As Dani lay awake, so did Josh but he kept his eyes closed. He didn't know
what to say, he didn't know what to do. There was so much he wanted to ask Dani
about what had happened to her but he didn't want to see her so upset again.
She had been shaking, physically shaking and crying last night when she was
telling him. He felt Dani get up and decided that he would have to face her
sometime, he couldn't put it off any longer.
"Hey, Dan."
"Oh, hi, sorry if I woke you, I tried to be quiet!"
"No, no, I've been awake for a while."
This was awkward, thought Dani. Maybe she should just say something to him
now. She knew that he would want to talk to her about it, she'd stopped him last
night by saying she was tired.
"Look, Josh, what I told you last night was big so I know you'll want to
know more about it. If you've got anything to ask me then I'd prefer it if we
got it out in the open now."
Josh was grateful for Dani's forwardness. It meant he didn't have to take
the first step.
"Ok, em, well, do you want to go somewhere where no one is around?"
"Sure."
Both left the classroom full of their sleeping friends slightly subdued. They
found another classroom and sat down to talk.
"What was his name?"
"Who's name?
Dani had been deep in thought thinking of what she was going to say to Josh.
"Oh right, sorry. His name was, em, he was called Kane Phillips."
Dani shuddered as she said his name. Just those two words alone were enough
to frighten her.
"If I ever saw him..."
"No, Josh. Please. Will was just like you, he threatened Kane with his fists
and he ended up getting a thumping himself by a gang of Kane's mates."
"Ok, ok, sorry. I'm just mad."
"You should have seen my dad. He almost got arrested, twice."
"Does Kane still live around here?"
"I don't know. I don't really want to know but I think he lives in Yabbie
Creek."
"That's not far, couldn't they make him live somewhere else?"
"No, according to law, he is innocent."
"That must have been tough, going to court and then losing."
"It was."
"Does everyone know?"
"Most people in Summer Bay do. Hayley and Noah and everyone know and
obviously my family know. Everyone at school does too."
"Hayley and Noah?"
"Yeah, they were great. It brought us so much closer, they looked out for me
and they still do."
"I thought they would have told me."
"It wasn't their business to."
"Suppose."
Dani wanted to drop the subject, it was becoming too much, she didn't know
how much more she could take.
"Can we go out now? If you want to know more then we can talk later, I just
need a break from it."
"Of course, babe. I'm done, and I'm glad you told me."
Before Dani got the chance to reply, Jade burst into the room.
"Dani, you've got to come home!"
"What?"
"Now, Dani, you have to come!"
"Jade, what is it? Calm down."
"No, Dani, it's Kirsty."
"What about her?"
"It's Kirsty, she's in trouble!"
what to say, he didn't know what to do. There was so much he wanted to ask Dani
about what had happened to her but he didn't want to see her so upset again.
She had been shaking, physically shaking and crying last night when she was
telling him. He felt Dani get up and decided that he would have to face her
sometime, he couldn't put it off any longer.
"Hey, Dan."
"Oh, hi, sorry if I woke you, I tried to be quiet!"
"No, no, I've been awake for a while."
This was awkward, thought Dani. Maybe she should just say something to him
now. She knew that he would want to talk to her about it, she'd stopped him last
night by saying she was tired.
"Look, Josh, what I told you last night was big so I know you'll want to
know more about it. If you've got anything to ask me then I'd prefer it if we
got it out in the open now."
Josh was grateful for Dani's forwardness. It meant he didn't have to take
the first step.
"Ok, em, well, do you want to go somewhere where no one is around?"
"Sure."
Both left the classroom full of their sleeping friends slightly subdued. They
found another classroom and sat down to talk.
"What was his name?"
"Who's name?
Dani had been deep in thought thinking of what she was going to say to Josh.
"Oh right, sorry. His name was, em, he was called Kane Phillips."
Dani shuddered as she said his name. Just those two words alone were enough
to frighten her.
"If I ever saw him..."
"No, Josh. Please. Will was just like you, he threatened Kane with his fists
and he ended up getting a thumping himself by a gang of Kane's mates."
"Ok, ok, sorry. I'm just mad."
"You should have seen my dad. He almost got arrested, twice."
"Does Kane still live around here?"
"I don't know. I don't really want to know but I think he lives in Yabbie
Creek."
"That's not far, couldn't they make him live somewhere else?"
"No, according to law, he is innocent."
"That must have been tough, going to court and then losing."
"It was."
"Does everyone know?"
"Most people in Summer Bay do. Hayley and Noah and everyone know and
obviously my family know. Everyone at school does too."
"Hayley and Noah?"
"Yeah, they were great. It brought us so much closer, they looked out for me
and they still do."
"I thought they would have told me."
"It wasn't their business to."
"Suppose."
Dani wanted to drop the subject, it was becoming too much, she didn't know
how much more she could take.
"Can we go out now? If you want to know more then we can talk later, I just
need a break from it."
"Of course, babe. I'm done, and I'm glad you told me."
Before Dani got the chance to reply, Jade burst into the room.
"Dani, you've got to come home!"
"What?"
"Now, Dani, you have to come!"
"Jade, what is it? Calm down."
"No, Dani, it's Kirsty."
"What about her?"
"It's Kirsty, she's in trouble!"