After quick glance in Jess’ sleeping direction, Lucy took her phone downstairs. Mitch was sleeping on the couch, so she went into the kitchen and called her mother. The first call didn’t connect, but the second try went through.
“Lucy! Finally. I tried to call you,” Liz yelled. Lucy held the phone slightly away from her ear.
“Yeah 112 times… sorry Mum, my phone was in my bag. I’m okay.”
“You’ve heard?”
“If you mean the asteroid, then yes.”
“I want you to come home.”
“Yeah, I’m planning to, Mum. Are you okay?”
“I haven’t slept a wink all night. I keep pinching myself.”
“Not a dream?”
“Doesn’t seem to be.”
“Do you think they’ll be able to fix it?”
“Fix it?”
“Divert it or whatever. You know what I mean.”
“I don’t know, love, but I think we should prepare for the worst. Just in case.”
“Have you talked to Claire?” Lucy asked.
“Yes, she called a few hours ago. Tom’s been in Vancouver on a business trip, she’s waiting for him to come home, then they’ll figure out what to do.”
“Oh. How did Dad take the news?”
“He didn’t seem all that surprised actually. He’s doing what he does every day, out on the farm, like nothing’s changed.” Lucy couldn’t decide if her mother sounded more concerned or annoyed.
“You know Dad, he needs to mull things over for a while.”
Liz just sighed. “Can you come home straight away?”
Lucy thought for a moment. “Tomorrow, Mum. There are a few things I have to do first.”
“Lucy, I really think you should come home as soon as possible. I’m worried that people are going to panic and riot, and it won’t be safe for you.”
“Okay. Maybe tonight. I’ll let you know.”
“Alright, keep in touch, sweetheart.”
“I will. Love you, Mum.”
“I love you too. Be careful.”
Lucy rubbed her face and stared at her phone for a moment. She called Steve. No answer. She put the phone down on the bench and went into the bathroom. She popped a couple of ibuprofen pills into her mouth and hoped they’d take care of her pounding head. She stared at herself in the mirror. She was pale. Her eyes were all puffy, and her dark hair resembled a bird’s nest more than anything else. She grabbed a cotton pad and some make-up remover and got rid of the remnants of yesterday’s mascara and eyeliner from under her eyes.
She turned the shower on and waited for the water to heat up. Growing up on a farm during a drought, it had been hammered into Lucy from a young age to save water, and she felt incredibly guilty if she was ever in the shower for longer than three minutes. Today though, she stood under the steaming water until her fingers turned all wrinkly. She slowly washed her hair as she went over the events of yesterday in her mind. Finding out, coming home, Jess coming over, wine, talking, more wine. She vaguely remembered Mitch coming home at one point with a bottle of tequila. That would explain the hangover. Wine didn’t normally give her one. Or maybe she was just getting older. Older… would she get to celebrate her 26th birthday? It was four months away. They said the asteroid was due to strike in two months. Two months. Would it be as bad as they said? Lucy looked down at her hands and wondered how long she’d been in the shower. Her hands hadn’t been that wrinkly since she was a teenager spending hot summer days in the creek behind Tim’s house.
A loud knock on the door startled Lucy.
“Hurry up, Lucy! I need to pee!” Mitch called through the locked door. Not for the first time, Lucy wished that their flat had a separate toilet and bathroom.
“Okay okay, hang on.”
“I’m hanging on as much as I can!”
“You’re a guy! Use a bush! ”
“We’re not on your farm, Lucy, get outta there.”
Lucy turned the water off and grabbed the nearest towel. Dripping wet, she went and unlocked the door. Mitch barrelled past her and pushed her out, slamming the door behind him.
Jess was still sound asleep when Lucy went up to her room, so she took a chance and quickly got dressed.
Lucy shook Jess awake. She muttered and pushed Lucy’s hand away, rolled over and pulled the doona over her head.
“Come on, Jess, wake up.”
“I don’t wanna.”
“I know you don’t, but we have a busy day ahead of us.”
Jess rolled back over and blinked blearily up at Lucy.
“Please tell me that it was just a dream.”
“It was just a dream.”
“Liar.”
“Yep.”
“Thought so,” Jess sighed.
“Sorry.”
“Not your fault.” Jess yawned and sat up. “Jeez, how much did we drink last night? My head does not like me right now.”
Mitch came thundering up the stairs, glass of water and pills in hand. Lucy bemusedly watched as he sheepishly handed them to Jess. He’d had a painfully obvious crush on Jess for over a year now. At least it was obvious to Lucy; apparently not so obvious to Jess, who feigned ignorance and disbelief any time Lucy brought the subject up. Lucy wondered if the threat of their impending demise would spur Mitch into action.
“Thanks, Mitch. I’m blaming this on you and your tequila by the way,” Jess mumbled as she took the proffered gifts.
“Anytime.”
“Hey, Luce, can I use your laptop?” Jess asked after swallowing the pills with a large gulp of water. Lucy nodded and sunk down onto the floor. Mitch followed suit, leaning against Lucy’s bookshelf.
Jess reached over, grabbed the laptop off Lucy’s desk and flipped it open.
“No luck, they haven’t retracted the catastrophic outlook yet,” Jess said after a moment.
“Bugger.”
“Oh, the PM put out a statement telling everyone to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. What’s with that? Shouldn’t he be telling us to stay calm and everything will be fine?”
Mitch nodded. “You’d think so.”
“Have the Americans come out with anything new?”
Jess was silent for a moment, scanning the screen in front of her.
“Nope, not really. Oh, riots and looting in New York, L.A., London and Paris.”
“Already? Sheesh,” Mitch exclaimed.
“How about Toronto?”
Jess looked sharply at Lucy. “It doesn’t say anything, so I’m assuming no, or at least nothing major.”
Lucy bit her lip. She was worried about her sister and nephews. How far away was Toronto from New York again?
“Any mention of Vancouver? Mum said my brother-in-law is there.”
Jess shook her head. “Melbourne trains are running on a Sunday schedule today. Apparently some of the train drivers turned up for work. At the moment they’re guaranteeing two more days of limited service, no promises after that.”
Mitch swore. “I didn’t think about that. Glad I have my bike. Although I don’t really want to ride all the way to Geelong.”
“I can drive you there if you want,” Lucy said. “It’s on my way.”
“When are you going?”
Lucy shrugged. “Either tonight or tomorrow morning. Mum’s worried. She wants me home as soon as possible.”
“Yeah, I don’t blame her. Some of these riots look pretty bad,” Jess said. She was still reading on the laptop.
“I wonder how long it will take for someone to snap here and start smashing windows,” Mitch said.
“Yeah, it only takes one or two people, then everyone else loses their heads and before you know it you’ve got a full-scale riot on your hands,” Lucy replied.
“God, some people are so stupid. There are people in Los Angeles looting microwaves, designer handbags, make up, clothes, jewellery… get a grip people, you’ll need food and water and candles, not the latest Gucci bag,” Jess exclaimed at the computer. Lucy just shook her head.