A Walk On The Beach

Chapter 11

Girl

SPARKLY GOWNS AREN’T my thing at all. They’re too fancy. I like my cotton summer dresses. I don’t see the point in prancing around in heavy pink things. Sigh.

Mum is excited about the ball. She says that the relatives are going to be there and everything. Then Jasper has to go and ruin everything.

“Mum, she’s going to go all weird on us on that day – trust me,” he says.

Mum smoothes down her hair and says, “Honey, your sister will be fine, thanks for your concern. She is lovely. Why are you always so spiteful?”

Jasper rolls his eyes. He looks at me and says, “Just wait until one day, I forget.”

I can’t breathe. “Forget what?” I squeak.

“How to pretend. Your name. Everything,” he says. He laughs. “Don’t worry, Ally. That’s never going to happen. I promise.”

“You break your promises,” I say.

“No one forgets how to pretend,” he tells me. Then something changes in his eyes. “Just depends on when they get tired.”

“Of what?”

“Of playing along.”

Something happened a long time ago. Sorry, I happened a long time ago. I’ve always been this overemotional girl. I care, I really do. They think I’m pretending now. And they’re all just playing along.

But, really, it’s the other way around. I’m playing along while they’re pretending.

It’s all wrong. I thought...I thought I could keep it the same. But no. It’s not how it’s meant to be.

I thought I know I who I am. I never thought I'd still be searching. I change my name, the way I act. My parents don’t mind. They’ve never understood.

I’m scared.

I don’t know what, but I’m afraid of something.

Maybe I am the one pretending. Pretending I know what I’m doing when I obviously don’t. So who’s playing along?

Jasper’s stopped.

I know it.

What does this mean? That I can’t let anyone in anymore? That I can’t ever have any friends? I thought he was family.

I was wrong.

The first week in Hong Kong flew past.

“Ally, we have got to get you a dress for the Ball,” Mum tells me as she goes to get the hotel room door. She is texting on her Blackberry as she goes. She opens the door. “Hello! Thank you, I’ll take that. Here.”

She closes the door after she pays him. It was the hotel staff with her dry cleaning. “Ally?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you hear me, Ally?” she asks with fingers still on QWERTY keyboard.

“Yes, something about dresses,” I reply sweetly as I sort out my shell jewellery.

Mum pauses, slips her handy helper into back pocket, and says, “Well?”

I shrug, closing the jewellery box. “I might go and look at a few things if you promise that I don’t have to get any of those huge gowns. I'd never be able to stand in one of those things.”

Mum grins. “Thanks, sweetie.” Her phone beeps. She ignores it. “It’ll be so much fun!” Her phone beeps again.

“If you say so, Mother,” I say. “Oh, by the way, where’s Jasper and Dad?”

Mum shrugs, itching to reply to the text. I hold on a little longer. “Out.”

“I see. I thought this was a family holiday? A family treat?” I say, glancing at her pocket.

Mum looks at me guiltily. “Honey, I have to still manage the group. It’s something for me to work on when you guys are at school. I’m sorry if it ruins your holiday.”

“I liked it back on the Island,” I sigh.

“I know, honey, I know,” she says.

I smile. “Well, you better see who it is. I’ll go around by myself. It’ll be okay.”

She doesn’t look too pleased. “I’m worried about you, Ally, I really am. Cities aren’t the same as the Island. Maybe we should have thought about this first.”

I open my suitcase and pull out my denim jacket. “You should reply to that text now.”

I sit myself on a bench in the play park as I wait for Cameron. She’s so sweet. I like her a lot, but she’s late.

I allow myself a moment to think about that boy, who is always on my mind. I'd caught a glimpse of his blue eyes from his window. He’s not very good at observing people in secrecy. I think I like him. But what of it? He’s on the Island, and I don’t even know what he looks like fully. AND Stephanie likes him. She’s probably making out with him on the Island already.

What Stephanie wants, Stephanie gets. Wait, no, that’s also for Diana.

“What Diana wants, Diana gets.”

“What?” I’m surprised. Is someone reading my mind?

It’s Cameron – pink sunglasses, denim shorts and a cropped top. She sighs. “It’s Diana. She’s being a pain as always. She’s totally decided that she doesn’t want the diamond dress anymore. She heard from someone that yellow is the colour of the year.” She rolls her eyes.

“So, what, she’s going to get a yellow dress?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

She nods. “Yeah! Yellow is not the colour for Chinese people like us! She must know that! Mum and Dad are not happy bunnies, but it’s darling Diana. They can’t stand to see her unhappy!”

“Oh dear,” I say.

“I know.”

“So what’s going to happen to that other dress?” I ask.

Cameron’s eyes widen. “Oh you don’t want to know! They’re gonna give it to me so I don’t have to buy one for myself. I can’t wear that thing!”

“It’s heavy,” I muse.

“Way. I'd never be able to pull it off,” she says. She props the sunglasses on her head. “Okay, sorry about Diana talk. I know how you two aren’t the best of friends. So, where would you like to go?”

I shrug. “Oh, you’re my tour guide today. I don’t mind.”

She smiles. “How about something to eat?”

“I'd love to.”

“Come on, then!” She drags my up and we catch a red taxi.