they've gotten in touch with Magdala's parents. We start to give her our details. My phone rings. The screen says Cassian. I show it to Tom and Dane. I gulp, I don't know how I'm going to handle this.
"Cash?" My voice cracks.
"What's happening?" he asks. He knows.
"We're with the cops," I turn away from the others, "we're still at school."
"Have you seen her? Is she okay?"
"No, they'd already taken her to hospital. Cash, I don't even know what happened, they haven't said anything." I'm crying now. Crying and shaking. Who knew I would cry so easily? Not me.
"Okay, I'll see you at the hospital," he says and rings off.
I try to compose myself, control my tears. Tom's hand is on my shoulder now. It's comforting. But I'm still shaking. Dane's giving his details now, and then my phone rings again. Not a contact. Is it Magdala's Dad I wonder.
"Hello?" Weak, hesitant.
"Nate?" It's Jakey and his voice is demanding. "What the fuck's going on? What fucking happened?"
"I dunno," I say and I'm intimidated all of a sudden. "She's been taken to hospital."
"I fucking know that," he retorts. "Where the hell were you? Why weren't you fucking well with her?"
And right then, right at that moment I believe that this is my fault. "Why the fuck weren't you looking after her?" I can't even muster a response. I feel the anger, the disdain in his voice, and I start to say something, but he dismisses me with a "Later man."
Tom drives me and Dane to the hospital. I text Cassian when we are in the carpark asking where he is, and he texts back: ER. None of us are familiar with the hospital layout and it takes us a while to get to the right place - it's a good distraction, but frustrating. When we tell reception who we are looking for, the guy directs us to a separate waiting room. He buzzes to open the door. Cassian, Jakey and Raff, their Mom and stepdad are all there. I don't see Magdala's parents. We go towards Cassian, he approaches me, with a bro hug and knuckle bump, and does the same to Tom and Dane, even though they've only met once before. Jakey eventually does the same, but I barely look at him, there's a fire in his eyes.
"Dad's in with the doctors now," Cassian explains. "How did it happen?" I feel reassured by Cassian, he's not judging or threatening. I run the story by him, well our side of it, Tom interjecting at various points. Jakey looks like hell.
"When was the last time she texted you?" he fires at me. I search my phone.
"Seven oh two," I say. "She said she was on her way."
"And you fucking didn't go and look for her?" His voice is scathing again, "it would only take her ten, maybe fifteen minutes from Briarwood."
I shrug, I don't know what to say, but he's right. It would have only taken her fifteen minutes tops. Why hadn't I gone out to check? Jakey's glaring at me. He's obviously forgotten that we were basketball buddies, that we're both mad Clippers supporters. Cassian puts a hand on Jakey's chest, guides him away, "Let's not do this," he says quietly. "Back off Jakey, it's not Nate's fault."
But he's said it. He's said what everyone is now thinking - that it is my fault. Jakey turns away.
Cassian takes me aside, "Don't listen to him Nate, he's upset."
I almost feel dizzy, light headed and I sit down, my whole mind confused. Jakey's mother brings me a cup of water and pats my back, whispers kind words. I appreciate it. Tom and Dane are talking to Cassian and Raff, Jakey's pacing.
It seems like eternity, but it's probably only ten minutes later that Magdala's Dad appears. I leap up to my feet, Tom and Dane on either side of me. Her Dad comes over to us, greets me with a handshake and a hug. You can see the stress on his face, you can see the anguish in his eyes. We all crowd him, almost as if he's a celebrity and we all want his autograph.
He tries to sound light hearted. "Well she's kicking up a real fuss in
"Cash?" My voice cracks.
"What's happening?" he asks. He knows.
"We're with the cops," I turn away from the others, "we're still at school."
"Have you seen her? Is she okay?"
"No, they'd already taken her to hospital. Cash, I don't even know what happened, they haven't said anything." I'm crying now. Crying and shaking. Who knew I would cry so easily? Not me.
"Okay, I'll see you at the hospital," he says and rings off.
I try to compose myself, control my tears. Tom's hand is on my shoulder now. It's comforting. But I'm still shaking. Dane's giving his details now, and then my phone rings again. Not a contact. Is it Magdala's Dad I wonder.
"Hello?" Weak, hesitant.
"Nate?" It's Jakey and his voice is demanding. "What the fuck's going on? What fucking happened?"
"I dunno," I say and I'm intimidated all of a sudden. "She's been taken to hospital."
"I fucking know that," he retorts. "Where the hell were you? Why weren't you fucking well with her?"
And right then, right at that moment I believe that this is my fault. "Why the fuck weren't you looking after her?" I can't even muster a response. I feel the anger, the disdain in his voice, and I start to say something, but he dismisses me with a "Later man."
Tom drives me and Dane to the hospital. I text Cassian when we are in the carpark asking where he is, and he texts back: ER. None of us are familiar with the hospital layout and it takes us a while to get to the right place - it's a good distraction, but frustrating. When we tell reception who we are looking for, the guy directs us to a separate waiting room. He buzzes to open the door. Cassian, Jakey and Raff, their Mom and stepdad are all there. I don't see Magdala's parents. We go towards Cassian, he approaches me, with a bro hug and knuckle bump, and does the same to Tom and Dane, even though they've only met once before. Jakey eventually does the same, but I barely look at him, there's a fire in his eyes.
"Dad's in with the doctors now," Cassian explains. "How did it happen?" I feel reassured by Cassian, he's not judging or threatening. I run the story by him, well our side of it, Tom interjecting at various points. Jakey looks like hell.
"When was the last time she texted you?" he fires at me. I search my phone.
"Seven oh two," I say. "She said she was on her way."
"And you fucking didn't go and look for her?" His voice is scathing again, "it would only take her ten, maybe fifteen minutes from Briarwood."
I shrug, I don't know what to say, but he's right. It would have only taken her fifteen minutes tops. Why hadn't I gone out to check? Jakey's glaring at me. He's obviously forgotten that we were basketball buddies, that we're both mad Clippers supporters. Cassian puts a hand on Jakey's chest, guides him away, "Let's not do this," he says quietly. "Back off Jakey, it's not Nate's fault."
But he's said it. He's said what everyone is now thinking - that it is my fault. Jakey turns away.
Cassian takes me aside, "Don't listen to him Nate, he's upset."
I almost feel dizzy, light headed and I sit down, my whole mind confused. Jakey's mother brings me a cup of water and pats my back, whispers kind words. I appreciate it. Tom and Dane are talking to Cassian and Raff, Jakey's pacing.
It seems like eternity, but it's probably only ten minutes later that Magdala's Dad appears. I leap up to my feet, Tom and Dane on either side of me. Her Dad comes over to us, greets me with a handshake and a hug. You can see the stress on his face, you can see the anguish in his eyes. We all crowd him, almost as if he's a celebrity and we all want his autograph.
He tries to sound light hearted. "Well she's kicking up a real fuss in
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