Llew and Chloe parted at the beach at 6:00 when the sun was barely shining its last light. They both had to get ready for the Tenby Teens Dance. Chloe was very excited and kept convincing Llew he should feel the same.
"It'll be good, I promise!" She grasped his hand and squeezed it. He smiled lightly and shook his head.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Chloe Samuels" he pointed at her jokingly.
She sighed and dropped his hand quickly, turning on her heel and began running from him leaving him in the middle of street confused.
Breathless, she turned her body to face him again, but now he was blended into Tenby from afar.
He needs to stop questioning this, she thought, she had waited for him for so long.
"I CAN KEEP THIS ONE" she shouted, he needed to believe her.
She saw his body shake and realised he was laughing at her brisk move. This time she shook her head, her hair obscuring her vision of him. By the time she had parted her hair again he was gone.
Megan was getting ready with Alma, with relief to Chloe. Alma complimented Chloe a lot and respected her while other of Megan's friends such as Lucy who would just comment on Chloe's pale hair.
"Megan's is so shiny and lovely! Yours is so... plain, I don't know what we could do with it" she remarked on Chloe's first Tenby Teens while pulling it into a bun and then sighing heavily.
Chloe tried not to be hurt by this but telling Llew what happened had made her tear up, she felt the heartless pulling on her hair to this day.
Chloe pulled her best dress out of her suitcase, it was a deep red, paired with red shoes. It was still wrapped in paper neatly by her mother. She felt a twinge if homesickness seeing her mother's carefulness about her dress. Gwennan knew the speciality of the dance every year, it was a time that Chloe could lavish in a little lipstick and a nice dress, something she dreamed she would wear every day in her future. Her mother never understood the need to have materialistic items but tried to understand anyhow, she was so caring...
Looking in the mirror to distract herself from the lump forming in her chest at the missing of her mam. She saw herself looking back.
"Tenby dance" she whispered out loud needing to feel the excitement again, she promised Llew a good time and that couldn't happen if she was sad.
"Why are you talking to yourself?" Megan interrupted the self-talk by striding into the attic, already in her bright blue dress with a beautiful underlay that fitted wonderful. Chloe glanced at her dress on the bed, it was simple compared to Megan's, no detailing on the sleeves, no Peter Pan collar.
"I wasn't" Chloe lied, lowering her head and picking her dress up and squeezing it in guilt for lying.
Megan didn't believe this but sat heavily at the dressing table, leaning close to the mirror and putting a red lipstick on.
"Could I use some?"
Chloe asked shyly, knowing she shouldn't after being caught in a lie, even a small one.
"With your red dress? Wouldn't that be over powering?" Megan retorted, looking at Chloe and then the dress in her hands.
"But you could use this one"
She held up a lip tint that had been used nearly all up. It looked very old, Chloe thought but thanked Megan.
Alma then came into the room, her normal chubby figure now quite shapely in her dress. Chloe said she looked very pretty, Alma appreciated this and kissed Chloe's cheek.
They all clambered into the living room.
Chloe felt out of place quickly. Lestyn was there in a suit perfectly fitted and shone. Just a year ago she was trying her best to make him like her, now she was over that childish behaviour but still felt the tightening in her throat at his brown wavy hair.
"Hello, Chloe!" He cheered, lifting his arms and embracing her. Chloe felt her cheeks burn and turn crimson, he was paying attention to the poorest and worse dressed girl when Megan was standing looking like a Hollywood actress it didn't seem right.
But her focus was changed to Llew, standing in the corner. A suit not nearly as nice as Lestyns but still very smart. His hair slicked back but little parts still stood up that made Chloe giggle.
"Llew" she said quietly.
"Chloe"
Uncle Heinrich rushed in fussing about getting a photo before the dance began.
Positioning herself between Alma and Megan, she smiled as brightly as she could at the sight of the flash of Llew's camera.
Over the camera Llew winked and smiled to Chloe before taking one more photo.
"Wouldn't you like to get in, Llew?" Aunt Susan said.
"Oh, it's no worries, I'm okay" llew responded flustered and looked to Chloe for help.
"Yes of course he would"
He looked at Chloe with pure annoyance.
"Well, pass the camera son, I'll take the photo" uncle Heinrich held it awkwardly which made Llew hold his breath.
"Stop being anxious and have a photo with me"
The camera flashed. Llew and Chloe's first photo together captured forever.
Lestyn linked arms with Megan. Alma had met with a date called Thomas at castle hill, leaving Chloe and Llew to walk together.
"You look good, Leonard Jones"
"Leonard is it now?" He smiled.
"Only when you're in a suit"
Llew looked so grown, it made Chloe nervous. She had met him when he was 8, with a camera too big for him, now the camera was too small around his neck.
"You look beautiful" He said, honesty in his voice was obvious. Chloe was glad she forced him to go the dance.
After the compliments they walked in silence apart from the clicking on the concrete of Chloe's heels. They passed a flower stand where an old man handed them out just outside the hall.
There was a queue out of the door, it was a rainbow of dresses through smoke of cigarettes the older teens were smoking. Chloe joined the back, the homesickness completely gone and replaced with the deep thrill of knowing she was about to dance.
"I've got to go to the loo" Llew said, squeezing past the people behind them and wondering into the night.
Alone, Chloe found herself looking at the boys in front. She knew some of them, Owen seemed the one she wanted to dance with the most, he was dark with black curls but Chloe remembered that Megan had said he cared more about history than anything else and Chloe couldn't find anything more boring.
The line was getting closer to the entrance.
Llew hadn't left her, had he?
Worried, she turned her head and stretched to see the path. No sign of Llew just more couples, arms linked. Deep in conversation.
The chattering of the queue distracted Chloe somewhat of the fact she was about to go into the dance without Llew.
"Have you seen a boy, tall, hair slicked back but hair still poking out?" She explained to a unknown couple "Handsome"
The words fell naturally, which shocked Chloe. Llew was never handsome, he was just Llew, the boy who took photos and drunk milkshakes. How did those words come so easily?
She had to explain him somehow, she comforted.
"No, sorry" the boy said looking over his shoulder at the path as Chloe had done the past 15 minutes.
"Okay, thank you"
Finally, Chloe entered the hall, alone.
Feeling everything was going wrong she denied a dance with a boy and sat in a booth.
Chloe watched the couples dance enthusiastically even spotting Lestyn and Megan who dance wonderfully. She thought about calling them over but didn't want to disturb Megan, especially as she had been kind earlier.
An impatient waiter came over asking if Chloe wanted a drink.
"A strawberry milkshake" she called over even with the waiter next to her. It was loud. For a moment Chloe was tempted to order two making the known fact Llew had left sting.
The milkshake soon became the company, gently sipping every so often as to look at bewildered. With the milkshake, Chloe felt herself imagining the worse and felt guilty about being angry at Llew. What happens if he was hurt? Her chest felt tight.
Someone could have taken him, it was a busy night where everyone would be oblivious, blind to Llew being carried away. What if he was murdered? That photo taken earlier used on posters, the girl next to him not to be known as his greatest friend.
The already stuffy air became almost impossible to breath. Chloe stood, feeling everything move too quickly. She needed to get out but suddenly everyone was in the path to the exit, as if they wanted her to stay in this panic forever. She pushed a couple out of the way, barely hearing their annoyed groans against the beating of her heart.
"Llew!" She shouted, fighting against the sound of the band. She needed to get out.
She should never have forced him to come, if he was hurt it was her fault.
"Chloe!" She felt someone tug on her shoulders, stopping her determined path to the exit.
"Llew" his name barely audible with the gasps. Chloe tried shaking the hand off her shoulder.
"What's wrong! Chloe!"
It was Lestyn. She looked at him with deep shock he hadn't caused
"It's Llew! He said he was going to the toilet-" she looked around, the world wasn't stopping even with her grief "he hasn't turned up. he could have been hurt! It'll be all my fault"
"It okay!" Lestyn said, holding Chloe's head in his warm hands. This gesture a year ago would have caused her to blush, but now, in a crowded hall it felt another thing to stop her.
"I need to go!" Chloe grabbed his hands, clasping them tightly and pulled them away.
"I've just seen him Chloe!"
Chloe stopped, slowly, the dizzying feeling overwhelming.
"What?"
"Yes, just now, he's near his home. Safe."
Chloe could have fainted. Relief and annoyance rain through her anxious veins.
He was safe but has truly left her. He didn't want to dance with her, didn't want to take photos of her with his new camera.
"Oh" was all she could manage and nodded making her way to the exit, continuing her journey with less determination. The summer evening was warm but not even the Tenby sea wind could knock her from the disappointment.
Outside was only lit by the lights pouring out the hall windows, making the grass coloured. Chloe walked into the area and turned on the spot. Her lipstick didn't even matter anymore, she scrubbed her lips with the back of her hand to rid of it.
Disappointment deeply aching in her chest making her want to shout and let it go free into the ocean, but she also wanted to keep it so she could show Llew how much this had hurt her. Maybe he thought she would have fun without him, but he didn't understand, she had waited 2 years for him. Not caring about her dress Chloe slumped onto the patch specially lit.
This night had been ruined.
Even with the band playing, everything to Chloe felt silent in her pale loneliness surrounding her, leaving her completely lost in a place she knew like the back of her hand. Couples came and went quickly some smoking others kissing.
What would Llew do if it was the opposite situation and Chloe had run off?
He would probably go after her, confront her and discuss this mistake. But Chloe wasn't going to do that, she wasn't going to play cat and mouse she would stay in this grassy spot where even the summers wind was turning cold until it was closing time.
Footsteps passed behind her and at first, she thought it was another couple, but the footsteps only came in one pair. Somewhere in Chloe that wasn't overtaken by annoyance at Llew wished it was him walking along outside the hall to find her, to find her and dance and apologise. With this hope, Chloe turned her head, but it wasn't Llew. It was Tom. A boy who she danced with last Tenby teens, he was tall and handsome with dirty blonde hair like Chloe's. He was 17, sharing classes with Megan who always remarked on his shyness as if it was a disease.
"May I join you?" Tom asked, pointing to the patch of grass next to Chloe.
Trying not to make her obvious disappointment at the lack of Llew, she smiled. "Of course," she bundled her dress to her side to make room.
Tom sat with his legs cross and hands playing with the grass.
"Hello" he barely whispered "Lestyn was telling people you had walked out. That's not like you. I know you love dancing" he said now lifting his head to meet Chloe's eyes as if to read them of all emotions.
"I do" Chloe met his gaze reluctantly her eyebrows furrowed.
"then, are you okay?"
Telling the truth would equal people knowing Llew and Chloe were having their first ever disturbance in their friendship. Chloe could only imagine the shock and taunts of Megan's friends…
"I just got a little hot in there" she lied, feeling the same guilt she did lying to Megan just earlier, her Da would be very disappointed.
"Lestyn said it was something to do with Llew"
Chloe's heart for the second time that night, fell into a deep hole completely made by herself.
"Sorry if me seeing you out here is too much" he spoke quickly noticing her sudden un comfort.
'Its quite alright. I don't mind' She forced a small smile. Tom gave her one back that was purely genuine.
"It's true, it is about Llew' Chloe's gaze went back to the grass and Tom's hands. His smile was deserving of the truth
"He left me"
'Oh' Tom said, 'Why did he leave you?'
She couldn't even lie and make a story of why he left into an okay thing to do because there was no lie that felt even like that of Llew.
'I'm not sure. But when he did, I got hot and lonely so came out here'
'Out here is even lonelier!' his voice a bit brighter in the comment but Chloe kept her frown. "Well hopefully you're not lonely now" he lowered the tone again "I'm here now"
Chloe nearly cried remembering she had said the same thing to Llew the first day in Tenby.
"Yes" she breathed trying to control the sadness now sweeping over her.
Chloe joined Tom in pulling grass, the ripping became the main noise for a minute.
"It will be okay" Tom said "you and Llew"
Chloe closed her eyes.
"Thank you"
Tom put an arm around her, bringing her close to his chest.
Some part of Chloe thought this felt wrong, they had only spent one night together and that was last year, another part enjoyed the warmth of his body and the kindness she so craved.
Tom had suddenly become more confident while Chloe was in his arms, his voice was clearer now as they went deep into conversation about dancing and celebrities.
The conversation went on ignoring the roaring music behind them and Chloe trying to ignore the deep ache that was slowly but surely now subsiding.
Tom was passionate when he spoke, it reminded Chloe of when Llew would talk about his father or camera. Both would go into a trance, eyes fixed on one thing while their hearts poured out into smooth sentences swimming.
"You look like Tab Hunter has anyone told you that?" Chloe remarked. She sat away from his chest to get a better look at his face, it was astonishing, really and she had just spent time in his arms.
Tom closed his eyes lightly before opening them.
"No" he chuckled.
"Really? Well you do"
He smiled warmly at her.
He was very nice.
"And you look like no other in Hollywood, Chloe"
Chloe blinked a few times not quite knowing how to take the comment. Was she not good enough for Hollywood?
Tom saw the look confusion on Chloe's face and nearly fell backwards.
"I mean. You're just so beautiful not even a Hollywood actress could capture your beauty! That's a good thing! You're one of a kind" He took a deep breath and lowered his head "beautiful"
No one had given Chloe such a big compliment before, Llew called her beautiful just earlier but not one of a kind. Suddenly, her heart dug itself out of the hole and was balancing on waves of content.
"Thank you"
Tom took Chloe's hand. Their gaze met, even with her lack of experience she could feel in her chest what was about to happen. He moved closer, moving one hand to her now red cheek.
Her heart was beating in her throat.
Her breath was against his lips.
His lips were against hers.
They kissed for what felt like the whole summer before he pulled away, placing his forehead on hers.
The night changed from anxiety, loneliness to warmth from someone she would never have sought comfort from.