Chapter Three
Housemates; Nothing More. Everything Less

THE DAY STARTED with an insanity streak on Lee’s behalf, she had lost her letter book- the one that she had especially for Chester.
   ‘Where is it?!’  Lee frantically thought as she searched her room, turning it upside-down and downside-up, ‘please, God, don’t tell me I’ve lost it already! Crap… I’m in deep crap!’
   ‘What’s the matter?’ Jodie ask her as Lee came thumping down the stairs. Lee pulled a face and raised her hands with a shrug. ‘Oh, you’re note book? I put it on the kitchen table, you can’t leave things laying around when the others get here- things will get lost that way,’ Jodie walked into the lounge with Lee’s letter book and Lee sighed in relief.
   ‘Thank goodness!’ she sighed again and held it close to her chest as she went back to her room, ‘thank God you are safe.’
    Not long after, there was a knock on her bedroom door. ‘Lee, can I speak with you a minute?’ Jodie asked. Lee turned around on her computer chair and smiled. ‘Please no lectures…’
   ‘Okay,’ she started and went in to sit on the bed, ‘the others will be coming back today. I know you won’t be able to do much in the way of being social but it would be nice if you could try, somehow. Matthew and Desley are really lovely when you get to know them…’ she paused.
    But…? There has to be a but coming here…’ Lee made a face.
   ‘But Giselle is a whole other story. If any one is going to be a problem for you it will be her, so if she causes any trouble for you just let me know and I’ll have a talk to her. I’m going to make some lunch, would you like some?’ Lee tilted her head to the side and then nodded. Jodie smiled and got up to leave, ‘chicken toasted sandwich okay with you?’
   Lee nodded again and Jodie went down to the kitchen to prepare lunch. ‘Well that wasn’t so bad I guess…’ Lee pulled a face and turned her chair back to the desk. ‘Try not to be anti-social huh? It’s not like I am on purpose, Nan. I used to be lively, I think? I wonder how Chester handled things like that so well. I was once the liveliest... Then that old bag sent me to a different high school to him, I’m so glad that he changed too.  I wouldn’t have survived without him.’ She smiled and pulled over a framed picture of Chester and herself on the first day of high school. She missed him dearly, but the move was something she just had to do.

*  *  *  *  *

It was after lunch when they started to arrive. Lee heard the first car in the driveway so she went to the balcony door and peered outside. There in the driveway, outside of the gate sat a black BMW.
   ‘Oh well,’ she thought, ‘here come the insanely rich kids who have “problems”.’
    ‘Lee? Lee, can you come down here please?’ Jodie called from the bottom of the stairs as a Mercedes pulled up along the curbing too. Lee watched as a thin, tanned auburn-haired girl piled out of the BMW and a man, presumably her father, got out too and went around the back of the car to the boot and pulled out a few bags. Lee narrowed her eyes as the girl flicked her hair back like they do in the shampoo commercials and strutted up the driveway towards the front door.
    ‘Is that Giselle?’ Lee wondered to herself.
   She sighed and made her way down the stairs, stopping near the bottom and sitting down on the step as Jodie opened the front door and made welcome their first arrival.
   ‘Hey, welcome back, welcome home,’ Jodie said happily and hugged the girl.
   ‘Afternoon Jodie, how’s everything- ’ she paused once she saw Lee, who was pouting as she sat on the step, behind Jodie. ‘Hello?’
   ‘Des, this is my granddaughter Lee Anne,’ she said cueing Lee to move over to them.
   Lee got up and walked toward them as Des’ father moved toward the door, laden with her luggage.
   ‘Hello, I’m Desley Rowland and it’s really nice to meet you. I’ve seen the pictures of you and your Nan on the mantle from when you were little,’ she smiled and extended her hand for Lee to shake. ‘I think I drove her insane with questions about you when I first arrived here.’
   Lee unfolded her arms and shook Des’ hand.
   ‘And no worries, Jodie already told us that you didn’t speak, that’s totally cool with me,’ she smiled wider as her father stood in the doorway. ‘Thanks Dad,’ she said letting go of Lee’s hand and turning to her father in the doorway. ‘You know where the room is? I’ll be up in a second.’ Her father nodded as if he followed her every command and then she followed him up to her room.
   ‘Nice to see you make an effort for me Lee,’ Jodie doted as the next of their arrivals moved up the driveway.
   ‘Well, if it isn’t the best looking lady in town?’ A male’s voice cooed from the driveway.
   His name was Mathew Swan. He was one of those sports-mad guys who’ve always got something happening in their lives. Blue eyes and blonde hair, he was a rather popular guy at school; he didn’t let that fact get in the way of his religion. He was a firm believer in God.
   Jodie greeted him. No one came in with him though, parent-wise. He was alone.
   ‘Hey!’ he said loudly with a tilt of his head towards Lee, ‘I’m Mat. I know about you and the non-speakage so don’t worry- it’s all good.’ He smiled and almost knocked Lee off her feet. He was one of the prettiest people she had ever seen in real life. ‘I’ll just take my stuff to my room, Dad’s in the car, he’ll be up soon; he’s just on the phone to his stockbroker at the moment.’
   As he went on his way to his room, Lee shuffled behind him in a dazed state. ‘He’s possibly the most dazzling person I’ve ever met…’
   She went back to the steps and made herself comfortable. Des and her father had just come back down as Lee sat.
   ‘Would you like to join us for afternoon tea?’ Jodie asked Des’ father. He obliged and waited in the doorway to greet Mat’s father with Jodie.
   Lee remained sitting on the step and watched them all forward to the lounge room, blushing momentarily when Mat came back down the stairs past her. Their parents were interacting with Jodie so pleasantly- as if they had known her forever, Lee felt like an outsider in their home.
   Desley was sitting like a refined lady; Mat was sprawled across his chair, like every other male Lee had ever met sat comfortably.
   It was an hour or so wait until the next arrival. Both of her parents were in the car; they looked to be business people. They then came up the driveway and Jodie welcomed them in. While the girl finally peeled herself out of the car and made her way up the driveway, she was texting someone on her mobile phone.
   Jodie greeted her and her parents at the door.
    ‘That must be Elle,’ Lee looked up as the next arrival walked in, holding herself as if she were royalty. Lee couldn’t help but gawk in disbelief. The girl turned her head and looked at Lee briefly before looking towards the other two with a scoff, ‘she is so not getting the good room upstairs!’
   ‘Uh, Elle?’ Des was now standing beside her.
   ‘What?’ she shot Des a look.
   ‘She already had her things in it.’ Des replied.
   ‘That’s disgusting. But I suppose I wouldn’t really want a room up there with the geek across the hall from me…’ she flicked her blonde hair around and ordered her father to take her luggage to her room, which was right there near the door.
   The other two looked at each other and shrugged. Lee took that as her cue to move back to her seated position on the stairs, while Elle and the other two went into the lounge again.
   Lee sat on the stairs and watched them as they talked to each other. They would have been mumbling so that she could not overhear… but Lee had taught herself to read lips a few years before, it was a little game that Chester and she’d had in class after they had been separated for talking too much. No one could stop them from communicating with one another; at least that’s what they thought.
   Lee could tell they were talking about her. It wasn’t the first time and it wasn’t going to be the last time. She knew those facts all too well. It was just human nature to talk about others especially those who were not like you.
   Later on that afternoon she walked in on Des and Mat talking about her. ‘What do you think about her?’
   ‘Lee,’ Desley confirmed.
   ‘Is that Lee or Leigh?’
   She looked at him oddly, ‘just Lee.’
   ‘So what do you reckon about her?’
   ‘It’s hard to tell really until we’ve known her longer, don’t you think?’
   ‘Pretty weird though, don’t you think?’
   ‘Like, how?
   ‘Like how she was watching us from the stairs ‘sarvo and that she doesn’t talk at all. Like I wonder what brought that on?’
   ‘It’s not really our business until they decide that it is. Don’t you think we should give her the benefit of the doubt before we start to assume the worst?’
   ‘Yeah- ‘spose that’s best. I wonder if she goes to church… I might invite her along Sunday morning.’
   Desley laughed and walked away. ‘You are still God’s best friend I see?’
   ‘Everyone’s gotta believe in something.’ Mat confirmed.

*  *  *  *  *  

Lee spent the rest of the afternoon in her room listening to music. She figured that she would have time plenty of time to learn about her new housemates. At the time she was still trying to figure out how to adjust to being around so many people.
   ‘Lee!’ there was a knock on the door. ‘Dinner is ready, sweetie,’ Jodie informed.
   Lee looked up and removed her headphones; leaving the MP3 in her pocket she tucked the headphones in with it. ‘Here goes everything.’ She thought in her head as she closed the door behind her and made her way down to eat dinner with the others.
   The food was set out on the table, ready for everyone to help themselves. Lee took the seat next to Mat, fatherst away from Elle who was texting on her mobile still.
   ‘May I say grace?’ Mat requested.
   ‘You do it every other time without asking; what’s the difference today?’ Elle scoffed and looked up at what was being served for dinner. ‘Pasta? Are you serious? I can’t have pasta- I’m on a no carbs diet… I don’t want- ’
   ‘Young lady, you are not on a no carbs diet. You need carbohydrates to help your body function. You really don’t want to be getting sick again like last year do you?’ Jodie tilted her head towards Elle and Elle mumbled something under her breath along the lines of “hate you”.
   ‘Feels like home already,’ Des smiled at Mat.
   ‘Thank you Father for this meal, let us enjoy it on account of those who are less fortunate,’ he opened his eyes and slanted them towards Elle who wasn’t listening, ‘thank you for allowing us to be here in the company of our new friend, Lee and bless this house and all who reside within. Amen’
   ‘Amen,’ Des and Jodie replied.
   ‘Shall I serve the spaghetti up, Jodie?’
   ‘Sure, Mathew, that would be great,’ Jodie replied with a smile as Mat did the honors.
Lee didn’t look up at anyone during dinner. She was never that good at meeting new people and she also didn’t want them to think she was staring at them. Staring was rude and she knew all too well.
   Everyone fitted and belonged there- she was just an outsider; an intruder in their home. ‘It’s going to take me forever to belong here!’ She thought to herself as she ate.
   Mathew and Desley hadn’t seemed too bothered by Lee’s presence; they may have been wary at first… but Elle, she was going to be a hassle. Lee could feel it in her gut from the moment they laid eyes on each other earlier that day.
   Suddenly Elle cried out. ‘WHAT?’
   It startled everyone at the table from their silence. ‘What on earth is the matter, Elle?’ Jodie enquired.
   ‘That Bastard, son-of-a-bitch!’ She blasphemed right before Mat.
   ‘Excuse me?’ He was offended.
   ‘Shut-it Bible Boy!’ she snapped back.
   ‘What on earth is the matter, Elle?’ Jodie tried to calm her from across the table. ‘Please don’t raise your voice at the dinner table.’
   ‘How can he do that to me? My life is over! I don’t want to go to a public school with rejects like her! I thought that I had changed his mind about sending me there!’ she screeched at Jodie as she pointed across the room at Lee.
   ‘Giselle! I will not have you speaking about Lee, or anyone else in this house like that, do you understand? Just because your father has decided to send you to the State school, does not give you the rights to throw a temper tantrum. Do you understand?’
   ‘I suddenly don’t feel hungry!’ Elle hissed and left the table. Jodie got up and followed her, leaving the other three behind.
   Lee kept her eyes focused on her half-empty dinner plate. ‘I don’t feel so hungry anymore either.’
   ‘Lee, are you okay?’ Des asked.
   Lee looked up at her and nodded. ‘Sure, I’m totally okay- I knew she hated me already.’   She thought and got up from the table and retreated to the lounge room.
   ‘Well, that surely was an event filled first meal, wasn’t it?’ Des laughed.
   ‘I wish she wouldn’t call people those things… That was a cry for Jodie’s the attention, without a doubt?’
   Des nodded. ‘Mmmm, without a doubt.’

*  *  *  *  *

‘Dad’s making me go to the LOSER school with Pelican Beach’s most drop-kick entities,’ Lee overheard Elle on the phone as she went to the bathroom. ‘You wouldn’t believe what was here when I arrived today. Another freak! I mean she’s worse then Spencer- but I have to be nice to her… she’s Jodie’s granddaughter… I KNOW… yeah I know it’s totally gross!’
   Lee didn’t really care who this “Spencer” person in question was but she was annoyed about Elle’s comment about her. As she got to the bathroom she slammed the door behind her. ‘You don’t know me!’ she raged in her head at Elle.
   There was to be another encounter of the third kind for Lee that night as Lee was watching television. ‘So what are you meant to be? Gothic, Punk… EMO? Jeez get a clue- you are so unfashionable. People at school are going to eat you alive, I hope you know that.’
   Lee didn’t dignify her with a reaction, just remained blank-faced watching the TV.
   ‘Are you stupid? It’s so rude not to respond… Ugh I give up- be a loser for all I care! Don’t come near me at school okay? You’re not my friend!’ she hissed and stormed off to the kitchen being stopped by Desley in the doorway. ‘Jesus! She doesn’t even defend herself- what a joke!’ Elle sniggered.
   ‘Don’t worry about Lee, she doesn’t talk to anyone. Something happened and she just doesn’t talk now or something.’
   ‘Oh great, she really is another freak! Maybe she can be the Queen to Spencer’s King?’
   They both giggled. ‘She’s not that bad!’
  ‘You think?’ Elle snidely remarked. ‘If she comes near me at school or even tries to act like we are friends I’ll so ruin her for ever having any friends…’
   ‘You’re a cow sometimes you know?’ Des laughed at her.
   ‘I know,’ Elle almost seemed proud of this feat.
   Lee looked over the top of the chair as they talked, she couldn’t hear what they were saying and in the dim light she couldn’t see what they were saying either. Her ears were burning so she assumed it was about her; which of course it was.
   It was going on 10.30 when Jodie came into the lounge and sat beside Lee on the couch. She put her arms around Lee and sighed. ‘How are you doing? I understand you are a resilient young thing but if you ever need to express some feelings towards events in your life, you know I am always here, right?’
   Lee nodded and smiled. ‘Yeah I understand, Nan… if I ever talk again I’m sure I’ll tell you everything.’
   ‘How about you head off to bed? Better get your body in the swing of things before school starts, Tuesday.’
   Lee pulled a face, ‘yeah, you’re right…I suppose.’
   Jodie stood with Lee and hugged her granddaughter a good night. ‘Sleep well, Lee, things will get better. Trust me.’ She kissed Lee on the forehead and Lee made her way to her room.
   ‘At least between here and my room, Elle can’t get me,’ she grinned.