Kane could remember the last time he went to the Surf Club. It resulted in him being beaten up, though he did deserve it. Now he had to explain to the staff that he'd taken over from Josh West, which would no doubt result in more turmoil. He also knew that the Sutherlands owned the kiosk, and prayed they weren't there to hate him even more.
"Kane!" It was Kirsty, working behind the kiosk. She dumped her apron down and ran to hug him. Kane was nearly knocked over. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey! I'm just checking out the gym I bought."
"You bought the gym?" Kirsty wasn't sure what to make of Kane's newfound wealth. Perhaps she liked it better when he had no money. "Cool."
"I've got to break the news to the staff who work here. No doubt they'll be pleased to see me."
"Well, Jesse will be alright with it, " she began. "He doesn't know you. Hayley is a different story."
"Wish me luck." He kissed Kirsty on the cheek, and walked towards the gym. It looked modern, with high tech equipment he could only dream of a use for.
"Can I help you?" A tall man with a shaved head approached him.
"Yes, in fact. I'm Kane Phillips, the new owner of the gym."
The man looked confounded. "You own the gym?" Kane nodded. "I take it Josh West sold it to you." Kane nodded again, and heard the man swear under his breath.
"What's wrong Jesse?" a female voice called out from another room.
"Oh that moron Josh West has only gone and sold the gym to someone else, " Jesse turned back to Kane. "I'm sorry mate, but we thought that we were going to buy him out. We're just a little angry."
"That's okay. You can keep your jobs, I just want to understand how this place works."
Hayley finished her phone call in the other room, and came out to join Jesse. A look of horror spread across her face as she saw Kane.
"Hello Hayley."
"What – what is he doing here?"
"He owns the place now, " replied Jesse.
Hayley threw down the towel she was holding. "I am not working for him. Never. I quit Jesse."
"Hayles!" Jesse called after her. "Who are you anyway?"
Brooke, who entered the gym a few minutes later, soon answered that question. "Why didn't you tell me Kane?" She glared at him furiously. "Why didn't you?"
Kane gave an exhausted sigh. She'd obviously found out from someone. "Look, Brooke I was going to tell you -."
"As if you would want to." Brooke was getting angrier by the second. "No, you just thought you'd keep it a secret from me, well I found out and surprise now I know why everyone hates you and that it's a bloody good reason."
"Kane?" Kirsty entered the gym after hearing the commotion.
"Wait a minute Kirsty. Brooke, I -."
"So this is the mistake you made Kane. Raping someone."
"I didn't mean, I -. Brooke you have to realise how different I was back then. I thought that it meant something when she invited me back."
"Of course it does! And when she said no, you didn't stop, did you and you denied it afterwards. That is the lowest thing you can do Kane."
"Look, who are you anyway?" said Kirsty interrupting. "And what right to you have speaking to him like that?"
"I'm his sister from Perth."
She laughed in disbelief. "He doesn't have a sister."
"I do, " said Kane. "I meant to tell you, but I only found out yesterday, at the diner."
Kirsty was in shock. She was all set to believe that Kane was having some sort of twisted affair with this new girl.
"I don't even know if I can look at him anymore, " said Brooke. "And you Kirsty, that's the worst thing you could do to your sister. I hope you're pleased with yourself."
And with that, she left.
***
Kirsty went after Brooke. Kane was already admitting defeat, assuming that her mind was already against him. Brooke was quite possibly the only decent member of Kane's family, and there was no way she was going to let Kane mess this up.
She was sitting down on the beach, smoking as she usually would after an argument. It was like a reflex action, a very bad one at that, but she couldn't change it. There was nothing more that Brooke hated than repeatedly giving money to big cigarette companies.
"Brooke. Hi." Kirsty sat down beside her.
"Come to fight his battles, have you?"
"Do you think I would still love him if I thought he was a bad person? Brooke, I have gone over and over this in my head and I have realised that he's different now. I've seen another side to him that made me think he made a mistake that no one has let him forget. I know how that feels."
Brooke silently agreed. Her ex-boyfriend hadn't given her a second chance for kissing someone else. Someone completely different.
"So all I'm saying Brooke, is just give him a chance, get to know him. He isn't the person people make him out to be."
Kane did seem like a reasonable person; when they had talked that morning, he'd seemed so nice. Would an evil person let her stay the night? Perhaps Brooke had been too harsh on him, but rape was so serious. She couldn't ignore it.
"If you can like him, I'm sure I can." Brooke stubbed out her cigarette on the sand.
Kirsty smiled. "You seem nice. It'll be good for Kane to have someone decent around to support him."
"Yeah. Catch you later." As Kirsty left, Brooke was left to contemplate. She didn't really want to lose Kane, not now, after travelling thousands of miles. Now, she would have to lose her pride, and apologise.