Free Adam's Thorn by Angela Verdenius

house beat the hell out of having morning tea at the
police station.
    “Here, honey, have another biccie.” 
Leaning over his shoulder, she proffered the container.
    “Thanks, Aunty.”  Taking out a chocolate
chip, he dunked it in his tea.
    His Aunt ruffled his hair while
passing.  “I hear you and the new girl aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye.”
    It was bound to get noticed in
such a small town.  “Really?”
    “Something happen at the pub last
night?”
    He cast her a wry look.  “However
did you hear such a thing?”
    Picking up a tea towel, she
started drying a mug.  “I hear a lot of things.”
    “Form Mrs Hubble?”
    “Mrs Hubble doesn’t go to the
pub.  She thinks it’s unladylike.”
    “But Old Man Parker goes, and he
visits her.”
    “So something did happen?”
    “Nothing important.”  He chewed
the last of the biscuit.
    “Mrs Hubble wanted you to have a
word to her, something to do with Hallie.”  His Aunt’s eyes studied him.  “Do I
need to be worrying?”
    “Not at all.”  Standing up, he
took his cup to the sink and rinsed it
    “Mrs Hubble said this Barbie could
be a bad influence on Hallie.”
    Adam dropped a kiss on top of her
head.  “It’s all taken care of.”
    “I can always count on you.”  She
smiled up at him.
    “To true.”  Unable to help
himself, he took another biscuit.  “One for the road.  Thanks for the cuppa,
Aunty, I better head back to work.”
    “Got plans for tonight?”
    “No, but tomorrow I’m meeting Matt
and Ghost for the footy game.”
    “Ah.  Pizza and beer.  Very
nutritious.”
    “Glad you agree.”  Grinning, he
left the room.
    When he stepped out onto the
veranda, the security screen swinging shut behind him, Hallie sprang up from
where she’d been sitting on the swing chair.  “Adam, I need to talk to you.”
    “Sure.”  Seeing her narrow-eyed expression,
he raised one brow.  “Something wrong?”
    “Yeah, something is wrong all
right.  I overheard you and Mum talking about Barbie.”
    “Eavesdropping isn’t polite.”
    “Neither is listening to gossip,
which you apparently did.  I’m surprised at you, Adam, you don’t normally take
notice of gossip.”
    He studied his cousin, noting with
interest the very pissed expression on her face.  “I don’t.”
    “You did when it came to Barbie.”
    Ah, so that’s what this is about.  
“Let’s just say I know her a little more than you do.”
    “Oh really?  So how, exactly, is
she a bad influence on me?”
    “Telling you that you could-” 
Stopping, Adam glanced behind him at the security screen before taking a step
forward and, placing one hand on his cousin’s shoulder, ushering her to the
edge of the veranda and finishing in a lower voice, “Pierce your…you know.”
    “Clit, Adam, the word is clit.  Or
clitoris.  You can say it, you know.”
    “Fine.  Yes.  And she had no right
telling you that you could do it.”
    “She didn’t.”
    Adam looked at her.
    Folding her arms across her chest,
Hallie shook her head.  “She never said that.”
    “Look,” Adam said patiently, “I
understand that you like her, she seems nice, but she had no business telling
you such things, not a girl your age.  And as for her laughing at the idea of
your Mum getting upset about any piercing-”
    Hallie’s eyes widened.  “Where did
you hear that?”
    “I hear things.”
    “It’s not true.”
    “Hallie-”
    “I’m telling you, Adam.”
    “Are you denying the conversation
even took place?”  Tipping back his head, he looked up at the veranda roof and
sighed.  “Look, you’re impressionable and-”
    “Don’t pull that bullshit on me.”
    He looked down at her.
    “Bull crap,” she automatically
corrected, but her eyes glinted angrily.  “Whoever told you the story got it
twisted, way twisted, which is why I’m betting it was Mrs Hubble, because she
was pis- uptight.”
    “Offended?” Adam suggested.
    “Yeah, that too.”
    “Actually, it