Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy One
It was the day of the party and Charlie and Joey were running around like crazy people trying to make everything perfect. They were a little frustrated that Ruby seemed to have disappeared for the day.
"Okay, you go to the Diner and get the food, I'll go to the Surf Club to get the booze and we'll meet back at the car," Joey decided.
"Sounds like a plan," Charlie said, stealing a quick kiss before they went off in their different directions.
"I can't believe this," Ruby said.
She and Xavier were sat on the beach. After too many questions from his mother the previous day, he had begun to panic about how to keep Hugo's money safe.
"He wanted me to do something good with it," Xavier said. "And I haven't quite figured out what yet. But I do know I have to keep it safe and I don't think I can do that at the farm."
"Well, where else could you put it?" Ruby wondered.
Xavier looked at her with a distinct expression of hope.
"No," she said. "I'm sorry Xave but I can't do it. Hugo isn't exactly an easy topic in my house right now."
"Charlie and Joey wouldn't have to know about it," Xavier insisted. "You could just hide it somewhere until I've figured out something more permanent."
"I really can't, Xavier," Ruby said. "I'm sorry. But I can't lie to Charlie and Joey."
"It's not lying," Xavier said. "It's just leaving stuff out."
"The three of us have worked really hard to get things back on track," Ruby said. "I don't ever want to be dishonest with them, especially not in our new home. We're really starting afresh here and I don't want to betray that."
Xavier sighed and reluctantly agreed.
"Can you think of anywhere else?" he asked.
Ruby's eyes narrowed as she spotted Colleen walking along the beach.
"I might have just had the perfect idea," she said.
Alf politely helped Joey lug boxes of beer, wine and soft drinks to the car, which Charlie had unfortunately locked up so they couldn't actually put anything in the boot.
"She'll be out soon," Joey said as they headed back inside the Surf Club for the last couple of boxes, hoping that nobody would pinch their stuff.
"Hello, Mr Stewart," Marilyn said when she spotted them. "Hello, Joey."
"Hey," Joey greeted warmly, bending to pick another box.
"Hello, love," Alf added.
"Is this for the party?" Marilyn asked.
"Yeah," Joey replied. "Are you still coming?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Marilyn assured her, although her smile wavered a little.
"Are you okay?" Alf asked, putting his box down and offering his old friend his full attention.
"Oh, I'm fine," Marilyn lied. "I just didn't sleep all that well."
"More bad dreams?" Joey asked, recalling the previous day.
"Yes," Marilyn sighed. "They only seem to be getting worse."
"What's all this about bad dreams?" Alf asked, concerned.
"I keep dreaming about this little girl called Amber," Marilyn confessed. "And I think she's got something to do with Miles."
Alf and Joey both sat down, forgetting about their current task and wanting to support the worried looking hairdresser.
"Look out!" Charlie shrieked, nearly dropping her tray of nibbles as Martha barged into her.
"Sorry," the other woman apologised. "I didn't see you."
"Is everything okay?" Charlie asked.
Martha sighed and followed her and Leah out to the car.
"I had a fight with Liam," she admitted.
"Another one?" Leah remarked.
"It's all we seem to do at the moment," Martha said unhappily. "I don't know how something so simple became so complicated."
"I think it was when you slept with him," Charlie said bluntly, unlocking the car and noting the boxes of bottles and the absence of Joey.
Martha frowned. Charlie apologised.
"I'm not exactly above making bad romantic choices," she said. "Well, I didn't used to be. But yeah, that's probably where you went wrong."
Martha sighed and helped her friends put things in the car.
"You're right," she said. "I just wanted someone to distract me from... well, you know."
Charlie paused to hug her, assuring her that everything would be okay.
"We'll have lots of fun at the party," she said. "You can forget all your troubles and cares!"
"I'm sure you're not about to die," Joey said certainly, touching Marilyn's hand.
The blonde had explained somewhat awkwardly that this girl called Amber seemed to know everything about her, including that her cancer had gone into remission and that her son, Byron had died.
"How do you explain the Miles thing?" she asked. "I couldn't have known all of that about him. I don't even think he likes me that much. I had no idea about his poor family."
"Okay, I agree that that's strange," Joey conceded. "But maybe you overheard something and didn't register it. The subconscious is a pretty powerful thing."
"Maybe," Marilyn said uncertainly. "But the whole thing has thrown me."
"It'll be fine," Alf said. "Joey's right. You're worrying about nothing. The world would never be so cruel as to bring you back into our lives only to take you away again."
He smiled cheerfully. Marilyn couldn't help but return the gesture.
"I hope you're right," she said, although she didn't sound all that convinced.
"Ruby Buckton you get your butt over here right now!" Charlie bellowed, making both Martha and Leah jump.
The teenager, her boyfriend and Colleen, with whom they had been talking turned around. Ruby looked immediately guilty. She mumbled something to Xavier and then dashed off, apologising profusely to her mother.
"When we said 'help us set up for the party', we didn't mean abandon us and hang out with your boyfriend."
"Sorry," Ruby said again. "But in fairness, we were doing homework."
Leah and Martha quickly left them to it and headed back to the Diner with Colleen. Joey and Alf approached the car with the final two boxes.
"Homework?" Charlie asked sceptically.
"We're doing a project at school about the Bay," Ruby lied. "We were getting some of the town's history from Colleen."
"No wonder you've been gone all day," Alf remarked. "That woman can most certainly talk."
He and Joey chuckled.
"See you all tonight," he said. "I'm going to head back inside and make sure Marilyn's okay."
"What's wrong with Marilyn?" Charlie and Ruby both asked worriedly.
"I'll explain in the car," Joey said, hopping into the passenger seat, ready to go to their new home and set up for the party to welcome their guests.
Words couldn't even describe how much she was looking forward to celebrating with everyone, even if Angelo had eagerly accepted the invitation. She felt like she was almost a proper grown up now and had a hope for a future that for a long time, she didn't think would be possible.
Next time... Angelo and Joey achieve peace, Martha gets drunk after another row with Liam and Marilyn discovers the identity of the Summer Bay vandal...
