Who We Were - Who Are We Now?

Suburban noir set on Sydney’s idyllic northern beaches

The phone rings on the way to school pick-up. Annabel takes the call, even though she’s almost outside the school and the conversation will have to be a short one.

‘What happened to marine biology?’ Grace’s voice fills the car.

‘What?’

‘Our school yearbook. Apparently, you were going to be a marine biologist!’

‘I was?’ Annabel is astounded. She has no recollection of this.

‘It’s here in black and white.’

Annabel flicks on her indicator and pulls into a space that isn’t quite big enough. ‘Why are you looking at the stupid old thing anyway? Aren’t your kids keeping you busy enough?’ Grace, like Annabel, is a stay-at-home mum. She has four children, all quite close in age. The strange thing is, she was never the maternal type.

‘Katy Buckley wants to do an updated yearbook,’ Grace explains. ‘For the reunion.’

Katy Buckley. Plain and studious. Perennially mocked for being such a try-hard. Annabel feels a rush of that old derision, its resurgence taking her by surprise. ‘Oh, for God’s sake. What’s wrong with just rocking up on the night, getting drunk and making fools of ourselves on the dance floor? Who the f--- cares about yearbooks?’

‘It’s because Katy’s a teacher. She’s still caught up in that world. Where things like yearbooks actually matter… Having said that, I think it’s a rather good idea…’