Getaway

Chapter 2

The boy – Fletcher – feigned feeling hurt causing me to hold back a grin of my own. He appeared to be an idiot, a cute idiot. Those were stupid thoughts to be thinking I reminded myself, for one I was on holiday and the last thing I needed right now was a holiday romance that obviously was never going to last and secondly, Fletcher didn’t exactly seem like the type of guy I usually went for.

That is I usually went for the hot, muscled, popular guys. Fletcher was lanky and he was, to put it simply, a dork. I could tell that already.

“Well aren’t you just a ray of sunshine.” He teased, those stupid, stupid dimples appearing once again, “You know if I wasn’t in such desperate need for a friend then I’d probably walk away from you right now.”

“And that would be a bad thing because...?”

“Your words hurt. And yet I see the real you, the true you, the kind you, underneath and so I will persist in my valiant efforts.” Fletcher promised.

I looked over at him, was he for real?

Never before had I met a teenage boy who used the words persist and valiant in normal conversation, especially not when they were talking to a girl. Now Fletcher wasn’t necessarily trying to impress me, but if he was then he was doing a terrible job of it.

“Well, you’ll have to give up eventually.” I said and it was true. I was never, ever going to take this guy seriously, and I was leaving in twelve days anyway.

“You have such little faith.”

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“I know.”

“They why did you...?”

Before I was forced to explain to Fletcher that I found him insanely irritating and so was trying to confuse him on purpose, the entertainment staff – who later introduced themselves as Deko, Freddie and K2 (you don’t even want to know) – gathered us all around to discuss the rules of volleyball.

Having played volleyball since I was young I tuned out of the conversation, instead searching for the fourth entertainment team member who – I presumed – had disappeared off to recruit people for yet another pointless activity.

“Hey Nell.” Fletcher’s voice was close to my ear and his breath warm on the side of my neck.

“I told you not to call me that.”

“I know.”

“What do you want?” I asked, my voice sharp.

This boy had somehow gained the ability to annoy me already. I wasn’t exactly the most patient person but nobody usually infuriated me this much.

“How come you’re not listening to the rules?”

“I am.”

“No you’re not. You’re gazing off into the distance, it’s kind of cliché actually.” Fletcher pointed out. I resisted the urge to elbow him in the ribs. (See Headmistress Jones I do have some self-control).

“Whatever. Why aren’t you listening to the rules?” I retorted.

“Who says I’m not?”

“You’re talking to me; you can’t be listening to the rules.” I reminded him.

“You’re right.” Fletcher agreed, “You’re obviously a terrible influence on me. My parents won’t be impressed with my new choice of friend.”

It took me a second too long to realise what Fletcher had just called me.

“I’m not your friend.” I hissed, we were starting to garner strange looks from the other members of our group.