Chapter 2:
Elle was arriving at the airport at 5:00pm. I wanted to go and pick her up from there, but mum dragged me and Tum Tum to our cousin's dippy little birthday party. Rocky suggested that he go and pick her up, but I said no. I wanted to be the first person to see her.
The party started at 4:00pm. Tum Tum spent the whole time ringing his five girlfriends on his mobile. I spent much of the time colouring in a colour-in-a-placemat, you know, like the ones at Macca's. I kept looking at the clock on the wall, even though I didn't know what time mum was going to say we were going to go.
Finally, mum said what both Tum Tum and I were waiting to hear; "Well, I think it's about time we were off."
Tum Tum hung up on girlfriend #4, raced out to the car, and strapped himself in before anyone could say anything. I took a more subdued approach. I said happy birthday to Lucy, kissed Aunt Eliza goodbye, and helped mum take all of the stuff we brought out to the car. She seemed to have brought half the house.
When we were finally off, mum said, "Thankyou, Colt, for helping me bring the stuff out to the car. When you get home, you can ring Elle and invite her over. Tum Tum, you can unload the car."
"Oh, come on!" Tum Tum whined, "I need to call Lisa, and I promised Mel I'd call her back!"
"Yes, dear, you can do that AFTER you unload the car for me. "
I didn't wait around to listen to Tum Tum's grumbling. You would think, by the age of 14, he would have stopped the whingeing. But no, it was still his favourite past time.
I raced into the kitchen and called Elle's old number. I hadn't called it for four years now, but I still knew it off by heart.
The phone rang twice, and then I heard a voice.
"Hello?" It was her mum.
"Hi. Is Elle there?" I asked.
"Oh! Hello Colt. Yes, Elle's been waiting for your call."
I heard the receiver be put down, and then faint voices. A few seconds later, somebody picked up.
"Hello?" Elle's voice said, it sounded a bit muffled.
"Hey Elle. It's Colt! My mum said you could come over any time now." I replied.
There was shuffling sounds on the phone, then Elle's faint voice, asking her mum a question. Then I heard her mother's muffled reply, and more shuffling noises.
Finally, Elle said, "Hello?" again, and her voice sounded clear.
"Hello?" I replied.
"Colt!" Elle answered, and a wave of relief washed over me. That was the Elle I knew and loved. "Hey! Can you believe that even the phones are different in Australia?"
"How was it?" I asked.
"It was great!" She burst out. "Australia is the second-best country in the world!"
I laughed at that. "So, how did you go? Have you changed a lot?"
Elle snorted, and I could just imagine her rolling her brown eyes. It was her trademark. "Me? Changed? Do I sound like I've changed?"
I smiled, "No, you still sound like my old Elle. Listen, mum said you can come over whenever you're ready."
"Great! I'll come over right now!" With that, she hung up.
I stared at the receiver with a grin on my face. When Elle said she was coming now, she meant NOW!
Elle was arriving at the airport at 5:00pm. I wanted to go and pick her up from there, but mum dragged me and Tum Tum to our cousin's dippy little birthday party. Rocky suggested that he go and pick her up, but I said no. I wanted to be the first person to see her.
The party started at 4:00pm. Tum Tum spent the whole time ringing his five girlfriends on his mobile. I spent much of the time colouring in a colour-in-a-placemat, you know, like the ones at Macca's. I kept looking at the clock on the wall, even though I didn't know what time mum was going to say we were going to go.
Finally, mum said what both Tum Tum and I were waiting to hear; "Well, I think it's about time we were off."
Tum Tum hung up on girlfriend #4, raced out to the car, and strapped himself in before anyone could say anything. I took a more subdued approach. I said happy birthday to Lucy, kissed Aunt Eliza goodbye, and helped mum take all of the stuff we brought out to the car. She seemed to have brought half the house.
When we were finally off, mum said, "Thankyou, Colt, for helping me bring the stuff out to the car. When you get home, you can ring Elle and invite her over. Tum Tum, you can unload the car."
"Oh, come on!" Tum Tum whined, "I need to call Lisa, and I promised Mel I'd call her back!"
"Yes, dear, you can do that AFTER you unload the car for me. "
I didn't wait around to listen to Tum Tum's grumbling. You would think, by the age of 14, he would have stopped the whingeing. But no, it was still his favourite past time.
I raced into the kitchen and called Elle's old number. I hadn't called it for four years now, but I still knew it off by heart.
The phone rang twice, and then I heard a voice.
"Hello?" It was her mum.
"Hi. Is Elle there?" I asked.
"Oh! Hello Colt. Yes, Elle's been waiting for your call."
I heard the receiver be put down, and then faint voices. A few seconds later, somebody picked up.
"Hello?" Elle's voice said, it sounded a bit muffled.
"Hey Elle. It's Colt! My mum said you could come over any time now." I replied.
There was shuffling sounds on the phone, then Elle's faint voice, asking her mum a question. Then I heard her mother's muffled reply, and more shuffling noises.
Finally, Elle said, "Hello?" again, and her voice sounded clear.
"Hello?" I replied.
"Colt!" Elle answered, and a wave of relief washed over me. That was the Elle I knew and loved. "Hey! Can you believe that even the phones are different in Australia?"
"How was it?" I asked.
"It was great!" She burst out. "Australia is the second-best country in the world!"
I laughed at that. "So, how did you go? Have you changed a lot?"
Elle snorted, and I could just imagine her rolling her brown eyes. It was her trademark. "Me? Changed? Do I sound like I've changed?"
I smiled, "No, you still sound like my old Elle. Listen, mum said you can come over whenever you're ready."
"Great! I'll come over right now!" With that, she hung up.
I stared at the receiver with a grin on my face. When Elle said she was coming now, she meant NOW!