It was about 8 o'clock by the time we left the house and got down to the board walk. Archie left his bike where he had earlier.
"My god, I hate that woman." I pulled off my hoody as we walked along the side of the beach. Archie laughed. It was a Friday night so the board walk was full of locals and tourists alike. Like Archie had said there were bands playing on the beach, but our Dad wouldn't be seen dead playing with the hippies on stage. Bad choice of phrasing. Me and Archie laughed as we pushed passed the mass of hippies gathering on the beach, keeping an eye out for Archie's mates. As we were walking past one of the stalls someone grabbed me by the arm. I spun around and came face to face with the guy from the bookshop.
"Book Boy!" I grinned at him. He smiled at me. There were a group of people sat on the wall at the edge of the beach who I presumed he was with.
"You know most people just call me Devon. You guys busy tonight, or do you want a tour of the board walk?"
"Oh you mean both up and down?" I grinned at him. He laughed.
"Just for you." I looked around to see if Archie wanted to hang around for a bit, but he wasn't there. But Dwayne and David were.
"Hello Rebekah." I looked back round to Devon to tell him I was busy. He was staring at me. Some of the kids behind him were moving off.
"I've got to go." He pointed after his friends and looked down.
"Oh. Ok. Well me too. See you around?" He quickly looked back at David behind me and then left. "Bye." I said faintly as he walked off. Weird. I sighed and turned back round. "Fancy seeing you guys here. Have you seen my brother, per chance?" Dwayne smiled and slung an arm round my shoulders, twisting us slowly so we faced out on to the beach where the outdoor gig was still taking place. In the midst of the crowd, Paul, Marco, and Archie were jumping through the crowd, pushing against people and yelling at each other. I watched them, smiling, and then slunk out of Dwayne's arm. Bad move.
"Let's go." He grabbed my hand. Even though the sun was long gone the beach still radiated heat. I could feel it as I was dragged along. I tried to get him to let go but he pulled me further into the crowd after my brother and his deranged friends. I looked back helplessly, trying to see if there was anything I could grab hold of, cling on to. There was David. I really didn't want to use him as anchorage. And then he moved. This had to be the first time I'd seen him, I don't know, look like the rest of the boys. He had seemed more composed, mature...dangerous before. But now he was smiling. Well, grinning maliciously and pushing through the crowd too. As I got dragged along the beach I kept apologising to everyone we passed but despite myself I couldn't keep the grin of my face. I was happier than I had been in a while. And I was being yanked through a mass of people by a boy, with longer hair than me, that I had only just met, through a place I didn't want to be. Freaky Deaky.
We got to the other side of the crown. I ripped my hand out of Dwayne's, trying to look cross.
"Was that really necessary?" I barked, but that stupid grin remained, rendering the words meaningless. They looked over at each other.
"Yes."
"It was." I sighed. "Cheer up, princess." Dwayne nudged me as he passed over to Marco, Paul and Archie who were pissing around in the sand.
"Do you do this every night?" I looked at David, who was staring intently at the crowd. Archie was right, I did need to start making an effort. It wasn't like we were ever going home. I let out an inaudible sigh, trying to calm myself down. I looked down at the ground, biting my lip, waiting for his response. But he didn't answer. After a couple of minutes, to make sure he hadn't left and I was just standing on my own like a lemon, I looked up. His eyes were still on the crowd. "Thanks for walking me home last night, I think I'd have been lost on the board walk all night." I said softly, trying to make it sound like a joke. He then looked at me and I smiled nervously at him. David opened his mouth, about to say something when there was a blinding pain in my head and it all went a little dark.