Pulling the Moves by Margaret Clark Read Free Book Online Page B

Mum.
    They belt outside and I can hear Mum revving the guts out of the Falcon. I hope they don’t stuff round forever at the cop shop: we’ve got to get our hair done.
    They’re back, and Mum’s bawling again. Steve looks frazzled. There’s an APB out on the van. Sam’s on Victoria’s Most Wanted. Unbelievable.
    ‘What about our hair?’ I go.
    ‘Can’t you think about anything else?’ sobs Mum.
    ‘Life has to go on,’ I say. ‘You’re getting married in six hours’ time.’
    ‘Married? I can’t, not with Sam missing!’
    ‘Mum. You can’t cancel. What about the church?The reception? The cake? Well, forget the cake. But you can’t jilt Steve …’
    ‘I’m not jilting Steve,’ snaps Mum. ‘This is an emergency. We have to find Sam!’
    ‘Mum, we can’t drive all over Victoria looking for the little gooba,’ I go.
    ‘Leanne’s right,’ says Steve. ‘There’s a whole police force networking to find him, so go and get your hair done, love. The wedding’s going ahead because we’ll find Sam soon, okay?’
    ‘I’ll kill him when I get my hands on him,’ says Mum grimly, drying her eyes.
    She drives like a maniac to the hairdresser’s.
    ‘Mum. Slow down, will ya?’ I go, as we narrowly miss another car.
    We scream to a stop outside the mall.
    ‘Mum, I want to show you these cute new tops in “Top Down”, I say as we tear along the street. ‘They’re really cool, and …’
    ‘Shut up, Leanne,’ grates Mum. ‘How you can think of clothes at a time like this is beyond me!’
    ‘I’d have to be dead before I didn’t think of clothes. And speaking of dead, if you intend driving like a speed freak again I’m getting a cab.’
    We reach Andrea’s Hair Salon and collapse into ourchairs. Mum stares grimly at her reflection as Andrea gets to work. I’ve got Sharon.
    ‘Your hair would look gorgeous if you put a copper rinse in it,’ she goes.
    ‘Mum?’
    ‘NO.’
    ‘She’s having a bad hair day,’ I go. ‘And she’s wired for weird because my dumb brother’s done a runner in her boyfriend’s car.’
    ‘LEANNE!’
    Mum looks scandalised. I don’t know why. I think it’s cool having a brother with an APB out on him. Sharon’s all eyes, wanting the gory details.
    ‘Your brother Sam’s done a runner? I don’t believe it. And nicked a car? I didn’t think he was that type of kid. Always seemed a bit … well …’
    ‘I know, gooba material.’
    ‘It’s always the quiet, silent types, Leanne.’
    Yeah, right.
    Finally our hair’s done. Mine’s piled up like a sand castle, with mauve ribbons wound through it which Mum produced from her bag. At least I’ve persuaded her to let me to have a strand dangling across one cheek. But I still look too posh.
    ‘All I need’s a friggin’ tiara,’ I mutter.
    ‘LEANNE!’
    I hate my name, ’specially the way Mum says it. I wish she’d called me Madison, or Tiana, or Mirage, or something original.
    Mum looks quite nice really. The hairdo suits her, piled up on her head. Her hair’s shorter than mine, but Andrea’s managed to make her look sophisticated.
    ‘Let’s have a coffee or something,’ I say, when we stand outside the salon.
    ‘How can you think of coffee at a time like this?’ says Mum. ‘Your little brother’s missing, maybe critically injured, and all you can think of is your stomach.’
    I sigh. I’m starting to wish that he’d hurry up and be found.
    Mum gets in the Falcon and we take off with a jerk because she’s changed gears too quickly. But at least she doesn’t plant the foot this time till we reach our street. She guns it and we roar up the driveway.
    ‘Steve?’ Mum calls as she bursts through the back door.
    Silence.
    ‘Maybe he’s gone to get his hair done,’ I go. Steve’s practically bald.
    Mum puts the kettle on and drags out a packet of Tim Tams.
    ‘I thought you were too upset to eat,’ I go, as she starts munching.
    ‘I always eat when I’m upset, you know that.’
    ‘Well,