Chapter 4
The headache I wake up with consumes my temples, whether it’s from the glasses of wine last night or crying myself to sleep, I’m not sure. I feel a sense of guilt for making last night awkward between Nora and I. I know she didn’t ask to hurt me. She asked because she also knew Coco. Not as well as I did, but there must’ve been some shock factor for her too. I toss and turn in bed until I finally decide to get up and out and enjoy the resort. If I wanted to rot in bed, I may as well have saved all the money I spent on this holiday and stayed at home. I pop a couple of painkillers out of the metallic packaging and grab water out of the mini fridge, forcing the oddly large pills down my throat. I’ll thank myself later.
I walk over to the now busy pool filled with families, and towels neatly placed on the sun beds to ‘reserve’ them. I find a sunbed and lay my towel down, removing my cover up. The heat hits me, sweat forming on my upper lip already, and the pool is suddenly calling my name. Dipping my toes in, the cold water sends shivers up my body, I consider getting out, but the memories of Coco begging me to get in the pool with her seem to push me further in. I swim around the pool aimlessly, trying not to splash people with my terrible swimming. Floating on my back, I dip my ears underneath the pool, the world going quieter, the voices and music turning into just muffles.
**
BEYOND THE BLUES
I notice the hotel entertainers circling the pool for participants for their fun new activity, like seagulls searching for leftover chips. I decide to make an escape for it, because I can’t play water polo to save my life. People enter the pool rapidly, the dads ready to win their certificate printed just twenty minutes prior to the game. As I go to leave the pool, someone shouts.
“Heads!”
Before I know it, a ball hits the back of my head full speed, knocking me over, my leg hitting the stairs and face on the edge of the pool. I lift my head up,cheekbone stinging from the impact and leg pulsing. I look down and my leg has a cut, a lot of blood leaking out of it.
“Fuck.”
I say, pulling myself from the steps to sit on the edge and see the damage. It’s a slight cut, just one that bleeds an embarrassing amount. The holiday rep and a middle-aged bald man come over to me quickly.
“Miss, are you okay?!”
the rep panics.
“I’m sorry about my poor aim. Are you okay?”
The bald man, with a heavy northern accent, says. I nod frantically.
“Yes, I’ll be fine, a plaster will do”
I feel my cheeks flush from the attention I’m getting. I stand up and my head feels fuzzy, I stand still for a second, getting my balance and begin walking back to my sunbed.
“I am going to run and get the first aid kit!”
The rep runs off towards reception, quickly, for just a minor cut on my leg. I place my fingers on my cheekbone and pull away, noticing the crimson red blood on my fingertips. Not just a cut on my leg then. I look up to see Nora, eyes filled with concern, jogging over to me.
“What the fuck happened here? Did someone do this to you?”
She sits next to me on my sunbed, pulls off her fresh white t-shirt over her head and dabs my cheekbone.
“I just fell. It’s okay.”
I mutter, feeling everyone around the pool eyes on me, whispering to each other. As if Nora hears my thoughts.
“Don’t worry about them. They’re just concerned and nosy.”
Nora places her hand on my thigh, brushing her thumb softly against it. Returning to me shortly, the holiday rep with a first aid kit in hand, and a stern-looking woman in a business suit behind him. The holiday rep cleans the cut on my cheekbone, the alcohol stinging, making me wince. The grip of Nora’s hand
*
on my thigh gets firmer.
“Miss, I am very sorry this incident happened. As an apology from the Sunset Hotel, we would like to upgrade your room for the rest of your trip.”
The woman in the suit says, and before I can answer.
“That will be grand. Her surname is O’Greene, Ophelia O’Greene.”
Nora says. The woman nods and uses her walkie talkie to speak to someone in Greek. I look back at Nora and she winks at me, taking the edge of the situation off my mind for just a moment. After a moment or two, the rep finishes cleaning my wounds, profusely apologising to me as I reassure him it’s all okay. The woman hands me the keys to my new room. I look at the keyring attached, and it says:
‘Premium Sunset Hotel Room 101’
“See? Some bad things happen, so good things can come pouring into your life.”
Nora smiles at me.
I think about the hassle of moving all my clothes out of my current room and into my new one. Of course, my room is already a mess. I’m an indecisive dresser.
“I’ll help you move over.”
Nora interrupts my thoughts.
“No, honestly you don’t have to-”
“I insist”
We walk to my room, well I hobble a little, the bruise growing on my shin.
I put the key in the door and turn around to Nora before I open the door.
“I’m warning you, it’s messy, I’m messy.”
I then open the door, revealing everything I packed splayed out across the floor and tables.
“Sorry.”
I bite my bottom lip, picking up my clothes and shoving them in my already open suitcase.
“Nice”
Nora says. I turn around and she’s holding one of my red lace thongs. I go over and take it out of her hand, laughing nervously. At least it wasn’t one of my comfy granny pants I wear at night.
“It’s like someone raided you. How can one person make such a mess in one night?”
Nora laughs out loud, picking up handfuls of my clothes. I playfully hit her arm.
**
BEYOND THE BLUES
“Shut up!”
Nora grabs me by the waist, picking me up with just one arm and lays me down on the bed.
“You stay there, watching you pack your stuff so slowly is killing me.”
I sit up on my elbows and watch her speed round the room, grabbing everything and carefully placing it in my suitcase. After ten minutes, she was done.
“Done.”
Nora pushes her hair curtains back and wipes the sweat on her forehead with her t-shirt with my blood on it.
“I’m sorry about your top. I’ll buy you a new one.”
“Leave off, will you? It’s just a cheap basic one.It’s fine, honestly.”
I twist my face into a ‘are you sure?’ look.
“If it were my brand new Nike one, then I might’ve made you buy me a new one.”Nora smirks at me before picking up my suitcase and walking towards the door.
“Let’s go see your new suite, then.”Nora wiggles her eyebrows and I let out a chuckle, edging myself off the bed.