Jade jumped out of bed as soon as the bedroom door opened. It was Kirsty, back after a night of passion with Seb, and Jade wanted to know all the details.
"So, how did it go?"
Kirsty tried to look sad, and threw herself onto her bed. She needed to be heartbroken. "Nothing happened. He dumped me."
"He what? I thought he was totally into you?"
"Turns out he isn't, well not in that way. I'm too female for him."
"What do you mean by that? Is Seb…?"
"Gay? Yep. Great, isn't it? Another failed relationship. First he dumps me, then Kane dumps me, then I dump Dylan, and now Seb dumps me again. Its quite a pattern, isn't it?"
"Don't feel bad, it's not your fault."
"I'm sure it is. I seem to be the only person in the Bay who can't keep a man. Dani has Scott, Hayley has Alex, and you sort of have Nick. I must be cursed." Kirsty wasn't playing up now. Perhaps she was cursed in love. "I give up Jade, I give up. I'm resigning myself to spinsterhood."
Jade got onto Kirsty's bed, offering a sisterly hug. "Don't be silly, you'll find someone. I believe everyone has a soul mate."
"Not me." Kirsty had once thought that Kane was her soul mate, until he'd tossed her out of his car. That had broken her heart.
"Right Kirsty, tomorrow we are going to have a girlie day. We'll get Dani to come shopping with us and we'll watch cheesy videos all day and paint our nails." Kirsty sighed as her sister continued. "It's too easy to give up on love, life goes on, and soon love will catch up with you."
***
Brooke sat on a nearby beach, and lit a cigarette. She'd have to sleep rough tonight, after walking around for ages, trying to keep warm. How would she find her brother now? She wasn't going to come all the way from Perth, just to turn around and go home. Someone around here had to know him. Brooke read a nearby sign, 'Summer Bay Public Beach.' It seemed like a small coastal town, like the one's she read about. The type of town where everyone knows everybody and their business. Her brother couldn't be far.
Brooke didn't notice a girl stumble to a nearby rock. She had reddish brown hair, and held her bottle of drink close to her chest. She stared at the pretty girl, sitting there smoking, for a while. Then she spoke.
"With your smoking, and my drinking, we could start a double act. They'd like that."
The girl blew smoke rings at her, and replied with a callous, "What?"
"I was just making conversation, " she said as she took another swig. "Since we're both on the same beach, I feel obliged to talk to you." The girl didn't reply. "You're too pretty to be sitting here alone. Are you waiting for someone?"
"I don't have anyone to wait for. I'm sleeping here tonight."
"Here? Pretty people don't sleep on beaches, well, unless they're washed up mermaids or something. Who are you anyway? You look new. This town could do with some excitement."
"I'm Brooke. You?"
"Kit Hunter." She held out a free hand. "Pleased to meet you."
Brooke put out her cigarette in the sand. "Likewise."
"You know, if you need somewhere to stay, there's a drop in centre around here. You can just turn up and be rescued by the dazzling Prince Noah in his shining armour." Kit sighed. "Perhaps I could do with rescuing."
"Then we have something in common." Brooke thought it wise not to ask this girl about Kane, as she was obviously too tipsy to think straight. She'd ask this Noah guy at the centre about him. Kit gave her whatever directions she could, and waved goodbye as Brooke went on her way.