THE NEST
Chapter 1
Charlie's on the stage trying to raise money to bring some Somali kids from Melbourne to the snowfields. The whole of Bright Dale Secondary College is here, listening. I'm sitting on the edge of the aisle in the middle of the hall so I can see her as she talks earnestly into the microphone, telling the students how she needs to raise a further six hundred dollars to give these people a holiday. It takes guts getting up on the stage like that because while most of the school appreciates what she's saying, others think it's a bit of a wank. I'm nuts about her.
Charlie switches on her laptop and begins a Power Point presentation. For a moment her tall frame and long dark hair are outlined on the blank screen as she hurries to the back of the stage to pick up her notes. She returns to the lectern and begins to show photo after photo of refugees in crowded camps. She flicks through the images so quickly that I hardly have time to process them. The last one is a shot of children in Africa picking up single grains of rice that have fallen off the back of a United Nations truck. Charlie leaves this image on the screen as she continues her pitch. The picture makes me anxious and I wish she'd turn it off.
Verushka and Ryan are sitting in front of me. They always hang out together and I can see why from his point of view. She's shortish but with a great figure and knows it. She wears her hair pulled back in a ponytail with a fringe that swoops across her forehead, and her sleepy grey eyes give the impression that she's concealing deep and mysterious secrets. When she moves she holds herself erect and glides along slowly as if she's walking just above the ground. I've never known her to hurry. Sometimes I see her staring at me which makes me feel peculiar.
There's only one word for Ryan - stylish. His bleached hair always looks as if he's just walked out of the hairdresser's. His ambition is to be a graphic artist in an advertising company and he's constantly sketching expensive watches and state-of-the-art furniture draped with sexy women. He'll probably end up buying a publicity agency and sacking anyone over twenty years old.
Charlie's going to try and sell Give Them a Hand certificates of various values, which are just bits of paper stating how much you're willing to donate to the cause. Most certificates are worth five or ten dollars but there's one for sale at five hundred dollars - as if anyone would pay that.
'Who'll buy a certificate?' says Charlie putting her lips close to the mike. 'Come on; bring a refugee child to the snow for a holiday.'
There's no response. It's like a house auction where people are too scared to scratch their ears in case they accidentally buy the place. Finally, Jessica Green, the girls' school captain, puts up her hand and calls out, 'Five dollars.'
A smattering of applause follows her words.
'Thanks, that's a good start,' says Charlie as she writes Jessica's name down on her donor's pad. 'Someone else? These kids have gone through hell.'
Verushka is slumped down in her seat with her eyes closed. Ryan looks bored.
'Twenty dollars,' says a voice from the back. It's Bazza, the Social Involvement teacher. There's another smattering of applause. This act is generous of Bazza because the teachers have already passed the hat around in the staffroom and he's kicked in once already.
'Terrific,' says Charlie. 'Who's next?'
'Forty,' calls out Mr Rogers, the school counsellor. There are a few whistles of approval - not so much because forty dollars is a lot of cash but because everyone likes him.
Another hand goes up from someone towards the front. It's hard to see who it is because he's got his head down in a sort of resigned, modest slump.
'Ten bucks,' he says. It's James Telford, the boys' school captain.
'Thanks, James,' says Charlie. 'Anyone else?'
A few people fidget uncomfortably in their seats. No one's going to buy another certificate.
'Okay,' says Charlie. 'Let's show the world how generous we are.' More silence. It goes on and on and on and Charlie starts to wriggle with discomfort.
She looks straight at me. Now it's my turn to shift uncomfortably.
'Robin? How about you?'
I go to speak but my mouth is dry and before I can get a word out Bazza cuts in.
'Come on, Bright Dale. Show you care. Wake up. We need at least another five hundred dollars.'
When she hears the words 'wake up' Verushka opens her eyes and blinks in an exaggerated way, pretending that she's been sound asleep. Ryan laughs. He nods at the stage and then sticks one finger in his mouth as if he wants to throw up. Verushka sniggers. I lean forward and whisper, 'Give her a break; she's trying to help refugees.'
Verushka turns around, stares at me and knits her eyebrows in a way that says, 'Are you mad?'
The answer is probably 'yes', if what's been happening in my head lately is anything to go by, but I don't answer because I'm still thinking of how I can make an impression on Charlie.
'Listen, everyone,' she says desperately. 'Weren't you looking at the photos? These kids have come from countries ravaged by famine. They'd love to have what we toss in the bin every lunchtime. We've never known hunger. We've always got meat and fruit and cake.'
Poor Charlie is drowning and no one's going to save her. She'll never get five hundred dollars out of this lot. I feel so sorry for her. I have to do something.
'Five hundred dollars,' I yell impulsively.
There's a collective gasp. Everyone turns around to see who's so rich that they can give away that much money. Verushka turns and gives me a 'you must be joking' stare. Even the teachers sitting up the back are wide-eyed. Bazza stands up.
'Are you sure about this, Robin? Maybe you should talk to your father first.'
At this point I'm totally pleased with myself. Charlie will be rapt. I am her major sponsor. I'm flushed with my own boldness.
'No, Bazza. No worries. It's a good cause.'
Bazza throws me a doubtful but kindly nod and sits down while Charlie writes my name in her pad. She's blushing.
'Thanks, Robin,' she says. 'It's very generous. The rest of you are a waste of space.' She snaps closed her notebook and slips off into the wings of the stage.
After a few hours pass my mood changes. I start to worry about what I've done. I can't stop thinking about it. Why did I do it? I must be crazy.
After school Charlie comes up behind me as I shuffle with the others towards the door of the bus waiting to take us on the long trip back up the mountain. She taps me on the shoulder and beckons me to come round the back where no one can see us. 'Come for tea Sunday night,' is all she says. She looks directly into my eyes and lightly kisses me on the cheek. Then she's gone.
I'm stunned. Does this mean that she likes me or was that just a thankyou for the money? The place where she kissed me is warm and heat spreads across my face and flows into my body. A kiss on the cheek from Charlie is worth five hundred bucks.
Even if I haven't got it.