That assignment sucked—no-one buys CDs anymore. But yours is real mad. You with eight arms and a forked tongue and all those muscles. Desilva held it up in our class and showed it off. She had a full-on wet spot after. She stared at it for ages, you looking like some sea god.

SQUID: A squid god.

TAMARA: All those muscles. Yeah, right.

SQUID: Gonna get it tattooed.

TAMARA: Can’t get a tattoo till you’re eighteen.

SQUID: Not waiting.

TAMARA: Everyone has to wait.

SQUID: Nobody has to wait if they don’t want to.

TAMARA: They do.

You missed assembly.

Rowney went on about the fight. That chink kid Thahn’s in intensive care. Heaps of girls crying after.

SQUID: ’Cause he’s in hospital?

TAMARA: Na. They threatened to cancel the formal.

SQUID: Why?

TAMARA: ’Cause we’re animals.

SQUID: They won’t.

TAMARA: Na, just a threat.

Stupid bitches, all they care about’s the formal.

They cheered when he was getting bashed, then loaded it onto YouTube.

SQUID: Never follow through with threats.

TAMARA: Na.

SQUID: Gonna get the tattoo for the formal. Lift up me shirt on the dance floor and…

TAMARA: Buy the tickets first then get the tattoo.

SQUID: So. You coming with me?

TAMARA: Suppose.

SQUID: Cool.

TAMARA: Don’t get my name on you.

SQUID: As if.

TAMARA: Why wouldn’t ya?

SQUID: Just wouldn’t.

TAMARA: Good. It’s trashy. My dad’s got Leanne tattooed on his arm.

SQUID: What’s wrong with that?

TAMARA: My mum’s a total bitch. And Dad’s a fag now.

SQUID: Your dad’s a faggot?

TAMARA: Yep. A fag with Leanne tattooed on his arm.

SQUID: He wasn’t always a fag, then?

TAMARA looks at SQUID incredulously.

TAMARA: Go home, Jase.

They kiss. SQUID smiles at her, leaves. TAMARA remains.

DANE is released from prison.

DANE: Aunty stands there in her best dress clutching her bag to her chest—waiting watching the traffic passing the prison.

DANE/AUNTY: I’m out./ You’re out.

DANE: Look she gives me worse than any look I got inside—she sighs like it hurts to breathe—takes out an envelope—hands it to me.

Don’t need money, Aunty./ Take it. Take it./

AUNTY: Take it./ Take it./

DANE: She says. Don’t want it./

AUNTY: Take it.

Where you gonna go, Dane? Don’t want you back. You can get your stuff but you can’t come back./ Lock’s changed. Don’t try anything.

DANE: Lock’s changed. Don’t try anything.

AUNTY and DANE go separate ways.

TAMARA: Get home

slam the door

sit on my bed

Cover my face in a pillow suffocate myself feel what it’s like—the light at the top.

Dizzy.

Stop. Just before I…

Send Dezzie a message—

nothing back

update my status—no-one on Facebook.

Everyone hassling you when you don’t need it and then—when you want them—