Tam’s fallen for the wrong man. Brad prepares to leave the Bay. Viv makes life even harder for Ric.
Extended Summary
Brad prepares to leave the Bay, sad to say goodbye but eager for a sea change. He wishes it didn’t have to be this way for Tam, who’s struggling with the prospect of being left behind, but he has no choice.
Cassie discovers Tam and Aden on the beach, though she doesn’t notice his mates taking pictures, and she’s furious. Threatened with the prospect of Brad’s fallout Aden disperses the group, leaving Tam drunk and confused, not sure what’s going on. When Brad finds out he doesn’t take it well, but Tam doesn’t care. As far as she’s concerned she didn’t do anything wrong, she was simply having a nice time with a boy she likes.
Worse, she knows he’s leaving, and both Brad and Heather are shocked to see the depth of her despair. Heather tries to comfort her, reminds her that they still have each other, but that’s not enough for Tam anymore, there’s no telling when the flashing lights of the pokies will lure her mother away again. She’s scared her life will drift back to what it was without the anchor of brad to hold it down.
The next day at school Aden tells Tam he’s taking someone else to the formal, and things hit rock bottom when Cassie receives the photos of Tam and Aden on her phone, they’ve been sent to everyone in school. Tam is suitably distraught, and Brad is furious, barely able to keep himself form decking Aden. Sally tells Aden he’s banned from the school formal, and that he’ll soon be hearing from the police after giving alcohol to a minor.
While Matilda waxes ecstatic about her year twelve formal, a less enthusiastic Ric receives a message from Viv asking him to meet her urgently. He ignores the message, not wanting anything to get between him and Matilda. But that night Viv’s husband, Noel, bursts into Summer Bay House in a violent rage. He saw Viv’s message on her phone and wants to know where she is. Ric tells him, honestly, that he doesn’t know, and it’s Noel’s fault for cheating on his wife. Noel doesn’t take that well, and it’s clear this isn’t a man you want to mess with.
When Ric finds Viv waiting for him the next day he goes off. What does she think she’s doing? He’s adamant not to get involved, but an understanding Cassie, having suffered through a violent boyfriend herself, agrees to give Viv a caravan to stay in until Noel calms down. Ric soon finds himself torn, he needs her out of there, his relationship with Matilda can’t take anymore, but he still cares about Viv, and wants to protect her.