AustLit

'Raffaello's face had grown in the years between fifteen and seventeen, forming a kind of clod, as though the new face was a growth over the first, finer one. He was going out with Katie Goldsworthy now. They were our Romeo and Juliet. You might wonder how I knew this as I had, now that Judy was gone, absolutely no friends. But it was the news, which is democratic in its reach. Even I was included when Katie told the story of the secret party on her father's moored yacht, falling asleep in the cabin, being reported as missing, the police called, Katie and Raffaello dragged, beautiful with sleep, out of their berth and onto the deck. I hated myself for being interested, but the other girls made space for me in the circle around Katie, and I gratefully moved into it. ' (Introduction)