"This reminds me of when we went to Gobblers End. Shit-show that was" Freddie said.
We were all piled into the car once again, but going to the beach this time. Effy and Freds were up front, while the rest of us were crushing each other in the back two rows.
"War flashbacks" I replied, reaching up to touch the scar above my eye.
"Yeah, remember how I wasn't invited?" Cook said, raising his eyebrows.
"Alright alright we said were sorry" I said, before kissing him on the cheek.
"Whatever" He looked down, trying to hide his smile.
"Anyway, are we actually going the right way this time?" JJ asked.
"Yeah, I don't want to see any creepy fucking poachers again" Emily said.
"As long as Katie isn't giving directions, I think we'll be fine" Effy joked.
"It wasn't even me! It was that shitty map" Katie frowned, crossing her arms.
"The map that you had upside down.." Naomi murmured, before receiving a glare from Katie.
"Well next time ask Kal to give directions then" She said, rolling her eyes.
"Kal? She'll be too busy staring at Cook" Freddie laughed.
"What?" I said, taking my eyes off Cook and frowning at Freddie.
"Whatever, we're almost there" Effy laughed.
We made it to the beach, parked and dumped our stuff on the sand. It was in the middle of nowhere, a patch of sand with hills and cliffs scattered around it.
"Right, who's up for a swim?" Cook asked.
"Me!" Everyone replied.
"Not me" I said.
"What?" Cook frowned.
"The waters gonna be freezing, i'll just stay back and watch you guys" I shrugged.
Cook stared at me for a moment with a gleam in his eye.
"Don't you fucking dare-" I said, before he threw me over his shoulder and ran towards the water.
The others stripped down and came after us, laughing. I screamed as Cook dropped me in, dunking me under. I was right- it was fucking freezing.
"Cook, I am going to fucking kill you!" I yelled, before he pushed me under again.
I came up and grabbed his arm, pulling him in with me. He laughed and tried to push me away while I splashed him over and over. I pushed his head underwater again, but suddenly he didn't come back up.
"...Cook?" I said, looking around the water.
He suddenly came up underneath me, lifting me onto his shoulders.
"You scared me you bastard!" I laughed, kicking my feet against his chest.
We all eventually got used to the water and swam around, laughing and splashing each other for hours as the sun started to go down. Thomas blew up a beach ball, which was cautiously tossed between us as we tried not to let it drift out to sea.
I climbed out after a while, walked up onto a cliff and ran to the edge, staring out. Everyone looked like tiny dots in the water down below. I sat sat down on a patch of grass and laid my soaking clothes out in an attempt for them to dry, before leaning back and staring up at the clouds.
"Looking good princess" Cook suddenly said, walking up to me.
"Hm, no thanks to you" I replied.
"Yes thanks to me!" He laughed.
He came and laid down next to me, offering me the joint that was between his fingers. I took a hit and passed it back to him.
"Cook?"
"Yeah babe?"
"I'm glad you came back with us.. after you ran away" I said.
"I'm glad you came to get me. Fuck knows what would have happened if I stayed.." He replied.
"Do you ever..regret leaving him?"
"My dad?"
I nodded.
"Nope. I know what he's really like now" He shrugged.
"I know how that feels. I don't miss my Mom anymore"
"D'you think she'll ever come back?"
"Maybe one day. But she's been away for years. She still blames me and Liv for Dad.. committing and stuff.."
"..D'you miss her?"
I shook my head.
"Nope. Ive got you aint I? You, JJ, Freds. Those crazy fuckers" I smiled, nodding at everyone running around on the sand. "I don't need anyone else now"
He sat up on his elbow and took my hand.
"It's you and me Kal. No one else understands"
He smiled at me, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear. He let his hand fall to my cheek and stay there for a moment, before he pulled me on top of him, into a kiss.
Effy later walked up, went to the edge of the cliff and sat there, with her legs dangling off. I left Cook and joined her.
"Be careful Eff. It's a long drop" I smiled, sitting next to her cautiously.
"Be a long time dead" She smiled back.
"Yep"
We sat silently, staring out for a short while.
"D'you remember.. that one time in Pandora's bathroom?"
I thought for a second.
"At her party?"
"Yeah" She nodded.
"What about it?"
"If you didn't tell me to go and talk to Fred's, I don't think i'd be with him now" She said.
"I'm a matchmaker am I?" I joked.
"Looks like it. Thanks for that.."
"No problem" I smiled, and took her hand.
Everyone else then came back, holding something in their hands.
"We were wondering where you three went" Thomas said.
"We come bearing gifts" Freddie said.
"We brought chips! Look!" Pandora exclaimed.
We all shared them around, passing a bottle of wine between us and laughing at absolutely nothing.
"Hey, you guys brought the stuff with you right?" I asked, recovering from our laughing fits.
"Erm..no" Thomas answered, shaking his head.
"Why?" Katie frowned.
"The tide comes in" I said.
"The tide?" Effy frowned.
"Yeah all our stuff will be washed out to sea" I laughed.
The others silently looked round at each other, guilty looks on their faces.
"Guys!" Emily suddenly shouted, looking over the edge of the cliff. We all scrambled to our feet and looked over..to find all our bags floating out to sea.
"SHIT!" We yelled, before frantically running down the hill.