74 Keramine Road

Finally.

It’s finally over.

I’m in Longstep.

I let out a breath and step off the bus.

My thick heels click on the concrete as I hurry out of the doorway, making room for others to follow.

My legs are killing me. I’m glad I can finally stretch them. Though I’m not looking forward to the walk to my new house.

Sighing, I flick on my phone and check the map again.

74 Keramine Road is where I want to be. … Twenty minutes by foot. Ugh.

‘Mmm!’

There’s a tug on my jeans, so I look down and see the young bug-girl again.

‘Hey,’ I give her my best smile I can muster as she snuggles into my hoodie. ‘Sleep alright?’

Slowly, she slides her arms through the too-long sleeves until her tiny hands peek through, and she holds out a card to me.

‘What’s this?’ I ask, taking the card from her. I try to be careful not to catch her hand on the lanyard that trails behind the laminated paper before glancing at it.

It’s contact information.

Rita Bean; Prefers “Cuddles”

Non-Verbal / Autistic

Allowed to wander from 8AM-6PM

If injured or lost please phone Pinchy at (##) #### #### ####

Address: 72 Keramine Road, Longstep, 5034

I check the clock on my phone.

It’s 10am.

So I suppose she’s allowed to go where she wants? Why is she showing me— Wait.

72 Keramine Road? That’s. … That’s right next to my new house!

I don’t mean to laugh, but I do. ‘You’re my new neighbour— Or I guess, I’m your new neighbour.’

Cuddles (Rita?) cocks her head and stares at me.

‘I’m moving next door to you,’ I smile. ‘Into number seventy-four.’

Cuddles pulls a face. A really awkward face; like she feels sorry for me. I’m not sure what to think of it.

‘Want to show me the way?’ I ask. When she nods, I nod back. ‘Let me grab my suitcase, then.’

Patiently, I wait as the bags are unpacked. It’s taking forever, and everyone keeps pushing in front. If they’d all just chill, we’d get our bags fine. But I guess they’re as tired as I am. And being tired never makes anyone friendly.

I’m not sure when Cuddles took my paw, but I don’t shake her off. To be honest, when I first noticed her holding my paw I thought she was my other other sister, Amber.

I have too many sisters.

Also, Cuddles’ hands are freezing.

I rub them, trying to get some warmth into her while we wait.

It’s almost afternoon. It shouldn’t be so cold.

Oh, there’s my suitcase!

I let go of Cuddles’ hands, but she doesn’t let go of mine.

‘What’s up?’ I ask with a sigh. My suitcase is right there. If I can grab it we can go home.

She holds up her arms as if she wants a hug.

Unsure what to do I bend down and hug her; and she wraps her arms around my neck snuggles into me. She doesn’t let go as I stand up.

I guess I’m carrying her.

Whatever.

I retrieve my suitcase and start the long walk home.

At first, carrying Cuddles is a little frustrating. I’m tired, and I have to drag my suitcase behind me, and I can’t hold my phone at the same time because she’s in my other paw. I have to stop walking to check where I am— Until Cuddles takes my phone and holds it for me.

She’s smarter than my little sisters are; that’s for sure.

I take a deep breath as we turn the last corner, and I get my first look at my new street.

It’s garbage.

None of the lawns are mowed, fences are falling apart, and the bins that aren’t knocked over are overflowing.

I love it.

I can hear pet dogs yapping excitedly from the houses I pass; I see a few of them in windows, wagging not only their tails, but their entire bodies. And there’re kids everywhere; running around, making a game of picking up cans and kicking them like footballs into the bins.

It feels so homely here.

‘Mmm!’ Cuddles wiggles in my arms, and I let her out of my grip and watch as she runs down the street and disappears into a house.

The house next to mine. …

I let out a breath and slowly make my way to the house.

My house.

I feel … frozen, at the start of the driveway. I can’t move.

I know I need to get to the front door and knock, but I can’t bring myself to do it. My feet won’t listen to my head.

‘JESUS CHRIST MY ARM! FUCK! SHIT! FUCK!’

I jolt at the cry of pain, and in a panic dart into Cuddles’ yard and hide behind the fence.

Boisterous laughter sounds from the backyard of 74 and I swallow.

I shouldn’t spy, I know it. But I need to see what’s happening. So I peak through a hole in the fence and dare to watch as a yellow-furred rabbit rolls around in the long grass of the backyard; sobbing and shouting and gripping his arm.

A large kangaroo girl with a bad fashion sense and more muscles than I thought was possible for a herbivore stands over the injured man. She points at him dramatically and shouts, ‘I TOLD YOU FAINTER! NEVER CHALLENGE ME! I’M THE BEST DAMN ARM-WRESTLER TO EVER COME FROM OWLSTRALIA!’

‘It’s dislocated again!’ the rabbit, “Fainter” cries. ‘You dislocated my arm again!’

I shudder. These can’t be my new housemates. … They look familiar, but I can’t place from where. … Where have I seen these two before?

‘HAYLEY!’ a voice cries from somewhere higher-up.

I jump and look up at the roof— And feel my heart stop.

Joal.

It’s Joal.

‘You’re not so tough!’ Joal exclaims, downing a can of energy drink in one go. ‘I will destroy you and avenge my brother’s death!’

‘I’m not dead!’ Fainter cries as Joal lets out an overly-dramatic scream, and attempts to crush the energy drink against his head.

He misses, and punches himself in the face. His shout of pain is almost as loud as Fainter’s. ‘MY TONGUE! I BIT MY TONGUE!’

Hayley breaks into a fit of laughter and I feel my blood run cold.

What … have I gotten myself into?

‘Joal!’ a new voice exclaims. I see another familiar face as my landlord, Constantine, shoves his way out the front door and marches into the backyard. ‘GET OFF THE ROOF!’

‘Lighten up, Consty!’ Hayley cackles. ‘Since when has being on a roof ever killed anyone?’

‘Do I need to remind you about the accident?’ Constantine shakes himself; his feathers fluffing up in frustration.

‘Curly-wurly doesn’t count,’ Hayley grins, and cracks open a beer. ‘So I’ll rephrase that: When has being on a roof ever killed anyone important?’

Someone died?

I can’t breathe.

Oh my god.

‘Joal!’ Constantine hoots loudly.

‘I’m coming!’ Joal responds, sliding down the roof tiles— And slipping. He tumbles awkwardly down the side of the house and into an empty bin. The lid slams shut on him and he lets out a terrified shriek. ‘CONSTANTINE HELP ME I CAN’T SEE I’M BLIND!’

Constantine takes a deep breath and —with what looks like way too much effort— forces his feathers to lie flat. He makes his way over to the bin and flips the lid.

‘I CAN SEE!’ Joal exclaims. ‘Help me out?’

Constantine tugs Joal out of the bin, brushes him down, and hands him a bag of rubbish from the ground— With his foot. Talon? Wow. He doesn’t have arms; just wings. That must make things hard.

‘You’re all absolutely filthy!’ he sighs. ‘I want this place cleaned up and the bins out for collection by the time I get home! If you haven’t forgotten, I’m expecting a new tenant sometime this afternoon. So, please, try and give her the same respect you should be giving me.’

Hayley snorts a laugh, ‘So you mean like, none at all?’

‘I mean, if I were a woman,’ Constantine grumbles. ‘Perhaps a pregnant woman. Or a nun. Whichever you’d treat kinder.’

‘So like, a pregnant nun?’ Fainter asks, flopping into a sitting position and tugging his arm back into place with a horrifying crunch. ‘Wait— Her! You said her! The new roommate’s a doe?’

‘Congratulations, Fainter, you’ve learnt how to listen!’ Constantine flaps his wings in frustration. ‘Yes! A woman! Like I said yesterday, the day before yesterday, and the day before the day before yesterday! And three months ago, when I asked you if you were alright with a female housemate!’

‘Oh, nice,’ Fainter chuckles. ‘A girl! Like Hayley!’

I shudder.

I’m nothing like Hayley.

At least, I hope not.

‘Exactly,’ Constantine taps a talon on the ground. ‘Just like your lovely fiancé. Who’s dislocated your arm again. For the fourth time this month!’

‘You can’t prove it!’ retorts Hayley.

Constantine sighs and turns to leave. ‘You’ve been saying that for a long time, Hayley. One day, I won’t be there to cover for you. And someone will prove it. So why not get your act together, go pay some more of Pinchy’s medical bills, and call your father to apologise for being a failure of a daughter? Not that I think he’d see you as much of a failure, considering how easy it is to be more successful than him.’

Oh snap, crackle, and pop.

That was harsh.

The entire group lets out a collaborative gasp, and I hear someone suck in air through their teeth.

Hayley clenches a fist, and I see the muscles in her arm bulge with her effort and anger. ‘Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare bring m’dad into this!’

She takes a step towards Constantine— Who turns his head completely around to face her.

It makes me want to throw up; it’s so. … Holy shit. That’s so gross!

‘I want you gone when I get back,’ he huffs, twisting his head back into place and making his way down the drive. He climbs into a parked car and I see him take a deep breath as he smooths down his feathers and rests his wings on the dashboard.

The ignition starts and the car starts to roll down the road. I can only assume the steering wheel is at his feet as the car turns and disappears behind the neighbour’s house.

Hayley kicks one of the bins and growls as the car revs and screeches away.

I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I … want to go into that house now.

I was so excited to have a new home but this was too much. I don’t know how or if I’m going to survive this.

‘What did Gruff Fluff say about a pregnant nun?’ Joal asks suddenly. Then he lets out a gasp and quickly starts to clean the mess around the bins. ‘Holy shit! Our roommate’s a pregnant nun? We need to clean up, like, right now guys! Oh— No! Oh god I need to take down the posters in the bathroom! If she sees them she might have a heart attack! And the baby— We need to get a crib and a pram and stuff!’

‘Joal, mate. Chill,’ Hayley chuckles, sweeping Joal off his feet with her tail and leaving him in a heap on the ground. ‘He said to treat her like a pregged up nun. Not that she was a pregged up nun. Probably just means he wants you to wear a clean singlet or something.’

‘Should I get changed?’

‘Dunno, how bad you stink?’

Joal lifts his arm into the air to sniff at himself. I can see the sweaty stains on his shirt as he lets out a gagging noise and shakes his head. He doesn’t say anything else as he hurries into the house.

Hayley and Fainter stand together for a minute before Hayley gives Fainter a friendly punch.

‘I’m starved! Let’s get some lunch!’ she exclaims, grabbing Fainter by an ear and tugging him to a bashed-up motorbike. ‘I’m sure Joal can handle the new roomie on his own.’

‘Better than I would,’ Fainter laughs, climbing on the bike behind Hayley. ‘What if she’s wearing a low-cut shirt or something? I might get distracted!’

‘Sounds like you,’ says Hayley.

Then she kicks on the bike and I can’t hear a thing as she speeds down the street, well past the speed limit.

‘GUYS! Aw, for fuck’s—’ Joal shouts from the door. He holds a couple of cans of drink in the air and looks defeated. ‘THANKS A LOT GUYS! THROW ME UNDER THE BUS AGAIN! I LOVE YOU TOO, BRO! BEST SIBLING AWARD RIGHT THERE! HOPE HAYLEY’S TITS ARE WORTH IT!’

I let out a breath as Joal slams the drinks onto the outside windowsill and starts collecting rubbish from in front of the house.

The house. …

My house.

This is where I live now, I guess. I can’t avoid it. I have to just … go up and say hi.

I step out from behind the fence, but Joal starts to turn around and I chicken out— Hiding in the neighbour’s yard again.

God. I’m a coward.

An absolute coward.

Maybe I should just call my parents.

Borrow some money and get the bus back home.

Dad’d be cool with that. … But. …

Meg. I’d have to go back to sharing a room with Meg.

I’d rather this place.

But I can’t just walk out and talk to Joal. That’s. … I can’t. He’s already in a bad enough mood. And I doubt he’d be happy to see me after last night.

Maybe I can message him. See just how angry he is?

That … sounds like an okay idea.

I take a deep breath, sit in the grass, and quickly pull out my phone.

>>Carla Coggs 11:53 AM

>hey

>joal?

I hear a ping from the yard and Joal lets out a frustrated sigh as he drops the bins to check what I’d sent.

>>Joal Palamor 11:54 AM

>Hey! What’s up? Did you get where you needed to go?

>>Carla Coggs 11:54 AM

>yeah i did

>so hey uhh

>are you wearing a blue button-up and tracksuit pants?

>>Joal Palamor 11:54 AM

>Holy shit

>What

>How did you know that??

>Are you a ghost?????

>>Carla Coggs 11:54 AM

>uhhh no

>i can see you though

I don’t feel brave enough to look into his yard as he lets out a confused exclamation. I can only imagine he’s looking around trying to spot me.

>>Joal Palamor 11:55 AM

>Where are you?

I can’t bring myself to respond. Instead I bury my face in my lap, and ignore the next few messages he sends me.

Then the fence gives a jolt, and I look up to meet Joal’s eye as he perches above me.

‘Fuck, you look wrecked,’ he blurts.

Unable to muster a reply, I just nod.

‘How long have you been there?’

‘First thing I heard was “Jesus Christ my arm,”’ I admit. ‘Then I sort of … watched the rest from a distance.’

‘Oh— Did you see me uh—’

‘—Punch yourself in the face and fall off the roof?’ letting myself grin, I nod. ‘Yeah. Pretty funny.’

Joal gives a chuckle, and gives an awkward grin back. ‘Right. What else did you hear?’

‘Nothing else,’ I lie. I don’t want to bring up the fact someone died. It’s too much. I just want to ignore it. ‘Stuff about pregnant nuns and Hayley’s dad and, uh, calling the landlord Gruff Fluff.’

‘Oh, yeah, don’t say that to his face,’ Joal’s smile seems more genuine now. ‘He hates it.’

‘Right,’ I sigh, and pull myself to my feet. I teeter a little, and Joal puts a paw on my shoulder to steady me.

‘Do you need me to take your bags?’ Joal offers, making me feel even more guilty that I already felt. He jumps off the fence when I nod, and collects my things for me.

I don’t argue, and let him take it all. I’m so tired. I just want to lie down and pass out.

‘Come on, I’ll let you inside,’ Joal sighs, putting an arm around me and guiding me to the house. ‘Your room’s pretty bare at the moment, but Constantine had me make the bed last night so you can just … sleep if you like.’

‘I think I will,’ I mutter. ‘And … last night. I—’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ interrupts Joal. ‘It’s forgotten.’

I bite my lip and look away as he leads me to the door.

‘Hey, first time in a new house,’ he says gently, tapping the door handle. ‘You should open the door.’

It’s a silly notion, but it makes me feel better.

I take a deep breath and let my paw rest on the stained metal handle.

And, slowly, I turn it.

The door creaks open, and I swear I can see flashes of my future.

I can almost watch myself sitting on the torn red couch, moving the pieces of the abandoned board games as a show blares on the surprisingly nice TV.

I see myself walking through the large arch by the stairs, leading into the almost-blue and off-white kitchen. And I see myself ripping the shopping list off the old fridge; some of my own photos pinned up besides the ones already there.

And, for the first time in a while. … I feel hopeful for my future.

I can do this.