Dani looked from Kirsty to Flynn and back again. She couldn't look at him. She wanted answers. Why did everyone look so guilty? What were they hiding? Did she really want to know?
"Dani, I need to talk to you."
Kirsty's voice was weak, her throat dry. She hadn't prepared herself for this. She panicked. What was the best way to say it? She had nightmares about this moment. The words which she wanted to use swam around in front of her eyes uselessly. But there was no easy was to say it. She couldn't make it any easier for Dani.
"Sure... lets go outside... I need some fresh air."
Almost as soon as she had finished speaking she turned and made for the door. She needed to escape. The mediation had helped. But coming face to face with him so suddenly had brought all the feelings tumbling back. The terror. The powerlessness. She had just frozen. Terrified. She stumbled out of the door and straight into Josh.
"Are you alright Dan?"
She swallowed. She had wanted to say something to him. About the poems. Her mind had gone blank. It wasn't relevant now.
"Yeah... it's just... Kane"
Why had she said that? She knew how Josh felt about Kane. Maybe he had changed though. Maybe he'd learnt something from the break up.
"He's in there?"
Josh spoke with anger now. He knew he shouldn't. It was what had led him and Dani down the slow, painful path to the break up in the first place. This was no way to set about winning her back. But he couldn't help it. He hated the guy. Every time he thought of him he wanted to make him pay. For hurting Dani. For destroying her life. For destroying their relationship.
"Don't Josh"
"Don't what?"
"Get worked up about it"
"I wasn't"
The door swings open again and Kirsty steps out. That was all she needed. Josh sticking his nose in. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse. She couldn't believe that there was a time that she had liked Josh. Tried to steal him from Dani. What had she been thinking? And now she had another chance to ruin Dani's life.
Josh looks at Kirsty. What the hell had been going on? It crossed his mind how Kane had dropped Kirsty off for her beach patrol that day. How Kirsty had flown to his defence when he had lashed out. He remembered her words - "Josh, you are a complete jerk, you know that?" She had backed Kane up, in full knowledge of who Kane was. What he had done. He eyes Kirsty with suspicion. Was there any truth to what he was thinking?
"Kirsty, could I have a word?"
"Not now Josh. I need to talk to Dani"
"About Kane?"
Kirsty's eyes darted across to meet with Josh's. What did he know?
Kirsty's reaction told Josh what he needed to know. He couldn't believe it himself. What was Dani going to think?
"Will someone tell me what's going on?"
Everyone else seemed to know what was going on. Except her. Was it really that bad? Was it so terrible that nobody could tell her? Shelley and Rhys had been strange with her as well. Everyone was against her.
"I've been seeing Kane"
Dani looks at Kirsty. Kirsty's pale, terrified face told her that this was no joke. Even Josh was silent. He couldn't quite believe it either. It had crossed his mind but it had only ever been suspicion. This was fact.
Dani staggered backward, speechless, stunned. Betrayed. Her own sister. There was so much she wanted to know. So much she wanted to say. She couldn't find the words. Just the thought of it tore her up inside.
Kirsty felt awful. A traitor. Even now Dani was looking at her in a different light. Cold. A look of hatred. Kirsty turned and stumbled back inside.
Josh was about to follow. Tell her what he thought of her. It was disgusting. Wrong. Taking a look at Dani's vulnerability he knew he had to stay with her. She needed his support.
DROP IN CENTRE (interior)
Kirsty walks inside, numb. Tears are building up in her eyes and she makes no move to stop them falling. Flynn watches as she clings to Kane. He was ashamed. Ashamed that he had let it get this far in the first place. All that talk about trauma bonding. Had he been encouraging them? Maybe if he had put an end to it then it wouldn't have come this far. Shelley was going to hate him. For covering it all up. That day on the wharf when he had found Kirsty and Kane talking about the accident. Kirsty had asked him not to say anything then. Maybe he should have done. But what had been done couldn't be changed.
BEACH
Dani stands silently, staring out to sea. Her head spinning. Kirsty's words revolving round in her head obsessively. Josh stands next to her. He doesn't know what to say. What can he say? Nothing will make it better. How does he go about comforting her? Will she accept his help anyway?
"Are you alright?"
Stupid question. Of course she wasn't. She'd been kicked in the guts by her own sister. He couldn't imagine what it felt like. He was an only child. Maybe he was fortunate.
"How could she do it? Does she hate me that much?"
"She doesn't hate you Dan..."
His words sounded pathetic. Meaningless. To her they offered little comfort. She still felt alone. She had lost faith in her family. She could never look at Kirsty in the same way again. She was no longer her little sister. The little sister who had supported her through her break up with Josh. She was a stranger. She didn't know her anymore, let alone understand her.
"Then why? Why is she doing this to me Josh? What have I done wrong?"
Dani is distressed now. Almost in tears. Tears of anger. Tears of disbelief. Tears of disappointment and betrayal. Josh puts his arm around her awkwardly.
"It'll be alright Dan..."
He makes an attempt to sound convincing. Dani puts her arms around him, desperately looking for comfort. An answer to all the questions that are driving her slowly insane.
DROP IN CENTRE
"I said I'm fine"
Kane winces as he puts the ice pack onto his bad eye.
"I still think you should go for a check up. You could have been seriously injured"
"I've had worse."
The beating he had taken fro Rhys was nothing. Not compared to the ones he had had from his Dad and Scott. That was meant to be in the past. Why did it keep coming back to haunt him? Wherever he went, whatever he did. There were reminders of his past life everywhere. A life he wanted to forget. He had a new life now. A job, a home, a career, Kirsty.
He was meant to be visiting Scott that weekend. He'd forgotten all about it. It had been two months since his last visit. Things had changed so much since then. But he couldn't let Scott down. He was family. His only family. The only family he was in contact with. He had long ago lost touch with his Dad. He was in prison somewhere along the East Coast. His Mum had just vanished when he was twelve. The police had tried to put his dad in the frame for murder. But there was no evidence. No body. He wouldn't be surprised if the police had been right. His Dad used to get very abusive when he had been drinking.
Flynn left the room to talk to Noah in the kitchen.
"What now?"
She couldn't very well go home yet. She had to let the dust settle. She could stay the night at Kane's and go home in the morning. He wouldn't mind.
"Shelley, hi"
Flynn's voice floated through from the hallway. Kirsty looked across at Kane.
"We're in this together."
Kane nodded. He knew what she meant. Them against the world. It was what he had always dreamt of. Having someone who understood. Who cared. Someone who would stand by him through thick and thin. Someone he loved and who loved him back.
There was a whisper of voices. Kirsty could hear her parents clearly. The door opened, and Rhys and Shelley entered behind Flynn.
"It's about time we got this sorted out"
"Dani, I need to talk to you."
Kirsty's voice was weak, her throat dry. She hadn't prepared herself for this. She panicked. What was the best way to say it? She had nightmares about this moment. The words which she wanted to use swam around in front of her eyes uselessly. But there was no easy was to say it. She couldn't make it any easier for Dani.
"Sure... lets go outside... I need some fresh air."
Almost as soon as she had finished speaking she turned and made for the door. She needed to escape. The mediation had helped. But coming face to face with him so suddenly had brought all the feelings tumbling back. The terror. The powerlessness. She had just frozen. Terrified. She stumbled out of the door and straight into Josh.
"Are you alright Dan?"
She swallowed. She had wanted to say something to him. About the poems. Her mind had gone blank. It wasn't relevant now.
"Yeah... it's just... Kane"
Why had she said that? She knew how Josh felt about Kane. Maybe he had changed though. Maybe he'd learnt something from the break up.
"He's in there?"
Josh spoke with anger now. He knew he shouldn't. It was what had led him and Dani down the slow, painful path to the break up in the first place. This was no way to set about winning her back. But he couldn't help it. He hated the guy. Every time he thought of him he wanted to make him pay. For hurting Dani. For destroying her life. For destroying their relationship.
"Don't Josh"
"Don't what?"
"Get worked up about it"
"I wasn't"
The door swings open again and Kirsty steps out. That was all she needed. Josh sticking his nose in. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse. She couldn't believe that there was a time that she had liked Josh. Tried to steal him from Dani. What had she been thinking? And now she had another chance to ruin Dani's life.
Josh looks at Kirsty. What the hell had been going on? It crossed his mind how Kane had dropped Kirsty off for her beach patrol that day. How Kirsty had flown to his defence when he had lashed out. He remembered her words - "Josh, you are a complete jerk, you know that?" She had backed Kane up, in full knowledge of who Kane was. What he had done. He eyes Kirsty with suspicion. Was there any truth to what he was thinking?
"Kirsty, could I have a word?"
"Not now Josh. I need to talk to Dani"
"About Kane?"
Kirsty's eyes darted across to meet with Josh's. What did he know?
Kirsty's reaction told Josh what he needed to know. He couldn't believe it himself. What was Dani going to think?
"Will someone tell me what's going on?"
Everyone else seemed to know what was going on. Except her. Was it really that bad? Was it so terrible that nobody could tell her? Shelley and Rhys had been strange with her as well. Everyone was against her.
"I've been seeing Kane"
Dani looks at Kirsty. Kirsty's pale, terrified face told her that this was no joke. Even Josh was silent. He couldn't quite believe it either. It had crossed his mind but it had only ever been suspicion. This was fact.
Dani staggered backward, speechless, stunned. Betrayed. Her own sister. There was so much she wanted to know. So much she wanted to say. She couldn't find the words. Just the thought of it tore her up inside.
Kirsty felt awful. A traitor. Even now Dani was looking at her in a different light. Cold. A look of hatred. Kirsty turned and stumbled back inside.
Josh was about to follow. Tell her what he thought of her. It was disgusting. Wrong. Taking a look at Dani's vulnerability he knew he had to stay with her. She needed his support.
DROP IN CENTRE (interior)
Kirsty walks inside, numb. Tears are building up in her eyes and she makes no move to stop them falling. Flynn watches as she clings to Kane. He was ashamed. Ashamed that he had let it get this far in the first place. All that talk about trauma bonding. Had he been encouraging them? Maybe if he had put an end to it then it wouldn't have come this far. Shelley was going to hate him. For covering it all up. That day on the wharf when he had found Kirsty and Kane talking about the accident. Kirsty had asked him not to say anything then. Maybe he should have done. But what had been done couldn't be changed.
BEACH
Dani stands silently, staring out to sea. Her head spinning. Kirsty's words revolving round in her head obsessively. Josh stands next to her. He doesn't know what to say. What can he say? Nothing will make it better. How does he go about comforting her? Will she accept his help anyway?
"Are you alright?"
Stupid question. Of course she wasn't. She'd been kicked in the guts by her own sister. He couldn't imagine what it felt like. He was an only child. Maybe he was fortunate.
"How could she do it? Does she hate me that much?"
"She doesn't hate you Dan..."
His words sounded pathetic. Meaningless. To her they offered little comfort. She still felt alone. She had lost faith in her family. She could never look at Kirsty in the same way again. She was no longer her little sister. The little sister who had supported her through her break up with Josh. She was a stranger. She didn't know her anymore, let alone understand her.
"Then why? Why is she doing this to me Josh? What have I done wrong?"
Dani is distressed now. Almost in tears. Tears of anger. Tears of disbelief. Tears of disappointment and betrayal. Josh puts his arm around her awkwardly.
"It'll be alright Dan..."
He makes an attempt to sound convincing. Dani puts her arms around him, desperately looking for comfort. An answer to all the questions that are driving her slowly insane.
DROP IN CENTRE
"I said I'm fine"
Kane winces as he puts the ice pack onto his bad eye.
"I still think you should go for a check up. You could have been seriously injured"
"I've had worse."
The beating he had taken fro Rhys was nothing. Not compared to the ones he had had from his Dad and Scott. That was meant to be in the past. Why did it keep coming back to haunt him? Wherever he went, whatever he did. There were reminders of his past life everywhere. A life he wanted to forget. He had a new life now. A job, a home, a career, Kirsty.
He was meant to be visiting Scott that weekend. He'd forgotten all about it. It had been two months since his last visit. Things had changed so much since then. But he couldn't let Scott down. He was family. His only family. The only family he was in contact with. He had long ago lost touch with his Dad. He was in prison somewhere along the East Coast. His Mum had just vanished when he was twelve. The police had tried to put his dad in the frame for murder. But there was no evidence. No body. He wouldn't be surprised if the police had been right. His Dad used to get very abusive when he had been drinking.
Flynn left the room to talk to Noah in the kitchen.
"What now?"
She couldn't very well go home yet. She had to let the dust settle. She could stay the night at Kane's and go home in the morning. He wouldn't mind.
"Shelley, hi"
Flynn's voice floated through from the hallway. Kirsty looked across at Kane.
"We're in this together."
Kane nodded. He knew what she meant. Them against the world. It was what he had always dreamt of. Having someone who understood. Who cared. Someone who would stand by him through thick and thin. Someone he loved and who loved him back.
There was a whisper of voices. Kirsty could hear her parents clearly. The door opened, and Rhys and Shelley entered behind Flynn.
"It's about time we got this sorted out"
