wild child (A Tony Perry love story)

chapter 3

TONY

The guys stayed over. They were too drunk to leave. I wake up about lunchtime to find them still sprawled around the lounge. I shake my head as I go to make coffees for us all. I look out of the window towards the beach and see Lowri. I'm pretty sure that's what Mike said her name was. She's out there, surfing again. I hear movement behind me and turn to see Mike looking over as well.

"Damn, she's good" he says.

"She's amazing" I say, watching as she consistently gets the waves to do what she needs them too. Mike is on his way out of the door to go and see close up. I run after him and we both get to see her in action. That wave was bigger than the one from the other day and she shouts with excitement. She must have had enough for now as she carries her board up and puts it by the van. She sees us watching and turns away. Is she shy or just rude?

LOWRI

I can see them watching me and it unnerves me. I go into the van, wash my hair in the tiny sink I have and dry it off with a towel the best I can. My hair has aways been a pain but all this heat and sea is making it worse. I tie it up out of the way and change into cut off jeans and a Welsh rugby shirt. I look out of the window towards where they were stood, but they seem to have disappeared. I open the door and check the t-shirts I made last night. They're dry now so I hang them on hangers ready to sell. I make a coffee and grab my beads to take outside to make jewelry. I jump in fright as I open the door. Mike is stood there and it looked as if he was about to knock. I splash the coffee over my leg, scalding myself in the process. I gasp and drop the mug. It lands on the sand, breaking it's fall so Mike quickly picks it up. I turn around and grab a towel to wet and put on my leg. I am close to tears. I hardly slept last night. I bite down on my bottom lip as the pain intensifies for a moment before the cold towel brings some relief. I sit on the step of the van and reach behind me for my cigarettes and lighter. Mike offers me one of his instead so I reach up and take it.

"Are you ok?" he asks, after a moment. I just nod. I'm not breaking down in front of a complete stranger. I stand and go into the van for some antiseptic cream, which I put on my leg. It'll heal. I grab for the bottle of Jack I keep in there, but then I realise I drank it all last night. Damnit. Mike is still stood outside so I have to go out there. It would seem rude otherwise. I notice Tony has gone. Mike looks at me and motions me to sit down.

"Where did you learn to surf like that?" Mike asks.

"I grew up in Newquay so I've been surfing since I was about 6" I mumble.

"Where's Newquay?" he asks.

"Cornwall, England" I say, quietly.

"Are you always this talkative?" he says, laughing. I nod.

"This is good for me" I mutter. Mike's phone goes off at that moment and he reads the text message he just received.

"Got to go - my lift awaits" he grins. I say bye and the second he's gone, I run back in the van. I curl up on the little bed and despite the heat, pull a blanket over me. I fall asleep pretty quickly but I know I'll only sleep for a couple of hours.

TONY

I haven't seen Lowri all afternoon. I can't help but look for her every time I pass the window. I know Mike stayed and chatted with her earlier. He says she is even shyer than me. I find that incredibly hard to believe. She seems so alive when she's out there on the water. A bit like how I feel when I get up on stage I guess. I'll maybe go hang out down there later and see if she is ok.

LOWRI

I wake after just an hours fitful sleep. I untangle myself from the blanket and reach for my phone to check the time. It's only 5pm. I realise I haven't eaten all day, so after splashing cold water over my face, I step out of the van and head for the burger place up the road. I light a cigarette as I walk and I order a double cheeseburger and fries. Hot food is a rare treat for me and every mouthful is delicious. I finish pretty quickly and as I turn to leave, I spot Tony over the road. He's on his way to the shops again by the look of it. I remember I've run out of Jack's so I head there too. I need more cigarettes and milk too. It doesn't take me long to get everything I need and as I head to the tills, I see Tony flipping through the magazines. I quickly pay for my shopping and start walking back.

"Lowri" I hear. I turn and see Mike. I sigh as he catches me up.

"Hi" I mumble.

"How's your leg?" he asks.

"Still attached" I mutter.

"Do you want a lift back?" he asks. I notice a beautiful sports car parked beside him.

"Is that yours?" I ask, astounded. I've always loved cars. As a child I wanted to be a rally driver. Any sort of extreme sport has always got my attention. Mike nods, grinning at my reaction. He opens the door for me and I climb into the back. I tell him Tony is inside the shop so he will wait. I still feel a bit nervous around Mike. He seems so sure of himself, unlike me. The only time I feel sure of myself is when I'm out in the ocean, on my board.