Chapter 4- The Pristine Beaches

        "Did you remember the sunscreen?" Jade asked, smiling warmly as dad searched for a parking spot on the crowded beach.

        "Did you grab it, Raven?" My dad asked, voice still sounded pissed off about the fight we'd had the other day.

        "Yeah." I said, still grumpy from Thursday's fight. They had ended up dragging me to the beach, and I really wasn't too happy about it. I sat in the back, listening to music on my old ipod nano, since I still hadn't been given my phone back. I was pretty mad about that. It was the phone I payed for that they'd taken. I couldn't watch youtube or go on twitter, or instagram, or vine, or facebook, or tumblr, or snapchat, or facebook. So basically my whole identity had been taken from me, and that, quite honestly, annoyed the shit out of me.

        Calum was flaunting the fact that he had his phone, and annoying the crap out of me. He would stretch his arms and 'accidentally' wave his phone before my eyes. He'd laugh extra hard, and then when I asked why, he'd chortle ; "My phone."

         I tried to ignore everyone and focus on the fact that I could read in peace for a whole afternoon. I had brought myself a folding beach chair, Inkheart, and a can of Arizona tea. The perfect day in three things.

        "You know, we are going to the beach." Calum said suddenly to me, turning to face me and looking at me intently.

        "What do you mean?" I asked. "I know that, I'm not a potato head."

        "You're wearing a hoodie, long jeans, a beanie, and combat boots." He pointed out. It was true. I was pretty bundled. But in my defense, I had pale skin that I treasured. Unlike most of my classmates, I actually really liked pale skin. It singled me out, which I really didn't mind.

        "I have a bathing suit underneath it." I said defensively. I did, sure, but I had no plans to actually get anywhere near the water. I would probably steal Calum's phone, take a picture and instagram it, and brag about the day at the beach.

        "Yeah, under the burka?" He said sarcastically.

        "Oh shut up. I'll wear what I want to the beach. Don't be a wardrobe nazi."

        "I'll do what I want." He mocked, sticking out his tongue.

        "You are so annoying. Jump out of this car."

        "Why don't you?"

        "Because I don't want to risk looking like you after jumping out of a moving car." I hissed, shooting him a dirty look.

        "How do you think I feel?" He retorted, tapping his hand on the carseat. "Maybe I don't want to have to spend days in the hospital and get as washed out and pale as you."

        "Will you two EVER stop arguing?" Jade called back to us. She was wearing the large sunglasses that I so often saw her wear. They went well with her her long, wavy bottle-blonde light hair. Her hair was naturally a light brown, but it looked good died. She was very pretty, admittedly. She had brown eyes, naturally bronzed skin, and she was tall and slim, because she'd never had a kid. That really did help. She was the typical Aussie hottie, except she had an abundance of freckles. Adorable, Emma Watson style freckles.

        "Not until he learns to stop stealing my books." I said at the same time as he said; "Not until she learns to live a little."

        "We get it. You two are very different. Just try to get along. One day, that is ALL your father and I ask." She said it like she was asking us to get her a glas of milk. She acted like it was 'EASY' to get along with your mortal enemy.

        "Fine." I growled, pouting slightly.

        Calum just laughed and shook his head. He didn't bother lying.  "Not possible, she's a prune and she's-"

        "Try." She chastized, fixing her lipstick in the car rear-view-mirror.

        "Fine." He growled, narrowing his eyes at me.

        "Don't be squinty, you'll look even more Asian." I mocked.

        He rose his eyes. "Two things. One, that's extremely rude. Second, I don't have anything else to say, but it sounded cool."

        "You remind me of Leo from Percy Jackson."

        "Is that a compliment?" He asked quizzically, coking his head to the side.

        "It depends on who you ask." 

        "I'm asking you."

        "Then yes, I suppose it is." I admitted. Leo had always been enduring and a total keeper. He was funny and the most popular and I could date him.

        "Then thank you."

        "You're welcome." I responded shortly.

         Dad finally pulled the car into a slim spot. "We finally got a spot." He smiled, turning off the car. My lungs immediately felt sick because of the thick air.

        "Let's go." Jade smiled. She hopped out quickly, carrying her huge beach bag. She was all fashionable, with a white one-piece, a pink kimino-style cover-up, sunglasses, a floppy hat, and sandals. I was the only one who looked it was 50 degrees out. I didn't... Like wearing bathing suits and stuff in public. It was just so awkward. I got out, and grabbed my book and chair and my tea from the trunk, and waited for everyone to unload their crap. I tapped my foot impatiently, and quickly led them.

        I picked the spot, slightly away from the splotches of people. It was a pretty day, with nice weather, and so it wasn't exactly uncrowded, but much better than it usually was. I set up my camp, taking the umbrella that my dad had brought and setting it up to shield my face from the burning rays of sun. I sat relaxed on the chair and opened Inkheart, one of the best fantasy books out there. I eagerly began to read about Moe and Maggie and Dustfinger and Eleanor. Capricorn, Basta, and the whole crew. I was just finishing the first page when I felt a huge splash.

        I jumped, and looked up. Sure enough, grinning mischievously was Calum, standing calf-deep in the water.

        "YOU... You spawn of Hades. Stop it. I'm trying to forget that you're here."

        "I know. That's EXACTLY why I'm splashing you with water."

        I just rolled my eyes and turned back to my book. "You splash the book, you die."

        "You wouldn't have the guts to kill me." He smiled.

        "Try me. I swear, you splash the book, I will cut a-"

        "A bitch? Were you gonna cuss and admit that you aren't as innocent as you play off to be?"

        "CALUM!" Jade looked over him critically  from her magazine. "Watch your langauge." Her tone was a warning tone, but something light hearted was in it.

        "I AM innocent." I retorted.

        "For now." He muttered.

        "Excuse me?"

        "I said nothing."

        I shot a glare at him, but returned back to Inkheart.

       He was smart, and didn't splash me again. I read for the next fourty-five minutes, and when I finally looked up, I saw Calum was boredly sitting in the water, on his phone.I smiled and looked at him for a moment. His tan skin, his perfectly carved little smile, the way he laughed at the things he read. It was adorable.

        "Hey, toss me your phone." I called out suddenly. I avoided saying his name, because Calum isn't exactly the most common name, and he was now world famous, and the LAST thing I wanted was to be swarmed by a crowd of admirers.

        "Why?" He called, still looking his phone screen.

        "We're going to have a photo shoot and make all the fans wonder why you aren't in their beds." I laughed. "Just trust me. Toss the phone." I held out my hands, ready to catch it. 

        "I suppose that is an admirable goal." He shrugged casually, and tossed his phone carelessly. He could afford to just toss around his hundreds of dollars. That was a risk I couldn't afford to take, nor could pretty much any broke teenager

        I set the phone down, kicked off my boots and slipped off my jeans. (IT WASN'T LIKE THAT, I WAS WEARING BOY-SHORT BIKINI BOTTOMS) I waded into the water. "Wade out until you're waist deep." I instructed.

        He obeyed, and stepped out until he was waist deep. "Now turn away from me, but look over your shoulder at me, and look like you are sad to see me.

        He obeyed, but with a ridiculously comical face. Doubling over with laughter, I took it. "You look like one of the Victoria Secret models who do the bikini shoots on the beaches. You just need like 5 inches more cleavage."

        He laughed and turned towards me, pulling the front of his shirt down, revealing some of his chest. He bit his lip and put an overly sexy face on. I snapped picture after picture.

        We kept on laughing, and I had to admit, we got some good ones. He was pretty sexy when he wanted to be, if he took it seriously for more than 5 seconds.

        "Come on, Calum. Be a better model." I laughed.

        "I'm trying. Which pose? The Adriana Lima or the Barbara Palvin."

        "How about Cara Delvinge." I suggested.

        He immediately pouted. "Look, I look like you."

        "That's a bad thing?" I laughed.

        He looked at me seriously for a moment. "No, definitely not. Definitely not."

        I blushed slightly. "Stop with flattery. It won't get you anywhere. GOOD POSES WILL!"

        It was during this little photo shoot that people began to look over at the tall, attractive kiwi boy alone in the water, being photographed. Slowly, a few teenage girls slowly leaked towards us, until one tapped on my shoulder viciously.

        "Is that CALUM HOOD? FROM 5SOS?" Her voice was the kind of voice I had when I talked about Augustus and Hazel, or Violet and Quigley.

        "Well... Yes..." I cringed as I admitted it. Great.

        "OH MY GOD." The girl ran out to meet him, followed by her friends. "CALUM! Oh my god! I love you."

        The name spread, and as people accumulated around Calm, I felt a strange twinge of jealousy. Instead of teasing me, he was teasing these random girls in bikinis. I knew it was stupid, but it was almost... A possessive kind of feeling. Which was stupid. So I pushed it away and dutifully took pictures of the girls and Calum, like they asked me.

        I also felt a little sorry for Calum. He signed autograph after autograph, took picture after picture, was given Twitter after Instagram account to follow, sang a few lyrics girls wanted to hear, was pressured to tell everything about his life, and he managed to smile and grin and just pump through it, without getting rude or pissy or diva-ish once.

        It lasted for hours, until everyone's arms had been signed, everyone's twitter was followed, and every last picture had been taken. My thumb was sore from repeatedly pressing the button on girl's phones.

        After they'd finally disappeared and we were heading back to to the car. "So how do you feel? Nice and famous?" I asked.

                Jade took his 'famous' think pretty well and shrugged it off. "Those girls were all pretty.. Pretty hot. And obsessed with you, which is awkward." She took it better than me, in all honesty.

        "Hey, I didn't want to disappoint anyone."

        Which I knew was code for 'Hell fucking yes, and it ain't a good feeling.'

        "I'm glad you didn't. You were awesome. Almost made me wish I could forget about your bratty attitude and just be a fan-girl for a little while." I laughed.

        "You are always a fan-girl. About your books. Who is it you're obsessed with? Oh wait... Just about everyone."

        "Oh hush up." I punched him lightly in the chest. I was blushing slightly. For some reason, today, we'd connected as we took pictures. I felt weird, but I also felt elevated, like I was on a cloud. And it was pretty scary.