wild child (A Tony Perry love story)

chapter 6

TONY

I am worried sick about Lowri. I've been awake a couple of hours and I have no idea what time she left mine.

I go and make my way over to her van. I knock on the door and get no reply. I knock a second time and this time, after hearing nothing, I try the door. It opens part of the way and I see a figure lying on the floor. I can't move the door any further and the gap is just that little bit too narrow for me to squeeze through. I need someone skinny. Mike. I frantically grab my phone and ring him, telling him to get here ASAP. He's here within 10 minutes, Vic at his side. 10 minutes where I've been calling her name to try and wake her. Vic and I hold the door as far open as we can while Mike just manages to squeeze through the gap. He picks Lowri up and places her on the sofa enabling us to get in. She's breathing. I had a horrible vision of her not even doing that. I see the bottle of Jack on the floor and I shake my head sadly. I explain what happened last night to them and Mike is pretty upset. I tell them she says she has no-one, and that I told her she has us. He gently shakes her.

"Lowri" he says, trying to bring her around. She mumbles something we can't understand and half opens her eyes.

"What's going on?" she slurs.

"What are you doing to yourself darling?" Mike asks. She shuts her eyes and a tear escapes.

"I'm fine" she mumbles, clearly not.

"I don't think you are. I think you're anything but fine" Mike tells her. "Tell us what's going on. Please."

She keeps her eyes shut, the tears still coming.

"They're all gone. I've nobody left now. I'm all alone and it scares me" she whispers, in between her sobs.

"Who has gone?" Mike asks her softly. She points to a photo on the wall. It's her as a child with who I assume are her parents. All at the beach, holding surfboards.

"Your parents?" Vic asks. She nods.

"When honey?" Mike asks.

"3 months ago. Killed in a fire. I was at school."

"Wait, how old are you?" I ask.

"19" she says.

"How are you buying alcohol?"asks Vic.

"They never asked me my age" she mumbled.

I thought she was older. I'm only 25 and I thought she was closer to my age.

"When did you move here then?" Mike asks.

"6 weeks ago. They had a lot of money in the bank so I got it all. I still have the house back there too. Insurance is fixing it so I can rent it out. I can't live there again" she sobs.

I can see now why she's so depressed, so determined to self destruct. I've been there.

LOWRI

I can't believe I'm telling them all this. I wouldn't be able to sober. I do feel some sort of relief though, like a large weight is being lifted off my shoulders. I have had my eyes shut the whole time as I couldn't face looking at them and now I open them. Tony and Mike look pretty upset and I feel awful for making them feel that way. But they asked. I go to sit up and sway to the side. Mike, who's closest grabs me and steadies me. Tony grabs me a bottle of water out of the fridge and I gulp it down. I go to stand and realise it's early afternoon. And I'm hungry. I haven't eaten today. Or yesterday, thinking about it. I remembered Tony was going to cook for me but I passed out at his. He's going to think I'm such a loser. I grab my cigarettes and make my way outside. I never smoke in the van. Not after what happened. I light one up and notice Mike beside me. He gently puts his arm around me.

"Don't shut us out. We might not be the greatest at advice but we are all good listeners" he says, pulling me towards him.

"Tony probably thinks I'm a right nut job" I mutter.

"Why would he think that?" asks Mike.

"He spent all day with me here yesterday and he offered to cook for me and I repay him by getting drunk and passing out. He's going to think I'm such a selfish cow" I cry. "I don't want him hating me."

"Do you like Tony?" Mike asks.

I go bright red. He chuckles and says "I take it that's a yes."

TONY

Vic and I are sitting outside Lowri's van. I can see her and Mike further down the beach. I sigh.

"You like her, don't you" says Vic, nudging me with his elbow. I nod. She reminds me of me. So shy except when she's doing what she loves. I get up on stage and I'm a different person. She gets on her surfboard and the same thing happens. And she's absolutely gorgeous.

"Why don't you take her out for dinner?" suggests Vic. Maybe. She might not want to though.

LOWRI

"Do you want me to say something to Tony?" Mike asks. I shake my head sadly.

"He can have anyone he wants. Why would he be interested in me?" I say, sadly.

"Because you're hot" laughs Mike.

"No I'm not" I shout, embarrassed. I hit Mike on the arm and wander towards the water. There are some rocks there so I sit myself down on them, dangling my feet in the water. I've been there a few minutes when Mike joins me.

"Do you have any dresses in your van?" he asks.

I shake my head. I've only worn a dress about 3 times in my whole life.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because a certain man up there would like to take you to dinner" Mike tells me.

"I live in a van. I don't have many clothes and certainly not a dress" I mumble.

"Ah well. You don't get out of it that easily" says Mike, pulling out his phone.

"Jaime, is Jess there?" I hear him ask. Who's Jess?

I find out some 20 minutes later. A beautiful woman walks down the beach to us. Mike hugs her and pulls her to one side, telling her something. She smiles and holds her hand out to me. "I'm Jess. Jaime's girlfriend" she says. I follow her back to my van. She's got a bag with her. Ok, I'm a bit worried now. I don't even know this woman. She takes a dress out of her bag. It's black with sequins on the top part, long sleeves and it looks quite tight fitting. I look at her in fear. I don't look right in a dress. She sees my worried look and grabs a brush from the bedside table. She passes it to me and I pull it through my tangled mop of hair. She sprays something on my hair and within a few minutes has made that untameable mop look stunning. I look in the mirror and hardly recognise myself. Jess tells me to sit down so she can do my make up. My eyes go wide with fright. I have worn make up even less times than I've worn a dress. I sigh and let her do it anyway. I look in the mirror some 15 minutes later and my mouth falls open in surprise. I still look natural but somehow more defined. I smile shyly at her and put the dress on. I realise I don't have any shoes to go with it and tell her. She pulls out of the bag a pair of black pumps. No heel. I try them on. They're a pretty good fit. I look in the mirror and see a prettier version of me looking back. There is a knock on the van door and Mike, Vic and Jaime stand there. I go bright red. They all look stunned. Do I look silly? I start to panic and want to wash the make up back off. I feel sick. I've never been on a 'date' before. I've had a couple of boyfriends but they weren't guys you went on dates with - more the guys you'd just hang out with.

"Come on, Tony's waiting for you" laughs Jess. I shake my head.

"I can't do it" I say, panicking. Mike asks Jess to wait outside.

"You look amazing. Now let Tony see this side of you" he says, hugging me. I feel sick with nerves. I take a deep breath and nod. I shuffle to the door of the van and open it again. Jess grabs my hand.

"You look beautiful" she whispers. I give her a small smile and start walking towards Tony's house.