"Hey… Kate?" Daniel called tentatively from outside her tent.
A second later, Kate emerged outside. Dan's typical nervous half-smile was present on his face, and she resisted the urge to chuckle. "Yeah?"
"Do you have any clothes that I could… that I could borrow?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Not-not for me!" he verified hastily. "I mean for Charlotte."
Kate placed a hand on her hip thoughtfully. "Then why couldn't Charlotte ask me herself?"
Dan ticked his head to one side slightly. "Would you have given her any if it was her asking?"
Her eyes drifted to the ground for a second, then back up to him. "Good point. Hang on a sec." She ducked back into her tent, leaving Dan standing there shuffling his feet until she appeared again.
"Here." Kate held out a pile of clothes.
"Thanks," he said with a meaningful smile as he took them from her and turned away.
It only took a small walk down the beach for Daniel to find Charlotte, standing near the tent they shared with her eyes closed.
"Charlotte…" he said placidly as he approached, not wanting to disturb her.
Her eyes jerked open and focused on him. "Daniel," she said in a pleased tone. "Where have you been?"
"I, um, I was getting these for you." He held out his hands. "I figured you might want to change, since your clothes are all dirty and wet and-"
"Where'd you get them?" asked Charlotte, frowning.
"Borrowed them."
"From someone here…"
"Well… yeah."
"Daniel, they hate us. We don't need to take their things," she argued.
"They don't all hate us," he told her, but she didn't respond. "Please, Charlotte, just take them. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I went to all the trouble."
Charlotte rolled her eyes, but snatched the clothes from his hands and entered the tent, muttering, "Fine…"
Satisfied, Dan sat down in the sand until she came out again a minute later.
"Happy?"
She no longer wore jeans, but tan pants that were slightly too long, dragging in the sand. And a sleeveless, orchid-colored top that was a bit too tight.
"Oh. Yeah. Good. Thanks."
She stared at him.
He stared at her.
"I think purple's really your color."