Thanks so much to the amazing Star for reviewing the last chapter! xxx
This one's dedicated to another three lovely reviewers: CityGirl13, Mbali97 and XxSugarMinuetxX.
Thanks guys!
xxx
Chapter Four
We manage to reach Porthmeor Beach in one piece, by some miracle. I jump out of the car, eager to escape what has now turned into a death trap with Conor at the wheel, and look out, over the sea.
Sapphire...
No. Not tonight. Tonight, it's time to be human.
We make our way from step to step along the staircase descending down the hill from the car park, and towards the road, past the Tate St. Pirans art museum. We pause when we reach the metal railings that top the edge of the steep drop down towards the golden sand of Porthmeor Beach. The flickering light of a bonfire greets us.
"Hey, the guys are already down there!" Conor says, waving over to them. After a moment a figure on the beach waves back. "Come on!" Conor calls to us, before turning round and heading down the steps to beach. My dress blows around me in the breeze from the sea, and I silently pray that I won't end up exposing myself to the world. If I did, Rainbow really would have to die. Friend or no friend.
"Conor! Rainbow! Sapphire!" A shadowy figure runs towards us, and as they draw nearer I see that it's Mal.
"Hey dude!" Conor says, giving him a guy-hug. I roll my eyes. Boys. Mal grins at me over Conor's shoulder. I smile back slightly.
"Come on over!" Mal says, leading us over to the bonfire. Conor says hi to his friends, and Rainbow goes over and hugs Patrick. She looks gorgeous in an ice-blue dress-top, with white leggings, her short blonde bob spiky around the ends, and I spot more than a few guys staring at her. The bright, sunny smile lighting up her face probably helps with that. I stand back, hovering on the side lines, feeling a little lost. I only know a few people well, although I recognise a couple from the surf shop, and some more from Rainbow's band.
"Come on, Sapphire!" Mal says, appearing at my shoulder. "Have a sausage. I got veggie ones especially for you!"
I smile gratefully, glad for something to do. "Thanks Mal."
"You're welcome," he says, grinning and grabbing my hand, pulling me over to the fire. His cheeks are gradually growing redder due to the heat from the flames…although come to think of it, mine don't seem to be getting any hotter. Hm.
Josh Tregony is roasting sausages on a stick. He grins when he sees my doubtful face. "Don't worry, Mum made sure they were cooked slightly first so we don't all end up with food poisoning." He looks me up and down. "Nice dress by the way." I blush, and he grins again, winking. "Veggie?" he asks, holding out a sausage on a stick.
"Yeah," Mal replies, grabbing a plate and passing it to me. I realise he still has hold of my hand and I ease it out of his, reaching out to take the plate. For a moment, I think I see disappointment flash across his face, but only for a second. Hm.
"Thanks Mal," I say, taking the plate. Josh drops the sausage on the plate, before passing me a roll.
"Ketchup?"
"Nah, 'm fine."
"Okay then."
Mal gets a sausage for himself, before sitting down next to me. I hear a thump as someone else sits on my other side, and I see that it's Rainbow, brushing strands of hair out of her face. Conor sits next to her and after they've got their own food, we all talk for a while, about random things, about the price of surfboards and the irritating tourists and how Mal was wiped out five times the last time they went to Trebarwith Strand. All the guys laugh at him for a while, teasing him about how he came up for air with a wig of seaweed plastered to his head, whilst he protests that the only reason he fell off of his board was because of the small children who kept getting in the way. Eventually the conversation turns to the band, and the members start talking about songs they're writing, festivals they want to play at, the pubs which they're actually playing at and collaborations which they want to do.
"Come on Saph, at least do a duet with me!" Rainbow says, "It'll be fun!"
I shrug, unwilling. I don't think I'd like singing live; I'd be too scared of messing everything up. And I've always been awful at drama, despite my skills at lying, so I think my stage presence is hardly riveting.
"Oh come on! You've got a good voice! One song! Come on!"
"I dunno..."
"YEEEEEES!"
"Fine," I sigh, hoping that she'll forget about it. "I'll think about it."
"Yaaaaaaay!"
I can't help but laugh at Rainbow's enthusiasm. "Have you been drinking fizzy drinks again?"
"Erm...maybe...moving on..."
I elbow her. "No Rainbow, no! Bad girl!"
"Don't you 'bad girl' me! You're talking to me like I'm Sadie!"
I roll my eyes. "If anyone needs a 'bad girl' sometimes, it's you!"
"Rainbow? Can I have a word quickly?" Mal says suddenly.
She gets up, nodding as if she's been expecting this. "Yeah, sure."
They walk off and stand a little way away, talking animatedly. Conor and I stare at them over our shoulders, trying to listen in. "What are they saying?" I hiss at Conor.
"I don't know..." he says, but he looks slightly shifty.
"What aren't you telling me?
"Nothing."
"Oh come on..."
"Not my secret to tell"
I sigh; I know he won't give someone else's secret away. "Fair enough." I wonder if Mal likes Rainbow. As in likes Rainbow. She's never said anything...anyway, I thought she liked Conor! But Conor doesn't seem like he's upset or anything…is this over something else entirely? Or maybe he doesn't like Rainbow in that way and I'm totally wrong about everything?
Someone's brought down speakers, and they plug in an iPod and a put on some music, rousing me from my thoughts.
"Come on Saph, let's dance," Conor says, pulling me to my feet, looking like he's eager to divert my thoughts away from the Rainbow and Mal thing. And his plot definitely works. My lack of stage presence extends into the dancing area.
"Nonononononono! No dancing!" I say, trying to pull my hands away, a panicked expression crossing my face.
Rainbow bounces back over to me, her conversation with Mal apparently at an end. "Yes dancing! Dance with me!" She grabs my hands, spinning around and dragging me with her.
"Agh!"
"Love the dance, Sapphy, love the dance! Embrace the dance!"
"Oh my gosh..."
-x-
After a while, the party has died down. The fire's really just down to the ember stage, glowing softly in the night. I sit next the Rainbow, in comfortable silence. Thank God she's come down off of her sugar high. I can hear the sea hissing softly in the back ground, the gentle lapping sound of water against rock making me relax. I close my eyes, resting my head on Rainbows shoulder.
"Sapphire?"
The voice makes me jump. I look up quickly and see Mal hovering there, looking slightly uncertain. "Yeah?"
He smiles at me almost nervously. Oh come on, the whole 'only Conor calls me Saph' thing was four or so years ago! I'm not going to bite his head off! "Can I...erm...well...talk to you for a...um...moment?"
"Sure..." I say, standing up, wondering what this is all about and why he looks so nervous. Maybe it's the dress? Maybe he's traumatised by the brightness of the red? Hm.
He heads away from the rest of the party, towards the sea, and I follow, barefoot, my hair blowing around my face despite the halfup hairstyle thing Rainbow did.
"Urm...Sapphire?"
"Yeah?" I reply, wondering why on earth we're so far away from everyone. He sits down on a rock slightly awkwardly and I tentatively sit next to him. What on earth is going on?
"Erm...well...you're a very nice girl right?"
Was that him trying to give me a compliment? "Erm...thank you?" I say hesitantly, not really sure what else I can say to that.
"Um...and we...we...get on well, right?"
Fairly well, I suppose. Oh yeah, apart from that time when I was twelve when I bit your head off because you called me by the nickname reserved only for my brother.
"Yes, I suppose."
He looks nervous. I wonder if he's going to ask me if Rainbow likes him or something. If he does, I'm not quite sure what to say to that. 'I have no idea, but I hope not because want her to get with my brother just in case he finds another annoyingly mysterious Mer girl to swim off with.' Yeah, that'll go down like a lead balloon.
"Sapphire?"
"Yes?" He keeps saying my name. Why? Why doesn't he just get to the point? Why doesn't he just get a move on and put me out of my misery? The suspense is killing me!
"Willyougooutwithme?"
"Huh?" I blink whatwhatwhat!? Maybe I just had a temporary hallucination. Of sound. A sound hallucination. Maybe he actually said something completely different which just happened to sound similar to him asking me out. Because he doesn't like me, he obviously likes Rainbow! It's obvious! They were talking together and everything! That's it, I've obviously just stepped into a strange alternate universe, where it sounds like Mal is asking me out. That's it. That's the plain and simple answer.
"Sapphire?" he's staring at me now, beginning to look a bit worried.
"Could…could you please repeat that sentence for me?" I say in a voice which only shake slightly. He gulps, but takes a deep breath and says, in a much clearer voice:
"Will you go out with me?"
Please review guys! Reviews really, really make my day!
Thanks for reading!
xxx