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Back Unnecessary Drama Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TEXT LOGO PAGE
  3. ABOUT THE BOOK
  4. DEDICATION
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  46. ALSO BY NINA KENWOOD
  47. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  48. PRAISE
  49. NEW MARKETING PAGE

I tell her I will drive her home in her car, and get Mum to drive me back into Geelong tomorrow morning and I’ll get the train back, but then Harper says, ‘Why doesn’t Jesse go and visit his family too and then he can give you a lift home tomorrow?’ Jesse looks immediately stressed with this idea, but Lauren says, ‘Yes, perfect,’ and Tristan says, ‘Sounds like the best solution,’ and Henry agrees, and the decision is made.

Lauren puts the radio on loud on the highway home, and we sing together and laugh. Why couldn’t I have been like this at karaoke last night? Thankfully, Lauren doesn’t bring up my outburst.

Mum and Nanna are waiting for us as we pull up, watching at the window. Mum rushes outside.

‘Brooke honey,’ she says, coming to me first, and I am secretly relieved, because I was worried she would go and check Lauren’s hand first, but she hasn’t seen me in months and I needed to be first. I probably need therapy for even having this thought, but I don’t care. I bury myself in her arms when she hugs me, and I almost cry. I haven’t let myself go home much since I moved to Melbourne, because I was afraid I would burrow back into their love and safety and I wouldn’t want to leave. I needed to build up a life that was good enough to make sure I would go back to first.

‘You look pale,’ Nanna says, bundling me into a hug.

‘I’m always pale,’ I say.

‘Michelle, she needs more sun!’ Nanna says to Mum.

‘Is anybody going to ask about my hand?’ Lauren says.

‘Go straight down to the beach and get some salt water on it,’ Nanna says.

‘Do not do that,’ Mum says. ‘Keep it bandaged.’ She kisses Lauren’s forehead, and links one arm through mine and the other through Lauren’s.

‘Both my girls are home. We’re going to celebrate,’ she says.

‘Champagne?’ Lauren asks hopefully.

‘Scones,’ Nanna says. ‘And a pot of strong tea.’

‘God, please don’t let them be date scones, the only thing worse than a scone is a date scone,’ Lauren moans theatrically.

‘They are date scones,’ Nanna says.

We walk inside, and it feels like layers of me are falling away. Like I’m putting down my sword and taking off my armour, until I’m stripped back to family Brooke, old Brooke, home Brooke.

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