CHAPTER 6
Kaitlyn,Jane,Ellie and Ebony loved the caravan park in Summer Bay.Josh hated it.
"Why can't we stay in a hotel, this place is so scratty!" he whined for the hundredth time.
Jane rolled her eyes at Kaitlyn who pulled a face behind Josh's face.The two girls saw their mums antics and started giggling.Josh was not amused and hit Ellie.
"That's enough Josh West!" said Jane. "This may not be a five star hotel , but we're all going to get along and we will have no hitting.Now apologise to Ellie or you won't come to the beach with us."
Josh muttered an insincere apology and they all got ready for the beach.On the way Kaitlyn bought the local paper , it was full of news about the suspicious death of Rose Phillips.Various neighbours and busybodies had given interviews describing the family from hell and their thoughts as to Jake Phillips sudden disappearance.There was little sympathy expressed for the two teenagers left without parents , they were troublemakers , scum and would no doubt turn out like their parents.
Kaitlyn gasped as she read the report, it seemed as though that little boy that she cried tears of despair over had had a miserable life.The help she thought he would get had not materialised,
"If only I'd done more," she thought to herself , even though there had not been any more she could have done.
Kaitlyn showed Jane the newspaper report,
"That's the boy I was telling you about," she said, tears in her eyes, "why did noone help, I thought they would help him."
"It's not your fault Kait," said Jane and although Kaitlyn knew this to be true she could not shake the cloud of sadness that hung over her.
Not wishing to spoil the mood for the others she went for a walk to think and clear her head, while they carried on to the beach.She walked to the wharf, her thoughts keeping her occupied.It was quiet at the wharf , there was only one other person there ,a solitary figure sitting on the wooden floor leaning against a post and staring out to sea.As he heard her footsteps on the wood he turned his head and stared at her.Even after all this time she recognised him immediately.
"Kane!" she said surprised to see the object of her thoughts large as life in front of her.
"Do I know ya?!" he answered .
"Well , I knew you a long time ago , so you might not recognise me.I taught you in your preschool ages ago."
"Kaitlyn," he said simply.
She was surprised that he remembered , but the truth was he could remember every good thing that ever happened to him, every kind word anyone ever spoke to him, mostly because these events were so rare.
"I'm surprised you remember," said Kaitlyn.Kane shrugged and looked at the ground, Kaitlyn felt that same constriction around her heart as all those years ago at the gesture of unease. Then he looked up, looked her square in the eyes and smiled as he said,
"Course I remember , you were so cool , heaps better than that old dragon of a teacher.She hated me."
Kaitlyn was going to make some platitude , but instead said,
"Yes , I guess she did.But that just showed her ignorance , I loved teaching you and that smiley , chubby kid.What was his name?" she asked.
Kane smiled as he remembered,
"Dougie"
They talked for ages about the things that he and Dougie had got up to at school.Their main aim in life had been to annoy Mrs. Bromley and they both laughed as they remembered long forgotten escapades.
"I stayed over at Dougie's once." Kane said. "It was unreal.But then dad did his block so I couldn't stay over again.His parents were so cool , and his dad used to joke around just like Dougie."
He stopped smiling when he added , "but that's all in the past.Dougie moved away years ago."
"I heard about your parents, it was in the paper.I'm sorry." Said Kaitlyn.
"Well you're the only one who is!" said Kane roughly. "Me'n Scott're heaps better off without them! They sucked and no one flaming misses them!"
Kaitlyn was alarmed by the vehemence in this statement, he looked so angry yet so vulnerable.
"My daughter and our friends are at the beach ," she said on impulse. "We're having a picnic, you're welcome to come and join us."
"R,r,,really," Said Kane amazed. "I've never been invited to a picnic before.Cool!"
He was smiling again as they approached the others on the beach.He avoided eye contact for a while but soon relaxed in the company of the two women and their friendly daughters.Josh was surfing and he looked suspiciously at Kane as he returned to the others.
"Who's that?" Josh pointed rudely at Kane.
"This is Kane, I used to teach him years ago when I lived in Summer Bay." Answered Kaitlyn.
Josh looked Kane up and down , obviously unimpressed by what he saw , Kane was used to being looked at like that but he wasn't going to ignore it.
"Wotchu lookin' at ?" he demanded.
"Nothing" said Josh , "absolutely nothing."
It was obvious they were not going to get along. "Do you have a surf board? Mine is top of the range , it cost so much!" asked Josh.
"No," said Kane.
"I'd let you have a go on mine , but it's too expensive to risk loaning out to just anybody," said Josh in his usual arrogant manner.
Kane just glared at him , but Josh carried on pushing his luck.He could see by the clothes Kane wore that he was obviously not wealthy, not a designer label in sight.
"So what do your parents do , my dad's a business man and my mother's a journalist.They're both very successful" boasted Josh.
"My dad's a flaming astronaut and my mum's a flaming brain surgeon!" Kane replied.The two girls giggled and smiled at Kane, they liked it when someone stood up to Josh.And Ellie didn't know why but she felt very drawn to this rough , scruffy boy.
"Really," said Josh, "funny but according to what I overheard my aunt and Kaitlyn saying about todays newspaper your mother is dead and your father is a murderer!"
Everyone gasped in horror at what Josh said, but Kane smiled a viscious deadly smile and hissed,
"Really , funny but according to what I overheard you're a complete tosser!"
"How dare you , you scum.." Josh didn't finish his sentence due to his chin connecting with Kane's fist.
"Go Kane!" said Ebony. Kane looked around at everyone, he'd ruined their day , he felt embarrassed and awful and mumbled "Sorry" towards Kaitlyn , whilst running off.
While Jane took care of Josh who was making a monumental fuss , Ellie ran off after Kane.She didn't know what made her run after him , it was a connection , but she didn't understand it.Ebony ran after her.
Ellie found Kane sitting on a rock, throwing stones into the sea.
"Hi" she said.
"Hey" he answered.
"I'm sorry about Josh , you're right he is a total tosser!" she laughed as she said it.Kane looked at her , there was something familiar about her, yet he knew they had never met before.It was a weird feeling , but he didn't understand what it was.
"Please come back we haven't had the picnic yet and I'm starving." Said Ellie.
"Yes, come back," puffed Ebony who had caught the older girl up.
Kane thought about the food and the chance to spend more time with this girl, although he didn't know why he wanted to.
"Yeah, yeah, OK, and I promise I won't do my block again." He replied.
"Well we don't mind if you hit Posh-Josh again!" the girls laughed. Ellie's blue eyes sparkled and her dimple appeared.Kane's blue eyes mirrored hers and the dimple in his cheek flashed back. Ebony laughed "Race you!" she shouted and they ran back to the beach.
Josh was not impressed that Kane had rejoined them.Moreover he appeared to be enjoying himself , and so did everyone else.
"He's eaten all the ham sandwiches," whined Josh. It was true Kane had eaten an awful lot but Josh was just looking for something to moan about.
"So what," said Ellie , leaping to Kane's defence, "eat something else, sorry we didn't pack any lobster or caviar!"
Kane and Ebony sniggered and Josh glared.He hated this common boy , who did he think he was .
They spent a lovely day at the beach every one enjoying themselves , except Josh who ironically was the only one with expensive gear to play with. They splashed and chatted and laughed and Kane forgot his worries and problems for the whole day. They were just thinking about packing up when Kane heard a familiar voice.
"Hey!Kane!Where ya been all day?" shouted Scott.
"Nowhere , just here," answered Kane.
"The cops've caught dad!" shouted Scott.
"Serves the mongrel right!" Kane yelled back.
"Yeah! Ya coming home now?"
"OK!" he shouted back.He turned to Kaitlyn and thanked her for everything.
"Hope we see you again," said Ellie.He hoped so too.
"Poor kid," said Jane to Kaitlyn, "imagine going through all that . Still at least he had a nice day where he didn't have to think about anything bad."
"I know," said Kaitlyn , "I wonder what Scott is like these days , he used to be such a tearaway.Although that's not really surprising."
Later that day they went to the diner.Colleen Smart , the local busybody had noticed them on the beach earlier and couldn't wait to express her opinion .
"That was the Phillips boy I saw with you at the beach, wasn't it?" she didn't wait for a reply as she added , "Kane , the younger one it was, shocking business , that family have been the scourge of Summer Bay for years, good job they're finally going to put Jake Phillips in prison for good , not before time.Bad news the lot of them.Those boys will wind up in prison too, mark my words.Jeff Wright reckoned he saw that Kane vandalising cars the other day.They just run wild like savages, always have."
She would have gone on for longer , but the owner of the diner cut her tirade short.
"For heavens sake , shut up Colleen,"
But it was too late ,Scott and Kane , who had just walked in heard every word.
"Stupid cow!" said Scott, "come on Kane , let's go."
"Now, now , stay lads , have a burger on the house," Alf Stewart , the owner, tried to placate them.Partly because he was a compassionate man and partly because he knew their reputation and didn't want to come back in the morning to find his windows smashed.
Kane looked at his brother , hoping he would say yes , so that he would get to talk to Ellie again .
"OK then," as usual Scott answered for both of them.He was surprised when Kane sat with the blonde girl that he had seen him with earlier, but left him to it.
"I'm going to the pub Kane," he said as he left , munching on his burger.Kane couldn't help but sigh. He knew what would happen , his brother would get drunk and take his temper out on him when he got home.
"What's the matter?" Ellie asked.
"Nothing," he smiled back. "Everything's fine."
They didn't see Kane again during their holiday.Ellie couldn't understand why she felt so disappointed.Why did she want to see him so badly?She didn't fancy him, she had only recently begun fancying boys at all , and she knew it wasn't that.But it was something.
Scott had got home that night in a filthy temper, he'd lost all his money betting on the losing football team.Kane heard the door slam , and the bedroom door burst open as Scott nearly ripped it off it's hinges.
"Get outa bed and make me something to eat!" Scott shouted. "NOW!"
Kane got up , scurrying past his bigger elder brother.He knew better than to argue with him.Unfortunately for Kane there was nothing in the house to eat. Kane was supposed to have done some shopping but he'd forgotten.
"You stupid , flaming , idiot!" Scott shouted as he punched Kane in the face.Unlike with his father Kane did try and fight back against his brother , but it was useless.Scott was much taller and stronger and pretty soon Kane was too badly hurt to fight any more.As he fell to the ground Scott kicked him and then left him where he lay, going to bed.
Kane lay there , wishing things could be different, but knowing that Scott would never change.He knew that Scott would be sorry in the morning and that whatever life threw at them they only had each other.He wished his life was as simple as Ellie's.He had hoped to see her again before she went back to the city , but he knew he couldn't show his face until the bruises healed.There would be too many questions asked otherwise and whatever else happened he and Scott would always look out for each other.It had always been just the two of them against the world, he reckoned it always would be.
Lily was shocked by what she read in the papers.Her husband was upset at the news that his brother had sunk so low.
"Do you think we should check that the boys are OK?" he asked.
But Lily was more concerned with Chris's health, he had been diagnosed with cancer and she did not want to jeapordise his recovery.
"No , dear , it wouldn't be good for your health to start worrying about them.Scott's eighteen now , he'll be able to take care of Kane.And I'm sure social workers will keep an eye on them.You have to concentrate on yourself and getting better." Lily replied.
Back in the city Ellie told her mum about the strange feeling she had about Kane. Jane reassured her that it was probably just a holiday crush.Ellie didn't think so , but didn't disagree with her mum. After Ellie went to bed , Jane got out some old documents. They were Ellie's adoption papers and in amongst them was a description of Ellie's biological family.They were not named , but Jane knew that it was more than coincidence.The family was extremely abusive , there were two older brothers.The ages fitted.Then Jane took out an old creased photograph showing Ellie's brothers aged two and six.She stared and stared and the smiling skinny boy on the photograph stared back.She knew it was Kane Phillips , but she didn't know if she should tell Ellie.
