I shrug it off. Hopefully she forgets about it. So what if she asks? I’ll tell them I was thinking of doing it but decided not to. Right now I have two choices. I can head in to what passed for a library in this town – a small room in the council office that is filled with mostly terrible romances about the wild, empty and untamed Australian outback and all the white people who lived there (vomit!). It’s also the only thing that passes as a bank. If I go anywhere near it I’m guaranteed to get noticed, ensuring Mum knows about it all that much quicker. Or I can take a breather and make my way to my favourite place.

First, I’ll go drop a note at home letting Mum know where I am going, just in case. I can pick up a new CD at the same time. Today I need something a bit less angry.

Britney Spears keeps me company at the reservoir. She’s my secret shame. In a town divided by country and western, rap and R&B, I’m one of the few who’d sneak in some pop music and the odd alternative rock band. Laney would use my love of Britney and the Backstreet Boys as a threat.

Loan me your dress or I’m telling people you know the dance to ‘Baby One More Time’.

A grin slips across my lips as the sound of a car engine leaks through my headphones. A weird sense of déjà vu creeps over my skin as I watch the silver Holden come across the cattle grid. I get a double shock when I see who’s in the passenger seat. Part of me is still terrified, but the steel determination at my centre that I built up on the back streets last night won’t let me do anything but wait. The old girl might be scary damaged, but she might also be right.

Sam gets out, looks at my shocked face and shrugs. I glare back – this was so not over. Running around to the passenger door he helps the fragile lady out, walking with her over to me, bracing her so she can lower herself down. Neither of them looks at me. Sam goes to sit next to May and her head whips around to glare at him.

‘What you think you doin, boy?’ The stern growl would’ve sent me running but Sam sets his jaw and stares down the barrel.

‘If I’m gonna get a hidin for it I deserve to know why.’

May eyes him for a bit longer but when he refuses to look away she finally nods.

‘Fair enough, son.’ Then she swings those freaky eyes to me. ‘So you decided to take my advice. Know what you gettin into, do ya?’

I stay quiet, not too sure what to expect from Mad May.