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Who knows, I really don’t give a shit.
Up ahead a group of people are gathering just at the edge of the copse of trees. We head towards them then follow as they start walking across the field that lies beyond the woods. Now that we’re out in the open, the full moon and night sky scattered with stars light our way. In the semi-darkness I can see Camden up ahead. He’s talking to one of the girls in Monk’s crew, I meanhiscrew, I guess. She’s laughing at something he’s saying and for some reason the attention he’s giving her pisses me off. I scowl, simultaneously wanting to attack the girl he’s with for no other reason than the fact her laugh is grating on my last nerve, and give her a thumbs up for even attempting to entertain the arsehole.
“Who’s that?” Pink asks, pointing to Camden. “He’s tall, dark and handsome. If I weren’t into girls I’d totally do him.”
“Thatis trouble with a capital T. He arrived earlier today. I saw him talking to one of the security guards; they seemed to know each other. Bad aura if you ask me,” Kate responds, frowning.
Pink laughs. “This is a reform school for a bunch of fucked up kids, Kate. Who doesn’t have a bad aura?”
“You for a start,” Kate retorts. She turns to look at me. “And Asia, though I suspect she’d rather we think she did.”
“Shut up,” I respond, hiding my smile behind a frown. I eye Camden who right at that moment decides to glance over his shoulder. He looks about, then smirks when he sees me. Dick.
“You met him already?” Kate asks, never missing a beat.
“You could say that,” I reply, not willing to elaborate.
Pink pulls away from Kate and traverses around us until she falls into step beside me. “You’re a dark horse, ain’t ya, Asia? You gonna tell us what the deal is with Mr H.O.T, or are we going to have to beg?”
“Mr H.O.T?”
“Yeah, Handful of Trouble.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. “Later. Let’s see if we get through tonight first.”
“Why? You think we won’t?” Kate pipes up, looking concerned all of a sudden.
Way to go Asia, dousing the fun with your positivity. I internally roll my eyes at myself. Sometimes I need to just stop being such a Negative Nancy. “We’ll be fine. Look, just so you know I’m a glass half-empty kind of girl. I prepare for the worst. Every time.”
“Nothing wrong with that. Besides, I’m a glass half-full kind of girl, so we balance perfectly,” Pink says, a tinkly laugh following her statement.
“I’m neither. So, where does that leave us?” Kate pipes up.
“Pretty evened out, I’d say,” I respond.
“Or fucked,” she retorts with a wry grin.
“Or fucked,” I repeat.
This time we all crack up laughing. After the evening I’ve had it feels good to laugh.
Less than ten minutes later we find ourselves standing at the top of a hill that leads down to a stretch of beach away from the main promenade in Hastings. In the distance I can hear the commotion of a Saturday night filled with revellers, but right here the pebbled beach meets the sea with a gentle slope and the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.
“It’s the sea!” Pink yells, letting go of my arm and running towards the water. Her laughter is warm and genuine. She’s like a child at Christmas. I must admit, were I as easygoing as Pink I might’ve joined in her glee. As it is, I’m still wound up tight from everything that happened earlier. Plus, I’m more intrigued by the stone circular building that Camden and the rest of the students of Oceanside have just disappeared into.
“Hey, Pink, over there,” I say, motioning towards the building. She runs up to join us, a stupid grin on her pretty face.
“Anyone would’ve thought you’ve never seen the sea before,” Kate says with a chuckle.
“I haven’t,” Pink shrugs, not in the least bit bothered by the fact. “How ‘bout you, Asia?”
I stop, breathing in the briny air and stare at the moonlight reflected in the darkness of the sea. “No, only on television,” I admit.
“Shit, sorry,” Kate says, pulling a face.
“What are you sorry for, girl? Not your fault our parents were obviously total fuck-ups,” Pink says, almost cheerily.
Fuck-ups. She got that right.
