6. Rachael Returns
Rachael Returns
Rachael stopped outside the old house and looked up at it. She’d lived in it for two years before deciding to try her luck in the city. They’d been good years, full of fun and games and partying.
When she’d left she burnt most of the bridges that linked her to Atlantis. She hadn’t really thought about how what she was doing affected anyone else. It had just been something she needed to do. She was the most important person in her life after all.
She got out of her car and walked up the steps to the front door. The pot plants had changed since the last time she’d been her. These ones weren’t dead. The plants had always been a joke. No one had looked after them and they kept dying and being replaced. These plants looked well cared for. Things had obviously changed here.
Rachael knocked on the door and waited. She couldn’t hear anyone moving inside so she knocked again. Still nothing. Thinking it’d be just her luck if everyone she tried to visit today wasn’t home. She tried the door but found it was locked.
“Hello!” she called and knocked again.
There was moan from somewhere inside, followed by a loud thump. There was a bit of mumbled conversation then Rachael heard someone walking to the door.
A moment later the front door opened and Callie stood there looking at Rachael as if she’d never seen her before.
“Callie!” Rachael said and hugged her.
It took Callie a second to respond. She hugged Rachael back unenthusiastically. Rachael was the last person she wanted to deal with at the moment. Actually Rachael was the last person she wanted to deal with at any moment.
“Hi, Rach,” Callie said as they broke apart. “What’re you doing here?”
“I’m just back in town for a bit and I though I’d better come by and say ‘hi’.”
There was an awkward silence at Callie realised that she should probably invite Rachael in.
“Do you wanna come in?”
“Sure,” Rachael could tell that Callie wasn’t overjoyed to see her but she hadn’t come here to see Callie.
The two of them went into the kitchen and Callie put the kettle on.
“So, what’re you doing back?”
“Oh, you know, just catching up.”
“I didn’t know you had many friends left here.”
“Yes, well…”
Callie made coffee and handed Rachael a cup. They sat at the bench for a minute drinking and not saying anything.
Back when she’d lived in this house the kitchen had been Rachael’s favourite place. She’d sit in here for hours, reading or listening to music or just thinking. Someone would always come into the kitchen and they’d chat for a while about what ever the current hot topic was.
Now Rachael couldn’t believe how out of place she felt here. It was like this had never been her home. She felt uncomfortable here. She felt lost.
“Um, I actually came to see Beth,” she said, breaking the silence.
Callie relaxed slightly, “Oh, she’s not here. She’s in Sydney visiting her mum.”
“Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“Wednesday, I think, but I’m not really sure.”
Rachael finished her coffee and stood up, “I’ll be in town for another week or so. Tell Beth I’ll come round and see her on Thursday or Friday.”
“Okay. Sure, no problem.”
Callie walked with Rachael to the front door.
“It’s good to see you again, Callie,” Rachael said and meant it.
“You too,” Callie replied automatically.
Rachael smiled sadly and walked back to her car. As she drove down the driveway she saw Callie standing in the doorway watching her leave.
It only took Rachael ten minutes to drive back to the caravan park where she was staying. She was upset at Callie’s reaction to seeing her again, but she wasn’t really surprised. Callie was too close to other people that she’d hurt.
That was the worst thing about Atlantis. If you had a fight with someone, or did something wrong, everyone knew about it and everyone had an opinion. That was one of the main reason’s Rachael had left.
When Rachael parked her car outside that caravan she was staying in she shook off the hurt she was feeling and went inside.
Rob was lying on the bed playing with his phone. He looked up as Rachael came in.
“How’d it go?”
“Crappy.”
“Told you this was a waste of time.”
“We’ll just have to wait till Beth gets back from Sydney.”
“She’s not even here?”
“Nah.”
“It would’ve been good if we’d known that before we came.”
“Yeah, well, if I’d called first our whole plan wouldn’t work.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
Rachael sat down next to Rob, “There is one good thing about this morning.”
“What’s that?”
“I didn’t have to see Ben.”
“Why not?”
“He wasn’t home.”
Rob frowned, “You needed to see him.”
“Don’t worry; I left him a note so he’ll know I was there. That should do just fine.”
Rob thought about it for a moment, “It might even work out better.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Rachael stopped outside the old house and looked up at it. She’d lived in it for two years before deciding to try her luck in the city. They’d been good years, full of fun and games and partying.
When she’d left she burnt most of the bridges that linked her to Atlantis. She hadn’t really thought about how what she was doing affected anyone else. It had just been something she needed to do. She was the most important person in her life after all.
She got out of her car and walked up the steps to the front door. The pot plants had changed since the last time she’d been her. These ones weren’t dead. The plants had always been a joke. No one had looked after them and they kept dying and being replaced. These plants looked well cared for. Things had obviously changed here.
Rachael knocked on the door and waited. She couldn’t hear anyone moving inside so she knocked again. Still nothing. Thinking it’d be just her luck if everyone she tried to visit today wasn’t home. She tried the door but found it was locked.
“Hello!” she called and knocked again.
There was moan from somewhere inside, followed by a loud thump. There was a bit of mumbled conversation then Rachael heard someone walking to the door.
A moment later the front door opened and Callie stood there looking at Rachael as if she’d never seen her before.
“Callie!” Rachael said and hugged her.
It took Callie a second to respond. She hugged Rachael back unenthusiastically. Rachael was the last person she wanted to deal with at the moment. Actually Rachael was the last person she wanted to deal with at any moment.
“Hi, Rach,” Callie said as they broke apart. “What’re you doing here?”
“I’m just back in town for a bit and I though I’d better come by and say ‘hi’.”
There was an awkward silence at Callie realised that she should probably invite Rachael in.
“Do you wanna come in?”
“Sure,” Rachael could tell that Callie wasn’t overjoyed to see her but she hadn’t come here to see Callie.
The two of them went into the kitchen and Callie put the kettle on.
“So, what’re you doing back?”
“Oh, you know, just catching up.”
“I didn’t know you had many friends left here.”
“Yes, well…”
Callie made coffee and handed Rachael a cup. They sat at the bench for a minute drinking and not saying anything.
Back when she’d lived in this house the kitchen had been Rachael’s favourite place. She’d sit in here for hours, reading or listening to music or just thinking. Someone would always come into the kitchen and they’d chat for a while about what ever the current hot topic was.
Now Rachael couldn’t believe how out of place she felt here. It was like this had never been her home. She felt uncomfortable here. She felt lost.
“Um, I actually came to see Beth,” she said, breaking the silence.
Callie relaxed slightly, “Oh, she’s not here. She’s in Sydney visiting her mum.”
“Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“Wednesday, I think, but I’m not really sure.”
Rachael finished her coffee and stood up, “I’ll be in town for another week or so. Tell Beth I’ll come round and see her on Thursday or Friday.”
“Okay. Sure, no problem.”
Callie walked with Rachael to the front door.
“It’s good to see you again, Callie,” Rachael said and meant it.
“You too,” Callie replied automatically.
Rachael smiled sadly and walked back to her car. As she drove down the driveway she saw Callie standing in the doorway watching her leave.
It only took Rachael ten minutes to drive back to the caravan park where she was staying. She was upset at Callie’s reaction to seeing her again, but she wasn’t really surprised. Callie was too close to other people that she’d hurt.
That was the worst thing about Atlantis. If you had a fight with someone, or did something wrong, everyone knew about it and everyone had an opinion. That was one of the main reason’s Rachael had left.
When Rachael parked her car outside that caravan she was staying in she shook off the hurt she was feeling and went inside.
Rob was lying on the bed playing with his phone. He looked up as Rachael came in.
“How’d it go?”
“Crappy.”
“Told you this was a waste of time.”
“We’ll just have to wait till Beth gets back from Sydney.”
“She’s not even here?”
“Nah.”
“It would’ve been good if we’d known that before we came.”
“Yeah, well, if I’d called first our whole plan wouldn’t work.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
Rachael sat down next to Rob, “There is one good thing about this morning.”
“What’s that?”
“I didn’t have to see Ben.”
“Why not?”
“He wasn’t home.”
Rob frowned, “You needed to see him.”
“Don’t worry; I left him a note so he’ll know I was there. That should do just fine.”
Rob thought about it for a moment, “It might even work out better.”
“Let’s hope so.”
posted by Supermarez at 5:12 pm
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