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☾ 𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐸
It was strange, the feeling that had resided in her over the past few days. It was a bubbling feeling, floating through her stomach all the way to her toes that made her feel lighter than a feather yet as fast falling as a rock to the ocean. All at once, it was both familiar and foreign. It felt like happiness, the type of happiness that she had felt with Josephine and Will, yet different: melancholy, wrong, soaking with guilt.
The feeling persisted. Even as she walked down the harbour with Mr and Mrs Bagley in tow. They hadn't had a cloudy day yet, the sun being just as enduring as every other aspect of her life, hanging boldly in the clear sky each day. It was so hot, that Anna had been reduced to wearing a sun dress each day, her legs bare beneath the thin material. The only thing to cool them, was ice cream.
Matthew had argued with Anna for ten minutes about the best flavour. She loved vanilla- sweet and simple- but he loved chocolate- rich and flavourful. Molly like strawberry. They reached the edge of the pier, spying the road which Anna had already grown familiar to, having spent most of her few days at the secluded bit of the beach, swimming or playing football with Elliot and Maya.
"Elliot's waiting for you."
Sure enough, the boy sat against the pebbles road, the ball resting in his arms. Elliot stood abruptly as he saw her, waving and waiting for her to come over, a wide smile never leaving his face.
"I think he likes you," Molly whispered, and Anna felt a playful dog at her ribs.
"Oh?"
Mrs Bagley nodded. "Go, we'll see you later."
As Anna walked the small distance toward the cut down to the beach, she couldn't help but think about what Molly had said. I think he likes you. Elliot couldn't like her. They had know each other a little over a week and a half. She had been in Australia for two weeks now. He blushed a lot, but that didn't mean he likes her, surely? Elliot joined her side as they walked through the tiny clearing of the bushes down to the sand.
"Maya's with my brother. She said you wouldn't mind if she couldn't come see you just this once," he said.
"No, that's fine."
Anna was blushing. At sixteen years old, she thought she could control her own body and yet her cheeks were burning red at the mere thought of Elliot liking her. A boy had never liked her like that before. Her heart riding calm in relief as she saw Elliot, also blushing.
"So I was thinking... would you like to go get ice cream?" He asked, the football now on the sand and kicking in front of him.
