The City Girl & The Seaside Boy

Forest Fun

"Are you sure it's safe up here?" I asked uncertainly. Tina laughed, hiking up ahead of me further into the forest. "Of course it's safe! Otherwise I wouldn't have brought you here!" she said and I nodded. Tina had asked me if I wanted to hang out and, after saying yes, she asked me to meet her by the edge of the forest. Apparently she had something cool to show me.

I ducked underneath a low branch, a few leaves getting stuck in my hair. I plucked them out with a sigh, quickening my pace to catch up with Tina. The clothes Tina was wearing now was a massive contrast compared to her Coffee Shop uniform I had first met her in. At the moment she was wearing a colourful t-shirt with reds and oranges and pinks with a pair of beige trousers and black hiking boots. I hadn't come as prepared as her in footwear and only had my trainers. Leaves crunched underfoot and twigs snapped every few steps. The forest was lush and green with gnarled roots and twisted trunks. I couldn't help staring in awe at everything. I had never been this deep into a forest.

Finally, we reached the top of the small hill we were climbing and the trees became fewer and fewer until we were standing at a clearing by the edge of a cliff. Tina approached the edge and beckoned me to follow. "Look!" she whispered excitedly and I gazed into the distance. Pretty sandstone houses with red roofs were dotted around the area. Winding roads linked the streets and I could just about make out the shopping area of town. Upon the horizon was a ribbon of blue: the sea, the sun shining brightly upon it and reflecting the fluffy white clouds. "Wow..." I murmured. The view from up here was beautiful. "I know. Look...can you see those boats in the distance?" she pointed and I nodded as she smiled proudly.
"My dad's on one of them! He's a fisherman," she said and I grinned.
"Have you ever been on his boat?" I asked, turning to look at her.
"Ugh...yes. I get sea sick pretty easily," she said bitterly and I laughed.
"I wish my dad had a job like your dad's. My dad is a teacher," I sighed and Tina pulled a face.
"Ouch," she said. "Is he strict?"
"For some things," I shrugged.

Just then there was a sound like a revving engine and Tina and I looked over the edge of the cliff to see a few motorbikes and a rundown car at the bottom. Boys surrounded the vehicles looking up and calling to us. "Jump down! I'll catch you!" one of them shouted and Tina made a disgusted sound.
"That's Chester's group, isn't it?" I said grimly and Tina laughed without humour.
"Yep. Chester and his motorbike gang. Kind of ironic that he doesn't actually have a motorbike," she said and I smirked.
"Should we go down and see what they want?" I asked.
"Maybe...Or we could take a shortcut and go straight back to town?" Tina suggested.
"I like that idea better!" I agreed with a grin. Tina smiled back and backed up from the cliff edge, heading back into the maze of trees. "Come on then, this way."

Once we reached the end of the forest we stepped back onto the road a few miles down from where we had went up. The shade from the trees was left behind and I groaned in the boiling heat. I angrily removed the colourful bands I always wore from around my wrist and shoved them in my pocket, pushing my hair back from my face. Tina put her hands on her hips, breathing heavily, looking down the road to the right. "Do you hear something?" she asked me and at first I simply frowned. But then I did hear something and I scowled at the motorbikes as they came driving along towards us.

The boys riding them revved the engines and a few sped past us, performing tricks and circling back and forward. Then the ancient-looking, roofless car drove up and parked. A teenage boy kept over the car door and pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead. His mouth quirked up at the corner as he looked us over. I narrowed my eyes at him and he crossed his arms. "And what are you two lovely girls doing up in the forest?" he asked in amusement and Tina sighed in a fed up manner.
"Hiking," she said simply. "Now scram."
"Hang on," another boy bounded over. It was the boy Toby, his sandy blond hair messily brushed back from his forehead, his blue eyes bright with mischief. "Wouldn't the two of you like a ride back?" he inquired, but I had a feeling he wanted more than to just give us a 'ride back'.

"No thanks," I replied confidently. "We'll walk."
"Are you sure? It's a long walk and you've already done a lot of walking in that forest," Toby said. Then he looked solely at Tina with a smug grin. "Besides, it's not often a handsome guy offers to give you a ride on his motorbike..."
"Ugh!" I scoffed. "Are you all this narcissistic?" I asked and a few of the boys laughed, imitating my voice in a particularly mocking way.
"It would be faster, Aria," Tina said quietly and I gaped at her.
"Are you serious?" I demanded and she shrugged with a sheepish smile.

"Well then!" Toby grabbed Tina's hand and started dragging her towards his motorbike. "You can have my helmet. Come on, don't be shy," he said, positioning himself on the motorbike and handing her the helmet.
"What about Aria?" she looked back anxiously at me.
"I'll take her," someone said. I glanced at Chester who had raised his hand and I glared at him. "N-no. I said I'll walk!" I stuttered and he narrowed his eyes with a smile.
"I'm not that bad a driver," he said and I crossed my arms.
"I just don't want you to drive me. I'll get home myself."
"Aria-" Tina started but I cut her off.
"It's fine. Go have fun," I put on a smile for her and she awkwardly returned it. Then she wrapped her arms around a grinning Toby and they drove off, followed by the rest of them. All of them, apart from Chester.