‘Hi ya, Pax,’ she said pulling out her earphones and giving him a kiss on the cheek. ‘What’s up? You look a little flustered?’
Pax rubbed his head, his eyes darting about anxiously. ‘Just getting old I guess.’
‘Bah humbug, Pax. You’ll never be too old. I’m gonna get changed. Any of the boys in yet?’
‘Yeah, Niles is floating around somewhere. If you ask him to fight just go easy, he’s a bit out of shape.’
Jaz laughed and nodded. It had been a while since she’d seen Niles around, but he did have a new girlfriend. She hoped nothing had gone wrong seeing as he was back in The Ring.
Jaz threw her bag on the floor in her change room. She took off her tie, and school shirt, stuffing it into her bag. That’s when she noticed a magazine on the little bench. It was called Reps. Short for Real Endurance. Power. Strength. A yellow sticky note was on the front.
You will need this to communicate with me. Ryan.
Ryan? He must have been here. Jaz ran her finger over his penned words. Well at least now she knew he was still alive. She flicked through the magazine. It was a magazine full of techniques, some kickboxing, nutrition and other exercises for great abs. What in the Hell would she need this for? How was a magazine going to help her communicate with Ryan?
Jaz flipped open the magazine and shook it upside down, half expecting another note to fall out. But none did. Well this was puzzling. Maybe he thought she’d enjoy it. It was her sort of magazine and at least she could learn something from it, not like idle gossip of Hollywood stars, which accomplished nothing.
Oh well, Yoda Ryan must have some reason for it. Jaz rolled it up after re-reading his note, and put it in her bag. She finished changing and headed to her yoga mat, waiting and hoping for Ryan to appear and explain further. But long after she’d finished her yoga and a coffee with Pax, he was still a no show. Damn it. She’d forget what he looked like at this rate. A picture flashed up in her mind of Ryan with his shirt off, pounding the speedball. Then again, maybe not!
*
After dinner, Jaz plonked herself down on the couch next to Simon as her mum and Paul shared a glass of wine in the chairs beside them.
Jaz let her head fall back and ran her arm along behind Simon. Her brother had his legs folded under him and the TV remote was guarded in his hands, as his favourite show was on. Jaz opened her eyes and found him looking at her. ‘What?’
‘Just wondering what’s up with you lately,’ he asked.
Jaz frowned, ‘Nothing’s up with me.’
‘Um…I beg to differ. Normally you would be stealing the remote off me and changing the channel to one of your shows. You haven’t picked on me in weeks and you sit in the back of the car now! Like what’s up with that? If I didn’t know better I’d almost think aliens had invaded and taken over my sister’s body.’
She shrugged and gave him a smile. ‘Maybe they have,’ she joked. ‘So what are you trying to say Si? Want me to change back?’
‘Hell no! As weird as you are, I don’t mind this.’
Jaz put her arm around Simon and gave him a squeeze. He shook her off and pretended to be sick.
Jaz got up and ruffled Simon’s hair. ‘I’m going to my room, nite bro.’
Simon looked confused again at her behaviour. ‘Whatever.’
She walked over to her parents, gave them a hug, and ignored their shocked expression. ‘I’m off to bed, night Dad, night Mum.’
‘Night Sweetheart,’ they both replied. Tasha held Jaz’s hand before she could walk away. ‘You feeling alright, Jasmine?’
‘Yeah, just got a lot on my mind with the ball and I have some essays due.’
‘Do you need a hand with any of them?’ asked Paul. Jaz smiled as her heart melted. Paul wasn’t her real dad, but he was the best dad she could have asked for. He helped her with her schoolwork and used to take her to things when her mum wouldn’t, like the zoo, or into the city. She loved her mum, but at times she was such a recluse.
Jaz put her hand on Paul’s shoulder as he adjusted his glasses. Paul was medium height and fair but he had a huge heart and the cutest smile to go with it. No wonder her mum fell for him. He wouldn’t hurt a puppy, or a spider or any other creepy living thing.
‘Thanks, I’ll give you a holler if I get stuck.’ She saw his eyes light up and felt bad. It had been a while since she’d asked him for help or spent any quality time with them. Somehow, thinking about becoming an agent and learning about Chris’ death had opened her eyes up and made her realise how petty she’d been. She had a family who loved her, that was more than a lot of people had and she took it for granted. It was time she acted her age, especially as soon she’d no longer be a school kid.