Dedicated to ToastedBagels but I can't remember the reasons I put in the previous version of this chapter. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with being sassy on ask.fm, so let's go with that one.

This is a RE-WRITE of the previous Chapter 9. I took it down because I didn't like it. You may notice some similarities, particularly at the end.

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                For the first time since I’d moved to Walden, it was hot.

            Even here, with the sea breeze feeling at least slightly cool on my sticky skin, the air  was humid and I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead and the back of my neck. Needless to say, the brief sunny spell over the south coast had sent tourists flocking to the beach in their hundreds, and right now, I was sandwiched between what seemed like the rowdiest groups in Walden. While the parents to my left were doing absolutely zilch to stop their kids shaking out their towels downwind, the couple on the opposite side were rolling around on the shingle in a way that was totally inappropriate for a family beach, and the group in front of me seem to have just given up on trying to quieten their screaming toddler.

            It was, to put it plainly, chaos.

            But I was here, out of sheer desperation that a spot on the beach would be even marginally cooler than Gram’s place. Her cottage seemed to trap the heat and hold it hostage; every room could be likened to a greenhouse. Though such heat was rare, especially in this country, today was unbearable.

            Once settled on the beach, I’d stripped down to my shorts and bikini top, though I could still feel the layer of uncomfortable perspiration settling over my skin. Cross-legged on a towel, I now had my head bent over my sketchpad, the grey strokes of my pencil slowly taking shape across the page. Every so often, I’d switch to a brighter colour, filling in the white gaps until the picture began to take form. I’d always found it sort of fascinating, how a movement as simple as the swipe of a pencil tip across paper could transform blankness into something so alive; this, I guessed, was the reason I always came back to draw more.

            I was so absorbed in my creation that I managed to tune out most of the background noise, reducing the sound effects of the busy beach to a dull buzz around me. Hence why, when a set of footsteps and their owner approached me from behind, I failed to notice until they bent right over me, craning their neck for a good look at my sketchpad.

            “What’s that, then?”

            I recognised the voice immediately; I snapped the book shut with a resounding slap: an automatic reaction. Maybe I was a little too jumpy, but the thought of prying eyes on my half-completed sketch was too much to handle. It was private: the snapshot of a moment I’d been afraid to forget ever since it happened. It had been much easier than I expected, actually, to illustrate the wild flailing limbs, the wind in our hair, the reassuring clasp of Daniel’s hand around mine.

            Foreign sets of eyes were unwelcome, particularly those of the girl hanging over me right now.

            “C-Collette,” I stuttered. My hands involuntarily tightened around the book in my hands; I wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t try to rip it from me herself.

            She stood tall above me, her cropped brown hair brushed backward by the pair of sunglasses that sat atop her head. I could barely contain my envy at her tanned skin, leaving mine to pale in comparison, and the way her denim shorts hung effortlessly on her hips. Already I could feel myself shrinking, halving in size each second Collette’s eyes stayed lingering on me.

            “What was that you were drawing?” she asked.

            “Nothing,” I tried to say, though I didn’t know who I was trying to fool.

            “Didn’t look like nothing to me. Don’t I get a peek?”

            “It’s kind of… private.”

            “Oh. What a shame.” I wondered if I was imagining the undertones of sarcasm to her voice. “Are you here by yourself?”

            “Um.” I ran my tongue over my lips; they seemed to have suddenly gone dry. “Yeah, just trying to cool down…”

            “Oh, God. Me too. Mind if I join you?” I hesitated before nodding uncertainly, though she didn’t appear to have been waiting for an answer anyway. She slipped her bag from her shoulder, not even pausing before dumping it onto the pebbles beside my own. “The weather here couldn’t get any more bi-polar, could it? And then the moment you get the tiniest bit of sun, you get all this.”

            I looked around in the direction she was gesturing: the flocks of people closing in on all sides. With every passing minute, more seemed to pile in, filling in the gaps until we were packed together like bricks; I briefly wondered how long it’d take for the beach to reach full capacity, leaving us all cemented together, unable to move.

            At that point, it seemed like it was getting close.

            I still didn’t really understand why so many people swarmed to Walden like bees to a honey pot. It wasn’t like it was the only stretch of beach around, and there were far better bays and coves just a few miles in either direction. The entire south coast boasted a whole array of other options, most of them more sandy than the pebbles we found ourselves lounging on.

            And yet still they continued arriving by the busload, clutching beach gear and craving ice cream, excited to spend the day in such a dinky little town.

            It was alright for them, though. When the day drew to a close, they were free to pack up their belongings and head back home, to a place where more exciting things were sure to be happening. Their lives were full of concerns and happenings miles away from the quiet, hushed drama of the Walden seaside.

            “You know your skin’s looking really pink, don’t you?”

            Tumbling from my daydream and landing, with a thud, back in the present, I turned towards Collette’s voice. “What?”

            “You,” she repeated. “You’re going pink. You need more sun cream, or you’ll burn to a crisp.”

            I lifted an arm for further inspection. It did look as if it had a slight reddish tinge, but I had just assumed that was my eyes trying to adjust to the bright daylight. The thing was, I hadn’t really intended to end up sunbathing, as such. My trek down to the beach had originally been in search of relief from the heat; it just so happened that I’d ended up getting comfy with my sketchpad and the sound of the waves.

            Sun cream had sort of slipped my mind.

            When I didn’t say anything, Collette shook her head. “You didn’t put any on in the first place, did you? Honey, you’re going to regret that.”

            There was something about the way she spoke, in a tone that seemed to edge into superiority, that irritated me slightly. But I knew she was right. I should’ve picked up a bottle on my way out, and though I wasn’t feeling it yet, the consequences were sure to come.

            “I… forgot.”

            We lapsed into a long silence – silence that wasn’t really that at all, amongst the hectic babble of Walden beach. I could almost see the awkwardness unfolding between us, pressing its way into every gap. It was exactly what I’d feared from a conversation with Collette; this silent intimidation, the way I felt about six inches tall in her presence. I didn’t know whether she intended to make me feel this way, or if it was just a natural demeanour that the rest of Walden had grown accustomed to. It wasn’t that I disliked Collette. It was just exceedingly difficult to tell what she thought about me.

            Eventually, though, she broke the silence by delving into the bag beside her. “Here,” she said, as a white lidded bottle landed in my lap. “I’ve got some.”

            For a second, I couldn’t do anything other than stare down at it, wondering if it was justifiable to believe that this could be some kind of sabotage in disguise. Something that would turn my skin blue, or painfully wax all the hair off my body? I wouldn’t have put it past the icy version of Collette I’d met at the party. But when my eyes flickered hesitantly back to her, I noticed something about her expression that seemed more genuine. Like some of the coldness was finally melting away.

            Maybe it had something to do with the heat.

            “Thanks,” I said.

            “S’okay,” she responded, shrugging. “Can’t stand to sit there and watch you fry. I know how that one feels.”

            “Thanks,” I said again, not really knowing what else I should say. I was sort of in awe of this new Collette, worried that one slip of the tongue could send her packing.

            She smiled, a sort of knowing smirk: one that was neither offish, nor put me at ease with its warmth. “Well, you show me some of those drawings sometime, and we might be able to call it even.”

            My fingers clasped around the hard cover reflexively, gripping until I could feel the edges pressing uncomfortably into my skin. I didn’t think she’d have the nerve to snatch it directly, but I didn’t want to take any chances. Those sketches were my diary entries, moments of my life I’d tried to capture tangibly, trapping the memories into permanent form. On paper, they couldn’t fade away. But other eyes would change things, twist the strokes into an interpretation that had the potential to taint the moment forever.

            If you didn’t want to lose something, you had to keep it close.

            I forced myself to smile, though the thought of Collette snooping on the innermost workings of my head made my heart lurch. “We’ll see,” I said.

***

            I hadn’t meant to end up spending so much time with her.

            When Collette had first materialised, I’d wanted nothing more than to vanish into thin air, reappearing somewhere I could resume my sketching alone. I had planned to make an excuse and flee the beach the moment an opportunity presented itself, but this intention seemed to have been lost somewhere in the conversation. When I thought about it, I couldn’t really recall how it happened. All I knew was that the more we got talking, the more Collette’s frosty front seemed to break down, and I was beginning to realise there might be something a whole lot more genuine beneath.

            It was surprising, really, how easy it was to get along with her, when she wanted it to be. With every line of conversation, I could feel myself beginning to relax, finally regaining some of the height I’d lost earlier on. I could keep up, if I concentrated, chipping in at the right moments when she paused to share anecdotes about crazy things the five of them had done together. By the time she declared she was hungry, leaning in to tell me about this great restaurant she knew tucked away in the middle of town, I stood at my real measurements, only a couple of inches shorter than Collette herself.

            And then, an hour later, I found myself seated opposite her in a booth in some shiny modern restaurant. It was quietly secluded from view on the street, in a corner of Walden I didn’t even know existed. Shiny metal furniture felt cold against my backside, and huge glass windows swept the whole of the length of the back wall. A glass aquarium sat in the centre of the room, a whole assortment of rainbow-coloured fish darting wildly around inside. I hadn’t even caught its fancy name before Collette ushered me through the door and somehow snagged us the best seat in the entire place.

            At least that’s what she called it. We ended up right next to the fish tank, which some people might’ve found pretty. To me, it was just off-putting, feeling like I was being given the evil eye as I scanned the menu and its array of seafood dishes.

            I didn’t know why I’d agreed to lunch with her, but I guessed it had something to do with Collette’s newfound persona – and the fact that I was hungry too. She hadn’t exactly become Miss Personality overnight, but freezing me out completely seemed to have at least turned to a thing of the past.

            She was being nice to me, but I still couldn’t relax. Not like I did when I was with Daniel, anyway.

            Leaning back in her chair, Collette ran a lazy hand through her tousled hair. Over her bikini top she’d thrown  on some sort of airy floral T-shirt, its dipped hem finishing far enough up her abdomen to show off a glinting diamond belly ring. She blended perfectly with the modern backdrop of the restaurant, whereas I felt awkward and lumpy in my baggy top and shorts. “Well, I know what I’m getting.”

            I peered over the top of the menu. “What?”

            She smiled. “The smoked salmon salad here is to die for.”

            My eyes flickered back to the list, skimming over the lengthy names and descriptions. Half of the fancy dishes I could barely pronounce, let alone work out what they consisted of. With anybody else, I would’ve slapped down the card straight away, not even hesitating to order what could always be counted on: a simple burger and chips. But here, sat across from somebody who seemed to be willing to die for a pathetic leafy salad, I sensed this wasn’t an option.

            I ended up ordering the same as Collette, deciding I’d be subjected to less criticism that way, wordless or otherwise. When it arrived, I was faced with a salad that was masquerading as something posh, but in truth was nothing more than a few limp leaves and a dressing that was much too sharp for my taste. I forced it down anyway, to keep away Collette’s impending cold shoulder, if nothing else.

            “See, the good thing about this place,” she told me, as she set her fork down neatly on her plate, “is that none of the day-trippers know about it. You can’t stumble across it unless you’re looking.”

            I merely smiled and nodded; I didn’t like to admit that in fact I preferred the beach, with its rowdy families and constant hubbub, over the restaurant we were currently sat in. The customers here were all much too reserved, looking over at the smallest disturbance with intense disapproval. At least by the sea I didn’t feel so out of place, like I could be turfed out at any moment for simply not belonging.

            “Of course, now you know about it,” she continued, “but don’t go spreading it around.” She smirked. “I think I can trust you, though.”

            I laughed, wondering if I was reading too much into it, or whether her words really did mask some kind of deeper meaning. Maybe this was the reason my voice came out more nervously than I intended. “Yeah.”

            I didn’t get a chance to elaborate; the loud buzz from my pocket cut me off. My phone had pinged to life with the arrival of a text message.

            “Who is it?” Collette asked, as I fished it out and started scrolling to locate the newest message. Biting my lip was the only way to stop a ridiculously girlish grin spreading across my face when I saw its sender: Daniel.

            Got any crazy plans for tonight, he’d written, or do you fancy meeting up? Punctuated with a smiley and a couple of kisses, it made my heart flutter unnecessarily.

            “Come on, who is it?” she repeated, leaning closer.

            “Oh, just Daniel,” I said, without thinking.

            Within an instant, Collette’s newfound warmth had disappeared, vanishing into thin air as if it’d never existed in the first place. Now, she was staring at me from across the table with an expression I neither could nor wanted to decipher. “Well,” she said eventually, her words turning the atmosphere to ice, “who else would it be?”

            I wanted to kick myself. All afternoon I’d been careful, double-checking my words before I was careless enough to let them slip. One moment of lost concentration, a slither of attention spared on Daniel, and I’d messed up completely. My mouth had gone dry; I wasn’t sure I could’ve said anything even if I wanted to.

            If I wasn’t so intimidated by Collette, I might’ve asked her what exactly was the deal between them. I’d still yet to work it out, but I wasn’t fully convinced she wouldn’t bite my head off if I so much as mentioned Daniel’s name again.

            “I–”

            “I mean,” she continued, “you work together now, right? You’re spending practically every day with each other.”

            “Well, just–”

            “It’s only natural that you fancy him, really.”

            My head snapped upward; I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping. “What?”

            “Oh, sweetie, you don’t need to deny it,” she said, her condescending term already shrinking my posture, letting the sense of inferiority come seeping in. “It’s okay if you like him. I mean, free country and everything, right? But there’s something you should know about him. Daniel… well, he’s sensitive. He’s had a really rough time over the past year, and quite honestly, I’m not sure he’s ready for a relationship right now. Let alone with someone he just met.”

            “I don’t–”

            “Look, I’ll tell you something. We used to go out, a while back. We were together for six months. Now I’m not saying that he doesn’t like you, but what’s best for him right now is a sense of familiarity, you know? Someone he’s got history with. Not someone he barely knows.” She was looking pointedly at me, a look of silent warning expertly concealed by her well-practised smile. The exact words might not have been out in the open, but the message couldn’t have been clearer: Back off.

            The anxiety was simmering inside me, a rising feeling of déjà vu from the night of the party already threatening to consume my entire being. I could feel a hot flush creeping up my neck, and the restaurant suddenly likened to a sauna, despite the air con being on full blast. “I don’t—” I stammered, unable to get the right words out. “I mean, I just remembered I need to…”

            I was already snatching up the bag from under my seat, fumbling inside the pocket of my shorts for the money to cover my part of the bill. “There’s this thing,” I explained vaguely, feeling the searing effect of Collette’s stare through my whole self. “I have to go.”

            “Right now?”

            “Yeah.” I swallowed hard. “I forgot, but I have this thing to go to… with my gran. I sort of promised.”

            I’d already started to move away from the table, desperate to put distance between Collette and I, though aware that my swift exit was attracting the attention of nearby customers.

            “Oh.” I didn’t look round; I could only hear her voice behind me. “That’s a shame.”

            “Sorry.” I wasn’t quite sure what I was apologising for, but I didn’t wait for a goodbye as I weaved through the labyrinth of tables in the direction of the main door. Pushing past a group of twenty-somethings in rainbow-coloured flip-flops and almost tripping over my feet in the process, I earned several strange looks. But I was focused on one thing and one thing only: getting the hell out of there. It was only when I’d made it outside, standing on the street amongst the humid summer air, that I allowed myself to stop and breathe.

            And, right there, any hopes I had about getting on good terms with Collette crumbled into dust.

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So yeah, this is the re-written version of Chapter 9. Sorry it took me a little while, and I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I'll probably clean it up eventually. It's an improvement on the first version, at any rate.

Let me know what you thought, and I can't wait to post the next chapter omg it's crazy

Edit: So I just realised in the new chapter, I completely forgot to include Flo actually finding out that Collette was Daniel's ex-girlfriend. I need to sort this out, so in the meantime, just bear with me and pretend you found that out in this chapter anyway :P Sorry guys.