An unexpected life

It's all in the chase

       Last time I had to share a room with more than one person was back in school when we were sent away to camp for the week. It was my worst nightmare, they had split me Jem, Sophie and Hannah up and I had to share with two of the biggest bullies in my year. They insisted in putting a number of different objects including cream into my shoes, stripping my bed covers off so I had to sleep on a bare bed and waking me up at all hours of the morning. Luckily sharing a room this time around was different, we spent hours talking away and drinking and having fun. The girl who we shared with comes from Ireland and she was currently backpacking her way around Australia by herself. Her name was Siobhan and she had just graduated university. We had a lot in common with her and really enjoyed her company and our little party was only going to get better. Hannah was due to be flying out and sharing the rest of the Australia trip with us which I was ecstatic about. Despite all my other so called friends being complete bitches to me or just you know...sleeping with my boyfriend, Hannah was the light to my past. We had been best friends forever and I knew I could trust her completely and she and Natalie also had this extraordinary friendship which sparked off almost straight away. When she found out me and Natalie were together she didn't ask any questions and accepted it completely. Looking forward to seeing her was definitely an understatement.

  "Are you guys coming to the Hostel party later?" Siobhan asks.

   "What party?" I ask way too perkily.

    "They have one once a month, all drinks are free and they have a BBQ and a DJ" she replies.

   I watch as Natalie perks up at the mention of a free for all bar. "We'll be there" she adds without discussion. Luckily I wanted to go anyway.

    "Awesome" Siobhan smiles taking a run and jump into the pool.

    "I hope Hannah will be here in time for the party" I sigh.

    "Party?" a voice says from behind us. There's only person that voice belongs to as I quickly jump up from my reclined position and jumps onto Hannah. Natalie also enthusiastically gets up and joins me in smothering Hannah. "Whoa as much as I love the welcoming party I can't...breathe" she mumbles from somewhere inside the scrum. We reluctantly drop our arms to let Hannah breathe and speak. "I'm happy to see you two too. And I'm totally in for the party" she beams.

    "By the way you're sharing a room with us" I quickly add.

    "Really? No single rooms?" she asks in disappointed voice. "It'll be just like school camp over again" she suddenly smiles. "Just make sure I'm out of the room first" she adds looking between me and Natalie.

   Confused I watch as Natalie throws her arm around Hannah. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather join in?" she asks in a sexy voice. Suddenly I get what Hannah meant. I was definitely slowing up in my witty replies.

   "As hot as it might be, no I'd rather not" Hannah replies shoving Natalie's arm off of her shoulders.

   Siobhan pulls herself out of the pool and walks over to our gathering. "Hi I'm Siobhan, you must be Hannah?" she says holding her hand out for Hannah to shake. Hannah takes her hand before looking at me with her eyebrows raised.

   "Yeah we're sharing our room with Siobhan" I quickly mumble.

   "But we only have 3 beds" Siobhan cuts in.

    "I can confirm that, that won't be a problem, Hannah will obviously share my bed Natalie grins."

    "But I thought you two..." Siobhan trails off.

    "She's just kidding, you guys take the two beds and I will share with Nat" I quickly reply to stop Natalie's sarcastic remarks confusing Siobhan any further.

Luckily a hostel party isn't thing like the clubs Natalie was used to, here board shorts and t-shirts were the norm. We quickly made our way to the open bar which of course had never served the champagne that Natalie was used to in its entire life.

      "Vodka shots it is" I say triumphantly.

     "But you know quickly I get drunk on vodka" Natalie grumbles as I hand the shot glasses around. We all quickly down it, I almost choke mine out watching Natalie's face crumple up in disgust. I quickly return to the bar to get some more shots handing them around again. "And if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to get me drunk" Natalie complains.

   "Paybacks a bitch" I grin. In reality though the shots were hitting me like a brick wall, Natalie handled her drinks a lot better than I did.

   "Let's dance" I say pulling Natalie from the bar area to what had been turned into the dance floor, the music was actually pretty good.

   We left Siobhan and Hannah talking to the same guy who had greeted us when we had arrived. I throw my arms around her neck as we dance to the music. Suddenly I feel Natalie stop moving before she quickly grabs my hand from her neck, I turn to the direction she was looking in before noticing a familiar face. I remember that she had mentioned she was coming to Australia, but honestly at the same resort? It had to be some sort of joke. I could see Natalie tense.  

Natalie POV

It wasn't like we had travelled around the world or anything I thought sarcastically to myself as I watched someone who I thought we'd never see again saunter over to us. I frowned to myself annoyed that out of all the possible places in the world she would be here, in the place we were staying. Memories flood back into my mind as I remember her sliding her hands down Lisa's back in the club, I shudder at the thought of her hands being anywhere near her. I feel Lisa's hand tighten around mine as I soon realise that she has also noticed her. I take a look at her face but Lisa's showing no emotion although I have a feeling she isn't happy with this encounter. I wouldn't let her anywhere near Lisa. I knew how much the girl creeped her out after an encounter in Lisa's workplace. I squeeze her hand in reassurance as the blonde girl made her way through the crowd towards us. I wasn't worried about Lisa ever going off with her but if I knew this girls type I knew she was persistent and she wouldn't give up in making Lisa feel as unconformable as she did right now. I knew jealousy had overtaken my usually cool mind in California. But I could see how genuine Lauren was and how easily it would be for Lisa to match her, I could see that Lis enjoyed her company. In this case though it definitely wasn't jealousy clouding my mind as much as it was annoyance. I guessed the girl hadn't changed much either as she eventually approached us looking Lisa up and down.

   "Oh wow out of all the places" she says annoyingly chirpily. She looks briefly towards me. "Oh yeah we briefly met" she adds as if I've just appeared from nowhere.

   "Natalie" I grimace before adding "I remember."

   "Alex" she replies coldly before turning back towards Lisa who looked increasingly uncomfortable. "Lisa wasn't it?" she says holding out her handing forcing Lisa to drop my hand to shake hers. I decided there and then that I would do anything to keep this bitch away from Lisa.

  "Lisa babe, go and get us some drinks?" I practically order but she looks thankful as she nods leaving this awkward situation behind her and leaving me and Alex alone. "You do realise Lisa would never be interested?"

   "I know...but the real thrill is the chase. Don't you agree?" she smiles sultrily.

   "But there has to be some sort of prize at the end surely?" I questioned "and Lisa won't be it" I snap.  She looks at me squinting as if she's deciding on something before her mouth turns up into another smile.

   "What if you were the prize?" she asks. I felt sick.

   "Then there would be a chase" I reply before even thinking. It felt like cheating but I needed to beat her at her own game. I turn and briefly brush past her to grab my drink from the approaching Lisa. I see her eyes flicker to Lisa but soon rest back on me. As long as we were staying here the chase she spoke about would never be on Lisa and she would never be her prize.