. He laughed and shook his head, telling them off for christening his car before he got the opportunity.

Next time… Charlie is horrified by Ruby and Casey's actions, Brax petitions for Charlie and Joey to give Casey a chance and Ruby announces the truth about her and Romeo…