The Sunshiners

Chapter 3

Several hours later, Adele was back in her bedroom and once again felt like pulling her hair out. Her room was even more of a mess now, having spent the last half an hour looking for the top she wanted to wear tonight.

She stormed into her parents' bedroom next door, where her mum was ironing clothes and watching the small TV in the corner.

"Where's my red top?" she asked. "The one with the V-neck?"

Her mum made a sour face. "How should I know? They're your clothes. You want me to stop messing with your stuff, remember?"

Adele frowned. They'd had this argument a couple of weeks ago, which ended with Adele screaming at her mum to never touch her stuff again. She'd hated herself after that. Not only for being so mean to her mum, but for letting her anger get to her. Trying to be the loudest shouter never ended well, for anyone, but sometimes it felt like the best thing to do in her house.

"Mum, please," she said desperately. "Do you know where it is?"

"I have no idea." Her mum snapped her head towards her. "If it was so important to you, you should have kept a better eye on it."

"Ugh!" Adele spun and stomped back into her messy room.

Re-checking her cupboard and clothes drawers, she searched for an alternative top for the party. She'd wanted to wear something red, as she had heard it was an eye-catching colour that boys found attractive. And she wanted to somewhat match Xena's top, in the hopes of maybe getting some of the attention from her by proximity. But it was stupid of her to have thought that, anyway.

The black T-shirt she held up had been a favourite of hers last year. It had a faded imprint of a unicorn in muted colours, and had a bit of a rock 'n' roll vibe to it, despite its animal choice. She hoped it would just look like a black top in low lighting. And it would go well with her newest pair of slim-jeans she'd only worn a few times before.

Giving a quick mirror check of her freshly washed and somewhat straightened hair, Adele forced herself not to linger on her reflection and tore herself away from her own staring eyes.

Downstairs, she found her dad watching TV, and Cassie next to him with her face buried in her tablet.

"Dad, I'm ready," Adele said.

"Okay, hun," he said, slowly getting up but still facing the TV.

She checked her watch and saw it was 6:41pm. The party started at seven and Xena had wanted Adele there early, but it was at least a twenty-five-minute drive to her house in Stockwell.

"Dad, please, I'm gonna be late."

He must have caught the urgency in her voice as he straightened and held a palm up to calm her. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. Now, where are my keys?"

Adele darted her head back and forth and quickly found them on a shelf. Her dad had a terrible habit of moving slower and losing things the more other people were in a rush.

"Here." She threw his keys to him.

He fumbled awkwardly and for a second looked like a bad clown trying to juggle.

Cassie finally looked. "Now, don't be late back, you hear?" she said in a mock adult voice. Adele wasn't sure which parent she was imitating. "No drinking, and no funny business. Okay, young lady?"

Adele rolled her eyes, then startled when her mum called down.

"Adele, don't forget the cannoli in the kitchen. And send my love to Xena and her mum and dad."

"Okay, mum, I will," she called back.

While her dad shuffled towards the front door, Adele rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the big box of cream-filled cannoli her mum had made.