The Rose Petal Beach Read Online Free

shelter, the seats were only a little drawn on and dirtied, two of the posters were still intact.
    My face beamed when I saw him. ‘Wow, talk about a blast from the past,’ I said, my grin growing wider. I hadn’t seen him in years. ‘How you doing?’
    ‘Good, good.’ Scott Challey, all grown up. I hadn’t seen him since we both finished our GCSEs and I went off to sixth-form college and he stayed on at school. From the little boy who could never stay clean and tidy, he’d grown into a young man who dressed well – smart, navy blue jeans, a white T-shirt and long, black coat. His once-wild hair was now tamed with a stylish long-on-top cut. I’d heard he’d gone to university from my mother who’d said in despair that she couldn’t understand how someone from his family went while I didn’t. I’d heard from other people I went to school with that his family hadn’t wanted him to go. When he’d brought his UCAS form home it’d got thrown out with the rubbish. When his teachers tried to explain that it was an opportunity like no other, they’d been thrown out with a fair few swearwords lining their ears. It was only his grandmother who intervened. She wielded the ultimate power in that family, apparently. When she spoke – which hadn’t been frequently – they listened and they did. ‘Young Scott’s going to
university
,’ I heard, she’d said. And that was that.
    ‘You look all grown up. Am quite impressed.’
    ‘I look grown up? You’re a full-formed adult. I suppose that’s because you’ve got a job and can afford to buy clothes and things.’
    ‘You’re not exactly naked, are you?’
    ‘Ahh, but it’s different when you’re working. How did your parents take you not going to university?’
    I shrugged. ‘Still haven’t calmed down. I think they’ve convinced themselves I’m going to see how hard it is working and decide to go to university next year.’
    ‘And will you?’
    ‘Erm … no. I’ve got a great job. Lots of chances for advancement. I’m really enjoying it. But if it makes them happy to think that uni is on the cards, who am I to disabuse them of those ideas?’
    ‘“Disabuse”. Look at you with your fancy words. So what’s this job of yours then? Compiling a dictionary? Are you going to be moving on to the thesaurus department next?’
    I laughed. ‘No, I work in the corporate communications department of TelmeCo.’
    ‘The huge phone company?’
    ‘Phones, mobile phones and the world wide web thing.’
    ‘Wow, I am seriously impressed. What do you do, make tea?’
    ‘Yes, and the rest, you cheeky sod.’
    ‘Seriously, what do you do?’
    ‘Lots of little things, mainly helping out, but I’ve been given the newsletter to write. I have to do it on the computer and on their intranet. It’s great fun. Plus I’m learning so much. If I keep my head down, focus, I reckon I could be running the place in, ohhhh, six months.’
    His laughter was a thick and throaty sound that lit up his face in a way I hadn’t seen him illuminated before. ‘Shift up,’ he instructed as he plonked himself down beside me.
    ‘And how’s university treating you?’
    ‘Yeah, it’s good, it’s good. Great chance to reinvent yourself, university. Not many people know what the Challey name means over there. I like that a lot.’
    ‘I take it you’re back to visit the folks, though?’
    ‘Yeah. Something like that. Actually, it’s my grandmother’s funeral.’
    ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’
    ‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘She was the main reason I used to visit. Now, I’ve got no real reason to. Every time I come back I’m reminded why I left in the first place and why I never want to return.’
    ‘It’s not that bad,’ I said, nudging him with my shoulder. It wasthat bad, from everything I’d heard, but I didn’t like the sheer agony talking about it dragged across his face.
    He raised his dark eyebrows at me. ‘Isn’t it?’
    ‘I’d hope not,’ I conceded.
    ‘Funny,