Lizzie
‘This is the life,’ Jaddi said, tilting her face towards the midday sun. ‘Chilling out on a surfboard, just the three of us.’
‘Do you think we should practise some actual surfing, though?’ Samantha asked. ‘I think our teacher has given up on us.’
‘Nah,’ Lizzie said.
Lizzie scanned the beach for their instructor, Damien – an extremely tanned, wiry man in his early twenties – who’d spent more of their one-hour lesson flirting with Jaddi than teaching them any practical skills.
The long stretch of golden sand was scattered with people and surfboards standing upright in the sand. Beyond the beach sat the wetsuit hire shop and a collection of outlet stores selling all manner of brightly coloured beachwear and surf equipment.
‘I’m so glad you said that.’ Samantha laughed. ‘I couldn’t do that standing-up move on the sand, let alone out here. But maybe that has something to do with our instructor’s wandering focus.’ She narrowed her eyes at Jaddi.
‘Hey.’ Jaddi raised her hands in protest. ‘It wasn’t like I enjoyed being singled out for every demonstration. I had to do twice as much work as you two. Did you see how many take-offs Damien made me do?’
‘My heart bleeds,’ Samantha said, rolling her eyes.
Lizzie smiled and pulled at the cord on the back of her wetsuit until she felt the zip come apart. Wriggling her arms free she rolled it down to her waist, revealing a simple black bikini top. There didn’t seem much point sweltering in a wet suit if she wasn’t in the water.
She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of water sloshing gently against their boards. The scent of coconut sun lotion mingled with salt and sea filled her senses.
She’d been looking forward to learning to surf, riding the wave with the force of the sea propelling her to the shore. It had taken several failed attempts at balancing on the board and several more mouthfuls of sea water that made her stomach gurgle with nausea, before she’d discovered a more enjoyable side to surfing – waiting for the wave. It turned out that sitting on their boards, just beyond the break, bobbing up and down on a hot summer’s day was her kind of surfing.
‘I’ve pretty much got used to wearing a microphone and having Ben with us everywhere we go,’ Lizzie said, ‘but it’s nice to have a break from having every word we say recorded.’ She squinted against the sun and watched Ben’s figure on the beach. He was easy to spot. The brown shorts and plain white T-shirt looked out of place against the flamboyant colours of the other beach goers. ‘Although I don’t think Ben’s best pleased that we’re staying out here.’ Even from a distance she could tell by his skulking walk that he was annoyed.
The sun bore into her eyes as she watched Ben, causing flashes of red and white to streak across her vision. She dropped her head and shielded her face.
‘He’ll get over it,’ Jaddi said.
‘Um, I not so sure,’ Lizzie said, thinking of the set of Ben’s face on the balcony. ‘I’m pretty sure he didn’t buy my midnight walk excuse last night. He looked as if he’d been sitting out there for a while, like he was waiting for me.’ Ben had been about to tell her something last night and changed his mind. What? Had he been about to tell her off for sneaking off? It hadn’t seemed like it, but then what else could it have been?
‘Where’s Harrison gone off to this morning?’ Samantha asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ Lizzie said, rubbing her eyes as the colours continued to blur her vision. ‘We haven’t exactly spoken properly after last night. I think he’s got some job applications to do.’
‘You two seemed fine at breakfast,’ Jaddi said.
‘Yeah, I think we are. It’s difficult in front of the camera. Ben hasn’t let up at all since we got here. I thought spending some time alone with Harrison would be nice, but now it feels like it’s done more harm than good.’
Lizzie hadn’t known what to expect from Harrison when she’d finally emerged from her bedroom that morning. Would he be annoyed with her for ruining their one moment of privacy, or grovelling and apologetic for his cruel comment? The more she’d thought about it, the more she’d begun to question which one of them had been in the wrong. Why hadn’t she brought protection with her? After all, she’d guessed they would have sex, and it seemed unfair to have expected Harrison to bring a condom when she hadn’t asked him to.
But what she hadn’t expected from him was normal. She hadn’t expected him to kiss her on the cheek as if the previous night hadn’t happened. She hadn’t expected him to lean across the breakfast bar and take her hand in a moment of intimacy whilst explaining the different types of surfboards to Jaddi. What did that mean?
‘He’s probably organising some grand romantic gesture,’ Jaddi said.
‘Or off buying condoms,’ Samantha smirked, making them all laugh.
They fell into silence for a minute. Lizzie drew in a deep breath, and with her eyes closed she turned so that the sun fell onto the back of her neck. The burn of the rays tingled her skin just as the radiotherapy had done.
‘Maybe we should try water boarding tomorrow,’ Samantha said, tilting her face towards the cloudless blue sky.
‘Water boarding, as in the torture?’ Jaddi asked.
‘Oh.’ Samantha laughed. ‘No, I meant the thing you always see the celebrities doing on their holidays. Standing on a surfboard with a stick.’
‘I think you mean paddle boarding,’ Jaddi said.
‘Yes, that’s the one.’ Samantha nodded. ‘That looks easy.’
‘I thought surfing looked pretty easy,’ Lizzie said, ‘until I tried it. I always imagine I’ll be better at these things than I actually am.’
‘I think I need to go in,’ Jaddi said. ‘I’m busting for a wee.’
‘Just slip into the water and go,’ Samantha said. ‘It’s the sea. You’re supposed to wee in it.’
Lizzie lifted her head and glanced at Samantha. Even with the sun still hurting her eyes she could see the mischief on Samantha’s face.
‘But what about the wet suit?’ Jaddi asked, shooting a questioning look at Samantha.
‘It just goes right out. You’re supposed to wee in it. I thought everyone knew that,’ Samantha said, winking at Lizzie on the sly.
‘Oh, OK then.’
Jaddi slipped off her surfboard and into the water. A moment later, she yelped. ‘It’s not going out. Ewwwwe!’
Lizzie and Samantha burst into a fit of giggles just as the hump of a wave moved underneath them. Lizzie let out a shriek, unable to stop the board moving one way and her body moving the other. A second later, she toppled into the cold water.
Lizzie scrunched her eyes shut from the sting of the salt water and kicked her legs up until her head emerged.
‘… was going to happen?’ Lizzie heard Jaddi say as Lizzie grabbed hold of her surfboard and pulled in a long gasping breath.
‘I thought it might.’ Samantha grinned.
‘You cow.’ Jaddi laughed. ‘I can’t believe I’ve just wet myself. I’m going in search of a shower.’
‘Hold up,’ Samantha said. ‘I need the toilet after all that laughing.’ She let out a shaky sigh, before turning to Lizzie. ‘You coming, Liz?’
‘I’ll catch up in a minute,’ Lizzie replied, pulling herself back onto her surfboard. ‘I just need to get the water out of my eyes.’
‘Doesn’t look like you’ll be alone for long,’ Samantha said. ‘Ben’s commandeered a kayak.’
Lizzie rubbed her eyes with both hands as the sounds of Samantha and Jaddi’s laughter drifted further away.
‘Do you know how difficult it is,’ Ben said from beside her, ‘to balance a camera on your lap whilst steering a kayak over waves?’
She opened her eyes and felt the sting of the salty water and the glare of the sun on her irises. Lizzie waited a beat for her vision to focus. Then another second passed. And another.
A slow realisation began to dawn on her, sending a shiver of panic racing down her spine.