Chapter Five Hundred and One
"Charlie, would it still be okay to have a driving lesson after school tonight?" Ruby asked over breakfast that morning.
She had her driving test the next day and she was very nervous. They had found her a new driving instructor to replaced Alex – a female driving instructor – so as not to get distracted and Charlie had diligently been giving her extra lessons in between times so that she could get as much practice in as possible. And now tomorrow was the big day and she just hoped that she would pass first time.
"Yes, of course," Charlie said. "It's in my diary. I've clocked some overtime so I can finish a bit early today so I can collect you straight after school and get as much done as possible."
Ruby thanked her happily, grateful for the support of her parents in wanting to learn, especially as Charlie had been nervous about it at first and especially after the accident with Angelo and all the stress with Alex.
"Right, that's me off," Charlie said. "Anyone that wants a lift better be ready in two minutes."
She stood and finished her coffee, ready to put her shoes and jacket on and head to work. Joey and Ruby jumped up, ready to get to hitch a ride to work and school.
At home at the farm, Dex was feeling miserable. It was hard to live in a house where his father, who usually made a complete mess of his love life was in a happy committed relationship with someone who Dex had once had a crush on. And with his sister who was absolutely besotted with her boyfriend, to the point that they were absolutely inseparable. And then there was him, just on his own. All the time.
"Come on, mate, cheer up," Sid tried as they sat down to breakfast together. "And time's ticking away. You'd better hurry up and get dressed."
"I'm not feeling well," Dex said. "Can I stay home?"
"Not really, Dex," Sid said. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you other than you feel a bit down in the dumps."
"You know, some schools allow a Mental Health Day."
"Well, I don't think that's a scheme that Summer Bay High engage in," Sid said.
Dex sighed heavily.
"I just feel horrible, Dad," Dex said. "Everyone is paired up around me and I'm just on my own."
"You've got lots of friends," Sid said.
"It's not the same," Dex said. "And no, I haven't."
"You were only out with them the other night."
"And most of them were all coupled up."
"Perhaps you could join a club or a group or something?" Sid suggested.
"Sad Lonely People's Club?" Dex joked.
"Look, why don't you just start with getting dressed?" Sid suggested, patting him on the shoulder.
They were interrupted by a knock at the door.
Roo and Alf were also sat together at Summer Bay House, sipping coffee outside in the sunshine.
"Dad, I need to ask you something," Roo ventured.
"Yes, love?"
"Are you holding something back? From the police? About Penn?"
"No," he said. "I promise you I've told them everything. They know about Tulip and they know that Penn hated me. But I swear to you that I never did anything to Penn. I never harmed him, no matter how much he provoked me."
Roo nodded.
"Okay," she said.
"Please believe me," he begged.
"I do."
Sid went to the door. Dex went to the window.
"It's the police!" Dex practically shrieked.
"Relax," Sid said, more calmly than he felt. "Nobody here has done anything wrong."
"No, I mean it's Detective Graves!" Dex said, hurrying into the hallway. "I'm not dressed."
The police knocked again.
"Look, just play it cool, okay?" Sid said. "Make it clear that you're over here and not interested."
He walked to the door and pulled it open, welcoming Charlie and Detective Graves.
"Hi, Sid," Charlie said, taking the lead. "Sorry to disturb you. May we come in?"
"Of course," Sid said, stepping aside so they could enter the property.
Trying to pretend his didn't feel self conscious, Dex looked at Graves and then deliberately away.
"Hey," he managed.
Graves nodded, barely noticing him.
"We're here about the Penn Graham case," she said to Sid.
"I figured," Sid said.
"Oh?"
"Well, you're in town specifically working on it, aren't you?"
"Right."
"How can I help you?"
"Hey, um… why don't we all sit down?" Dex suggested out of the blue. "Charlie? Can… can I get you a drink?"
"Oh! Um… I'm fine thanks," Charlie said. "But, yes, we could sit."
She was friends with Sid. She didn't want to make things awkward.
"Great," Dex said, standing close to her. "This way."
He led them all into the lounge and sat deliberately next to her. Nobody was quite sure why.
"So, did you treat Penn Graham in hospital at any point while he was living Summer Bay?" Graves asked.
"Yes, I did," Sid said. "He was assaulted and I treated him for his injuries."
"Did he ever say who assaulted him?"
"Uh… I don't remember."
"Charlie, you look really hot in your uniform, you know!" Dex blurted out.
The two women stared at him. Sid let his face fall into his hands, wondering if Dex was really genetically connected to him at all.
It was lunch time and Joey was pleased to welcome John and Gina to the restaurant. Everyone knew that they were officially back together now and everyone was pleased. When they had booked, Joey had deserved the best table by the window, overlooking the beach for them.
"Free drinks for the happy couple," she said, leading them to the table.
"Oh, really?" Gina said.
"Yes," Joey said. "Although, you probably can't have a proper drink at lunch time when you have to go back to work, can you? Maybe save it for the next time you're here for dinner."
"You're so sweet, Joey," Gina said. "Thank you."
Joey beamed at them, always happy to spread a little cheer to her neighbours.
"Let me know when you're ready to order."
Charlie and Graves had brought Sid to the police station, where Dex wouldn't interfere with the interview any longer. Sid was mortified that his son had behaved the way he had. Charlie had been extremely embarrassed. Graves hadn't quite understood what had happened.
"Right," Graves said, getting right to the point.
Sid wondered why Robertson wasn't leading the interview. He always seemed so hands on.
"So, we've come to the station due to the inappropriate behaviour of your son," she said.
He cringed. The interview was being recorded.
"I believe you were telling us about the time that Penn Graham was assaulted," she continued. "Who assaulted him?"
Claire was surprised but pleased to receive a text from Dex asking her out for lunch. She had a very strong friendship with Ruby and she was also becoming close friends with Nicole, although since she had found out the truth about her feelings for Ruby, she was trying to avoid her a little bit. But she liked Dex a lot. He was an outsider like her and that made her feel like he understood her. So she happily accepted his invitation.
They met outside the restaurant and walked in together, her leading the way and politely asking Joey if there was a table free.
"For you," Joey said. "Always."
She led them over to the last table for two at the other side of the restaurant. Claire tried not to blush at the fondness Joey spoke to her with. She had long since lost touch with her parents. They had rejected her when she had come out at as lesbian. But Ruby's parents were always so kind to her. They treated her just like family, as did her landladies, Kerri and Watson. It had been the toughest time of her life but sometimes she thought ending up in that clinic was the best thing that could have happened to her. She had met Ruby and Ruby had come to her with a readymade family, more than willing to welcome her into the fold.
"How many times?" Sid said, stressed, rubbing his head. "I don't know who attacked Penn. He had a lot of enemies. Probably more than we even know about. Anyone could have gone for him."
"Could you give us a list?" Graves asked.
"No!"
"Are you on the list?"
Charlie wondered if Graves had been taking interview lessons from Robertson.
"No!"
"You participated in a vigilante meeting with Alf Stewart, Miles Copeland and Angelo Rosetta, didn't you?" Graves asked. "About how to get rid of Penn? At the end of which, Alf threatened to kill him? And that was just the day before Penn disappeared?"
"Nobody planned to kill Penn," Sid insisted, calmer this time. "Nobody that I know killed Penn. I don't know where you're from, Detective Graves but we're good people here."
"And yet a man ended up dead."
"Well, I don't know how that happened and I doubt any of my friends or family do either," Sid said. "Nobody I know is capable of murder. Now, unless you have any legal reason to keep me, I have the rest of my day to be getting on with."
Claire stared at Dex in disbelief.
"You didn't?" she finally managed.
"I did," he confirmed.
"You hit on Charlie?"
"I know," he said. "I mean, it was just… I mean, I don't know what I was thinking."
He looked over at Joey.
"Do you think she's told Joey yet?" he asked.
"Well, she didn't stab you when you walked in, so…"
"She might be more subtle about it," Dex said worriedly. "She might poison my food."
Claire nodded.
"You're right," she said. "I mean, she's very scary when pushed."
He looked alarmed.
"You don't really think she'd hurt me?" he asked worriedly.
She laughed.
"No!" she said. "Come on! I mean, maybe if you were a hot lesbian but you're a teenage boy…"
"Are you saying I don't stand a chance?" he joked.
"Pretty much," Claire said.
"Well, I'd suggest you don't hit on Charlie then," he told her. "Hot lesbian."
Claire blushed and focussed very hard on drinking her water. She just didn't know how to take a compliment. He studied her, wondering what had damaged her so badly.
Across the room, Gina was setting out firm guidelines to John about their relationship. She wanted them to be together but she wanted to start all over again. She wasn't ready to live together. She wanted to take things one step at a time. She wanted to be a young couple who went out on dates and courted each other. She also didn't want to hear anything about proposals for a good long while yet.
Opposite her, an engagement was burning a hole in John's pocket. He was disappointed but he loved her and she had said that she loved him and as far as she was concerned, that was all that mattered. All he wanted was to be with her, whatever way she would allow him.
"Oh, God, she's here," Dex hissed, spotting Charlie walking through the restaurant and through to the back where, presumably Joey was in her office or something.
"Oh no!" Claire joked. "She's come to tell Joey and she'll kick your butt!"
Dex looked horrified. Claire reached out and touched his hand. He felt a tingle shoot through him. He wondered if there was anyone he didn't feel an attraction to.
"Chill out," Claire said. "Charlie and Joey are cool. Obviously Charlie will tell Joey. They tell each other everything but she won't tell anyone else. She's not like that."
Dex breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now," Claire said. "Let's carry on commiserating about our love lives."
Charlie knocked and entered Joey's office. Joey spun round on her chair, smiling, pleased to see her girlfriend.
"This is a pleasant surprise," she said when Charlie bent to kiss her.
The police officer pulled up another chair and sat beside her.
"I was on a break so I thought I'd pop in," she said. "How's your day going?"
"Okay," Joey said. "A bit slow. No excuse to avoid paperwork so…"
She lifted her hands and gestured to her typically messy desk. It was a good thing that she and the meticulously organised Charlie didn't actually work together, despite being business partners. Their different working styles would likely drive the other crazy. However, despite being a little haphazard on the admin side of things, Charlie knew Joey had things completely in hand. She was amazing at what she did. All she had needed was a chance to prove herself after such a difficult start in life.
"So, how come you're still single?" Dex asked.
"What?" Claire asked, a little flummoxed.
She was used to talking about other people, not herself. And she was used to being able to deflect and getting back to talking about other people when they tried to ask her about herself.
"How come you're single?" Dex asked. "I mean, we all know that I'm a pathetic loser who doesn't even know how to talk to girls. But you're amazing. You're pretty and smart and funny. Not to mention kind. You've been such a good friend to Ruby and you're one of the only people who gives me the time of day."
Claire blushed and looked down at the table.
"Honestly," Dex persisted. "I will never forget the way you stood up for me the other night."
She looked up again, still blushing.
"You're a really special person, Claire," he said. "You deserve someone special."
Claire immediately thought of Ruby. She chased the image away in her mind.
"Well, Summer Bay isn't exactly brimming over with eligible women," she tried to joke.
"Maybe we need to go on a night out!" he suggested.
She grinned.
"Like you want to go to a gay club!"
"Hey! I am secure enough in my sexuality to do that," he said. "I'd totally go with you and I'm sure some of the others would too."
She managed a smile.
"Maybe," she said.
"Definitely," Dex decided. "That's what we're going to do. You deserve someone special and there's no reason why you shouldn't find her."
Joey tried not to laugh as Charlie told her what Dex had said to her that morning.
"He just blurted it out just like that?" she asked.
Charlie shrugged, still a little bit in shock.
"I didn't really know what to say," she said.
"What did you say?"
"Well, nothing," Charlie said. "Thankfully Robot Graves took over and took the interview to the police station instead and I was able to get out of the situation."
She shook her head and chuckled.
"Well, I mean he was right," Joey conceded. "You do look hot in your uniform. I want to rip it off you every night."
Charlie grinned, leaning over and kissing her.
"But that's for me to tell you, not Dex Walker!"
Charlie laughed and kissed her.
"You can rip it off me tonight if you like," she murmured against her lips.
"Yes please!"
The kissed again.
"Listen, don't say anything, okay?" Charlie said, drawing away. "I don't want him to be embarrassed or anything. Best it stays between us."
"Of course," Joey said. "He's just a kid. And a nice kid at that."
Outside the room, Ruby could hardly contain herself but for the gossip she had heard. She held back for almost a minute before she knocked on the door, not wanting her parents to know she had overheard them talking.
"Oh, hey Rubes," Charlie said. "What's up?"
"Do you have time for a quick driving lesson?"
"No!" Charlie laughed. "We're having one tonight!"
"But…"
"Ruby, seriously, there is such a thing as too much practice, okay?" Charlie told her kindly. "Your test is tomorrow. You don't want to be absolutely exhausted for it."
Ruby looked disappointed.
"Claire and Dex are having lunch out there," Joey said. "Why don't you go and join them?"
Ruby could hardly wait.
It was the evening and Ruby had been disappointed that neither Claire nor Dex had mentioned the Charlie incident when she had joined them at their table. She had kept quiet the whole time until it had burst out of her during her last lesson and she had told April and Xavier. She just hadn't been able to help herself. The story was just too funny.
It was for her health and her future as much as anything. There would be no way that she could have concentrated on her driving lesson if she'd have been holding that inside her the whole time and that could cost her a good result in her driving test tomorrow. So really, telling Dex's secret was actually for the greater good.
At home, Dex was in his room and he was planning to stay there forever. His phone had been buzzing for hours with mocking texts about hitting on Charlie. Didn't he know she was a lesbian? Hadn't he learnt his lesson with Graves? Did he really think that any female would ever like him? That sort of thing. He was hurt and he was mortified. He was also upset to think that Claire, the only person he had told might have broken his confidence. Or that Charlie and Joey, people he genuinely respected might be laughing at him and gossiping.
He picked up his phone just as another three messages came through. He sent a message to Claire.
"Did you tell about Charlie?"
A message arrived back a few minutes later.
"No. Of course not. Why?"
He sent a message back, explaining what was happening. She replied, empathising and reiterating that she had absolutely not told anybody – not even Ruby.
Suddenly, Indi burst into his bedroom without knocking. Romeo hovered behind her, looking awkward.
"Tell me it's not true!" she said. "Actually, please tell me it is because that's so much better!"
"Get out," Dex complained.
"Indi, leave him alone," Romeo begged.
He didn't want to be part of this. His girlfriend's brother looked utterly miserable.
"Come on!" Indi said. "Did you really hit on Charlie? The woman who even if she was straight and not in a committed relationship would be so far out of your league it's not even funny? Actually, it's frickin' hilarious!"
"It wasn't like that!" Dex said. "Leave me alone, okay?"
"What's going on?" Sid asked, approaching them.
"Dex hit on Charlie! I mean, come on!"
"Indi, leave your brother alone," Sid said, ushering her and Romeo away.
He walked into Dex's room and sat on the bed.
"Everyone knows," Dex said, throwing his phone over to his Dad.
Sid scrolled through it and sighed.
"How?" he asked.
Dex shrugged.
"I know it's crappy parent advice but just ignore them," he said.
Dex glared at him and rolled over in bed, facing the wall. Sid sighed and left the room. Closing the door behind him, he pulled out his phone.
Charlie, Joey and Ruby were just sitting down to dinner after Ruby's final driving lesson when Charlie's phone rang.
"Sorry," Charlie said. "I'll just be two secs."
She stepped away from the table and said hello to Sid.
"Charlie?"
He didn't sound very happy.
"Yes, how are you?"
"Not very happy, Charlie. Listen, I appreciate that Dex was a little inappropriate this morning but it was fairly harmless. Did you really have to go and tell everyone about it? He's practically got the whole school making fun of him for hitting on you."
"Excuse me?" Charlie said, stunned. "I didn't tell anyone."
She looked back at Joey.
"Well, I told Joey in confidence," she admitted. "But she wouldn't have told anyone."
Understanding what she was talking about, Joey shook her head in confirmation.
"No, she didn't," Charlie confirmed.
Ruby had a sinking feeling inside her.
"Well, then can you explain to me why my son is practically having a breakdown in his bedroom right now?"
"I'm afraid I can't," Charlie said. "I mean, I wasn't the only person there. You were there. Detective Graves was there. And of course, he was there. He could have told someone."
"I doubt Dex would have spread something like that about, do you?"
"I mean Robertson," Charlie said.
"Hmm…" Sid said thoughtfully.
At the table, Ruby looked guiltier and guiltier. Joey noticed.
"Um… Charlie?" Joey said.
Charlie turned. Joey nodded to Ruby.
"Sid, I'll call you back," Charlie said.
She returned to the table and sat down, looking at Ruby.
"Do you have something to say?" she asked sternly.
"I um… I might have overheard you and Joey talking in the office at lunch time…"
"About?"
"About Dex hitting on you."
"And?"
"And I might have told a couple of people?"
Charlie sighed.
"Why the hell did you do that?" she snapped angrily. "He's being hassled so badly right now because of you! How do you think he's feeling at the moment? I thought you were his friend!"
"I am his friend!" Ruby said desperately.
"Well, you haven't behaved like it!" Charlie yelled, standing up again. "And it's me that has to explain it all to Sid who has to cope with his heartbroken son. Dex has enough problems fitting in and feeling left out all the time without you making his life more difficult. What were you thinking, Ruby? How could you do that to him?"
"I'm sorry," Ruby said, hanging her head. "I wasn't thinking. I was being a gossip and selfish and thoughtless and horrible and I'm so sorry."
"Well, the first thing we do is phone Sid and explain," Joey said more calmly. "Then we go over to see Dex and you can apologise in person."
Ruby could hardly stand the disappointment in their faces.
Sid had not been very happy when Charlie had called back and told him what had happened. He had been very reluctant to allow Ruby round to the house to apologise to Dex. Now, the adults were in the lounge, waiting for the teenagers to attempt to make friends.
"I just don't understand why you did it," Dex said.
Ruby was perched on the edge of his bed.
"I wasn't thinking about you or what the consequences would be," she admitted.
"Would you like to read the consequences?" Dex asked. "They're all on my phone."
"No," she said softly. "I really am sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
"You can go back in time and make a different decision," he suggested.
"I wish I could."
"Then, barring that, not much, no."
She sighed heavily and stood up.
"I really am sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Then don't make fun of people," he said coldly. "And don't permit other people to make fun of them either."
Next time… Alf wants to help Roo, Ruby takes her driving test and Will gets a double dose of bad news…
