Riptide

Chapter Eighteen: Making Waves

Ryan and I get back into our routine of running and surfing, because it makes me comfortable, and I'm able to avoid Nathan totally. In the afternoons Rose and I hang out. One afternoon she drives us further up the coast and we go shopping in the beach front boutiques, finding cute summery dresses and tops.

When I'm trying on a tie-dye blue and purple dress Rose suddenly gasps, but she doesn't tell me anything and just forces me to buy it. I let her convince me, and we go home with way more clothes than we need.

The next afternoon she tells me to wear the tie-dye dress, and she drags me out to the point, where we stand on the rocks.

'I want you to be my model,' she tells me.

'What? No!'

'Come on, Indy!' Rose says. 'Look at you. You're unbelievably fit, you're tan, your hair is naturally blonde and wavy, and you look so good in that dress. You're the perfect beach babe. I want to do a fashion shoot with you so I can add some stuff to my portfolio. I've never done fashion before.'

'I'm not a model, Rose,' I say.

'Well what are you?' Rose says.

The question defeats me, and I tell her that I don't know.

Rose smiles. 'You may as well be a model, Indy,' she says, grinning. 'You've got the looks for it. If you let me do this shoot I'll owe you one.'

I cross my arms over my chest. 'Fine,' I say.

She rolls her eyes. 'You've got to pose for me.'

I uncross my arms and stare at her blankly, wondering what I'm supposed to do. Eventually I stand with one hand on my hip and smile towards her.

She laughs again. 'Okay, that's a start,' she says, and she raises the camera to her eye and adjusts it. She takes a photo.

'Now because this is a really beachy photoshoot I want you to look out towards the ocean, and let your hair out, and hopefully I can get some of that wind action through your hair and the dress.'

She waits for ages, taking photos sporadically, until she's happy with the way the wind picks up my hair and dress, and then she has me sit down on a rock and lean back.

We end up going back to my house, grabbing more clothes and going back out to the point to shoot more outfits. I have my bikinis underneath so I switch outfits on the beach, and we spend the whole afternoon taking photos.

When I see them afterwards I have to admit they look good. It's hard to believe it's me, because the girl in that photo looks like a real model.

Rose and I sit in the Fletcher-Galloway kitchen, laughing at some of the goofier photos, and she tells me about the freelance jobs she's getting and how she's hoping to get into a proper course.

Tammy joins us, and when she sees the photos she's excited. 'Oh my god, Rose, can I be a model for you too? Seriously, I will do anything you want, that would be so cool!'

'Yeah, you can be a model for me,' Rose says.

'Hey, mail's here,' Ryan says as he walks into the kitchen. He slaps down a thick envelope on the kitchen table and I look at it. It's addressed to him, with a stamp from the university admissions board.

'Ryan, aren't you going to open it?' Rose says.

Ryan flops into the seat across from me. He has spent the afternoon playing volleyball with some of the local guys and he looks exhausted.

I get him a glass of milk because I know he wants it, and I see Rose shoot him a subtle smile.

'This is going to say you got in,' I tell him, pushing the envelope towards him with the glass of milk.