Free The Party Line by Sue Orr Page B

it.
    ‘Lemon goes well,’ said Audrey proudly.
    There was silence, but for the eating of cake. Audrey waited and smiled at the crumbs on the plate before her. Josephine groaned in delight and Joy grinned at her.
    ‘This cake,’ said Josephine, ‘has gotta be in the book. No question about it ladies.’
    Evelyn opened her mouth, her face pained.
    ‘I know, I know what you’re going to say. There’s no more room,’said Josephine. ‘But hey, guess what? You can take my recipe out and put this one in. Audrey’s Carrot Cake. Yes.’
    It was, in Joy’s view, a fair cake, and a fair decision.

Nickie Walker
    Her frozen fingers searched inside her school bag and found what they were looking for — the velvet of her old ballet shoe bag. Gabrielle’s mother’s scarf was inside.
    Nickie had left home wearing a woolly hat. When she was out of sight of the house, she stopped on the side of the road and pulled it off.
    Sooner or later, she’d have to give the scarf back to Gabrielle. But once — just once — she wanted to wear it to school. To let Erin and Julie and everyone else see the beauty of it. To let everyone know that she and Gabrielle were best friends.
    Erin and Julie were there already, putting their bikes in the rack. Nickie didn’t call out. She wanted to see how long it would take them to recognise her. She arranged the scarf across her shoulders, the sequins spitting in the sunshine.
    Nickie never heard the person approach her from behind. She sensed nothing, until she felt the pressure of a hand settling on her shoulder. She turned slowly around.
    She knew who he was, although she’d not seen him before. Her heart hiccupped. The warmth of his fingers seeped through her shirt and cardigan and raincoat.
    Soon the fingers would start squeezing her shoulder hard, harder, harder, or move to her neck. Or maybe lift that scarf off her head, grabbing her hair as well, pulling it right out of its roots.
    The hand didn’t move. She looked at Mr Baxter trying not to cry. His eyes were watery and he was frowning, as though he was trying to figure something out.
    His hand lifted off her shoulder. Here it comes . She closed her eyes, waiting for pain. Instead, his big fingers ran slowly down her shoulders, following the path of the peacock tail. Very softly, like a gentle giant’s fingers. The cold wind touched her neck. Nickie swallowed, her eyes still closed. He caressed her again, and again.
    Finally, she had to look. A single teardrop slipped down his face. Heturned from Nickie and walked away, without saying a thing.
    Gabrielle was in the ute. Her father got in beside her. Nickie could tell they were talking; she wondered exactly how much trouble she and Gabrielle were in.
     
    Julie and Erin had seen.
    ‘Nickie?’ Erin said, squinting, her chin poked forward like a chicken. ‘Is that you ?’
    ‘Of course it’s her,’ said Gabrielle, who had waved her father off and joined the girls. Nickie looked at her closely, there was no sign she was upset.
    ‘She looks so neat ,’ said Julie, touching the scarf. ‘You look so neat , Nickie. Could I have a—’
    ‘Sorry, Gabrielle gave it to me ,’ Nickie said, stepping backward. ‘In the weekend when I was at her place.’ She couldn’t help but add that.
    ‘Well, can I just touch it then?’ asked Julie.
    ‘Okay,’ Nickie said. ‘Gently though.’
    While Julie patted her on one side, and Erin on the other, Nickie tried to work out what had happened between Gabrielle and her father. Mr Baxter should have been angry, yet Gabrielle was calm and happy, smiling at the fussing. Nickie had to wait until the bell went before the others moved away.
    ‘What happened? Was he angry?’
    ‘I thought he would be but … he was more sad. I told him I’d loved that scarf, that’s why I sneaked it out of the box. I said it was my favourite thing of hers.’
    Nickie lifted the scarf off her head and handed it to Gabrielle. ‘You’ve got to take it back. Tell your