Star Girl

19. Good Days

ASTRID

I pushed my headband further up my head, successfully trapping all my loose baby hairs which had escaped due to the harsh salt water and slight breeze wrapping around me.

The beach was my safe space, the sun my haven, I craved its warmth, its openness and serenity.

Glancing around the empty beach, a smile tugged at my lips at the calm of it all. The sun had just risen while I had floated in the water to watch.

And now I sat drying on one of Rafe's t-shirts on the sand, while I admired the scenery around me.

I left his early again, I didn't bolt this time, just gently woke him up and told him I had to go home, to which he attempted to drag me back to bed despite being half asleep.

I managed to escape after an hour. The morning had just begun, and I felt like experiencing the sunrise, having some me time Astrid style.

Yet, my peace was quickly disturbed by the buzzing of my phone, and after I rolled my eyes and brought the phone to my ear, the irritating voice of my brother rang through.

"Can I have the last one? Please I'm starving- oh- hello?"

"Yeah?" I replied, not bothering to hide my impatient tone.

I laid back on the sand and let the sun cover my whole front.

"Yeah- can you come home from wherever you are. Are you still on the mainland?" He spoke quite obviously through a mouthful of food, his words barely understandable.

"Yeah I'm getting a ferry back now keep it together." I sighed, placing the phone behind my head so I could bask in the sun.

"Oh. Okay. Cause Kie asked JB to ask me to ask you to come fishing with us."

I squinted at my phone to double check the time before dropping my head back on the sand.

"Yep. As soon as I'm back, listen I'm running for the ferry right now so I'll see you soon. Bye bye."
I sung before hanging up abruptly, closing my eyes again and enjoying my time on the empty beach once again.

That was until- to my discomfort- my phone instantly began buzzing again, and with a frustrated sigh I picked up.

"What now-" I seethed, angry at my disruption for the second time.

"Hey Astrid! It's Sarah!  Sorry I got your number of Rafe's phone. I was just wondering if you wanted to come out on our boat with me- the water is so clear maybe we could go snorkelling?" Her voice came optimistically through the line.

I sat up slightly and rubbed my now tired eyes. "Oh shit sorry Sarah- I thought you were JJ. Yeah I'd love too."

"Cool! Just me and you though- I'll pick you up because Rafe is still asleep so he can't get mad at me for taking the car. I thought you'd still be asleep but I saw you active on Instagram and I called you straight away." She giggled through the phone.

I chuckled in response and pushed my slightly sandy hair out of my face. "Well, I'm at the beach now-"

"Okay! I'm on my way now; I'll be ten minutes." She beamed before hanging up.

I stared down at my phone for a second before sighing once again and dragging myself up, picking up Rafe's shirt and shaking the sand off it before slinging it over my shouter, trudging up the sand towards the road.

I let JJ know that I "missed my ferry" and would be back later, so they could go fishing without me, and unsurprisingly he replied with a string of curse words.