Grace

Chapter 64

"Now that's what I call a costume," Clara said to us both when we got out of my room.

Chi was in red and gold, the colours suiting her perfectly. Her jewellery was as over the top (but normal for India) as mine, the jewels in all kinds of dark colours – purples and reds so dark they nearly looked black, greens and blues the colour of rainforests and oceans – and she had bells on her ankles. I wished I'd thought of having bells.

"No wonder Ben said they were dangerous," she continued. "I'll be surprised if he doesn't rip it off you."

"Yeah, well..." I said awkwardly.

"Ew, he already has!" Chi cringed. "Ewwwwww!"

I growled a sigh and turned her round so that we could go down the stairs to the back door. "Wouldn't be awkward if you stopped thinking about it."

"Trust me, I want to."

"I'm going to think you're jealous if you don't."

"Jealous of possibly being a princess in the future. No," she said flatly. "And Ben? No. No offence, but, no."

"Good," I laughed. "Or we'd have a fight on our hands."

She laughed too. "I'd win."

"Sadly, I think you're right."

We laughed the rest of the way down the stairs and as we stepped outside into blistering heat. It was about thirty five degrees, completely still and there were no clouds either. The sun was at its height and there were heat waves rising from everything. There were plenty of the younger students doing work out here so Dame Clarke had insisted on putting a drinks station out here that was well used and regularly refilled. Some of them, the crazies they were, were running about playing football.

I was prepared to call it a day and I hadn't even started exercising yet!

Ben, Tarq and Simeon were sat to the one end of the field that didn't have shade – typical – and had hats and shorts on and that was it.

"I might not fancy him," Chi said, "but damn, Ben sure is pretty darn fit."

"Yep," I said and took my time taking in his well defined abs, torso and biceps that were under silky smooth skin that was honey gold but getting close to Spanish brown. "And he's all mine."

"You know, Claude's looking pretty tanned," Chi said slyly.

"I've been here all day, I went to see him earlier when he had his free," Clara said.

"Annnnd?"

"And not much," she said with a sigh. "He was all careful with me too."

"Everyone's been worried about you. We still are. Give it a week or yell at enough people like you did Grace and they'll start treating you like they used to. Oh. Saturday night stop outs are back in full force."

I grinned. After a Christmas we'd hung out in my room every Saturday night until really late eating all kinds of junk and totally not caring. It had been quiet without Clara, less funny too. And she always bought the best sweets.

"Is he asleep?" Chi asked and looked down at Tarq.

"No." He yawned.

He was sat cross legged, his head was in his hands, his eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and even. Nearly sleep deep.

Out of habit I'd picked my kit bag up. I took my portable speakers and a water bottle out of it and put it on the floor a little way behind Tarq. Clara seemed to be having the same idea and gently lay him down so that his head rested on it. He didn't open his eyes or stir at all. Clara smiled a little, tousled his hair like I'd nearly done, and then sat next to him. Simeon took his sunglasses off and put them on his face.