Chapter 42

April 19, 1996

The next morning, Selina woke up and discovered that Jerome had already gone to school.

"10 o'clock." Selina mumbled as she got out of bed.

When she went downstairs, Selina noticed that the house was empty. Jerome's parents were probably at work. What could she do for the next couple of hours?

"I wanna go out." Selina said to herself.

Selina changed into some jean shorts and a multicoloured crop top before leaving the house, which was not too far from the Surfers Paradise CBD.

I've got a few hours to kill, so why not make the most of it. Selina thought as she walked past the Hard Rock Cafe.

Back in Summer Bay, Stephanie is on her way to visit Tiegan when she sees Hillary come out of her caravan.

"Hey." Hillary said.

"Oh, hi." Stephanie said in an annoyed tone.

"You going to see Tiegan?"

"Yes." Stephanie said, now even more annoyed.

"Is something the matter?" Hillary asked Stephanie.

"As a matter of fact, there is!" Stephanie replied angrily. "I saw you snort some cocaine last night!"

"Um..."

"Why?" Stephanie asked.

"Because it helps me relax." Hillary replied calmly. "I just hope Tiegan doesn't know about it."

"I'd let you figure that one out for yourself." Stephanie told her.

Hillary soon realised that Tiegan knew.

"Did she see me?" Hillary asked.

Stephanie just simply shook her head and walked off.

"Damn it!" Hillary shouted, stamping her foot before crossing her arms.

That afternoon, Jerome meets up with Selina at Surfers Paradise Beach.

"How was school?" Selina asked him.

"It was okay." Jerome replied, winking at his girlfriend.

"You like my new swimsuit?"

Jerome looked at Selina's pink and blue bikini and was amazed.

"I love it!" he replied.

"I got it at some shop in town." Selina said.

"Nice."

Selina and Jerome started to kiss.

"I love you." Jerome said.

"Love you too, babe." Selina said.

Selina races towards the ocean.

"Come swim with me." she told Jerome.

Jerome races into the water before him and Selina start kissing again.

Meanwhile, Irene was on the phone looking agitated.

"How should I know where she is?!" she asked angrily. "Then go look for her!"

Irene then slammed the phone down as Chloe returned home.

"Who was that?" Chloe asked.

"Selina's mother, Dawn Cook." Irene replied. "She rings me up to ask me where Selina is! I swear the woman's a fruitcake!"

"I just wish Selina would come home." Chloe said.

"Me too, darl." Irene said.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"If that's Dawn, I'm gonna blast the hell out of her!" Irene said, going towards the door.

But when Irene opened the door, she was shocked to discover that her daughter, Finlay standing outside.

"Hi, Mum." Finlay said.

"Fin, what a surprise!" Irene said, giving Fin a hug.

"I hear that Selina's gone walkabout, so I thought I'd come and stay for a few days to give you a hand." Finlay said.

"Things have been a bit stressful around here." Irene told her.

"You must be Chloe." Finlay said to her.

"Fin, it's so great to meet you at last." Chloe said, hugging her.

"I'll just go and unpack." Finlay told them before heading upstairs.

Irene hugged Chloe tight. If only Selina would return home.

At Pippa's, she is in the kitchen preparing dinner when a young woman with curly blonde hair enters the house carrying a backpack.

"Hello?"

Pippa went over and saw that it was her niece, Nicholle Singleton.

"Nicholle?"

"Don't you remember your niece?" Nicholle asked her.

"Of course I do. Now come here, sweetheart."

Pippa hugged Nicholle.

"What are you doing all the way from Newcastle?" she asked Nicholle.

"I thought I'd come and stay for a while." Nicholle replied. "I need a break from my parents."

"Do they know you're up there?"

"Of course." Nicholle said.

At that moment, Tiegan walks in looking angry.

"Hillary's gone!" she told Pippa.

"Are you sure?" Pippa asked her.

"Yes."

Pippa looks at the keys to the caravan and notices that Hillary returned her key.

"You're right, Tiegan." Pippa said to her. "She returned her key."

Tiegan just went upstairs.

"Who was that?" Nicholle asked Pippa.

"One of my foster children, Tiegan Brook." Pippa replied. "I'll introduce her to you later."

Nicholle manages to smile.

Upstairs, Tiegan notices that Jack's bedroom door is open. She notices Jack holding a box cutter with his right hand.

"What the?"

Tiegan was shocked to discover that Jack was inflicting self-harm. Not wanting to take any chances, she raced back downstairs.

"Jack's cutting." Tiegan told Pippa.

"Cutting what?" Pippa asked

"Well, he had a box cutter and he was..." Tiegan started to say.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Pippa asked, interjecting Tiegan.

"Of course." Tiegan replied.

As Pippa raced upstairs, Nicholle looked confused.

"What's going on?" she asked Tiegan.

"It's a long story." Tiegan told her.

Pippa is leading Jack downstairs.

"I am taking you to the hospital, Jack." Pippa told him as he held out his arm.

"Thanks for dobbing me in, Tiegan!" Jack snapped at her. "I thought I could trust you!"

Tiegan started to cry as Pippa led Jack out of the house.

"Come here." Nicholle said.

Tiegan hugged Nicholle while crying.

"It's going to be okay." Nicholle told her.

NEXT TIME...
- As Nicholle settles in, she very quickly makes friends
- Jack apologises to Tiegan, while admitting that he still loves Kerri
- Stephanie feels guilty when she hears that Hillary left the Bay
- Could Donna be falling in love with Rob Storey again?