No Problem

Chapter 4

                 

The next morning Liliana and I walked to the food hall in almost silence, only asking simple questions like, "Did you sleep well?"

She knew why I was annoyed at her: the fact that she took the chance to meet her boyfriend when I needed her most, when I needed her support - it drove me crazy.

Neither of us had seen Jay all morning, and I could tell she was worried about it simply by the position of her head: it was low, and looking at her feet, rather than her usual high-held position which made her look like she meant business.

The food hall gave me horrific reminders of being back in the school canteen: the waft of the hot battered food on the buffet table, the chatter vibrating around the room and having to shimmy through crowds of more and more people. I spotted a table in the far corner and made it my mission to get to it, hoping that Liliana was following me. Of course she didn't. As I sat down to mark it as my own territory, I saw that she had found Jay and was now sat with him, alongside a few other fit men and women who, I assumed, were the other leaders at this adventure camp Jay worked at.

                 

I sighed, feeling stupid that I was sat all alone in the corner, so went to go and get some Weetabix. When I returned, someone had sat in the seat opposite me. I blinked a couple of times realising my territory had been taken, and I scanned the room for another table isolated from the rest of the room, and took a second to regain my self - surprisingly phased by the fact that someone had taken my table.

As I started to shuffle away, the thief spoke up: "Hey! Hey, wait! Weren't you sitting here?"

I turned slowly back towards him. "Yes. Are you going to move?" I asked slightly too hopefully.

"Oh... Sorry. It's just, I don't know anyone here."

"So you thought stealing someone else's table was a good place to make friends?" I stated rather than asked, as I sat back down again.

"My names Mitchell. Are you at the adventure camp here too?" I rolled my eyes, the adventure camp wasn't created the last time I was here, and it was annoying that this had become a location for people to have fun, when it generally brought me back a lot of miserable memories.

"I'm Kadie and no, I'm taking a holiday with my best friend, except she's ditched me for her-" I paused, the clogs in my head slowly turning as I made the connections. "Is your leader called Jay?"

"No, I got Scott. I mean he's cute, but everyone wants to be put in Jay's group because he's hot and lovely so his group is pretty much just girls." My eyes slowly widened as I took in what he was saying.

"Are you gay?" I asked, wanting to snort slightly, it was 2015 and it's not that the thought surprised me; it was just interesting to learn more about this charismatic lad.

"Yeah, well no, not at the moment, I have a girlfriend- I'm bi. Speak of the devil - here she comes." I frowned.

"I thought you didn't know anyone here..."

"No, it was the only table left and you looked lonely so I lied, sorry." I grimaced at his remark, I had been on the island for less than 24 hours and I had already been used.

"Hey, Sinead, this is Kadie." Mitchell introduced us, as if he'd known me for years.

"Hello there, and I'm sorry." Her northern Irish accent made her words sound so innocent and calming when it was combined with the softness of her voice.

"Sorry for what?" I asked

"Whatever Mitchell has said. I'm sorry. He's probably already made some offensive remark to you..." She trailed off and I started laughing, liking Sinead already.

The adventure camp leaders stood up, gesturing for the others to do the same. I walked out of the hall with Sinead and Mitchell, seeing as Liliana seemed to be doing the same. I walked with them down to the beach and saw Lil sat on the sand on her own: watching Jay run off with the rest of his team. I perched down next to her and sighed.

"Go on then. Explain yourself. Where'd you meet?" She turned her head, clearly surprised that I had taken an interest into their relationship so abruptly.

"He went to my school. Obviously he's three years above me, but I used to see him walking around and just thought he was so cool, and so hot, and so nice. I had a crush on him for years, until he left - I got over him, moved on, I mean, I hadn't even spoken to the guy at that point. Then me and mum came down here last summer and-"

"Wait, what?" I asked; shocked that they'd come here without me after what had happened.

"Oh get over yourself Kadie. Mum and I came down here every year before you came with us. After that we didn't come for a few years, until last summer. Anyway, I saw Jay, and accidentally bumped into him a few times. We finally got talking and things just progressed from there."

"What's it like having a long distance relationship?" I asked, sympathetically.

"It's hard, but we kind of work around it, and it makes the times, when we are together, even more special, you know?" No, I don't. I thought.

I picked up a round pebble and threw it into the water, the satisfying plop sound giving me the courage to pick up another one and repeat the movement.

"Why did you come with me Lil? Was it just to see him?" She was silent, but I didn't need an answer. She had been so eager to go away with me and now I knew why. I had been thinking about it after Jay left the games room, as well as why he had been crying. I was tempted to ask Liliana, but I didn't want to worry her if something was wrong and he was keeping it from her.

"How does it feel?" Liliana asked, out of the blue. "Being back here, I mean." I shrugged, mainly because I didn't want to answer the question rather than because I didn't know.  It was such a sudden change in topics, perhaps because she was feeling guilty about her reason for being here.

I took the bottom of my top and wrapped it around my finger a few times, trying to come up with an answer for myself more than for Liliana. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. The emotions were there, I just couldn't put them into words.