*Dedication to Saymyname for always commenting something that makes me smile :) :D Go check out her stuff too :)
Chapter Nine
“Wake up Jennings we’re here,” I heard someone shout whilst elbowing me in the side. Snapping open my eyes, I almost screamed.
“Tell me this is a dream,” I whispered under my breath.
“Sorry Jennings, but even though you were just snoring away, this is real.”
“Pinch me!” I yelled. Feeling something pinch my skin hard, I let out a yelp.
“Come on Jennings, like I said, we’re here!” he pulled me up from my seat and literally dragged me from the bus. Not knowing where we were at all, I staggered over to the pavement after him. Looking at the huge clock on the church, I saw it was around 11.30am. We had been on the bus for just over an hour.
“Jackson, where the hell are we?” He just tapped his nose. This boy was so confusing. Realising that he was on the move, I picked up my pace and caught up with him.
That was when I saw it. The beautiful golden sand stretched out, starting from about one hundred metres in front of me. The sea looked so peaceful and calm making me itch to go and paddle in it. The smell of the seaside entered my nose and I was in heaven. Of all people, Lewis Jackson had taken me to my favourite place.
“You can close your mouth now Jennings,” he chuckled. Coming back to my senses, I closed my mouth which had dropped open in surprise and realise exactly who I was with. But the strange thing was, I was speechless.
Neither of us saying anything, we absent-mindedly crossed the road to the beach area.
“I’ll race you to the sea Jennings,” he called, already running off in the direction of the cool water. Like children, we raced across the sand, laughing at each other as we tripped over the larger pebbles. It was so relaxed – so unlike us.
Chucking off my shoes and socks, I shouted “I win,” and then stepped into the water – and screamed. “It’s freezing!” Lewis stood there, feet still in shoes, letting out hearty laughs at my expense.
“I didn’t say we had to go in,” he chuckled.
“Lewis Jackson – you are so dead!” Running back out of the sea, I grabbed his hand and pulled him with all that I had until he had to literally kick off his shoes to stop them from getting wet.
“Crikey Jennings – you were right for a change,” he shouted whilst hopping in and out of the icy water. “It’s freezing in here!” Laughing, I scooped some of the water from the sea and threw it at him. His face was the funniest thing I had seen in a long while.
“Payback for making me go in,” I explained whilst he still stood their dumbstruck.
Finally coming back to the real world, he got his own back. Lifting his foot out of the water, he kicked the surface so it splattered my clothes.
“Revenge is sweet Jennings!” he called, and then ran back on to the sand, getting the dry sand all over his feet. Shocked from how wet he had made me, I stood there, my arms dripping water.
“I’ll get you back Jackson,” I fumed, finally coming out of the water. The dry sand irritated my wet feet.
“No chance,” he stated, sure of himself, and then we both ran together back down the beach.
Finding a spot, he laid out a towel and told me to dry off and wait here for him.
“You aren’t going to ditch me Jackson?” I complained.
“Wouldn’t think of it.” He smiled cutely. No Lacey, you don’t think he’s cute, I scolded myself as I admired the way he jogged up the steps until I couldn’t see him anymore. He’s made the last few days of your life a living nightmare, you cannot possibly think he’s cute – you’re as bad as Em! I continued having a miniature argument with myself whilst drying my feet on the towel and putting my shoes back on. I didn’t notice the presence next to me until the smelt the fish and chips.
Sitting down, Lewis handed me some food wrapped in traditional fish and chip shop paper.
“Jackson, I don’t like fish,” I complained.
“That’s why you have sausage dopey,” he replied cockily. Sure enough, when I opened the paper, there wasn’t any fish.
“How did you know?”
“Your Mum told me,” he chuckled. Wow, he was prepared. Not replying, I tucked into the food. It was good, I thought.
After he had finished, he began to talk again. “I used to come here a lot as a kid,” he began. “Dad used to take me, and we’d sit right in this spot, eating fish and chips – sometimes until the sun set. Then we’d go to the amusements and play on the slot machines; that was always fun.”
“How come you don’t go anymore?” I asked, but then regretted it, as he stayed silent for a few minutes. I had a feeling I was seeing a different side to the boy that had irritated me for most of my life. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“No, it’s okay. Dad had an affair, and now I don’t see him.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
I let him sit there in silence for a while longer while I thought about him. Why had he taken me to this place? We hated each other. We were just two people who were forced to sit next to each other. I didn’t understand our relationship, and especially didn’t understand my own feelings. I hated him – I always had, but how could I hate him after he told me that?
“Come on Jackson, show me where the best arcade is,” I said, breaking the silence and pulling him on to his feet. I couldn’t stand the quiet any longer. Smiling faintly, he took hold of my hand. Forgetting all about the moment we just shared, I slapped it away. “You’re pushing it Jackson.” Glad that he wasn’t too bothered, he beckoned me to follow him. We strolled away from the beach, and into the little seaside town. On the corner was an arcade called ‘Seaside Arcade’. Not very original.
“This one was always the best,” he explained, noticing me frowning at the name.
Inside, it was a regular arcade with slot machines and those grabber things where you can win a teddy but never do.
“Jackson come dance mat with me!” I yelled over the noise of the games and pulled his arm so he followed me to the dance mat. I’d always loved going on them whilst on holiday.
“If I win, you have to buy me some two pence coins,” he bargained.
“And if I win, you have to win me a teddy,” I returned.
“Deal.” Slotting two coins into the machine, I told him he could select the first song. He chose one I’d never done before. “What level?” he asked. I smiled. It was up to him, I could do any.
“Your choice Jackson.” He picked intermediate, which suited me, as I would easily pass it.
The music came on and I began to stomp on the arrows in time. My combo reached one hundred, and I missed one.
“Damn,” I muttered under my breath as my concentration had slipped for a slight second. Lewis laughed from beside me. Finally, the last arrow came up and the game was finished. Confident that I had won, I said, “Go win a teddy then.” However Lewis didn’t move.
“I think you’ll find, Jennings, that I won,” he contradicted, pointing to the screen. “Go get me some two pence coins.” Staring dumbstruck at the screen, I realised that he was right. I had lost.
“Did I ever tell you I hated you, Jackson?”
“Many times.”
“Well hear it again. I. Hate. You!” I shouted, but my heart wasn’t in the words. At least he knew I was joking.
“I know it’s not true Jennings.”
I gave in and bought him some two pence coins, and we both slotted them into the machine and won some back. We both got some tickets and I gave them to him, because I didn’t have enough for a prize.
“I’m just going to the toilet,” I told him when all the coins were used up. After he nodded, I walked over to the toilets and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair had all fallen out of the bun, the small amount of make up I had worn had smudged; giving me panda eyes and my clothes were creased. I looked like a mess. Taking my hair down, I let it fall in its natural waves. I wiped the smudge from under my eyes, but I couldn’t let do anything about the clothes.
I couldn’t find Lewis when I went back into the main arcade. He must have gone to the toilets too, so I took out a fifty pence piece and put it into a machine, where you had to stomp on the red button which was flashing at the time. When the game began, it was simple, but eventually, they went so fast that I couldn’t keep up.
“Stupid game,” I muttered as it told me I had lost.
“I’ve said this before, but Jennings, you’re cute when you’re angry.” Lewis had returned, and had his arms behind his back.
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically. He just chuckled again. Jackson seemed to find me funny.
I started to walk away from him, but he pulled me back. After a serious sense of deja-vu, I realised what he was doing.
“I got you a teddy, Jennings.” How cliché was that?
hey. so how was it? It's longer haha - as promised XD
So maybe I'll have to update less frequently, i have LOTS of homework because my first GCSE exam is may 16th.
But! I'll still update quickish. :P As fast as i can. I have the holidays to do it in soon woohoo!