Jessie shuts the door, still perplexed by what had happened just a few minutes ago. One moment, she's hanging out with a bunch of surfers, admiring tanned bikini-beauties and relaxing completely just because everyone is so damn cool and at ease that she had no choice but follow their lead, and the next moment, everything's crashing down on her. This talented girl, she and Eli had watched surfing in the afternoon, wasn't as nameless as she has thought.
Katie had left the party as quickly as she had attended it. For a while Jessie just couldn't do anything else, but watch her. This girl had been hers... Katie hadn't noticed her and Jessie didn't know if she should be glad about it or burst out in tears. Everything what had happened seemed to be so far away and so close at the same time. She should be angry, shouldn't she? Katie just left her, without explaining why, without even saying goodbye... she just left. That's more than a good reason to really hate her for what she did. But the thought of hating Katie makes Jessie's own heart tumble down in pain. She couldn't hate her. She could hate her if Katie had said, that she had never been in love, that she'll never love her... whatever, but she definitely couldn't hate her for just being scared. Katie never told her she wasn't in love anymore. Maybe she still is?
Jessie steps out of the lodge onto a small veranda from which she can see the sky and of course the sea. A hell of a lot stars are smiling down on her and she smiles back at them. She laughs about what she has just thought. Katie still in love! Yeah, great! She's the one and only girl here, she seems to rule this whole crowd, everyone admires and respects her. Jessie's grin grows wider... I should be jealous! She can probably... no, definitely, without any doubt... have all the girls here, she just wants to have. And me? Well, I'm the girl she left. Her "ex" as they say... wonderful... I'll possibly need a therapist again after this trip...
And Eli? Well, Eli is still with the surfer guys and enjoying himself. He has understood, that Jessie wanted to leave as she recognized Katie... not one of the most auspicious situations... he must talk about that with Jessie later. He knew... ok, he guessed, that the two of them had been dating... that they had been extremely close, but he didn't know why it suddenly ended. That is something he has to find out, in case he starts hanging out with Katie's crowd... which seems that it's going to be this way... so he has to know if Katie's one of the good guys or one of the bad... maybe Jessie left her? No, he couldn't imagine that. She was so drawn to this girl, she would have never left her. So Katie left her? So she's the bad one? He couldn't imagine that either...
The door falls hard into its lock. Katie stumbles over her own feet and bumps into a chair. Her eyes are half closed, so it wouldn't have mattered if she switched the light on or not. Her thoughts were stumbling through her mind as feebly as her body is tripping through her lodge.
"Oh... god... damn... where... did this... chair come... from!" She murmurs slightly annoyed.
But anyone who would see her, wouldn't believe she's really annoyed and angry with this chair, because her face is covered by one of her happiest and sweetest smiles. Her eyes sparkle in the creamy moonlight that's shining through the small windows.
"Damn chair!" She adds and continues.
She unquestionably has to reach her bed. She stumbles again, incapable of controlling her feet and falls directly into her own bed, where she lays still. The rushing of the sea and the palm-trees that are standing close to her house are calming her down slowly. And the bright blue eyes that had become brighter and brighter with every drag will make her fall asleep comfortably and contently. That was for sure! She couldn't think of another way of falling asleep anymore... she tried one time... but she has started crying after just a few hours and sleep wasn't an option anymore... so she got back to this habit... smoking the worries away... making herself believe Jessie was singing her into sleep... this worked!
"Damn tears!" She mumbles into her pillow.
"Damn regret!" She sighs, before she falls asleep.
Katie doesn't spent a lot of time in her lodge. Why should she? She has paradise just in front of her door. The furnishing was kind of Spartan, nothing everyone would talk about. A few different sails and masts were laying in the kitchen, which was also her living-room... but, well, there was one thing which was memorable... which stands out... There was a cover of an old LP hanging on the wall next to her bed. She had cut out the name of the singer and the title... but the rest... just the picture was hanging there, watching over her sleep. No one dared to ask her about it... even if they would have asked her, she wouldn't answer... everyone knew. So they just look over it, like they do with so many other things...
The next morning Jessie and Eli agreed to talk later about what has happened that night and to spent some time alone, just until lunch. Eli wanted to meet with Rome and his friend and Jessie wanted to do some shopping.
Eli kneels in the sand, desperately trying to copy what Rome has just showed him. He has never rigged up a sail. How could he do it properly after watching someone do it only one time? He fights with a couple of tamps, almost kills himself with the clamp-on end of the boom and decides to just scream out loud when the fin hit his foot. A few guys sitting close to him start laughing, but don't seem to want to help him. Rome is away... just for a sec... as he said, but that was already half an hour ago... That's not a good way to impress the girls! He shyly looks around. Well, well... no girls here... so no need start fidgeting... you were great last night, boy... no need to worry! They won't like you less, just because you can't rigg up your sail. Damn mast! Damn, damn mast!
"Hey brah, do you need help?" A voice behind his back asks.
Great! Great! Now a girl's asking me if she could help! Wonderful! Just wonderful!
He turns around and tries to look as cool and calm as possible. He won't need a girl's help.
"No... I..." He eventually forgets what he just wanted to say.
Sis, you were such a lucky girl! I just can't figure out what went wrong between you and this... sorry, I have to say it... god'll forgive me... this hottie! He tries to stutter something, but he abruptly gets his speech back, when he notices that Katie is kind of shocked... extremely shocked.
"I'll work it out, thanks." He smiles warmly.
Now it's Katie's turn to stutter.
"Ehm... ahm... Eli?" She asks in complete disbelief.
Maybe she's still too stoned to run around on the beach... maybe she should go back to her bed and sleep a few more hours. This couldn't possibly be Eli. Her hands start to shake somewhat and her breathing is a bit unsteady... Eli? Eli... is... Jessie's brother… Jessie…
He nods.
"Yeah, right. Haven't seen for a couple of days, have we?" He smiles playfully.
Keep cool, Singer! You're completely safe here, it's not that you could bump into Jessie here anytime. It's only her brother, just her brother, nothing to worry about. She seeks for her composure, finds it and smiles back at him.
"Totally. How are you? What do you do here?"
That's nice! Some smalltalk, you'll survive, Kat! There is only one thing that is troubling her: Speaking of Jessie. She couldn't possibly be forced into talking about Jessie. Oh, goddess... she's already thinking about her! I'm curious.
"I'm great, thanks. Spring-break, you know."
She nods.
"Are you alone here?"
"No... I'm with..."
Suddenly Eli hesitates, he can't just tell her... He can't just say: "Hey, Katie. Jessie's here."
"Yes, somehow." He finishes his answer.
Don't ask him! Singer, don't ask him!
"Now, can I help? I know a bit about this stuff, you know..."
Eli laughs.
"Yeah, well. I saw you yesterday... you definitely know the drill, don't you! You were amazing."
She shrugs her shoulders.
"Doesn't matter to me! I do okay... some of the guys over there are way better."
Eli shakes his head. "Don't think so, brah! That's what you say here, don't you?"
"'Ae," she smiles, "come on, I'll show you how to rigg up this one."
"Jessie! Jessie!" Rome shouts across the street.
He had just bought few new shorts and couple of things for lunch, when he saw Jessie on the other side of the road. He had wondered a bit why she had left the party so quickly yesterday. She had missed the best part.
Jessie greets Rome with a bright smile.
"Hey Rome. How are you?"
"Maika'i. Sorry... I'm fine... a bit tired, it was a long night, you know!"
"I suppose it was. Sorry, I had to leave."
"Naa... no big deal, it's okay. I know the guys a bit stress-y at times... I hope you haven't left because one of them made a pass at you!"
She smiles... how sweet... like a daddy...
"No! Definitely no."
Rome winks mischievously .
"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. That's not okay... at least one of them should have made a pass a you. You're gorgeous. I'll talk about it with them."
"It's ok, Rome," she thinks a second... do something different... do it, Jess, you can... she smiles uncertainly, "it really is... I'm not so into boys anyways."
For a second Rome hesitates, than he grins.
"That's even worse. So I'll have to talk with the girls! Believe me, I'll find someone! But... ehm... the girls don't really listen to me... they always make fun of me, could be difficult. But I'll do what I can, I promise."
Jessie giggles. "No need to worry. I'm fine... ok... it's ok no one makes a pass at me."
"At all the beautiful girls should be made a pass! And you are... sorry, I'm babbling, hon," he says kindly, "have you already had lunch? I bought some for me and the boys. You and your brother can eat with us!"
It's not that Jessie doesn't want to have lunch with Rome and his boys, she would love to and there's not question that Eli would love to, too. But, there was this big, big... huge but... that has entered her mind just the same second Rome had invited them. What if she meets Katie? That's possible, isn't it? I'll humiliate myself with this question, I know I will... but I have to know.
Rome becomes aware of Jessie's thoughtful expression.
"What's up? Don't you want to eat with us?"
"Yes... I mean, no... it's just... will... will Katherine be there?"
Rome smirks.
"You mean Kat? Our big kahuna. Well, I'm not sure," he glances at his watch, "no, I don't think so. It's rather early. She won't get up this early... ok, she's probably not able to get up this early otherwise she would... best waves, you know. But she's, " he sighs, "she smokes too much, it knocks her out every night, as long as I know her I haven't seen her before three o'clock in the afternoon... she's just too stoned to get up. It's a mess, hon. She's such a good girl, but something has... well, has broken her apart."
Jessie frowns. She had almost forgotten what she and Eli had wondered about yesterday... pakalolo, too much pakalolo. What happened to the world? Her Katie the biggest pot-head on Maui? There was something wrong, there must be. Katie has never dreamt of a career as a stoned surfer on Maui, she has never dreamt of having no real job, of having practically no future... Up until a few days ago a part of her was almost convinced that Katie had already left the states. That she maybe was in Europe... in Britain... in London... studying in the morning, drinking tea in the afternoon and watching the rain fall down upon the big windows of her loft in the nights. This couldn't be the Katie she knew. She had stopped being her Katie, when she said "Bye, Billie!" and left... just left...
"You don't like her, do you?" Rome suddenly asks.
Jessie doesn't answer, she's still thinking about Katie.
"It's ok. There are a lot of people who have their problems with her. Sometimes she's really weird... I know... all happy, all cheery for one moment and the next you have to be afraid that she'll kill herself sooner or later. Believe me, that's the grass... makes the people all lolo in the head. Come on! Let's have lunch. I'm starving. And don't worry! There'll be no gorgeous stoned surfer chicks around. Sweet little Kat will be sound asleep in her lodge, dreaming of... well, whatever she dreams of."
Rome laughs and takes Jessie's hand, pulling her towards the beach.
As the arrive at the beach, Jessie feels immediately as light-hearted as she had felt last night, when the had been sitting around the bonfire. It was already very hot and the soft breeze from the ocean was barely noticeable.
"Awww... kahuna must have been very stoned last night," Rome kicks a sandy mast-base out of Jessie's way, "she's left some of her stuff at the beach... awful and dangerous."
Jessie looks around and watches how Rome starts to gather some things. A mast, a few tamps... and two big sails... She smiles to herself. Katie had always been a bit messy at times. One of the sails is rather cute, rather Katie-ish, with pale pink and dark blue stripes... what's that? What? Jessie tilts her head a bit to read properly. What is written on the sail? In bold black letters...
"B... B... bi... Bill...Billie?" She stutters confused, her heart immediately tensing and starting to beat hard against her chest.
Why would she write BILLIE on her sail? Then she remembers what she has thought about last night: Katie had never said, she's not in love anymore. Maybe she is. Maybe she's still in love... Why would she write BILLIE on her sail?
"Yes, Billie. That's her favourite sail. Don't ask me, why she has called it Billie... Some of the guys even wonder who this Billie-guy is... maybe a guy who broke her heart. Maybe it's Billie who caused all the trouble she's dealing with every night... ahh... forget about it! Let's have lunch! Lunch! Lunch! Lunch!" Rome starts singing.
There are already a lot of people at the spot, but Eli is nowhere to be seen. Rome throws the stuff he has carried into the sand and looks around.
"Well... where the heck is you damn brother," he grins, "probably checking out the girls again," Rome looks around ,protects his eyes from the sun with his right hand and looks towards the shore, "oh, what's that? I'm sorry, Jess... but it seems our cute stoned surfer chick is already here."
Don't' faint, Jessie! Don't faint ! That's extremely un-cool… it's just Katie. You don't have to be afraid. Jessie starts fidgeting, she feels as uncomfortable as she has never felt before. She's left you, she's left you, so she's the one who has to be embarrassed. Oh, my god! After almost two years... I thought I would never see her again... never...
"Come on! I'll introduce you. She's ok, believe me. Don't make such a scared face! She's really ok."
He takes her hand and pulls her towards the shore. Katie is standing in the sea, preparing her board for a water-start and not really caring about what is happening around her. She's already wearing the harness and starting to step on the board as she hears Rome's powerful voice screaming.
"Hey Kat! Kat! I have brought you Billie! Hey, kahuna, I've found Billie."
For just one second it seems as if Katie stumbles and falls over. Her eyes are dilated from shock and shudder and she's incapable of moving. I must be dreaming! She whispers to herself. That's Rome... Rome and next to him... is Jessie.
They're looking straight into each others eyes, bursting from joy and horribly scared stiff at the same time. Katie! Jessie! Katie! Jessie! The air between them is crackling, time started to stand still... as it has done so often when they had been together...
Katie's hand has started to tremble terribly. Even though she knows it's the worst she could do, she jumps onto her board, her whole body still shaking from fear. She can't stand the thought of talking to Jessie... of being close to her... she has left her... she has left Jessie... she can't... after all... After a few seconds she's far away enough from the beach to not hear their voices, but it's not far away enough to calm down. How could this happen?
"Hey! What's up? I thought you love Billie. I thought it was you favourite sail." Rome shouts, completely confused.
"I don't understand. What has just happened here? She's gone crazy... I know this would happen... Why did she just run away... well... ok... surf away?" He adds, shaking his head.
Jessie's gaze follows Katie riding the first wave. She has run away again. Still in love? Then why does she run? Jessie touches Rome's shoulder.
"Don't worry! It's ok."
"Why?" Rome's completely puzzled. Is he not in his right mind? He knows Kat is weird from time to time, but that had beat it all. Why did she run away? And why is Jessie making this knowing expression. There is something going on, he doesn't know about, but should know about.
"Because I'm Billie."