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Clay heard a key in the door, and tried to slow his frantic breathing, stuffing the pack of drugs back into his pocket
"Quinn!" he squeaked, in a uncharacteristically high voice
"Hey!" she smiled, surveying him with a warm look, a look that made him want to tell her everything. But he couldn't. All he could do was try to act normal, and work out how the hell someone managed to plant drugs on him
"What you upto?" Clay asked, running a casual hand through his hair, and willing himself to adopt a calmer persona. He felt frantic. He was frantic.
"Just getting my camera, its a beautfiul day for it" she said, holding up the bulky camera that she had picked up from the table, hanging it round her neck
Quinn looked at Clay for a bit, he looked like he could do with some relaxation
"You should come with me" Quinn said, giving him a friendly grin. He smiled, looked a bit taken about, then nodded
"Yeah, why not" he replied, picking up his jacket "lets go"
The beach was warm, lots of sun, sea, and happy people. Clay felt finally, for the first time, relaxed. He sat up on a towel as Quinn sunbathed next to him, her glasses on, her camera at her side
"Not going for the panther tan?" Clay asked, snickering slightly
"Oh shut up you dork" Quinn giggled, hitting him lightly "you could do with some colour"
"I think the pale look is in myself" Clay retorted
"If your a vampire" Quinn bantered back, quickly
"Did you not see me at halloween..im way better looking then Edward Cullen..surprised I haven't booked any lookalike appearances" Clay raised his eyebrows in a comical manner, before laying down
"Yes..me too" Quinn said sarcastically
"Oh sorry miss..oh wait I don't know what you actually were" Clay said, with a hollow laugh
"I was Super Quinn!"
"Super Quinn is just you with a cape" Clay laughed, and his eyebrows knitted together as he got some water on his hair. He looked at the source of the water
"Oh Super Quinn...your luck is out" Clay said, trying to sound dark, but with a laugh in his voice. Quinn squealed
"What are you going to do.." she asked, brandishing a water bottle, as Clay stood up
She suddenly felt a strong pair of hands hoist her up, and 10 seconds later, she was on Clays shoulder, being ran towards the sea
"Noo Claay!" she laughed, playfully hitting his back
"I think Super Quinn needs awakening" Clay said, through his laughter, picking up speed as he went into the water, dropping her in, laughing and squealing
"You..are..something else.." Quinn splashed him
"You did not just mess up the hair"
"There was nothing to mess up"
"Oh" Clay said, splashing her "well then.." he laughed, and the two friends splashed eachother in the sea happily. For the first time, he was at ease.
"Brooke, do you wanna go to the beach?" Julian called, from his computer
"Sure..we could go..skinny dipping!" She grinned
"Brooke, its summer, and a hot day, I don't think our spot will be as deserted as it usually is" Julian laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist as she got to him
"This is beer and magazines weather" Julian decided, getting a six pack out the fridge
"We should invite Nate and Haley, Clay and Quinn, make a day of it" Julian continued
"Deb has Jamie and Lydia..I shudder to think" Brooke's voice went high pitched as she tossed the phone to Julian "and I am surprised that Clay and Quinn haven't got it on yet" she laughed, waggling her eyebrows
"Just because two people live together Brooke, it doesn't mean they have to mate" cackled Peyton, who overheard the conversation
"Ok P Sawyer, come to the beach, watch them, and tell me they should not be together" Brooke nodded her head, getting some plastic cups and putting them in a bag, along with a bottle of wine
"If they get beer, we get wine" Brooke smiled, zipping up the bag, after sneaking a second bottle of wine there
Julian called out again to Brooke "Nate and Haley are on their way..I don't think I interrupted anything icky.." he laughed
"Clay and Quinn aren't picking up, i'll try them when we get there" he called, and Brooke nodded, and Peyton pretended to throw up
"You two are so sickeningly in love" Peyton laughed, in her usual low tone
"Did you not watch you and Lucas' wedding?" Brooke asked,with a raised brow and a grin
"Ok, fair play" Peyton laughed "so B-Davis, got any bikini samples for your best friend?" she grinned, and Brooke put a hand on her shoulder
"I always have a sample for your skinny ass"
Clay and Quinn still were laughing weakly as they got out the sea, drying off on some towels in the sun
"Thanks for this" Clay smiled, looking at the sea still
"For what?" Quinn asked, also surveying the sea
"Getting me out the house. I needed a day like this" he smiled, still directing his gaze at the sea
"You seemed stressed lately, everyones stressed, thats why we need a day like this" she smiled, also looking at the sea
"Ive always been afraid of the sea" she said, quietly
"Too deep?" he asked, a chuckle evident in his tone
"Immensity" she admitted, looking at him for the first time in the conversation
"Ah" he said, watching her, a understanding reaching
"Oh, two missed calls from Juju, better call him back
"Hey" Clay said, into the phone, after hearing Julian pick up
"Hey its J-man..and not Jamie" Julian said, on the other line
"I know its not Jamie" Clay laughed, rolling his eyes "whats up Juju?" he asked, and laughed as he heard Brooke cackle in the background at the use of the name
"One, do not call me Juju, two, everyones going down to the beach, you and Quinn in?"
"Beat you to it J-man, me and Quinn are already here" Clay laughed softly
"Cool, well I have some beers, I think Brooke has some wine, Peyton has her whiney music collection and Nate and Haley are on their way" Julian continued, and Clay laughed as he heard Peyton whack Julian saying something like "my music is not whiney!"
"Cool, well when we are done at the beach we can all go back to my place and order some take-out" Clay said, and Julian agreed, putting the phone down
"To the sea!" bellowed Julian, getting strange looks from Brooke, Haley, Nathan, Clay and Quinn
"Its what my dad used to say whenever we went on an occasional family holiday.." Julian frowned, awkwardly
"Either way, im going in" Haley grinned, finishing her cup of wine and throwing off her maxi dress to reveal her swimsuit, following this action by jumping on Nathans back "lead the way"
Julian ran in after them, like an over-excited child, while Clay picked up Quinn and both of them collapsed before the sea laughing.
Brooke stripped off her clothes slowly, watching Peyton follow the crowd with a bemused expression, and put her clothes on Clay and Quinns towel. She saw something sticking out of some trousers, a little packet.
She knew she shouldn't of, but she felt intrigued. She made sure everyone was in the sea, then got the packet out, widening her eyes as she recognized it, knowing immediately what it was.
"Drugs?" she said, more to herself then addressing anyone
She looked at the phone in the pocket next to them, keen to see who they belonged to. She quickly unlocked the keypad and found a picture of Clay holding Jamie on his shoulders with a big grin..Clay was on drugs..
Brooke stared into the sea..what the hell was she meant to do?