this update came a bit quicker than the last one, huh? this ones kinda long. i actually dont know how i feel about this chapter but anyways i hope its enjoyable xx

uhm okay unimportant additional information - the song that is playing when they walk "into" Para' is one called Honolulu by Last Dinosaurs (no the story is not set in Hawaii) (i actually have no idea where its set) The song playing more towards the end of the chapter is one called White Morning by Seoul. as i said, completely unimportant information lool

im hardly ever on twitter but if youd like: FloatingLovato

disclaimer? i own nothing but my mess

Time over here passes by so much quicker than I thought it would. Sometimes the days seem as if they're dragging on for more hours than there are initially in a day, but that's clearly not the case as I've been here for over a month and it feels as if it has only been a week.

Despite my life's lack of excitement and outings, I was enjoying my new home. I could call this my home now. I felt right here. I had my own thing going on here. I settled into my cottage and I found a job in the tiny local library. Just by pure luck and coincidence, the old lady at the library offered me a job there. After I told her I was looking for some work to do, she told me that she was planning on retiring. Muriel told me that she loves her job but she would prefer to 'relax and knit in Spain' instead. So off she went to Spain. Just like that. Pretty great, eh? She lives in the small garden flatlet of her oldest son's house.

At first, I was so amazed when I realised that people still used the library. That sounds incredibly dumb, but with so much technology in the world, I never thought that people still made use of the library. There was an internet cafe on the island so it wasn't as if there was no internet connection here and whatnot. The people chose to use the library. Back home, a library that was a few blocks down from my house actually closed and a shoe shop was built on that plot instead. I loved seeing children actually reading here. I was used to kids playing on their iPads. Also, the library was peaceful.

Apart from my weekly day job in the library, on some weekends I take a boat ride to the mainland and do voluntary work at the pet shelter. I do basic things like wash the animals, clean their fenced rooms and walk them. The work made me feel good regardless of the dirt involved. Its kind of nice to have something to care for other than yourself even if it was just temporary. I actually think that's what made it good for me.

I leaned down to return a book to its original place. I have never enjoyed packing things away or keeping a place neat and in order but somehow I enjoy working in the library. Obviously there are days where it's absolutely dead but I find something else to occupy myself with if I have already re-sorted a shelf after an inquisitive child, or adult, had destroyed the order of the books in a section.

As I sat back behind the main desk, I heard the gentle tinkle of the bell that is attached to the door. As the person appeared from behind the shelf, I beamed at them.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm not allowed in a public library?" They said, pretending to be serious.

"As long as I have worked here for, you're probably the only person that I haven't seen step a foot into here." I chuckled.

They smirked. "I see you're keeping tabs on me."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Andy, what do you want?"

"Just by the way, you never denied anything so..." Andy said, still smirking. "I came to tell you that you are going to be at Para' tomorrow night."

"Hmm...I don't know..." I said as I thought about it, not really finding the mood inside me to go out to any place.

"There wasn't a choice though..." He said. "Come on, please?" He attempted to show me his 'puppy dog eyes.' He looked more like Jiminy Cricket than anything else.

"Can I at least think about this?" I scrunched my face up.

"Yeah, yeah. If you do decide to come, be there at like 7 o'clock." He smiled as he tapped the wooden counter he was leaning on before turning around and making his way to the door.

I smiled and shook my head as I straightened the pile of papers that he had moved with his elbows.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Wear something hot." He called out to me as the bell tinkled. I was thankful that there had been no one in the library. The boy never knew how to speak without being overly loud sometimes.

After my day at work was finished and I had locked up, I cycled down to the tiny kiosk that I went to when I first arrived on the island. I never really saw a need in buying a car to drive when I was around here so I bought a vintage Dutch styled bicycle as my way of transport. All of my fancier items came from shops I shopped at on the mainland.

I pushed open the light glass door of the air-conditioned shop, overhearing what a familiar voice had been saying.

"-but more like this, y'know?" I heard her say. She was probably speaking to Steve.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying, Dem. Why don't you take it from the other side though?" I heard Steve speak.

There was silence in the shop. I walked over to the counter and saw Demi looking confused as she frowned at Steve who was looking thoughtful. Demi, still frowning, looked at me. I raised my eyebrows as I smiled.

Demi turned back and faced her friend behind the counter. "Steve, what the hell are you talking about?" She asked as she scratched her head.

"Yeah, like, take the picture from the other side of the building." He said, sounding so sure of himself as he spoke.

She opened her mouth and breathed out a noise. "I'm speaking about the time of day...Were you listening to anything I was saying?" She asked, looking as if she was trying so hard not to laugh at what her friend was speaking about.

He shrugged. And she burst out laughing. "Man, I love you." She said before turning to me. "Hey." She smiled.

"Hi." I smiled back. "I'm sorry to interrupt-"

"No worries, you're not interrupting anything. I was speaking to myself anyways." Demi said as she smirked at her friend.

"Dude, don't let it creep you out. I speak to myself all the time." Steve said as he removed a cloth that he tucked into his belt.

Demi just stared at him with her tongue in the middle of her lips, stopping midway in the process of licking her lips. I internally laughed my head off. I just smiled and went on my way, looking for whatever I was there to buy.

As I looked around the shop and placed items into the red plastic basket that I was holding, Demi and Steve stayed where they were seated by the counter. I didn't even take notice in what they were saying to one another but I heard Demi's loud laughter and Steve's giggles every now and then which made me smile.

When I found whatever I wanted, as well as a few extra things that I thought I may need, I placed the basket on the counter. Steve manoeuvred his chair so that he could manage the register and scanner more efficiently, moving his floppy fringe out of his eyes.

"You need a haircut..." Demi said.

"I do. But I'm growing my hair so it's alright." Steve replied, scanning the barcode of each item.

Whether he could see her or not, she nodded in response. Her jaw line became even more defined as she played with her upper lip with her teeth as she gazed around the shop and tapped a little beat on her knees to match the one that was playing on the song that was flowing through the shop's speakers, bobbing her head along as well. Steve gestured to the tiny screen above the register, showing me the amount my items summed up to. I decided to pay cash.

"This is your music, right?" Demi asked.

"Sure is." He said as he got up and disappeared through the door behind the counter. "I'll be right back!" He called back to us.

I recognised the song. I'm pretty sure it was Better Days by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Although, I could be wrong.

"So, you're settling in alright?" Demi smiled at me.

"I'd say so." I smiled back at her. "Your photos are beautiful by the way. You're pretty good." I smirked as I looked at the photographs on the counter.

"Well, I try my best." She chuckled. "Hey, I know that you may say no but I thought I'd just try my luck on getting you out that damn place you're staying in...do you wanna go to Para' tomorrow night?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my place." I said as I playfully pushed her arm. She laughed. "Andy told me about it earlier. I may actually consider coming this time 'round, you know?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Andy? You saw him?"

"Yeah, he came by the library. Haven't you seen him today?"

"Oh. No. I mean, yeah, I have seen him today but I'm just surprised he came and asked you." She scratched her neck. "You're considering it, huh?"

I hummed in response, nodding my head. "Maybe."

"That's great, it's a start." She chuckled and I smiled at how I noticed that she was always happy when I saw her. Her good mood is contagious. "Seeing as you probably have no idea where it is and all that, I can come and fetch you and we can go together if you'd like?" She suggested. "Unless you're going with Andy..."

I shook my head. "I'm not going with Andy." I picked the shopping bag and held it, balancing it on my hip. "You can just tell me where it is and I'll find it. You don't have to come get me."

"I can seriously fetch you; it's practically on the way." She smiled.

I thought about it. Was I really even going to go? If I was finally going to get out there and socialise, I may as well do it now. I do get lonely sometimes but I make-do and carry on. I've made it so far, I guess. It annoyed me being so indecisive.

"I'm not too sure. I'd rather go there myself in case I change my mind." I shrugged.

She sighed. "Look, if you change your mind, you can just message me. Okay? I'll give you my number and you can message me anytime. I'd feel horrible if you got lost so please just let me drive you."

I cleared my throat as she handed me a tiny card. She told me that she was a photographer but I never knew that she was so much one that she even had her own business cards. I was actually pretty impressed. I smiled at her and turned around, making my way towards the shop's door.

"Bye, Selena." I heard her say behind me.

I faced her, walking backwards into the door and opening it, and offered her a smile back and a wave.

Her business card felt somewhat unusual in my possession. I hadn't been out for such a long time. I felt as if I wasn't used to anything that surrounds friends anymore. It was weird. I felt weird. I felt somewhat relieved that I was making little progress in that department, but weird. Perhaps it was the thought of having to message her what my decision was. God, I really am awkward, even with myself.

I ended up calling Demi instead of simply messaging her. I was worried she wouldn't remember giving me her number and I would have became even more awkward than what I already was until she clicked. My mind created more issues than anything else.

On the phone with her, I had asked her what I should wear. She had laughed at me and told me to wear whatever I wanted to wear. She said that this whole thing was pretty laidback and that I could even wear my pyjamas to it. She then brought up seeing me in my pyjamas. And that was when I couldn't get her off the phone fast enough.

"Babe," I said in the sweetest voice I could speak in, dragging out the 'a'. I crept onto the bed and lay on my stomach next to him; he continued to give his attention to the laptop instead of meeting my own. "Don't you wanna do something?"

Still, he never looked away from the screen. "Like?"

"Like maybe spend time together, I don't know. Let's go and see a movie or something?" I suggested, hoping he'd agree. I missed spending personal time with him.

Nick never said anything back. All I heard was the clicking of the device's keys as he typed away at something. I cleared my throat and then nudged his thigh.

"Yeah?" He looked at me.

"I asked if you wanted to do something together." I said, getting annoyed. This was becoming a routine. It wasn't like this all the time but it was making its appearance more often than usual.

"Yeah, sure." He smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"Maybe we can go and see a movie?"

"Awesome. What's out at the moment?" Nick asked as he played with the tips of my hair that hung by my shoulder.

"I actually have no idea," I chuckled. "but we can just go and watch any random thing that seems interesting."

He let out a quiet laugh. "Sounds good." He said as he moved his laptop to a free space on the bed and placed a kiss on my lips. The contact was cut short and rudely interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

I moaned. "Leave it." I mumbled as I pulled his arm, pulling him down to me again.

He placed another two quick pecks on my lips before standing up and picking up his phone. "Sorry, love. I'll be right back. I need to take this." He said before answering the call.

I huffed and turned on over. I heard his muffled voice grow louder.

"How could you not tell me?" I heard him ask. "You can't just forget! I'm fucking in this too!" I sat up. "Look, I can be there in the next hour or so, don't do shit and sort yourself the fuck out." That was the last I heard of his phone call before he walked back into the room.

He had stressed anger plastered all over his face. "Sel, I don't know about tonight anymore. I have a few things I need to take care of at work."

"What's up?"

"Just a few complications, that's all. My partner isn't very good at his job." He offered me a small smile before picking up his keys that were on the dressing table. "Maybe we can watch something on tv when I get back? I won't be too long."

He kissed my forehead and that was that. I tried staying awake until he came home but as the hours passed; my will to stay up for him disappeared. I have no idea how I never suspected anything weird was going on. The signs were right in front of me; his actions were slippery and his lies were sprawled out like a deck of cards on a casino table. They were right there, just unturned. They are still unturned.

Demi arrived at my house at the time that she said she would. I opted for a much simpler outfit to wear than what I would have chosen if I was back home. Both Demi and I were wearing jeans and a jersey. The little time that I have spent here, I have realised that it's pretty cold at night even though it is summer. That would make sense though – I'm living on the coast.

The place was awesome. The lighthouse was at the end of the pier but just before that, there was a sand filled area that was surrounded by boulders. In the middle of the sandy area, there was a bonfire. It really and truly looked like a scene out of a movie. There were speakers with music flowing out of them. I didn't know how they managed that with no plugs in sight but I never questioned anything.

After introducing me to a few people on the way down to the area she had picked out to sit at. She spread a thick blanket out on the sand. She put an extra blanket that was still folded in the middle. She then proceeded to throw out two cushions on the blanket. For a small basket, she sure did get a lot of stuff into it.

"Here, sit." She smiled gesturing to the blanket below us.

"It's amazing here." I said as I sat down still trying to take everything in. I could get used to this - very easily. Although it was a small town that was hardly known to anyone in main cities, it had its own gems.

"Can I get you something to drink?" She asked. "All the food should be finished cooking in a little while."

"Yeah that would be great, thanks." I replied.

"I'll surprise you." She said as she discarded her shoes and socks. "Get comfortable." She called out at me as she walked away.

I removed my shoes and socks too. I buried my toes in the sand. The only time I hate the sand is when I get out of the sea and it gets stuck to me. I cannot stand that. I prefer sand when I'm dry.

A body abruptly sat down next to me and collapsed themselves onto the blanket. I jumped; I wasn't expecting Demi to be back so soon.

"What's up, sweetie" The young man said in a rough voice. It wasn't her. I hadn't been introduced to him let alone ever seen him in the time that I have been here. He startled me.

"Hi" I said back, slightly uncomfortable by how close he was to me.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing alone?" He smiled but it wasn't warm. He reached out to hold my hand but the minute my hand made contact with his, I pulled back and wrapped my arms around my bent legs. His hands matched his voice; rough.

"Duncan." Another voice stated sternly. A wave of relief washed over me as I heard her voice. This guy gave me the creeps and he reeked of smoke and alcohol.

Duncan turned to look up at Demi. "What?" His smirk was unsettling.

"Do you need anything?" She asked him and quickly met my eyes with her own before looking back at him.

He let out a loud sigh. "No Demi I was just leaving." He got up, stretched and spat on the sand near our blanket. "Oh, my bad guys. I had some sand in my mouth."

"Bye Duncan." She said as if to hurry him along. As he slowly left, he bumped her shoulder. She shot him a glare before sitting back down, shaking her head, and then handing me a plastic cup. "I'm sorry about that. You okay?" She said as she gazed over me before meeting my eyes again.

If there was a word that described a person that was frowning and smiling, I think I was doing just that. I nodded. "Yeah don't worry. What's up with you two?"

She looked away from me and shrugged. "It's a long story. Duncan just isn't the type of guy you want to hang around with. He's just bad news." She said as she used her foot to flick sand over the spit mark on the sand before taking a sip of her drink. She beamed at me. "Let me know how it tastes. Quick! Take a sip!"

"What- no! I can't take a sip now, stop staring at me!" I laughed as I turned by head and tried to cover my face and cup with my free hand. It was unsuccessful as she was laughing her head off but I managed to take a sip with only spilling a little of the mixture she created onto my jersey.

"Well that worked out well" She was still laughing.

I rolled my eyes. "This drink is horrible." I said.

She laughed even louder. "Lies, it's the best thing you've tasted!" She winked.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh too. "Shut up" I gently pushed her but she made as if I wacked her with a baseball bat. She flew back onto the blanket and started wining playfully. "You're so dramatic." I said as I faked a yawn.

"I'm just adding emphasis on your abuse. Call me poetic." She smirked.

"You don't even make sense" I giggled.

"Neither do you."

I laughed again. "How old are you again?"

"Four..."

"I thought so." I said.

"...plus twenty." She grinned.

As the night progressed, Demi and I spoke more. That could have been because we drank more, but she was an easy person to be around and to have a conversation with; serious or not. She was knowledgeable in almost everything which often made me feel like an idiot. Steve and Andy and his girlfriend, Melissa, joined us when the food was served. They were all really nice people. Randomly, Andy would sneak a glance over at me and wink. I'd be lying if I said that it never made me blush, but I felt awkward seeing as his girlfriend was sitting right there. I didn't even know that they were still together.

Blame the alcohol for letting my mind wander so freely, but Andy was actually really hot. His hair was short but not too short to the point that it couldn't be styled; it was. His dark eyelashes and his dark eyebrows brought out his eyes and shaped his face perfectly. His skin was tanned and it looked so smooth. The light stubble he had growing made him look even more attractive. I felt myself being easily attracted to him physically but that attraction currently never went further than that.

"Okay so wait let me get this straight...your name isn't Steve?" I asked with my head spinning and my mouth full.

"It is Steve, but before this it was Lloyd." He shrugged as he sipped from a bottle.

I examined his face. His oblivious and laidback personality made him adorable. His usual light coloured floppy hair was combed back tonight by either water, gel or some form of hair product. It looked nice though, it was different. His big yet heavy eyes looked like the lightest shade of blue in this lighting. Was I attracted to him? The answer isn't no, but he seemed like a cool guy that would be perfect for a friendship.

"Do you wanna know why he changed it?" Demi asked.

Demi's smile was one of those rare smiles that could make you feel all sorts of things. Her big bright brown eyes forever looked as if they were sparkling. Her coastal tanned skin had a couple of tiny sun freckles on her nose which gave her soft looking skin such character. She really was a beautiful girl. Her long hair was made into a messy side plait. She literally looked flawless. I don't know where my attraction lies with her.

"He was a complete pothead in high school and-"Andy started but was interrupted by Demi.

"And still is!" She laughed.

"That is true" Andy said with his pointer finger raised. "Anyways, he decided to call himself Steve because he believed that he turned intellectual and sophisticated when he smoked. His bong was named Steven Junior before he even took on the same name."

"Yeah so please note there was no Steven Senior beforehand" Demi said.

"So he decided to become the intellectual and sophisticated Steven Senior." Everyone started laughing.

"It's a great story!" Steve clapped. My guesses, he was probably high right now.

The food was delicious. A few guys were cooking fish and meat on the fire, and everyone else brought along their own additions to the huge ass meal. I made a mental note to bring something along next time.

By the time we had all finished eating, we were completely stuffed yet we still found space for more drinks. Moving from a sitting position to lying down on the blanket felt like such a mission that required too much effort. Andy and Steve spread their own blankets by mine and Demi's so that we could all lounge together so we could speak. They were all very entertaining.

"I like this song" I said softly as I lay next to Demi. I had never heard it before in my life.

She turned over and smiled at me. "Me too."

The sound of everyone's chatter had quietened down and all that was heard was the crackling of the slowly burning out fire and the music.

"I think I drank too much tonight." I said as I yawned.

"You think? I know I did." She let out a soft chuckle. "Let me know when I should take you home. But then again I don't think I should even drive. So please wait a bit until you tell me."

I chuckled. "I don't even want to get up." I stated.

"Then don't." She said casually.

"I don't want to leave. I could stay here for the rest of the night." I said as I ran my fingers through my hair.

"You're going to stay here by yourself?"

"No. You're going to stay with me." I said as I pulled up the other blanket that was over our legs so that it covered our bodies.

"Deal." She smiled as she adjusted the cushion that she was resting her head on.