A/N: Thank you so much for reading so far! I'm still not sure how many chapters there's going to be, but I hope you'll still carry on reading and commenting :) thank you, and take care! Love Maddie, xoxo
Morgie woke up late. The sun was shining low through the curtains, highlighting Laurel’s empty bed, the empty chair. She sat up, bleary eyed.
Why was she so tired? Her mind ran over last night’s events, vague memories finally slotting together to create a crisper picture in her mind. Ah yes.
She could still feel Oscar’s arms around her. The lingering feeling of his touch upon her skin still haunted her, the way there’d been an almost awkward silence at the end of their goodnight hug, like that moment at the end of a first date, where the atmosphere almost seemed to be a prelude for a kiss.
She rubbed her eyes. He’d been so endearing, with his smile, his sudden bouts of seriousness. There had been a hint of vulnerability there, one which she wondered if he’d been striving to hide, but it was there, peeping out at her, practically begging her to explore more.
She’d wondered if the connection she felt with Oscar had been purely physical, a match of senses of humour. But last night had made her realize that there was more to it. They thought the same way, had the same ideology. In short, they understood each other: he just got her, and she just got him.
‘Murrrr.’ Flopping back onto her pillows, Morgie pulled the duvet over her head. She was too sleepy to be over analyzing.
April appeared from around the corner, dressed in just a towel, her hair wet. ‘Alright, sleepy head?’ she asked, with a sunny smile.
‘Tired,’ Morgie replied.
April plopped down onto the bottom of the bed, touching her friend’s shoulder. ‘I should think so too,’ she said. ‘You came in late.’
Morgie peered out from underneath the covers. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Did I wake you?’
April shook her head. ‘No, no. I hadn’t been in long. Where were you?’
‘So you didn’t go and sleep with George, then?’ inquired Morgie cheekily.
‘No!’ April said indignantly. She grinned. ‘Now, where were you, my dearest?’
Morgie tilted her head. ‘Are you sure you didn’t sleep with George?’ she asked. ‘You’re rather full of the joys of spring. The morning after glow, perhaps?’
April gave her a shove. ‘Stop changing the subject.’
‘Alright, alright.’ Morgie sat up sleepily, her hair all tousled all over her shoulders. ‘I was walking along the beach,’ she said vaguely.
‘On your own?’ probed April.
Her friend wrinkled her nose. ‘Mm. With Oscar.’
‘For all that time?!’
‘Yes,’ Morgie admitted. ‘Is that… shocking?’
April nodded. ‘Yes! What were you doing?’ She paused. ‘Oh. Oh. My. God. Did you have beach sex?!’
‘NO!’ Morgie hurled her pillow at her friend. ‘Oh my god, April, you are scandalous!’
April passed a hand over her forehead. ‘Phew,’ she said. ‘That would be cheeky, even for you.’
Morgie pulled a face. ‘Thank you so much for your faith in me,’ she replied. ‘No. We didn’t even kiss. We just… talked.’
April tilted her head. ‘Hmm.’
‘What?’ Morgie mimicked her, tilting her head to scrutinize her expression. ‘What’re you thinking?’
‘Well, it all seems to be getting a bit serious, doesn’t it?’ April said. ‘I thought you two just mucked around together; I didn’t realize it was more than that.’
‘We were just talking,’ Morgie explained. ‘Nothing… well, nothing mad.’
‘Exactly!’ said April. ‘That’s a serious connection there!’
Morgie smiled down at her hands. ‘Ah, I don’t know.’
April gasped. ‘Morgan Skelton!’ she shrieked. ‘You have a crush!’
Morgie buried her head in her hands. ‘Noooo!’ she protested, but April knew her too well, and was already half dancing around the room, squealing something about the fact that she’d known it all along, and about not being able to believe it.
‘Oh my god! You two are meant to be, though, seriously, I think you-‘
Morgie rolled her eyes. ‘April, nothing’s going to happen. He thinks we’re friends.’ She twiddled her hair between two fingers, a nervous habit she had when she thought too much. ‘Hell, the other day I only thought we were friends!’ she continued. ‘I still don’t know what I think about it.’
April smiled. ‘What did you talk about?’ she inquired.
‘Everything,’ Morgie said. ‘Just… everything. I don’t even know. It was one of those moments, you know? The ones where time just seems to become a completely different entity.’
April nodded. She hadn’t had one in a while, but she knew precisely what Morgie meant. It wasn’t really something you could put into words.
Morgie closed her eyes, thinking back to the previous night. She could see him now, holding her shoes for her, at his insistence, see him smiling at her in the moon light, smell him, his scent mingled with the fresh smell of the night air and the sea.
April shook her head in disbelief. She’d always hoped Morgie would fall for Oscar, and vice versa, but this was such a giant step in the right direction that she could barely believe it. She hopped up from the bed. ‘We need to get on,’ she said. ‘It’s a beautiful day, again.’
Morgie opened her eyes and smiled. ‘God, I am not going to be happy about going back to England,’ she said.
‘Don’t remind me,’ April warned. ‘We need to enjoy this.’
Morgie suddenly sat up. ‘Oh my god, you need to spill about your enjoyment with George last night!’ she burst out. ‘Tell me!’
April grinned. ‘It was brilliant,’ she said. ‘We just spent the whole time together. There were all these gorgeous girls who wanted to talk to him, but he spent the whole time with me.’ She grinned dreamily. ‘I felt so lucky.’
Morgie squeaked. ‘I’m so happy for you!’ she said. ‘He seems such a sweetie.’
April nodded. ‘He seems really different to all the other guys I’ve met,’ she said. ‘He’s just so genuine, he says what he thinks.’ She sat back down on the bed, using one hand to pull the towel around her more tightly. ‘He’s blunt, but in all the right ways.’
‘That’s brilliant,’ Morgie replied. ‘Are you going to meet up again?’
Her friend nodded. ‘Yes. He said he’d text me, but we were going to go out tonight.’ She looked at Morgie. ‘You’ll come, right?’
Morgie nodded. ‘As long as I won’t be a third wheel,’ she said teasingly.
April nudged her. ‘Bring Oscar, and get busy getting your feelings sorted out with him,’ she advised. ‘Okay?’
‘Sure thing,’ Morgie said, hopping out of bed. ‘Right. Let’s go and eat something.’
April smiled. ‘You’re so predictable.’
Morgie shot her a look, but April didn’t fail to notice her smile was still fixed on. Her friend had clearly been rather happy ever since her little all night talk with Oscar. She couldn’t help but hope that the two of them would continue to make each other happy. She thought her friend definitely deserved it.
*
The others, even Oscar, had already been at the pool for a while when Morgie and April finally appeared. Laurel’s eyes immediately honed in on Oscar, watching his reaction.
Her stomach twisted as his face lit up as soon as he spotted Morgie. She’d been painfully jealous when Morgie had come in late at night, or, rather, early in the morning, wondering what the pair of them had been up to. She wished she could spend that long with Oscar.
Morgie was, miraculously, seeing as she’d slept so little, even more bouncy and bright than usual this morning, and practically skipped over to them. She sat down, and grinned, waving a few leaflets in their faces.
‘Good morning sunshine,’ Oscar said affectionately. ‘You’re very sunny today.’
Morgie laughed, then pointed at the leaflets. ‘Look!’
Oscar squinted at the brightly printed slip of paper, and then looked back up at her. ‘Um, I have no idea what that says,’ he told her.
She rolled her eyes. ‘God, how rude of you to come to a country, speaking none of the language,’ she said teasingly. ‘It’s a festival!’ she explained. ‘Here, today, through the town. There’s going to be market stalls selling Spanish food, and parading and dancing people and all sorts, and we can go watch!’
‘Dancing people?!’ Oscar repeated. ‘You might speak Spanish, Morgs, but I don’t think you speak English.’
‘Dancers, then,’ Morgie said, rolling her eyes at him. He smiled.
He couldn’t help it; Morgie’s enthusiasm was not only incredibly endearing, but infectious too. He studied the leaflet more carefully. He had to admit, it looked like a lot of fun.
‘You don’t just want to laze around?’ inquired Ezra, who looked half asleep.
‘Nah, course not!’ Morgie said. ‘We need to get some Spanish culture into this trip.’
‘And Spanish food,’ put in Oscar, predictably.
‘Who wants to come, then?’ asked Morgie, looking round the little group.
April nodded. ‘Spanish market stalls sound amazing.’
'Laurel?’
Laurel was watching Oscar, blatantly judging it on whether he was going. Will wanted to sigh. He wanted to tell her she could choose whatever, to stop taking her feelings for Oscar so seriously.
‘I’ll come,’ he said, sparing Laurel the chance to answer.
Morgie didn’t bother asking Oscar, who looked at her with big puppy dog eyes. ‘What about me?!’ he asked, mock sadly.
She looked at him, reaching out and ruffling his hair. ‘Don’t do the puppy eyes at me, Hadley,’ she told him. ‘I knew you’d come as soon as I mentioned food.’
He wrinkled his nose at her.
Ezra reluctantly agreed to come, though April could tell he’d rather take a cigarette and a beer and soak up the sun, and Laurel nodded her assent too. So, it wasn’t long before the six of them were making their way through the packed town, clutching their bags tightly for fear of the pick pockets they’d been warned inhabited this place like a pack of rats.
Laurel in particular was rather terrified, and had insisted upon wearing her rucksack the wrong way round, so that it stuck out of the front of her chest. Will thought she looked rather adorable, her little face sticking out of the top.
The atmosphere was a little heady, and definitely a party one. People around them were shouting fiesta out loud, and soon Morgie and Oscar joined in, laughing uproariously as they led the way through the crowds.
Before long, Oscar had spent so long salivating over ever new dish they went past that they caved in and bought some lunch- fresh crusty white rolls filled with Spanish ham, which came with a small pot of olives.
Oscar pounced upon the olives, putting one into his mouth. Suddenly, he started coughing, his eyes watering, cheeks bright red. Morgie pounded him unceremoniously on the back.
‘Alright?’ she inquired, as he finally began to breathe normally again.
He wiped his eyes. ‘Yes,’ he said hoarsely. ‘God. Those had chilli in them, Morgie!’
Morgie peered at the pot unsympathetically. ‘Oscs, you’re pathetic!’ she told him.
Oscar opened the pot, and pushed one into her mouth. Morgie pulled a face, but attempted to chew it. She scrunched up her nose as the fiery chilli flavour numbed her mouth, but then swallowed.
‘Not too bad,’ she said.
Oscar gave her a look. ‘Oh my god, are you some sort of superhuman?’ he asked. ‘Those were the hottest things I’ve ever eaten!’
Morgie laughed. ‘Eat some more,’ she urged. ‘Your expression was the best!’
He didn’t reply in words, instead throwing his olive stone at her instead, and laughing as she squealed.
Laurel, meanwhile, was strolling along next to April, watching the various people go past. As they came to a small square in the centre of the town, she watched as some women, dressed all in red, with feathers sticking out of their intricately knotted hair began to dance to some toe tapping music. Their bodies swayed in perfect rhythm, hands clapping, feet stamping, as lithe and flexible as a snake.
She had no idea what type of dancing it was, but it made her want to go and join in, or something. April was unconsciously swaying in time to the music next to her, Morgie and Oscar attempting to recreate it in a rather more comical way, and even Ezra’s foot was tapping out the rhythm.
There was something rather infectious about it, something which made her feel suddenly rather relaxed. She glanced at the others, and caught Will’s eye. He grinned at her, and she felt an answering smile cross her face. He was getting quite a tan from the sun, and, with his sunglasses on, he looked almost Spanish himself. As male dancers strode into the midst of the ladies dancing, striding in and seizing their waists, dancing with them in a rather dominating and sensual way, Laurel wondered suddenly if Will would look like that when dancing.
Then she glimpsed Oscar next to him. He would undoubtedly look incredible in anything.
They carried on wandering as the music ended, Ezra finding a wine tasting stand and making the most of the free tasters. Morgie toasted her little plastic tasting cup with all the others.
‘How refined,’ she said. ‘I feel all grown up.’
‘That’s quite a feat, coming from someone the size of a hobbit,’ Oscar commented cheekily, earning him a small push from the equally small Morgie.
‘I’m not that small!’ Morgie protested.
Oscar gave her a look. ‘Morgs, I could probably carry you under one arm,’ he said. ‘You’re teeny.’
Gasping indignantly, Morgie stood on her tip toes. ‘See!’ she said triumphantly. ‘I’m the same height as Laurel.’
Will shook his head. ‘She’s taller still, sorry Morgs.’
Morgie folded her arms. ‘You’re all mean,’ she said, sticking out her bottom lip.
Putting his arm around her shoulder, Oscar pressed a careless kiss to Morgie’s temple. ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way, hun,’ he told her teasingly.
She pouted up at him, but couldn’t resist a smile.
They continued to stroll on. There were several various acts lining the streets; a man juggling fire, a lady singing in an extremely high (and slightly grating) falsetto, a man with an enormous moustache playing a Spanish guitar.
Oscar paused for a while before the latter. He was playing it beautifully, with a look of intense concentration on his face as his fingers moved dexterously up and down the fret board of the guitar, strumming the strings, and then using his fingers to pick out a fast, truly Spanish sounding melody.
He missed his battered old guitar, he realized, with a pang. He’d first started learning when he was fourteen, teaching himself with an old book of his dad’s. To be honest, he’d only picked it up because he thought it might improve his standing with the ladies, but he’d soon found that he actually really enjoyed it. There was something very freeing about sitting down and letting the music wash over you, but creating the music yourself. He’d become slightly addicted to the rush of it all, and found there was nothing more therapeutic than picking up a guitar and strumming his troubles away.
Thinking about it, that might come in rather handy at the moment, he thought. Morgie had never stopped playing on his mind since the kiss, and he thought a quick play might sort out his muddled up head. Or at least clear it a little.
The man looked up from the guitar and met his eyes. ‘¿Te gusta?’ he inquired.
Oscar looked at Morgie for help. ‘He asked if you like it,’ Morgie whispered.
‘Si, mucho,’ replied Oscar, a little more earnestly than he meant to.
Morgie quickly said something in Spanish, with a winning grin. The man grinned himself, and said something back, before passing Oscar the guitar, and gesturing him to sit down.
Oscar could hardly believe his eyes.
‘What did you say to him?!’ he asked.
Morgie grinned. ‘I just told him you played guitar,’ she said.
He raised an eyebrow, not quite believing her, but, sitting down, he experimentally moved his fingers across the fret board, before beginning a little Etude he often played.
‘Nice, nice!’ the Spanish man called, in very heavily accented English.
Gaining a little confidence, Oscar moved on to a calming piece he’d played many a time over the more stressful periods of his life. It sent waves of tranquility rushing through him, relaxing his entire body.
Morgie watched in awe. She hadn’t heard him play for a while, but this was completely mind blowing. He played with a serenity that he didn’t show normally, his eyes unconsciously closed, his fingers dancing across the neck of the guitar with astonishing accuracy.
She wondered why he kept this hidden so much. It had seemed like he had a need to play it, as he’d stared at the guitar, and now, as he played, she felt like she had a need to hear him.
His eyes opened, and he looked straight at her, as if he’d known all along where she was standing, sensing it, or something. Her gaze softened, and there and then, as they looked at each other, feeling as if no one was there but them and the music, Morgie felt the ground beneath her vanish. She did have strong feelings for him. She hadn’t quite realized it, but the way he was looking at her was indescribable. His eyes, bottomless, met hers with a steadiness that seemed to belie their intensity, but at the same time, it was a soft gaze, a caring gaze; one which left her in no doubt that he cared about her. She just didn’t know if it was a caring way in a brotherly way, or in a more than that way.
One thing was for sure. She cared in a way that was far more than sibling like. She cared so much that she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself, and felt her knees go a bit weak, as if she was so tired she could barely stand.
Oscar stopped playing, smiled nervously, and handed the guitar back to the man, who shouted some complimentary things in Spanish.
‘Oscs-‘ It came out as a croak. Morgie cleared her throat. ‘Oscs, that was amazing!’ she said.
He ducked his head modestly. ‘Oh, it’s nothing,’ he said, tugging the back of his hair with one hand. ‘I just play for fun.’
‘Seriously, that was brilliant,’ she said, and April nodded.
‘You were amazing, Oscar.’
Will and Laurel nodded their assent, Ezra too busy checking out a small group of Spanish girls to notice Oscar had stopped playing.
‘Um, let’s move on, shall we?’ Oscar said, hurrying along the path, rather embarrassed at all the attention.
Morgie felt her heart melt a little at him. She just couldn’t stop herself.
*
Ezra peered out of the window of their room, already dressed and ready. ‘Oh my god, Oscar, that girl is smoking hot,’ he suddenly said, leaning abruptly out of it. ‘Look at those legs!’
Oscar didn’t even look. For a start, his head was too full of Morgie to even think about another girl, and, secondly, he was just pulling his shirt over his head.
Ezra made a whistling sound. ‘Hot,’ he said firmly, turning to look at Oscar. ‘Aren’t you gonna come and see?’ he asked, in disbelief.
‘Nah,’ Oscar said. ‘I’ll leave you to drool.’
At another time, Oscar might have rushed over to the window to see, but now, he just wasn’t interested in that sort of thing. Weird what liking a girl could do to you, he thought.
Ezra shook his head. ‘God, Oscar, you gay?!’
Oscar gave him a look. ‘Course not. I can just keep my hormones under control, and not act like an animal,’ he said, teasingly.
Ezra raised an eyebrow, shaking his head despairingly. ‘You need to get laid, mate,’ he said, matter of fact, before heading out of the door.
Oscar rolled his eyes, quickly surveying himself in the mirror. He was ready, or thereabouts. April had wanted to go out clubbing this evening, so the rest of them had agreed to it, some (Ezra) more readily than others.
He followed Ezra after a few moments, and, as he passed the girls’ room, knocked on the door.
‘Come in, if you want!’ said a familiar voice.
Oscar popped his head round the door. Morgie was in there alone, her dress on, but unzipped, hair all tousled round her shoulders. ‘Oh hello,’ he said. ‘You’re not with the others?’
Morgie shook her head. ‘Nope. I was faffing around, so they went without me.’
Oscar laughed. ‘Doesn’t surprise me.’
Morgie stopped trying to do up her dress. ‘Zip me up, Oscs?’ she asked, turning round and sweeping her hair over one shoulder to make way for him, revealing her slender back gaping through the undone zip she’d been struggling with.
‘Sure,’ he said easily, heading over and tentatively fiddling with the zip. ‘I’m no good with womens’ clothing,’ he told her conversationally.
Morgie sniggered. ‘Doesn’t surprise me,’ she said.
Oscar stiffened. ‘What are you insinuating?!’ he inquired.
‘Oh nothing,’ she giggled. ‘Nothing at all.’
Oscar tickled her spine gently, making her squeal. ‘Cheeky.’
He zipped it up to the top, and reached for her hair, letting it cascade back over the dress. ‘Done,’ he said. ‘You’re all dressed and ready to go.’
Morgie turned round, giggling. ‘Thanks for the help.’
‘Are you actually ready to go?’ inquired Oscar, his eyes skimming over her white dress.
Morgie nodded. ‘Probably not a good idea to wear white at a club, but nevermind.’
‘Nah,’ Oscar said. ‘You look hot as hell, hun.’
She simply laughed. ‘I could say the same for you, if I was nice.’
‘If you were nice,’ repeated Oscar. ‘Come on then, you muppet.’ And, following him, with her usual cheeky grin, Morgie couldn’t help a feeling of excitement bubbling in her stomach. She felt like something was going to happen. She just wasn’t sure what.