Lost, Loved and Broken

Chapter 5 - Zach Garcia

Saturday 13th August - 11:23

I still can't believe that Grandma Tilly is dead...well, I choose not to believe it. Cole clearly hasn't gotten over it, he's becoming a couch potato. All he did last night was sit on the sofa, eating popcorn and watching cheesy romance movies to get his mind if Grandma Tilly. He's still on the couch.

Mum tried talking him into going outside but he just grumbled and covered his face with a pillow. Now she's moved into lecturing me and I just told her I'm going to a party, although I'd really rather join Cole on the Couch Of Misery.

"So are you still coming?" Lola asks cheerily from the other end of the phone. I didn't tell her that Grandma Tilly died.

I try and put on my best I-am-the-happiest-kid-on-earth voice and say, "100 percent" into the phone. I can picture her bouncing on the carpeted floor in her room, bright-eyed and ecstatic.

"Who's that?" asks someone in Lola's room, probably her brother Mark. (He's five and SO cute.)

There's mumbling on the other end, presumably Lola telling her brother that it's just me.

"Back to our conversation," says Lola. "I'll meet at your place in half an hour and we can walk to the beach from there."

"Sure," I say. Cole grumbles from the couch and chucks a pillow at the window.

"Who was that?" asks Lola.

"Just Cole."

"Well, see you later Skye," she says,

"Yeah...see you later." And the line cuts.

Half an hour later...

"Are you ready Skye? This is going to be the best day of our lives!" Lola yells as I open the door.

She's wearing a purple top over her one-piece swimming costume and I just slid into my swimming short and rash shirt a while before she came.

"I'm ready," I reply. Mum and Dad greet Lola with hugs and 'how are you's' and 'how's your Mum's?'. She smiles at my parents and chats them up, talking like she was born too; I really really really admire her confidence.

We leave a couple minutes later and it's five past twelve by the time we get to the Balster Bay. I spot Zach, Dylan and a couple of his mates by the beach in their shorts, chilling by a picnic table. Music is booming out of the speakers and a trio of girls, (wearing bikinis mind you,) are surrounding them.

Zach peers over one of the girls' shoulders and spots me and Lola standing around by a tree, where we were pretending to look for them. Lola's face lights up and her cheeks turn pink. Although I think Lola was actually looking for them.

"Skye, Lola!" yells Dylan, once he notices us. He flicks his hand and we join them. The Bikini Girls look mad and try to block us sitting down, but Zach gets up and moves to another table while Dylan and his mates continue to talk to the other girls.

"I'm so glad you girls could make it!" he says, flashing his billion-dollar smile at us. Poor Lola; she looks like a tomato...

"We...uh, brought gifts," she says, holding out a present wrapped in blue paper and a cute and quirky 'Happy 13th' card. He grins again, showing his dimples.