Rocks in Their Heads Pt. 01

Author's note:

This story contains a few Australianisms and other minor references to popular culture that may not be entirely clear as to their meaning, but where necessary I've tried to explain them as naturally as possible in the text. For any further explanations a simple internet search will most definitely help the reader. However, I think this section is pretty straight forward.

This story is long and I initially intended to submit it as separate chapters, but in the end I felt it worked better broken into three separate sections or parts. I'm grateful to the person who volunteered their time and expertise to proof-read earlier versions of Part 1, and for making several excellent editing suggestions to improve my writing, plus ensuring everything was generally in order. Thank you for your help. I've modified and re-written parts of the story since then and therefore I take responsibility for any mistakes.

Oh, and of course characters engaging in any sexual acts are over the age of 18. Enjoy part 1!

~~~~ PART 1 ~~~~

~~~~ CHAPTER 1 ~~~~

June 2016

It was slightly longer than seven years since Scott had moved out of his parent's house, though he still visited them at least once a month, and whenever he returned he felt a pang of nostalgia for home. It was Scott's birthday, and per his family's tradition, his mum and dad held a birthday barbecue for him at their place. When they were teenagers, Scott and his brother Jake held larger parties, inviting a whole bunch of friends around, but now they celebrated with friends out on the town and kept their parent's barbecue ritual a quiet family affair. Still, he and his brother would generally share a few drinks and so he'd picked up a bottle each of Bundaberg Rum and Coke.

Loud electro music by Skrillex pumped from the car's sound system as Scott pulled into the driveway and parked behind his parent's car. Scott smiled with a sense of fondness; it was the same year 2000 model Toyota LandCruiser they'd bought not long before moving from Cairns to the outer suburbs of Brisbane in early 2002. He exchanged a wave with Evelyn Collins, a neighbour who was just exiting her own car in her driveway two houses down.

Scott hoped his mum wouldn't make too much of a fuss about his birthday because, despite turning twenty-six today, his mum still sometimes treated Scott and his younger brother like kids. He supposed he would always be mum's little boy to her, though it was twenty-two year old Jake who was the real baby of the family.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!" Tammy Mackenzie beamed at her eldest son, greeting him at the front door with a big birthday hug.

"Thanks, Mum." Scott smiled back. In his teens and early twenties, he was embarrassed his mum still called him sweetheart, but, now on the cusp of his late twenties, he didn't mind so much. He loved his parents, and though he never doubted their love for him, it had taken him a while to fully appreciate it. Scott dumped his stuff in his childhood bedroom and took the bottles of Bundy Rum and Coke out back.

"Happy birthday, mate." His dad, Harry, shook his hand with a firm grip and a big grin as they ran into each other in the kitchen. "Grab a beer while I fire up the barbie."

"Thanks, Dad, great to see ya!" Scott said as he put the bottle of rum on the table and the Coke in the fridge and grabbed one of his dad's beer stubbies. Jake soon arrived and they sat around on the deck catching up as they ate lunch. Afterwards, as they were relaxing, a familiar cheerful voice called out from the side path.

"Hello! Happy birthday, Scott." It was Evelyn Collins, the neighbour who he'd earlier waved at when he arrived.

Evelyn was in her early fifties and had known the Mackenzies since they'd moved to the street fourteen years earlier. She was a slim woman of average height, having a straight jawline, a sharp nose and wideset blue eyes. Her only vanity was dyeing her shoulder-length greying hair a similar shade of light brown to that of her youth. She took pride in her appearance and was always smartly dressed. Anyone who had known Evelyn for a long time would agree, she'd aged well, and despite having developed a few age lines around her face, she looked at least ten years younger. She was generally oblivious she was quite attractive to many, one such person being Scott Mackenzie, who'd long had a major crush on her. By dropping in on his birthday barbecue, she set off a chain of events that would change their lives dramatically over the following year and a half.

Scott put down his beer stubby, his third since he arrived, and stood up. "Hi, Evelyn, thanks. Happy birthday for Monday!" He knew she was turning fifty-one because she'd had her fiftieth birthday the previous year and his parents had attended her party. Since he was a kid it always stuck in his mind her birthday was just two days after his own.

Evelyn smiled, genuinely pleased. "Aw thanks, Scott. I'm amazed you've always remembered that little fact."

"Hey, Mrs C," Jake said, while Harry asked if she'd like to join them for a drink. "Coffee, tea, a wine?"

"We've got beer and rum too if you want," Scott added. "You should join us."

Evelyn hesitated. "I was just dropping by to say hi and happy birthday, but I won't intrude any further."

"Don't be silly," Tammy stood and motioned for Evelyn to join them. "I'll get you a glass."

"In that case I'll just have a coffee. I'm painting when I get home and need a steady hand."

Evelyn sat down opposite Scott. He didn't think of Evelyn as much as he used to, but he was still intrigued by her. Scott had dated girls who could be described as stunningly beautiful, and even when he thought about it objectively, he would admit Evelyn was probably a bit over the hill. And yet, he thought she was beautiful. Of course he'd never revealed this to anyone. What was it about her, he wondered? Her only feature which really stood out was her widely spaced blue eyes. Still, Scott was always happy to see her.

"What are you painting, Evelyn?" Scott asked.

He wondered what she thought of him. Did she find him attractive? Did she enjoy that he showed interest in her? He felt confident she did, but maybe that was partly due to the beers he'd been drinking, and the fact she'd dropped by to wish him a happy birthday.

"Oh, I've taken up art. It's my latest hobby, Scott. Oil painting and water colours too. Mostly landscapes but I'm also trying portraits. I'm not much good, but I've only been at it for a few months."

"I'm sure you're better than you think you are." Scott hoped he didn't sound like he was gushing as he picked up his beer and took another drink.

"Oh, you're too kind, Scott. But I'm not really that good. However, if you have time you should pop over and I'd be happy to show you." Then she smiled, "Maybe I'll paint your portrait."

Feeling flirtatious he laughed and said, "Yeah, if you need a nude model, I'm your man."

"Ha! I don't think I'm up for that just yet." Evelyn was used to Scott occasionally joking with her on the rare occasion they ran into each other, however, she wasn't sure how to respond. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the flirtatious banter between them, but never thought too much into it. Scott was twenty-five years her junior and she'd known him since he was a boy. When the Mackenzies moved into the street, Evelyn's daughter, Nicola, and Scott became firm friends, and Scott spent several years hanging out at the Collins' house. Consequently, they generally felt comfortable with each other. He'd been flirting with her ever since he'd grown into a confident young man, and it always appeared to be a bit of innocent fun and never taken too far.

Jake and Harry hardly took any notice either since they'd thought of the joke themselves and may have answered the same way for a laugh if given the chance. Tammy came back with Evelyn's coffee, cutting short any further flirtation, and they all had a chat, making small talk about their jobs and lives. Both Tammy and Evelyn were high school teachers, though not at the same school, and Evelyn was now a school principal, so normally when they chatted they ended up talking shop.

Tammy eventually asked about Evelyn's daughter Nicola. "How's Nicky? Do you hear from her much?"

Evelyn sighed. "Things are getting better between us and she has been up to see me a couple of months ago. I went down to Sydney for a weekend to see her a few weeks ago too and we got on fine. I just wish she'd call me more. Do you ever hear from her, Scott?"

"Only through Facebook, and we don't chat much, maybe once a year," Scott replied.

"That's a shame since you two used to be thick as thieves."

When she finished her coffee Evelyn excused herself. "I have to go now, but it was lovely seeing you all. Enjoy the rest of your birthday, Scott."

"Yeah, I'm glad you dropped in, thanks." It was all Scott thought of to say and he wondered if his face was blushing a little. He couldn't help but wonder, was she only inviting me over to see her paintings or does she actually want what I want? If he was being honest with himself, all he actually wanted with Evelyn was to sleep with her, even if only the once. Now she was getting on in years and they rarely ran into each other, he hadn't thought of her much at all in recent times. But he couldn't stop thinking of her invite, analysing it to the nth degree, wondering if she was hinting at something more.

Later in the afternoon, Harry and Tammy left their sons to their drinking and catching up. Scott and Jake rarely binged, but they also rarely caught up these days either since Jake lived in Sydney, and so they both got stuck in to the rum and cokes. After a few drinks, Jake dropped his voice down to almost a whisper, so their parents couldn't hear them. "You know, it was weird having Mrs Collins drop by like that. And talking about Nicola." Jake always called Evelyn 'Mrs Collins' or 'Mrs C.' He was four years younger than Scott and still addressed adults he'd known since he was a kid as Mr or Mrs.

"Why would that be weird?" Scott wondered if Jake saw through his thoughts, as if he knew about his desire for Evelyn. Or perhaps he even shared them?

"Ah, well, you wouldn't believe it, and don't tell anyone, but I ran into Nicola in Sydney a couple of months ago. I was at a pub in Newtown and she was there having a drink with some friends. Um, anyhow, long story short, when she recognised me she invited me over to drink with them, and, well, she and I went back to her place and we fucked each other."

Scott almost choked on his drink. "What the fuck dude? How did that happen? You know she's gay right?" Scott was shocked by his brother's confession, but he also knew Jake was no bullshit artist.

Why would Nicola sleep with Jake though? She'd come out as a lesbian when she was eighteen and moved to Sydney a year afterwards because she felt she might fit in better down there. Unexpectedly, Scott found he also harboured a slight pang of jealousy. Nicola had been the first person he'd met when they'd moved to the street and she became one of his closest playmates for several years. In their early teens, Nicola and Scott would once have described each other as best friends. She was a little over a year older than Scott and back in the day they rarely included Jake in their play since he was so much younger than them.

"Shhh keep your voice down a bit, I don't want Mum and Dad to hear. Anyway, Nicola says she's bi."

Jake's confession confirmed Scott's suspicion that Nicola was bi. Consequently, he shouldn't have been too surprised she'd slept with Jake. He thought about Nicola, back when he first met her. Their friendship grew strongly at first, since she was a tomboy and into skateboarding, BMX, and video games. They would hang out after school, ride their skateboards or bikes at the local skate park, or play video games on Nicola's Nintendo or Scott's parent's PC. However, the Collins' house had been a little dysfunctional at the best of times, and in her mid-teens, Nicola went off the rails. Her dad, Bill, had gambling problems and walked out on Evelyn and Nicola not a year after the Mackenzies moved to the street; his departure perhaps a contributing factor in Nicola's behaviour.

When Nicola was around fifteen, Scott saw less and less of her. She hung out with older kids, regularly smoking pot and drinking alcohol. They'd still say 'hi' to each other but Nicola no longer came around to see if Scott wanted to go to the skate park or play video games. It didn't take Scott long to take a hint, and he stopped asking her to hang out too, but at the time it upset him deeply. He saw her with older kids at the skate park, which stirred some jealousy in him, a feeling up until that point in his life he'd never really felt before.

Then, one day when he was eighteen, they'd run into each other at the local shopping centre. Scott hardly recognised her at first as she had the gothic look, with dyed black hair and black painted nails and lips. They began chatting and ended up seeing a movie together. Afterwards, they walked home, reminiscing about the things they used to do. Despite her changed appearance and their grown-up conversation, hanging with Nicola reminded Scott of when they were younger, and caught up in the moment, he hoped they could be friends again. When they arrived back in front of her house, Nicola invited Scott in and they fired up her old Nintendo and played games for a couple of hours and hung out like the old days. Scott began to think about asking her out on a proper date, but almost as if she read his mind, she managed to cut off any such thoughts by confiding in him she was gay and planning to move to Sydney.

"Yeah, I knew that, I suppose. But that's crazy you hooked up with her. What are the odds?" Scott hid his initial shock and feelings about Jake's confession. What was it to him anyhow? He hadn't seen Nicola in years and harboured no real feelings for her except nostalgia and fond memories. He chuckled and decided to make a joke at his brother's expense. "Maybe she's not actually bi but simply sees you as the girl you really are!" He laughed again.

Jake laughed too. "Yeah, that's probably it, and then when she saw my massive cock she decided she had to switch teams again!" Somewhat naïvely Jake hadn't considered Scott harboured previous feelings for Nicola from their close companionship in their early teen years.

Scott laughed to cover his growing discomfort about his brother's revelation. "Jeeze, if she thought your cock was massive she must have been pretty drunk then ay!"

"Fuck off. We both know who has all the manhood in this family."

"Yeah, but why are you bringing Dad into it?"

Jake laughed and faked a kick at Scott's foot that was up on one of the deck chairs.

Scott decided to change the subject. "So, what's the big smoke like then?"

"Sydney? It's fuckin' mental. Does my head in ay. Full of pretentious dicks and Blues supporters, but it can be a lot of fun too. The surfing and nightlife's pretty good."

They chatted and drank for the next hour and then Jake stood and excused himself. "I'm gunna have a rest. I'm a bit fucked after all these rums ay, and I'm supposed to catch up with Gemma for brunch or some shit like that tomorrow. I don't want to be too hung over."

Scott wanted to ask if Gemma, who was Jake's on-and-off girlfriend, knew what shenanigans Jake got up to in Sydney. But blood is thicker than water and he decided not to judge his little brother too harshly. Instead, he said, "It's only four in the arvo. You are a fuckin' soft cunt, mate."

"Ha, listen to you, old man!"

Scott watched his brother sway drunkenly into the house and wondered about Jake and Nicola. Jake was young and took an opportunity when it presented itself and Scott admitted to himself he would have done the same with many of Jake's female friends if given the chance. Which, in fact, happened on one past occasion. Being tall, good looking, and generally intelligent young men, both Scott and Jake had no problem picking up women, and he hadn't even thought much about Nicola in many years, so why should it matter? Still, he was surprised he felt a bit jealous about his brother hooking up with his childhood friend. Scott, on the other hand, when hooking up with one of Jake's female friends a couple of years previously, had never mentioned it to Jake. But Jake was younger, louder, and more of a natural braggart than Scott had ever been.

Despite not thinking much about Nicola over the years, Scott thought often of her mother Evelyn. He didn't totally understand why, but the thought of her set his mind on fire! Maybe it was because she was unattainable. A fantasy perhaps?

Despite the alcohol, Scott stood and found he could sort of walk in a straight line and managed to take a piss without missing the toilet bowl. The sound of his urine stream hitting the water in the bowl was satisfying as he closed his eyes and thought things over. What was it Evelyn had said to him?

If you have time, pop over and I'd be happy to show you. Maybe I'll paint your portrait.

And so Scott Mackenzie found himself walking the short distance between his parent's and Evelyn's houses, not sure what he was doing but feeling confident, borne mostly of booze, that this was a good idea. Perhaps she invited him over for something other than to see her paintings? Scott hardly considered how things might pan out but he decided he'd take it as it comes.

"I'll wing it," he said aloud to himself.

He was convincing himself she wanted him. Why else would she have dropped in on his birthday and then ask him over? And why wouldn't she want him? He was a good-looking guy; tall, fit, and blonde. As far as he knew, Evelyn hadn't had a man in years either. In fact, Scott couldn't recall if he'd ever seen Evelyn with a man other than her former husband. She probably had an itch that desperately needed scratching!

She was also his longest fantasy and Scott had almost convinced himself their fates were entwined, and they were meant to be, even if for one time only. Though he didn't really believe in fate, there were a few moments, he thought, suggesting this day would come.

When Evelyn opened the door she was wearing a beige smock splattered in various colours of paint. Bruce Springsteen was singing Dancing in the Dark on a stereo somewhere from the back of the house and Evelyn's Yorkshire terrier briefly yapped at Scott until Evelyn calmed it down. "No need to fuss, Salty, it's just Scott from up the road."

Scott attempted to sound more sober than he was. "Hi, Evelyn, um, I thought I'd like to see your paintings like you offered."

"Oh, sure, Scott. I didn't expect you'd actually be interested, but sure, come in. My latest isn't finished and not that good."

"I'm always interested," Scott said and followed Evelyn to the back room where there were several canvases adorned with landscapes, vases with fruit, and on the easel at the end of the room, a portrait. "Wow, Eve, that's fantastic. It's you!" Scott had never called Evelyn 'Eve' before except in his fantasies and he didn't even notice he'd shortened her name.

"Actually, it's supposed to be Nicky. But, yes, I can see the resemblance."

"You know, you two could be mistaken for sisters anyway. It's a great painting. I love it."

Such a compliment might be considered insincere flattery, but even in his drunken state Scott was genuinely impressed with Evelyn's painting, and there could be no doubt Nicola took strongly after Evelyn in the looks department.

She smiled at him, enjoying his compliments. "You must have an eye for good art then, Scott. Anyhow, I'm going to make a coffee. Would you like one?"