Undercurrent

Chapter 1

I ran out of the school gates. Finally, finally free. Okay, so my last GCSE hadn't really gone to plan but at least it was done. Who needs geography anyway? The summer was stretching out ahead of me. Six glorious weeks before I had to start at the college across town.

I made my way through the village towards the edge of the coast. As usual, I didn't bother taking the path down to the sand. It was much quicker to climb down the rocks. I knew Zach would be waiting at the bottom.

"About time!" he said, as I slung my bag onto the ground and took a spot on my rock. I pulled a face at him and elbowed him sharply.

"So, you're finally done!" he grinned. "Free to enjoy yourself for the summer?"

"Not really," I grimaced. "Got to work at the café most days. Perks of being the owner's daughter I guess."

"It's money though," Zach shrugged. He was right, I suppose.

"Anyway," I said. "At least we'll get plenty of time to hang out before college starts. I barely see you in term time."

"Nina, you see me almost every day," he laughed, putting his arm round my shoulders, the sleeve of his too small hoodie riding up at the wrist.

"Not properly, not since you moved schools," I said, leaning into his shoulder. "Still can't believe you left me to fend for myself for the last five years."

"Hey, it wasn't my choice. Not my fault they didn't have a place for me in the end. You know I'd have been there if I could."

Here we were again: the mystery that had somehow never been resolved.

For some reason, Zach's application hadn't gone through properly back when we'd started six years ago, so he hadn't been able to come to school with me after all. All those plans to sit together in every class and not have to make new friends had gone out of the window. Well, not all of it, I guess: I hadn't made any new friends.

"Anyway," he went on. "We've always made up for it in the holidays. Do you remember when we used to spend every day down here? Playing silly games and making up stories."

"We'd be gone for hours," I smiled, remembering. "You were always so obsessed with hide and seek."

"Nowhere for us to hide now though," he said. "Not since they filled in all the rock caves."

"We're probably too old for that now, anyway," I mumbled.

"I think you always were."

I'd always been so keen to grow up, to be older, cooler, wiser. Turns out, as the years passed, I was only one of those things. Now though, I could see the attraction of staying young, of going back to how things were when we were eleven. Nothing to worry about, other than who would win the silly games at the beach.

*

"Hey, Nini," Mum's flustered voice called over as I came through the door. "Can you take over for a bit? I need to run down to the post office."

"Sure," I sighed, setting down my backpack behind the counter and catching the apron that she threw towards me as she flew out of the door. It was going to be another long night at the till.

The Seashell Café was Mum's newest venture. After spending forever as a teacher, she'd decided to pack it all in and buy a run-down café by the beach. Secretly, I was proud of her for doing something so brave, so unlike her. The downside was that since opening a couple of months ago, I was regularly drafted in as low-paid, sometimes free, labour.

She'd spent the last six months completely gutting the old shack. Most of it she'd done herself or dragged me out of bed early on Saturday mornings to help her. I'd started to think I'd never get the smell of paint and bleach off my hands.

Mum seemed to think it was good to keep me busy. Since there was just the two of us, I guess she felt a bit guilty leaving me home alone all the time, so this was her way of keeping me occupied. To stop me "moping around the house" as she put it.

Now, we were open and business was good. It was the summer season after all, so locals and tourists were keeping the seaside town busy. And so, I'd found myself landed with a summer job that I hadn't asked for.

I'm not sure Mum had really thought it through; I wasn't exactly the best choice to be the friendly face of the local beachside café.

*

The bell above the door rang again as I finished restocking the drinks fridge. I looked up and sighed as two girls and a boy around my own age walked in. This was the worst thing about working at the café. I wasn't great at socialising at the best of times but stood wearing a greasy apron with strands of my fringe stuck to my forehead made that even more difficult.

I watched as they sat at the table in the corner, chatting happily. Not for the first time, I wondered whether I could have been part of that if I'd managed to let go of Zach a little bit. Maybe. Mum had said a few times that I needed to put myself out there, start saying yes to the invitations before they stopped asking. She was right. They did stop.

"Hey, can we order some drinks please?" A voice snapped me out of my own thoughts.

The blonde girl from the group had come to the counter and was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I wondered how long she'd been there, waiting for me to notice. Internally, I cringed. This was why I'd spent the last six years eating lunch alone. This was why Mum really shouldn't leave me in charge of the café.

"Oh God, yeah, sure," I stuttered. "Sorry." I cursed myself inwardly for being so bloody awkward all the time, wiping my clammy hands on the apron. "Erm, yeah. What can I get you?"

She smiled at me. "Three milkshakes, please. Two chocolate, one banana."

"No problem. I'll bring them over."

She smiled again and went to sit down. Her friends were laughing as she joined them. Were they laughing at me? Maybe. I shook myself.

Don't be stupid. Not everything's about you, Nina.