Elodie woke to the early and purest light. the brightness was stark and almost sterile before she adjusted, and the lushness of the green outside her window flooded into her eyes with such richness that she had to blink before standing up.

quietly she walked to her closet and took out her mustard yellow bikini and white t-shirt. she stripped down to full nakedness for a moment, the air pinching her skin. she put on the clothes and leant out of the window, picking a violet and putting it in her hair.

god, she was beautiful.

she opened the door slowly and tiptoed down the stairs, saluting Ruso, then climbing up the ladder on the kitchen wall and onto the roof. Here she could see into all the little shacks in the property and peering down into the second green roofed room on her right she saw the curtains were open, frolicking in the wind hat descended over the mountain.

she could see Dora and Alexander lying in their white sheeted cradle of a bed. he lay shirtless, clinging dora. such privacy flung into her eyes.

who is the exposed one now, she thought. who has cut their chest open and shown the other the inside of their skin? I see your nakedness, your déshabillé, just like you saw mine.

she heard a car rattling down the road, the people, who she suspected were her friends coming to pick her up for the beach trip, screaming. what a god awful bunch of lunatics.

"Oi, Oi, Elodieee! nous venons," she heard one of them shout.

"tais-toi! my mama is asleep."

the car swerved round the bend off her street and she saw it packed with seventeen year olds. It halted to a sudden stop in front of her house and she jumped down from the roof and stumbled to the boot, pulling it open.

Garret sat, clinging his knees, surrounded by beach equipment. he gave her an awkward glance as she clambered into the cramped car. the riotous laughs echoed as the car backed up and started mounting the hill.

"salut Marie, Anna, Oliver, Maurice," Elodie paused. "Eliot."

She leaned into the ear of Marie who sat in front of her.

"did you know Eliot was coming?"

"ah oui! isn't it exciting."

these friends had all know each other since they had learned to walk, but Eliot had left to America to get a better education and had only returned recently. Elodie liked him. She liked him because he was gorgeous to look at.

Oliver and Anna played with each other flirtatiously in the middle row, nudges and giggles and all. the car clattered to the top of the hill and from their they could see all the islands. St Maarten, Antigua and St Kitts as well. a million different greens and reds were splattered across the craggy island, and with the whoops and yells of the fools inside the car it seemed as if everyone outside it woke up with a moan and groan, from the parrots in the cages at the side of the road to the woman who sold plantains in the creole village.

"you just took the wrong road!" Marie shouted at Maurice who was driving.

"I know my way to Gouverneur."

"clearly not, you're meant to take the second road," Eliot interrupted. Elodie watched his neck and his hair as he looked out the window. he had marvellous locks, a brilliant golden brown that radiated in the dawn sun.

"look! there it is," squealed Anna in excitement, extending a finger at the cerulean ocean. the car clunked onwards, and Elodie noticed Garret watching her watch Eliot. he was a nervous boy.

a twist two meters into the forest was adequate to call a parking spot. the kids overflowed out of the vehicle and Elodie banged impatiently on the boot before Marie came and let her out. Grabbing an umbrella, she started running to the beach.

"Last two in the water have to take the boot!" she screamed, sprinting as fast as she could. as the trees let go of her and released the kids into the beach. stabbing her umbrella into the sand, Elodie continued onward towards the sea.

as soon as she touched the crash and bubble the coldness scolded her unshaven shins, but she didn't recoil, she kept running, down into its coolness, collapsing into the water. everyone followed her, Garret running into the water to her left and Eliot almost falling right on top of her. Marie and Anna waded in gracefully and so Oliver and Maurice were left to race.

running as fast as their little hearts could muster, they started towards the water. Oliver tripped over his own feet and went rolling down the slope meeting the smash of a wave.

Marie and Elodie clumped together, as soon as they were in as deep as their waists.

"he's cute," Marie giggled, looking past Elodie's shoulder. a quick stare at Elodie warned her that he was coming up behind her, and she felt his hands on her hips and he pulled her into his chest.

He flung her up and shouted quick enough to warn her of the flying disc coming towards her head. she missed it but in the flurry of being up the in the air she saw Garret watching her.

Swimming over to the frisbee she picked it up and threw it at him. he had looked away by the time the frisbee had escaped her clutch.

"Garrett!" she laughed.

He swivelled round and she saw the scared look on the pretty boy's face. as he reached out to grab it, it swerved and he missed.

"Peculiar funny chap," Eliot whispered in her ear. She laughed and turned round to him, who now had his hands planted firmly around her waist. "Why don't we go up onto the sand," he said, playing with her.

"okay." she said, staring at Marie as she was led out of the water.

the two climbed up the slant of the beach and sat down. they didn't wear suncream often, and today wasn't an exception. they had become accustomed to the sun's tickle on their goosebumps, and yet, these poor kids would be as old and wrinkled and shivered as a prune in thirty years and not a single of them believed it.

" so what's it like in America? I can't remember where you said you went."

He scratched at his head for a second and gave her that wretched stare he used as a replacement for wit and conversation.

"I spent my time up in California. it's nice, busy."

rich parents, reckless parents

"and why did your family come back. We never thought we'd see you again!"

she laughed. he chuckled, head scratch again.

"eh, it's nice here I guess. sunny."

she nodded.

"so what about you? how's st Barths been when I was gone."

she swallowed.

"boring-" a scream from the beach and a splash. at first she thought someone had hurt themselves but it looked like everyone was fine, and they went back to their devilish play. The girls flailed and Maurice and Oliver and Garret hosted wrestling sessions at the end of the beach like the boys they were. why, was Eliot here with her, she wondered.

"yeah, like i was saying, nothing much has been happening."

"cool, cool."

oh what an intellectual, making such interesting replies! I could sit at a dining table with him all day and never grow bored. the words he is speaking are mediocre at best, but that tension, that sticky string that is pulling them closer keeps her, in her own state of mind, close to that conversation. oh what intrigue!

"hey, I'm bored."

she knew what was coming next. he wasn't exactly the type to try and seduce.

"I know this spot, down across the rocks at that end of the beach," he said pointing to the far right. "It's secluded and maybe we can chat there."

chat, sure.

"Okay," Elodie said, rising, and he grabbed her hand in his and they began walking down the beach together.

as they scrabbled over the rocks Elodie uttered a quiet moan of them being to sharp ( a plea for his attention, a legitimate complain? ), and so he picked her up and began carrying her round the corner where they couldn't see the beach anymore. as she took one last look back at the beach she saw the little figures bobbing up and down in the water. she could almost feel Marie's elation, and alas, poor Garret's melancholy. oh, that boy had to grow up.

they were out of view in a tic and the small expanse of sand that Eliot had talked about came into view, he laid her down on the sand and lay next to her, a smirk lining his lips.

"so what do you think?"

he grinned at her coquettishly.

"it's wonderfully beau-", but before she could finish his lips were on hers and she heard him grumble.

he amused her.

he lifted one leg and rolled on top of her, his stomach just lifted off her's, his hands holding himself above her. he leaned down and kissed her rigorously again and they began to roll around in the sand. like animals.

heaven's interruption - a drop of water on her spine - was quick. the sky didn't like to watch such ugly acts of low lust. it was uncomplicated, unsophisticated. it even made Elodie wretch a little.

"fuck."

he looked at her.

"what? is everything okay?"

"yeah we need to go back it's raining."

"it'll be fine."

"I think you forgot how much it rains here."

"It'll Be Fine."

It was only a matter of seconds before she couldn't see two metres in front of her. the rain filled every space in the sky. the heavens seemed to roar in objection to their display.

"fuck."

"I told you!"

"ha, I know you did. Get on my back, I'll carry you."

and they went as fast as they could run the bend of the beach, up the slope and to the spot where the car was parked. five dry kids in the warmth of the car watched the soaking wet pair emerge from the shower.

Marie's window opened and she poked her head out for a second, the sound of splatter on the ground such a comforting tranquillity.

"No way your wet asses are getting in this car."

"Oh come on!" Elodie begged, running up to the window and praying through the glass that had now been raised.

"B - O - O - T," Marie mouthed from the other side.

"But i went on the wa-"

she opened the window again.

"who was the person who decided to run off with him?" she whispered, eyeing Eliot.

Elodie sighed.

"oh for fucks sake, fine, but once you get dropped off im getting the front seat."

"i see no problem with that."

"imabout to slam this door," shouted Eliot who had run to the boot. "Get in."

Scampering off to the back of the car Elodie hurled herself into the cramped boot, and for a second avoided eye contact with Eliot, instead looking forward at the rest of the people in the car. Garret was the one who drove, logically, because he lived the furthest and would drop the rest of them of. Marie sat next to him, and Oliver and Anna sat together like usual with their giggles and nudges.

why couldn't Elodie obtain such a subtle and lovely relationship such as Oliver and Anna's. I mean it seemed like they would trade the world for each other and they were only seventeen, and yet none of it was grossly overwhelming or in your face. She had never even seen them once kiss. it was humble love - honest love.

the car started hurtling up the hill again. in some strange manner the driving was more comfortable this time, Garret was cautious, but the islands bumps and bruises that scarred its rocky plain were no match for the bulky car. at one point, as Elodie looked out the back (hair dripping, eyelashes soaked ), she was thrown up into the ceiling, and nobody seemed to care or even notice, except Garrett, who grasped her stare to check if she was alright.

As they reached the clutter of red roofs called Gustavia three of the seven got out, Eliot was driven to his villa next and Marie was dropped at St Jean and walked a half mile to her house. When she was dropped Elodie transferred to her chair in the front, next to Garret, immediately making herself comfortable (feet up, legs spread).

Garret sped off, focusing so hard on the road that Elodie wondered if he was actually focusing on focusing on the road as an excuse not to talk to her.)

"feeling glum today, huh?" she asked.

"yeah, i guess."

"do you want to talk about it?"

"no."

the rest of the ride was silent. as Garret descended towards Corossol she saw people sitting in the deckchairs of the inner garden. most likely those lazy guests of theirs.

turning the bend she saw Alexander, sitting in the local bar (two houses down from theirs, across the road). must have been dora and her father in the deckchairs. he was lounging luxuriously, alone, a glass of wine in hand (for no apparent reason), foot tapping, hair dancing.

"drop me off quickly."

"why?"

"just do what i say please."

they had reached the house. she jumped out without even saying goodbye.

she took a brief glance at Alexander as she rushed for the door. he noted that toss of a glance and looked up, and as soon as he saw her he raised himself from his chair, wine in hand and approached her. he walked, she deducted on purpose, in front of the car, and Garret sat awkwardly waiting for him to move.

"elodie"

she looked up at him.

"alexander how nice to see you."

such irony.

"alex, remember?"

"why did you call me?"

"is that your boyfriend?" he asked, observing Garret with such scrutiny that you would observe a curious piece of flora. he hadn't moved from in front of the car.

"no."

even she felt pity for the poor boy.

"huh."

"is that all you wanted to ask?" she replied, unnervingly.

"yes actually," he said in a brassy tone, stepping out of the road and letting Garret pass who left as swiftly as he could. he looked at elodie and cracked a cheeky grin before taking a sip of his white wine. she pushed the wooden shack door of the house open and walked in, and waiting a few seconds before slamming it she said, albeit under her breath,

"stop drinking wine its the middle of the fucking day."

he didn't take the advice, taking a sip of his wine and a fulfilling gulp of the Caribbean air. damn, she was satisfying to toy with.