California Dreaming

Chapter Five

   I was sat in my room, my desk cluttered with textbooks and highlighter pens from that afternoons work. There were worksheets and crib notes scattered across my bedroom floor and I was finding it hard to sort through it all in order to find the correct information I needed in order to complete the English essay I had been assigned. My phone buzzed, vibrating the whole desk, causing me to gasp from the unexpected noise. I lent over and peered at the text, willing to do anything in order to procrastinate further. 

   “Hey, why don’t you come out with us tonight? Gabes xxx.” 

   I bit my lip perturbedly and looked down at my empty notebook, twirling a black biro around my index finger and trying to ignore the guilt radiating from my chest. 

   “I’m not sure, I need to do that essay we were set xxx.” I replied, immediately anxious for what his response would be. 

   “I’ll come round tomorrow and we can plough on with it then, come on, it will be fun, I promise xxx.” 

   I was reluctant, but at this point, I was looking for anything to distract me, anything to put off the piece of work to a later date. 

   “Fine... xxx.” 

   “Great! We’ll pick you up at 6, bring a swimsuit, the alcohol is already covered ;)xxx.” 

   “Should I be worried?x.” 

   “Probably, see you soon! x.” 

   I looked at my alarm clock, trying to gauge how much time I had to get changed out of my uniform. I contemplated starting some other revision, but decided against it; I had the whole weekend ahead of me, there would be plenty of time. I was hoping Gabriel would come over and help which would be nice, I’d love to see him more. 

   I had floated off into a daydream, thinking of his tousled brown hair and dark, inky eyes. He had that signature Californian tan, which I envied so much, and the bone structure of an actor from Hollywood’s Golden Age. However, that wasn’t him, it didn’t define him. He didn’t choose to hide behind his looks, to use them for popularity or to get girls. Gabes seemed oblivious to the fact that he was so terribly beautiful, it wasn’t a label he wore, he didn’t rely on it. 

   The clock was ticking, and I felt incredibly small and insignificant when stood besides these beautiful, American girls. They were all so tall and willowy, with bronzed skin and perfectly primped hair. I really couldn’t see how a small town girl like me could compete with these girls; they all seemed to be surfers and models and honor students, as if they had come straight from a film. 

   I sighed before drifting over to my closet, thinking about what to wear, about what would make me seem most California-esque. He had said to bring a swimsuit which meant we were most likely going to the beach; the beach, I had missed it, I truly had. I picked out a plain black bikini and shivered as the wooden beads hanging from the neck ties knocked against my skin. I then grabbed a burgundy and white raglan shirt, which was baggy and reached inches past my hips. 

   There was a knock at the door, persistent, and I sighed dramatically; they were early. I hurried around my room, grabbing a towel, my phone and some money, Gabes’ t-shirt to return to him. 

   “Come on, Jia!” Gabriel’s voice echoed around my house, bouncing off the high ceilings and varnished floors. 

   “I’m coming, I’m coming!” I yelled back, rolling my eyes and throwing a bag over my shoulder, dashing down the stairs and nearly slipping on the final step. I pushed my Raybans onto my head, holding back my black hair from my eyes. I checked my reflection one last time in the brass lock of the front door, before puling it open, and beginning to grin.