Take a Chance on Me by Beth Garrod

Author:Beth Garrod
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2019-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Flip-flops weren’t exactly ideal mountaineering footwear, but I managed to make good progress along the rough path at the top of the cliffs. The walk on my own was calming me down. I’d never seen views like it – and although I still didn’t see the seals Geli had mentioned, or the infamous Skotheos dolphins, I saw loads of fish jumping out of the water.

The TJ headbutt situation had gone semi-viral and Neet had been trying to cheer me up with a photo series of my favourite things from back home (Marmite! Barks and Rec! Chocolate lip scrub from Lush!) but it hadn’t worked. I felt humiliated – and knew Neet couldn’t quite get over the fact I’d had lip-to-lip contact with TJ, which she thought was so good it trumped any horror. But she hadn’t been there.

I sat down on a sandy white secluded beach and stared out to sea. Everything felt more dramatic when you were staring out to sea. I turned up my “Don’t Worry, Everything Will Be OK” playlist. I needed to get a grip. I was on this amazing holiday, and was super lucky. I’d just been hanging out on a film set, for goodness’ sake. And Neet was right – this morning, accident or not, I’d semi-snogged one of the most famous people in the world. Luckily he’d found it funny, and now I had a story to tell people for the rest of my life.

But maybe that was the problem?

Always being bothered what everyone else thought. I just couldn’t shake it. And if I was really honest, was this actually what the whole stupid mission was about? Not how I felt, but what I thought others felt about me?

GAH.

My head went round and round in circles until Mum rang to “have a chat”. She said she was loving my daily vids, but I knew if a parent didn’t ring with a specific question, it meant they were worried about something. I still felt bad she wasn’t here, so tried as hard as I could to sound happy and breezy and talk about all the good things, like Dad’s new obsession with eating al fresco, and how many friends Ol had made.

But eventually, after a long pause, Mum brought up the safety demo. So that was why she was ringing. As I filled her in, she kept sighing in that way she does when she disapproves of a decision Dad’s made, but doesn’t want to undermine him. When it got to the TJ volunteering news, she broke her calm and said, “Well, he didn’t tell me THAT bit!” But it was nice hearing her voice, and chatting just the two of us. So, after our call, I took her advice, and even though we both agreed Dad would kill me, did the best thing in the world for me to chill out – a solo swim. I explored all around the little bay I was in, even going into this cool cave with rock pools all around it.

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