AustLit

'I broke my arm in Eugowra, a small place in central New South Wales, in the summer holidays before I started Year 3. I was at my uncle's place with his stepkids. The older kids were going for a paddock bash in an old beat-up car with buckets for seats. Me and my younger cousin wanted to go for a ride on our bikes. I didn't have my own bike, I had my brother's old BMX, the colours of fire sprayed over the black frame. I was ashamed that I didn't have a real bike and had to ride the BMX everywhere like a tomboy. I tried to accessorise with blue handlebar pads but it looked dumb. That day in the paddock me and my cousin were told firmly by my dad and uncle, her stepdad, to stay away from the boys hooning around. We weren't allowed to ride up the long dirt driveway to the main road. Like normal kids, we ignored the rules and rode over to where the boys were doing burnouts.' (Introduction)