What happens after Trey

Chapter 1

*Dedicated to tianajade for the amazing cover she made :D

If you follow a relatively unknown coastline past the major holiday spots, you might come across a small beach community surrounding stretches of pale golden sand and an endless canvas of rippling blue seas. This is Needle Cove. Everyone staying in the Cove has most likely known each other since they were born. If you were to walk in, they'd most likely look at you like an alien, but don't take it personally, it's a habit. My family had been going there there every summer for as long as possible to catch up with friends we hadn't seen for the whole year. I was a Covie before I could walk. Of course back then my older brother was eager to show me off to the neighbours as his fantastic little sister. Mum was known as the best cake maker around and was counted on for any special occasion. Dad was the local fix-it man due to his superior knowledge of tools. Every year there were all the regular families; the Thompsons, the McNellys, the Rogers'. There were no secrets; everything was everyone else business, which was annoying but unavoidable. You'd think going to the same place year after year would get boring, I admit it would of if I didn't have the boys. Perry McNelly, Trey Rogers and I had been best friends since we'd met. They were like a couple of extra brothers, sweet and over-protective. The Cove was a second home and we had complete freedom to do whatever we wanted. Although the adults thought we were 'respectful young adults' we got up to some crazy stuff during the summers we spent together. I'd missed them a lot when Mum had gotten sick and we hadn't been able to go up to the beach. It was two years I spent missing them like crazy and feeling slightly jealous of them being up there together without me.

But then we were in the car, bags piled around us and Mum sitting in the front, completely healthy. The warm summer sun shone through the glass of the window onto my leg. I had my sunnies perched on my nose and my bikinis under my shorts and singlet. Once again it was just Mum, Dad and I; Harry hadn't come on holiday with us for six years but I didn't care. I craned my neck to see the faded wooden sign guarding a break in the dense trees. The car skidded over rough gravel and a burst of salty air hit me straight in the face. I inhaled deeply and broke out into a smile. I was home. I heard an excited yell and saw two grinning brown faces at the windows. Mum screamed in fright and I couldn't help bursting into laughter. I threw open my door eagerly and flew into the awaiting arms of my two best friends. We were all talking over each other and laughing madly before I took a step back to look at them closely. I pursed my lips and stepped around them, looking them up and down, before pacing back to face them.

"I doubt you'll fit in the cave with those muscles," I said with fake concern. They both broke into proud grins and began flexing dramatically.

"How about you put those muscles to use and bring in some bags," Dad called from the boot and we strolled over casually. The boys pulled two bags out at once and I grabbed one.

"Weak!" Perry coughed.

"Show off!" I retorted and he snickered childishly. He reached down to ruffle my hair and I threw a well-aimed elbow at his ribs while Trey just laughed. It was unbelievable how comfortable I felt to be back here, like I'd never been gone. It had always been a mystery to some people why I preferred to hang out with two boys. The truth was,  although there were a few girls my age that stayed in the neighbourhood, they weren't so much the kind of people I'd want to hang out with, more the ones I'd make fun of behind their backs. I just fit in better with the boys, probably because I'd rather wear jeans than a mini skirt and read a comic book instead of a fashion magazine.  It wasn't anyone's business who my friends were but I couldn't help noticing the disapproving tuts I got from mothers as we walked past. My own mother never minded when I invited the boys around, which was pretty much every third day when I wasn't at their houses, or when I came home with skinned knees from another adventure; she'd always been good like that.