“She sure is,” I say. I must admit it is a really nice car, for an electric. I still prefer Sawyer’s beat up classic though. And it is a really nice day. I slip my jacket off and the sun warms my skin. The sun and heat is one of the things I miss about Australia the most.
Kalen holds my door open, and I slide into the passenger seat and he closes the door and runs around to the driver's side like an excitable little kid.
“The others are meeting us there. Sawyer had to run an errand for Dad, and the twins are already there.”
“Hey!” I hear from outside the car.
I look out of my window to see Elsie running down the stairs in a red bikini and a sarong wrapped around her waist. A big floppy hat covers her long blonde hair.
She gets to the car and opens the back door, throwing her oversized bag into the back seat with a huff.
“Kalen Knox you’re so not funny.”
“My message said to be down here in ten minutes if you wanted to come. It’s been twelve.”
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“I decided to invite a couple of friends today. Dad assured me that he would keep Laura busy. I think he misses us coming around as much as we used to, now that we hide out at Sawyer’s.”
“He should have thought about that before marrying that horrid woman.”
“Can we keep the mood upbeat?” Elsie demands, rubbing coconut oil into her pasty white skin. “We finally have a chance to get a tan.”
I lean back and hold my arm out to her and laugh. My Italian heritage helps with a natural tan all year round, no matter where I live. Though since being here it isn’t as dark as it would usually be.
Kalen turns on the radio and takes off, clearly done with our conversation about tans.
“I love this song!” Elsie screams as Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ comes on the radio. She sings at the top of her lungs, and I join her. It feels so nice to have my own friends, not ones associated with my brother or Smalls. I hadn’t realised how much they protected me from the outside world after what happened to me, but actually, I know that Elsie has my back just as fiercely as my family do.
When we get to Monty’s, Kalen wows me. There is a pool on the back patio area; one of those fancy pools that’s hidden underground, where you have to push a button so that the floor lowers. Then bam, instant pool. Of course the flashy fucker couldn’t just have a normal pool set in the ground like regular people.
Kalen also failed to mention that not only did he invite Elsie, but Adrianne too. She’s here with her brother, and they seem to be having a good time, even though she’s avoiding Kalen. Onyx and Slate have apparently been teaching Falon how to do dive bombs to make a huge splash, and when he hears this, Kalen takes it upon himself to join in.
Elsie, Adrianne and I laze around on the sun chairs working on our tans.
Jasper and Frost are both on duty today because Sawyer insists on me being safe and doesn’t trust anyone. They are allowed to join in on the fun though, which Jasper has, wearing board shorts and no shirt. The guy is ripped, and I catch Elsie checking him out from the safety of her sunglasses quite a few times.
For me, the day would be perfect if Baxter could be here too, but while my boyfriends are slowly starting to tolerate my friendship with him, I think expecting them all to socialise together is a bit too much to ask. For now.
I’m a bit pissed that Baxter hasn’t been around much in general lately, but ever since he met that Raven girl he’s been super evasive and MIA. Who would have thought Baxter having a crush would turn him into a stalker…on second thoughts, I probably should have seen it coming.
If she turns up missing or dead on the news I wouldn’t be surprised. I really hope not though because I don’t know how to make that disappear. I decide to send him a selfie. It has been our latest thing but he’s not very good at it. He keeps sending pictures of himself with bloody hands and knives, and I’m never quite sure how to respond to them. Especially if I messaged him first with something like ‘feeling cute’. His latest caption was ‘me too’ and it took me nearly an hour to figure out what the mutilated body parts in the picture were.
I send him a picture of myself and the girls.
Amelie
Lazing in the sun, you should have joined.
Baxter
Fat chance, I’m allergic to the sun. I start to sparkle and shit.
Amelie
You’re not a vampire, nice try.
Baxter
