Chapter 3
So the day came when Pat had to leave. Their mother & 2 older brothers had arrived in Cameron a week earlier & had been staying at a local motel. Gemma loved seeing them more than she could have imagined, she only got to see them twice a year - once when they would come to America (her brothers, Michael & Rhett staying at the farm & her mom at the motel) and once a year she would go to Australia with her brothers Pat & Chris. Although she adored Michael & Rhett & loved her mother deeply this time the visit was different. This time they were going home with Pat. On the morning they were due to leave, Gemma speant most of the time with Pat in his room. They talked, they laughed & they did a lot of crying. Neither of them could believe this was happening. She couldnt go to the airport to say goodbye, she knew it would tear her apart, instead she said her goodbye's in the yard before they got into the car. She watched as they drove up the road, her father followed with Chris & Kellie in his car, Gemma watched until they were out of site. Pat was gone. She felt empty inside & had a lump the size of a baseball in her throat but felt the need to keep her tears under control, she'd done enough crying today. She turned to walk back to the house & was surprised to see Jeff sitting on the porch steps. As she walked towards him, he held out his arms & she could hold back her pain no longer. So there they stood in the yard holding onto each other while Gemma sobbed her heart out. She felt this was right, but she couldnt explain it. She felt safe in Jeff's arms. It felt right, thats all she knew. And so another chapter of her life ended right there in Jeff's arms once again.
chapter 4
So, life went on. As it turned out, Pat was enjoying his new-old life back in Sydney & he had speant a lot of time on the phone to Cameron. Although Gemma missed him a lot, she was happy because he was happy.
Nothing much changed in Cameron. Matt & Jeff were continuing their quest for wrestling stardom & even had Gemma filming them with a camcorder so they could bombard wrestling companies with video evidence that they were going to be the next big thing! Gemma's father & Kellie had gotten married & Kellie's son, Greg, had moved in with them. Greg was older than Gemma & happened to be a friend of Matt's so it all fitted in perfectly.
School was comming to an end & the dreaded Prom loomed up. Gemma didnt have a date & wasnt really all that bothered! Greg had even offered to take her, but Gemma had kindly refused as she thought having her older step brother accompany her to the prom would have been social suicide!!
One day she arrived at Jeff's house, as she often did, to find that he wasnt home. Matt informed her he had gone to help their Dad do some work on their uncle's house in town. Gemma had made up her mind to go back home, but Matt insisted she wait with him as he was pretty sure they wouldnt be gone very long, so Gemma agreed. They got talking - over a glass of lemonade - well Matt did most of it, telling Gemma all his plans for this big wrestling carreer that himself & 'little bro' were going to have.
"The Hardy Boys! Can you dig that Gem?" Matt said grinning
"Hardy Boys huh? names up in lights & posters on the walls of a thousand girls' bedrooms!!"
"Yeah man that would be pretty cool!!" laughed Matt
"You guys will do it! I know you will! AND when you two are these hot shot pro wrestling superstars I expect you wont forget the girl who filmed your first promos!!"
"Im sorry...the who?.....Who are you anyway??"
"Asshole!" spat Gemma but she couldnt hold her laugh in for long! they laughed until her cheeks ached & she put her head down on the counter & made a 'time out' signal! Matt got them another drink & the talk turned to school....and the prom!
"sooooo who's your big date for the prom then kiddo?" He asked.
"Well no one actually! I called Brad Pitt but he is washing his hair that night!"
"Aww come on girl! You gotta have a date for the prom or you are gonna look like a real dork ya know that?"
"Gee thanks for the confidence boost Matty! Basides Im not gonna be the only one there on my own!"
"Oh yeah you can hitch up with one of those science-class geeks! They're always available!!"
" Yeah & so very sexy! I'll definately win Prom Queen on the arm of Neville Stokes!!"
"Well why dont you get Jeff to take you?" Asked Matt
Gemma's stomach turned. "GET REAL JACKASS! Besides Jeff already has a date...he's taking Mell-iss-ssa!" Gemma hadnt meant to sound sarcastic, it just came out that way. She didnt even know why it bothered her so much! Matt was about to rib her about her sarcasm, then decided Gemma & Jeff was a mystery even Scooby Doo & the gang coulndt solve!!! His phillosophy was leave them alone & they'll figure it out themselves!
"So I was thinkin..I know this really hot guy..."
"Oh please!" Gemma butted in "Ive seen all of your friends!!"
"What's that supposed to mean miss prom queen? None of my friends good enough for you Ma'am!!?" Matt stuck his nose in the air & turned his head as if he was offended! Gemma laughed
"Anyway this guy is seriously hot property & i know you wouldnt say no babe!!" Matt said with a wink
"Come on Matt no w....." Gemma stopped in mid-sentance & then screamed "YOU???"
"sure why not!?"
"Well because.....erm...because..."
"Exactly! problem solved! Gem has a date & Matt gets to check out all the highschool chicks!! Woooooo!!!"
So that was that! Gemma was going to the prom with a guy most of the girls she knew
would lay down over a mud puddle for!! this was going to be one hell of a night!!
So the day came when Pat had to leave. Their mother & 2 older brothers had arrived in Cameron a week earlier & had been staying at a local motel. Gemma loved seeing them more than she could have imagined, she only got to see them twice a year - once when they would come to America (her brothers, Michael & Rhett staying at the farm & her mom at the motel) and once a year she would go to Australia with her brothers Pat & Chris. Although she adored Michael & Rhett & loved her mother deeply this time the visit was different. This time they were going home with Pat. On the morning they were due to leave, Gemma speant most of the time with Pat in his room. They talked, they laughed & they did a lot of crying. Neither of them could believe this was happening. She couldnt go to the airport to say goodbye, she knew it would tear her apart, instead she said her goodbye's in the yard before they got into the car. She watched as they drove up the road, her father followed with Chris & Kellie in his car, Gemma watched until they were out of site. Pat was gone. She felt empty inside & had a lump the size of a baseball in her throat but felt the need to keep her tears under control, she'd done enough crying today. She turned to walk back to the house & was surprised to see Jeff sitting on the porch steps. As she walked towards him, he held out his arms & she could hold back her pain no longer. So there they stood in the yard holding onto each other while Gemma sobbed her heart out. She felt this was right, but she couldnt explain it. She felt safe in Jeff's arms. It felt right, thats all she knew. And so another chapter of her life ended right there in Jeff's arms once again.
chapter 4
So, life went on. As it turned out, Pat was enjoying his new-old life back in Sydney & he had speant a lot of time on the phone to Cameron. Although Gemma missed him a lot, she was happy because he was happy.
Nothing much changed in Cameron. Matt & Jeff were continuing their quest for wrestling stardom & even had Gemma filming them with a camcorder so they could bombard wrestling companies with video evidence that they were going to be the next big thing! Gemma's father & Kellie had gotten married & Kellie's son, Greg, had moved in with them. Greg was older than Gemma & happened to be a friend of Matt's so it all fitted in perfectly.
School was comming to an end & the dreaded Prom loomed up. Gemma didnt have a date & wasnt really all that bothered! Greg had even offered to take her, but Gemma had kindly refused as she thought having her older step brother accompany her to the prom would have been social suicide!!
One day she arrived at Jeff's house, as she often did, to find that he wasnt home. Matt informed her he had gone to help their Dad do some work on their uncle's house in town. Gemma had made up her mind to go back home, but Matt insisted she wait with him as he was pretty sure they wouldnt be gone very long, so Gemma agreed. They got talking - over a glass of lemonade - well Matt did most of it, telling Gemma all his plans for this big wrestling carreer that himself & 'little bro' were going to have.
"The Hardy Boys! Can you dig that Gem?" Matt said grinning
"Hardy Boys huh? names up in lights & posters on the walls of a thousand girls' bedrooms!!"
"Yeah man that would be pretty cool!!" laughed Matt
"You guys will do it! I know you will! AND when you two are these hot shot pro wrestling superstars I expect you wont forget the girl who filmed your first promos!!"
"Im sorry...the who?.....Who are you anyway??"
"Asshole!" spat Gemma but she couldnt hold her laugh in for long! they laughed until her cheeks ached & she put her head down on the counter & made a 'time out' signal! Matt got them another drink & the talk turned to school....and the prom!
"sooooo who's your big date for the prom then kiddo?" He asked.
"Well no one actually! I called Brad Pitt but he is washing his hair that night!"
"Aww come on girl! You gotta have a date for the prom or you are gonna look like a real dork ya know that?"
"Gee thanks for the confidence boost Matty! Basides Im not gonna be the only one there on my own!"
"Oh yeah you can hitch up with one of those science-class geeks! They're always available!!"
" Yeah & so very sexy! I'll definately win Prom Queen on the arm of Neville Stokes!!"
"Well why dont you get Jeff to take you?" Asked Matt
Gemma's stomach turned. "GET REAL JACKASS! Besides Jeff already has a date...he's taking Mell-iss-ssa!" Gemma hadnt meant to sound sarcastic, it just came out that way. She didnt even know why it bothered her so much! Matt was about to rib her about her sarcasm, then decided Gemma & Jeff was a mystery even Scooby Doo & the gang coulndt solve!!! His phillosophy was leave them alone & they'll figure it out themselves!
"So I was thinkin..I know this really hot guy..."
"Oh please!" Gemma butted in "Ive seen all of your friends!!"
"What's that supposed to mean miss prom queen? None of my friends good enough for you Ma'am!!?" Matt stuck his nose in the air & turned his head as if he was offended! Gemma laughed
"Anyway this guy is seriously hot property & i know you wouldnt say no babe!!" Matt said with a wink
"Come on Matt no w....." Gemma stopped in mid-sentance & then screamed "YOU???"
"sure why not!?"
"Well because.....erm...because..."
"Exactly! problem solved! Gem has a date & Matt gets to check out all the highschool chicks!! Woooooo!!!"
So that was that! Gemma was going to the prom with a guy most of the girls she knew
would lay down over a mud puddle for!! this was going to be one hell of a night!!