Westpoint Tales
by Kiwi
Entangled Tales - 57 - Tony
Tony flew home. He didn't want to; he really didn't want to - but he had to. Back to Warkworth and his family, but that wasn't home. Not any more. If home was where the heart is, then he should be in Westpoint, not bloody Warkworth.
Warkworth was where he grew up and where his parents, grandparents and brothers were, but Daniel was in Westpoint. And Toddy. And Whozzat, and Lucas, Superboy and Jonathan and all the other great people he'd met there.
He wished that Lucas was his big brother, not bloody Brian! Brian was a selfish prick. He was missing Daniel already and he hadn't been gone for two hours yet. The toll bills where going to be huge. Maybe he should get another job to pay for all the phone calls he was going to be making and to save for his next trip to Westpoint in 91 days time. (Sigh.)
His mum and his younger brother, Alex, were there to meet him at the Auckland airport, but she wasn't very happy about it. As they stood at the carousel waiting for his luggage to come out, June was grumbling.
"I wish they'd hurry up about it. We've got to get home. This is costing me half a day's work and in the busy season too! If you're going to keep tripping around the country you'll just have to start using the buses to get in and out of here."
"I can do that, Mum. I'm definitely going back to Westpoint."
"So how was it anyway? Did those Reynolds boys look after you? And, how's Daniel doing?"
"Daniel's great, really great. He's playing with a group, making music. I've been singing with them too - they're really ace! And Westpoint's fantastic, I love it. I wish we could move down there too."
"That's not going to happen, we can't. How are Jonathan and Justin and that other boy?"
"They're fine, I think. Billy and Justin have had a row about something, but apart from that, they're doing good. We didn't really see much of them.
Danny's cousin and his friend were in a fight at the Square. These three big guys were beating on them, Justin came running up and saved them. He smashed a rubbish tin with just one kick - rubbish and the drum went flying everywhere. Frightened the life out of them. I'd hate to get on the wrong side of Justin Reynolds.
But he's great really. Everybody, the whole town, calls him Superboy - and he is. Everyone seems to have a nick-name in Westpoint. They call Danny the Guitar Man, because he is and he's better than ever now. He's playing great and he's having fun."
Alex asked, "What did they call you? Porky Pig?"
"Shut up, Alex. Here's the luggage and my bag's first too! That's cool."
Walking out through the carpark, June was at the rear, looking at her son, and she commented. "You've lost weight, Tony. You're looking good."
"I'm feeling good too. I've lost 5kg., already. I've been working at it - dieting and exercise. Danny made me do it. I'm going to keep it up too."
"Good for you. See that you do keep it up. I hate to admit it, but Daniel always was good for you, and you for him too - despite the trouble that the pair of you were always getting into."
At the car, he fought Alex for the front seat, and won. After they wove through the central city and out onto the motorway Tony pulled a CD out from his backpack and put it into the player, turning the radio off. Alex protested from the back seat.
"Shaddup Alex. Listen to this, you haven't heard it before. Tell me what you think."
The now-familiar, (to Tony), notes of 'North'n West Coast Sun' began and they all listened through the song until it finished.
"Well, what did you think?"
"That was pretty cool. Great dancing music. So who was it?"
"Mum, did you like it?"
"I did actually, it was good. I think I've heard it before, or something like it. Did the words mention Westpoint?"
"Yeah, that was us! We recorded it. Whozzat is the group, Danny on lead guitar and yours truly doing vocals."
"Really? That was Daniel playing and you singing? I didn't recognise you. Play it again, Sam."
They listened to it again, and then he let the CD play the second song, 'Simply the Best'. Alex was most impressed.
"Shit Bro, that was great. What happens now? Are you guys going to be big-time popstars or something?"
"Doubt it! Crispian - he's an old guy who hangs around, sort-of a manager for Whozzat - he's going to get North'n West Coast Sun used for an advertising campaign for the West Coast - for the tourists, you know. If it gets played on the radio, who knows what will happen? Advertising songs have become hits before. We - they - haven't got a recording contract or anything, but Crispian says that they don't need one."
"California Sun," said June. "That's that song - California Sun. You've just pinched it and changed the words around a bit."
"You've got it. We adopted it and adapted it. Cool eh?"
"It is. Very cool. You sound good and I'm impressed that you sang in public. It's always been just you and Daniel before."
"Yeah. Well, if Danny can do it - so can I."
Alex chipped in from the back-seat. "Anyway, it's great what they can do in a recording studio. They can make any monkey sound like a singer."
"Shaddup Alex. It wasn't done in a recording studio. We recorded it in Peter's living-room. Though it's a bit like a studio really. He's got all the gear."
Alex leaned forward to make a closer inspection of his brother's face. "You really are looking different aren't you?"
"Told you, I've been exercising and dieting. No more over-eating for me."
"No Man. I mean your face. You've got no zits - no blemishes at all. What happened there?"
June glanced across. "He's right, you know. Not that you had that many, but now there's nothing. Your face is spotless. What happened?? It can't be healthy eating."
"It was Jonathan. He and Justin have made this stuff for skin treatment. It really works great, eh? He used us for guinea-pigs to try it out on. They took lots of photos - before and after, and we're going to be the models for advertising it. You'll be seeing our faces in magazines and stuff, maybe TV even, both Danny and me. He's looking really great too."
"Models? You and Daniel? Westpoint kids must be really gross if you two were the best they could find."
"Shaddup Alex."
"Did you get paid? Models make a lot of money, don't they? Even ugly ones."
"No we didn't get paid. We just got the treatments for free. They're going to sell it for $260."
"That's too dear. Who's going to pay that much? There's lots of cheaper stuff around."
"It's not too dear, it really works. It even fixes acne and scars and wrinkles and stuff."
"You never had any wrinkles, Dork!"
"Shut the feck up."
"Yes, shut up Alex. If that stuff really works, they're going to make a fortune. Maybe I should buy some myself."
"It can't be that good, Mum."
"Enough Alex! You have had a great old time haven't you, Tony. Singing and recording and modelling too."
"It was really great. I can't wait to go back. I wish I could live there."
"Well, you can't. This is where you belong. And everything's all right with you and Daniel?"
"Yes, great! We've never been better. I love Danny, Mum."
"Ewww!" (From the back seat.)
"Quiet Alex. I'll always be grateful to those Reynolds boys, that was a wonderful thing they did."
"It was, Mum. They saved us. Two Superboys really."
So they drove home. Tony was feeling okay. Not ecstatic to be going home, but okay. In days to come he would look back and remember that as the last good time in his life. Everything went downhill from that point.
It started as soon as they arrived and Brian came out, took off his apron and threw it at him.
"About fucking time you got here. That's yours. I'm sick of hanging around here, filling in for you. You owe me two weeks overtime. I'm outta here."
Tony was instantly pissed. No-one could rile him like his brothers did, especially Brian. He yelled after him as he walked away.
"You got paid for it didn't you? I don't owe you anything, Jerkoff!"
"Oh, you owe me and you're going to pay too."
"Well then, Tony." June headed for the kitchen. "We'd better get to work. I told you that it was busy here."
"I'll be right there. Just go and get changed. I won't be a minute."
He left his pack and ran upstairs to hurriedly change into his black work clothes. He was pleased to see that they fitted him better than they did two weeks ago. He stopped at the computer for a minute to dash off a note to Danny to tell him that he'd arrived safely, he loved him and was missing him already, and missing Westpoint too! He said that he had to go to work and that he'd being waiting to talk to him on-line, after 9.30pm.
After the cafe closed, he was back upstairs and, after bribing Alex to get him off the computer, was on-line at 9.30pm., promptly. Daniel wasn't there. He waited for an hour, but Daniel didn't show. Disappointed, he sent a note to tell him so, switched off and went for a shower and bed - school tomorrow.
In the morning, Tony woke up - late! He hadn't set the alarm - buggrit! He dressed quickly and skipped breakfast, apart from an OJ while he waited for the computer to open. There were no messages. He grabbed his bag and hurried off to school, arriving there just in time.
Warkworth Area School was just a small school. Much smaller than Westpoint High. Tony knew most of the kids there - the ones around his age group. Knew who they were anyway. But, as the day went on it became more obvious that he had no friends there at all. He'd never had any close friends, apart from Daniel, but there were kids there that he used to be friends with. Used to be. Now, everyone, obviously, didn't want to know him.
He knew it was his own fault, he'd been a prick after Danny had left. He was upset and he'd managed to piss everyone off. He hadn't cared, at the time, but now he did. He had no friends and no-one wanted to know him. In the first class, he took a seat next to one of his old friends - Kenny Graham.
"Hey Kenny. How's it going?"
Kenny glared at him. "What do you care? Fuck off, Jerk." He got up and moved to another seat, leaving Tony sitting alone.
This was repeated several times through the morning. The only one who didn't get up and walk away was his cousin, Dianne, but even she wouldn't talk to him.
"Look, Tony. Just shut up and leave me alone. It's bad enough being related to you. If they see me talking to you, then I'll have no mates either."
At lunchtime, he made a real effort and walked up to Kenny and three others who were standing around on the netball courts.
"Look, Guys, I want to apologise. I'm sorry for the way I've been lately."
""Sorry are you? So are we - sorry that we ever knew you. Fuck off." They turned their backs on him and ignored him until he walked away.
He gave up and went back and sat on the front steps. The others in the area all got up and moved away.
'Ah, well. Nothing I don't deserve, I guess, but what the hell am I going to do now?'
The afternoon went much the same. By the last period he'd stopped trying and he just took a seat by himself. This produced sniggers around the classroom.
On the way home, Kenny’s older cousin, David Graham, came running up behind him. Tony stopped and turned, hopefully, when he called out to him, but, when he stopped, Graham asked,." Duncan, they say that you're trying to make friends with people. Is that right?"
"Yeah, David, I'm trying to. . ."
He was cut off when Graham punched him, in the face, hard.
"Well don't try it with me, you fucking wanker."
He swaggered away, leaving Tony standing there with a bleeding lip and feeling more alone than he ever had in his life. He picked up his bag and walked on home, hurting, and trying not to cry.
'Oh, Danny, I need you.'
He arrived home and walked in the front door of the cafe. His father stopped and looked at him.
"What the hell happened to you? Have you been fighting? Serves your right then. Go and get your old clothes on. The health inspector's coming in the morning and I want that kitchen looking spotless before then. Bloody great time for an inspection, it's been a mad-house in here all day."
He trudged upstairs and opened the emails while he was getting changed. Yes! There was a reply from Danny - first bright spot in his horrible day.
Daniel's note said welcome home and told him that he was missing him too. He apologised for not being on-line last night, he'd been delayed, helping Crispian and the rest of Whozzat to move into the Miner's Union Hall. Crispian had bought the hall and they'd be using it for their practices from now on. There was much more room than Jay's garage and his mum would be able to put her car away again. He hoped that Tony hadn't waited too long for him to come on. He'd try to make it tonight - same time. Toddy said "Hey." He was great - as always.
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