Part One - Chapter One
“Michael dragged her through the dense mass of people. Hair, hair and more hair: the whole bar was populated with people with big hairdos, women with bright red lipstick and men with black leather jackets. Fashion still clung onto the eighties in the latter part of 1990, although Christine could see a hint of a ’70s revival. Bright floral maxi dresses and platform shoes competed with oversized tops, tight-fitting trousers and cowboy boots.
Christine looked down at her camel-coloured stirrup pants, a poor relic from the eighties. Utter awkwardness rippled through her…
Christine pulled at her oversized top with its abstract design and bright colours. ‘It’s the latest in fashion,’ the retail assistant had purred as she’d helped Christine with the buttons.
‘Oh, really?’ Christine had asked. ‘Yeah, it’s great!’
She didn’t think it was great now; she felt utterly ludicrous. And why did she pair it with her camel pants? What had she been thinking?!
Perhaps she shouldn’t have allowed Michael to coax her into coming here. Perhaps she shouldn’t even have made the short trip to Melbourne. An aching sense of not belonging devoured her self-esteem.
Perhaps her attempts at starting again, of triumphing over the depression that had tried to devour her—perhaps all of this was in vain.
‘Go home Christine,’ a voice whispered. Icy, malicious and cruel, the voice often tormented her. ‘Go home,’ it continued…”
