Learning to Love

Chapter 6

Matt arrived at the school at 6am, hoping to get through the list of chores Dee had compiled for him when he saw a light on in one of the classrooms. He rushed down the hall concerned it was a group of older kids vandalising the empty classroom for a laugh but slowed as he heard the sound of music coming from inside the room and some very off pitch vocals from a familiar sounding voice.

Sure enough as he passed one of the windows, he found a partially decorated room already under construction with Kadence already standing barefoot, up on the school chair hanging tree branches from the ceiling with what appeared to be fishing line, hips swaying along to the beat of the music in last nights jeans and a white singlet top. The image brining a smile to his lips he almost kept quiet, but decided to make his presence known incase she needed a hand with something.

Matt stepped forward and was about to speak when her phone began ringing and he took a step back. He tried to convince himself to move but he felt compelled to hear if it was her boyfriend she’d mentioned to Ray, but avoided when Bianca and the older ladies had asked at the pub last night.

Reaching into her back pocket, Kadence looked at the name on the screen before answering, “Hey, sorry I forgot to call last night; I got caught up. Let me put you on speaker.” And Matt held his breath as he waited to hear the speaker on the other end of the line.

“Oh good, you haven’t been eaten by wolves,” Amanda’s sarcastic reply surrounded her as she placed her phone on loud speaker to continue hanging the branches while she had a good tying rhythm going. Matt released a breath when he heard the caller was female but found himself unable to walk away incase she let something important slip.

“Hardly,” Kadence scoffed. “I had a bit of car trouble and a couple lovely men came to my rescue then went out to dinner with some genuinely lovely people.” Bar Bianca, Kadence thought but figured best not to say anything and risk Amanda showing up and causing a scene; the imagine making her smile.

“Car trouble? What do you mean? Didn’t you get it serviced last week?" Amanda queried, and Matt started putting two and two together; slashed tyre, cracked radiator, she was definitely running from someone and could still be in trouble.

“Oh, you know. Flat tyres can’t be helped.” Kadence trailed off without mentioning the cracked radiator, because that would only cause more suspicion for Amanda.

“Actually, they can be helped unless you ran over a nail, police spikes or maybe some glass?” Amanda pointed out and Matt could hear the concern laced in her voice, wishing he could step in a relieve from of the tension and let her know Kadence would be safe here but then would risk exposing the fact he’d be blatantly eavesdropping in on their conversation.

“You worry too much, Mandy, truly everything is fine here. The house is all I’ve ever dreamed of and everyone I’ve met so far are genuine considerate people.” She mentally crossed her fingers excluding Bianca and Eagle eye Edna from that list.

“Well in that case, I can’t wait to come and visit next month,” Amanda said a little more relaxed. “Sorry to break the mood, but I do have to ask; you’re not copping too much flack from dickhead, oops, I mean Richard?”

Kadence rolled her eyes and tipped her head back, sometimes she really didn’t even bother trying to hide her dislike for Kadence’s boyfriend. “Still radio silence on this end, but I’m heading back home next weekend for dinner with mum, so he can’t exactly avoid talking to me when we’re sleeping under the same roof. I’m sure this has just come as more of a shock and he’s coping as best as he can; you know things haven’t been good since his grandfather passed.”

“Things haven’t been good since you allowed him to creep into your life. And yeah, he may have been sweet once upon a time, but even you can admit he’s changed, hun.” Amanda retaliated, “If he loved you, he’d support you and find a way to make this work, but he’s just interested in controlling you. There, I’ve said my piece and I’ll leave it alone, but I want you to really use this time away to see what’s actually been happening.”

“Well, this separation will either make us or break us, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Kadence finished.

“Fine. Now, that I know your safe and you’ve been out on the town already mixing and mingling; what’s the potential like out there.”

Kadence laughed at her friend cheekiness, she was always out for a bit of fun. “Don’t ever change. You’ll just have to wait and see when you come out for a visit!”

“You know I won’t,” Kadence could hear the grin in Amanda’s voice, “When I know the exact date I’ll let you know, but it will be in about a month.”

Before you head off, what’s the latest with Franz?” Amanda’s designer boss and runway guru, was notoriously inappropriate bordering on hilarious, and Amanda always had a funny story to tell of his latest antics.

While Amanda filled Kadence in, Matt took his time to replay the information her friend had just unwittingly unveiled; Kadence was in a troublesome relationship and needed to be shown how women should really be treated and he was most likely the one who slashed her tyre; with this in mind, he missed hearing her friend ring off and found himself drawn again to let her know of his presence.

Stepping into the classroom, the music restarted as the phone call had ended, Matt called out of the noise, “Feels like I’m walking into the jungle.”

Kadence was balancing precariously on the ladder, outstretched to hang up her last tree branch when Matt’s voice startled her and the ladder began to rock violently beneath her. Matt rushed into the room and was below her in seconds, ready to catch her if she fell, but Kadence had thankfully caught herself and planted her feet firmly on the ladder rung once again, hand on her heart.

“All good, just because I’m from the city doesn’t mean I can’t handle my own,” she smiled down at him, “But thank you for being so quick just incase.”

“So where is home?” Matt asked as he handed her a snake cut out.

Kadence looked at him suspiciously and carefully took the laminated snake from him without their fingers touching, she didn’t need her hormones going on overdrive from another zap up her arm. “Home is back in the Brisbane. My boyfriend, Richard and I have an apartment right on the river, close to both our jobs. Well, it was close to my job.” She smiled so he knew there were no hard feelings about the move.

Matt was relieved she’d broached the subject of her boyfriend herself, broaching the boundaries that he knew needed to be in place, but at the same times wished he didn’t exist at all. He couldn’t imagine anyone potentially causing harm to any woman. “And you slept ok in the cottage or is that why you are out here at the crack of dawn?” his laughing eyes looking up at her as she strategically attached the snake to the branch.

“I thought you country folk were always up at the crack of dawn, or is that what you call 8am in the morning?” she laughed at him, “I actually slept like a log, that mattress may have to come home with me! I’m just an early riser because I can’t switch off my brain and couldn’t wait to get started on my room.” She indicated the masterpiece she currently had under development.

Dearne paused momentarily outside the classroom door, observing firstly the decorated room, which she’d have to come back and tell Kadence how incredible it look, then at Kadence and Matt giving each other dough eyes and secret smiles; knowing she’d made the right decision to get Matt down to the school early to get the work done inside the buildings, instead of the work she’d made poor Mike who was out in the heat on the ride on mower. She quickly made tracks before they saw her and got accused of match-making, especially when she knew how hurt Bianca would be seeing them together like this; but she and Matt just weren’t quite the right fit, unlike the two currently in the classroom.

Looking at all the effort she’d put in so far made Matt wonder what school would have been like if he’d had a teacher as dedicated to growing little minds like Kadence. “It looks pretty amazing.” Almost as amazing as you, he almost said out loud but shut his mouth just in time.

“Thanks,” said Kadence as she climbed down the ladder and over to the bundle of tree branches with leaves she had planned for the right-hand corner of the ceiling where she was planning to erect her singing monkey. She picked up the bundle and felt something move beneath her fingers and a scream escaped her lips. A spotted python slithered through her fingers and onto the floor in front of her with a hiss of it’s tongue, Kadence found herself frozen to the spot and squeezed closed her eyes, just waiting for the strike to be over with.

“Just keep still,” Matt’s voice soothed, “It’s not dangerous but it can hurt when it strikes. That’s it,” he continued gently as the snake slithered away from Kadence and closer towards the ladder where he was standing. “There you go; gotcha.” He said aloud to let Kadence know he was safe and he now had the snake in his hands.

“Oh my god,” she gasped, not realising she’d been holding her breath.

“I think he must’ve thought the clusters of branches you had were home.” He smiled down at the snake.

“He’s seriously making me rethink this jungle theme,” she rebutted with a shiver.

“Don’t worry,” Matt smiled at her, “He’s a harmless spotted python. But if you see red and black or a distinct all brown snake, remain totally still until it has left. They’re the ones to be worried about." He stated seriously.

Kadence inched closer and took a good look at the pythons colouring and jumped back when it hissed within Matt’s hands. “I think he’s ready for his nap.”

“You’re not going to kill him, are you?” Kadence asked hesitantly, this was the country after all.

“Not today, we only kill what we eat or if it’s considered a pest like dingos and kangaroos.” He said over his shoulder as he made his way out the classroom to put the snake safely outside. For someone so terrified by it’s presence, she certainly showed a lot of concern for it’s wellbeing, which Matt was pleased to see. She’s going to fit right in like a glove.

Kadence watched as Matt carefully yet expertly handled the snake as though he was handling a puppy and thanked her lucky stars he’d come in early and kept her calm. She felt a little quiver of heat in her belly but refused to think anymore about it. Surprised at the amount of times she’s had to remind herself she’s in a relationship and wondered what that said not only about her but her relationship itself.