The Trouble with Love
Read The Trouble with Love Online
Authors: Cathy Cole
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1. The New Girl
2. The Trouble With Love
3. More Than a Love Song
4. A Date With Fate
5. Never a Perfect Moment
6. Kiss at Midnight
7. Back to You
8. Summer of Secrets
9. Playing the Game
10. Flirting With Danger
11. Lovers and Losers
12. Winter Wonderland
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Big thanks to Lucy Courtenay and Sara Grant
Contents
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ONE
Polly Nelson couldn't take her eyes off the stitching along the hem of the flowy skirt she was wearing. She had chosen it so carefully that afternoon. She couldn't believe she'd left the house in something that looked so bad.
The campfire crackled merrily, the smell of toasting marshmallows mingling with the salty beach air, the pumping bass from Max's MP3 and the lively sound of chatter. It was surprisingly warm for a February afternoon, even without the fire. Polly tucked the offending skirt under her legs, hoping that she wouldn't think about it so much that way. She looked terrible. She hoped no one would notice.
On the opposite side of the fire, Polly's best friend Lila Murray had finished threading her stick with marshmallows and was placing them in the flames. Her glossy brown hair was whipped up by the wind coming in from the sea, and she was laughing at something her boyfriend Ollie Wright was saying. She was so pretty, Polly thought, and had such infectious enthusiasm for everything. No wonder Ollie was mad about her. It was hard to believe Lila had only come to Heartside Bay a few weeks ago. It felt like they'd known each other for half their lives.
It's half-term
, Polly scolded herself.
You're in the secret cove with your friends, a bonfire, marshmallows and great music. What's not to like?
This skirt looks awful
, her thoughts replied at once.
What are you going to do about it?
Polly challenged herself.
Take it off and dance around the beach in your underwear?
Her gaze flickered towards Ollie. He looked extra-gorgeous when he laughed, she thought wistfully.
She'd had a secret crush on Ollie since her first day at Heartside High. He had dropped a pencil by her feet in Year Eight, and she had kept it. She had written in detail about him in her diary in Year Nine, and treasured every private conversation they had ever had. After all these years, she still couldn't stop her heart from fluttering every time she saw him. And now he was Lila's.
As she gazed at Ollie, Polly caught Lila's eye. She instantly felt guilty. Did the fact that she fancied her best friend's boyfriend show in her face? Her wide hazel eyes were much too expressive, she knew. She loosed her hair and let it swing round her face like a thick black curtain.
“Half-term at last,” Lila sighed happily. She fiddled with her marshmallow stick. “I can't believe it's here. We're going to have
so
much fun.”
Polly felt a wave of relief. Lila hadn't read anything in her expression. It looked like her complicated feelings for Ollie were still a secret.
Ollie dusted sand off his jeans and snuggled his arm round Lila's shoulders. “And it starts right here,” he said. “Are my marshmallows done yet?”
Lila guarded her marshmallow stick, baring her teeth like a dog. “Cook your own!” she warned, smiling.
“What's yours is mine,” Ollie said innocently. “That's the way relationships work.”
Lila kicked him with one bare, sandy foot. “You wish!”
Ollie launched himself at Lila, tickling her until she begged, squealing, for mercy. Then he cut off her laughter with a kiss.
Polly suddenly felt more lonely than she'd ever felt in her life.
“I'm going for a paddle,” she said, getting up.
“Want some company?” Lila said, pushing Ollie off and raising herself up on her elbows. The sand in her hair made her look like an off-duty mermaid.
Polly shook her head. “Save a marshmallow for me?”
“Of course, Pol,” Lila said warmly.
“Hey!” Ollie said in a mock-indignant voice. “You're letting her have one, but not me?”
Lila and Ollie were the perfect couple, Polly thought with a sigh as she took off her shoes and moved away from the campfire. They were both gorgeous, and bubbly, and popular. It had taken Lila a few weeks to settle in to her new school â thanks mainly to queen bee Eve Somerstown causing trouble â but now she was in the middle of every social event in Heartside and almost more popular than Eve herself. Lila had long legs, a rich laugh and beautiful thick brown hair. Why would Ollie look at anyone else â least of all, Polly?
Enough with this obsession
, she thought, straightening her shoulders. It was time to move on. Anyway, Ollie represented everything she despised in boys. Dumb sexist humour, never taking anything seriously, and only ever thinking about football. He was wrong for her in every way.
There must be someone better out there for you,
she consoled herself.
Someone more intelligent than Ollie, more sensitive, less sporty. Maybe with deep political convictions.
Now
that
would be a dream boy.
She reached the edge of the sea and let the cold waves swish over her toes. The sea always calmed her down and helped her to think more clearly. She couldn't imagine living inland. It would be torture, knowing that the ocean was curling and crashing over someone else's feet, not her own.
Polly glanced over her shoulder at the sound of laughter. Rhi and Eve were chasing Rhi's boyfriend Max down the beach, throwing handfuls of sand after him. Max ran backwards, grinning and waving as Rhi and Eve chased him. His dark curly hair blew around his head.
“Catch me if you can!” he whooped teasingly.
“Oh, we'll catch you!” Eve shouted. “Don't worry about that, Max!”
“No one eats our marshmallows and gets away with it!” Rhi added, gasping with laughter as she flung her sand in Max's direction. It fell harmlessly by his feet.
“Typical girl,” Max taunted with a grin, racing back towards the campfire. “Can't throw to save your life!”
Why can't I be more like Eve?
Polly thought, watching them.
Totally comfortable hanging out with her best friend and her boyfriend?
She shook her head, surprised at herself. She could never be like Eve in any way. Eve made everyone's lives a misery. Lila had been through hell in her first couple of weeks at Heartside High because of Eve. She had made Polly's life miserable too. Eve was as trustworthy as a snake.
Polly watched as Eve, true to form, threw herself beside the others by the campfire, accidentally on purpose knocking Lila's arm and spilling her water in her lap.
“Whoops,” she drawled, not sounding in the least bit sorry.
“Whoops yourself,” Lila said, and dumped what was left of her water over Eve's head.
“Ugh!”
Eve jumped furiously to her feet, mopping hard at her cashmere jumper. Rhi helped her to dry off the worst of the water with Max's help. Ollie just laughed.
“I'm really sorry, Eve,” said Lila with an innocent-looking shrug. “It was a total mistake. My hand has a life of its own, didn't you know?”
Even from a distance, Polly could see Eve's eyes were glittering with rage.
“That wasn't kind, Lila,” said Rhi reproachfully.
“She did it to me first,” Lila pointed out, wiping herself dry. “You have to learn to take what you dish out, Eve. Just be glad I wasn't drinking anything sticky.”
“I spilled your drink by
accident
,” Eve hissed.
“Funny kind of accident,” said Lila, rolling her eyes. “You have to stop with all these silly games, Eve. We're all tired of your behaviour.”
“Give it a rest, will you?” said Max lazily, swiping a marshmallow. “This is supposed to be a party.”
“I will not,” Eve snapped, and jumped to her feet. “She started it.”
Several of the other girls in their class rallied round Eve with Rhi and Max. Lila stood up warily, with Ollie, a group of Ollie's footballing mates and a bunch of other kids clustered round her in support.
Polly felt nervous. Things had been extra tense between Lila and Eve since Valentine's Day. It was great that Lila wasn't putting up with Eve's tricks any more, but things were getting out of hand.
It was beginning to feel like the whole school was split between supporters of Eve and supporters of Lila. The tension was awful. It wasn't the best way to start half-term.
“Fight!” someone yelled.
TWO
The groups swelled and pushed at each other. Polly started running, back to the fire.
“Stop!” she shouted. “Don't fight, please don't fight!” She threw herself between the two groups. “Don't do this,” she begged, waving her arms for calm. “It's half-term! We're supposed to enjoy ourselves, not start a war.”
Eve gave Lila a furious icy stare. “
She
can't get away with a stunt like that.”
Lila glared back, hands on her hips. “And
she
needs to pull her head out of her ownâ”
Eve rushed at Lila before she could finish, hands raised and nails poised to strike. Polly stumbled backwards. Ollie leapt between Eve and Lila as Eve tried to scratch Lila's face. Amid the yelling, pushing and shoving, someone yelped in pain as they trod in the smouldering remains of the campfire, squishing marshmallows into the sand.
Polly could feel anxiety racing through her body. She could feel her lungs squeezing up, not giving her enough oxygen.
“No!” she panted, and grabbed the arm of the nearest person, pulling them backwards.
“Hey!” Ollie said, pulled off-balance as he staggered against her.
Polly's body gave a shiver of pleasure at the sensation of Ollie right up against her skin.
Imagine these arms around you
, she thought, feeling a little dizzy.
Nothing could ever hurt you.
“Please stop this, Ollie,” she begged, forcing her thoughts back to reality. “There are better ways to solve conflict than fighting like idiots.”
“Not everyone's as perfect as you,” he said angrily, shaking her hand off. “Now isn't the time for
talking
.”
Polly hit back with the only thing she could think of. “Of course, the concept of talking is beyond your little brain, isn't it, Ollie? The only things inside your head are Lila and football . . . and . . . and marshmallows. Your brain is
made
of marshmallows!”
He stepped backwards. She winced at the hurt in his eyes.
“Get back to your dictionaries, Little Miss Perfect,” he snapped. “OK, so I play football. That doesn't mean I'm dumb. It's not like you never make mistakes.” He scanned her skirt. “That outfit, for instance. You look like one of those stupid Spanish dolls that tourists buy on holiday.”
Polly felt utterly crushed.
Great work
, she told herself.
Get the guy you like to really hate you.
She knew the skirt was a bad idea. Now it seemed to be laughing at her.
“When I need fashion advice, I know who to turn to,” she said, trying to stop her voice from wobbling. It was all she could do not to run away from the beach, away from everyone, and just keep running until she got home and changed and forgot everything about this horrible afternoon.
Ollie's eyes flickered. “Back off, Polly. And don't stick your nose where it isn't wanted.”
The two groups were slinking away now, eyeing each other sourly. Eve had stormed off down the beach with Rhi and Max. Straightening her top and looking a little sheepish, Lila picked up her marshmallows from the blanket and offered them to Polly.
“That got a bit crazy, didn't it?” she said with a little laugh. “You can have the first marshmallow if you want, Pol. They're veggie ones.”
Polly folded her arms tightly across her chest and shook her head. Ollie was still glaring at her. She wanted to disappear into the sand.
Lila seemed to notice the chilly atmosphere. “The fight's over, guys. Hadn't you noticed?” she said, her expression suddenly worried. “What's going on?”
“She told me I had a brain like a marshmallow,” Ollie muttered.
Lila gave a snort of laughter. “Pink or white?”
Ollie gave a reluctant smile. “We didn't get as far as flavours,” he said.
Lila flipped Polly a marshmallow and held out her arms for Ollie. Polly's heart broke a little more as Ollie went to give Lila a hug.
He's my best friend's boyfriend and a stupid jock
, she reminded herself desperately
. Not my type at all. Not to mention the fact that he now hates me anyway.
The marshmallow tasted of ashes as she slowly put it into her mouth.
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The afternoon grew darker and the campfire brighter. Someone turned the music up and people started dancing on the sand, some pressed up close together and others swaying in their own little worlds. The cliffs of the secret cove curled around them, a half-moon of golden rocks, connected to the outside world by just two paths. Polly clutched her drink and tried to listen to what Liam was saying.
Liam was goalkeeper on the football team. Big and strong as an ox, his thick black hair stood up on his head like a startled hedgehog.
“Great skirt.” Liam patted Polly's knee with a beefy hand more used to catching balls. He took a swig from his drink. “Very . . . skirty.” He hiccupped and wiped the back of his hand across his lips. “Flirty skirty,” he added, and grinned at her.
Liam wasn't particularly intelligent, but he wasn't horrible, or one of the louder footie idiots that clustered around Ollie. His clumsy attempt at flattery was sort of nice, only his breath smelled and there was a bright red spot on his nose. And he was a jock. Her least favourite kind of guy.
Stop overthinking things
, Polly told herself impatiently. She always did this, working out a hundred reasons not to do something.
She wondered if she should kiss Liam. Her first kiss. What would it be like? Would she even know what to do? She was so embarrassed that she'd never kissed someone before. Liam obviously wanted to. Maybe if she pretended Liam was someone else. Someone tall and blond, with blue eyes and a big smile. . .
She felt Liam's massive arm creep round her shoulders.
“You're cute,” he said, smiling hopefully. The spot on his nose shone like a beacon. “Like a little doll.”
Polly froze as Ollie's cruel words flooded back.
You look like one of those stupid Spanish dolls that tourists buy on holiday.
She couldn't do this.
“Sorry,” she said abruptly as Liam moved towards her for a kiss.
Scrambling to her feet, she ran away from the campfire towards the sea. She was shaking. How could she feel so much for someone who could say something so hurtful? She could still feel the press of Ollie's body against hers as she pulled him out of the fight. She was ashamed at how the memory made her feel.
Panic started to wash over her, as rhythmic and insistent as the sea by her feet. She could feel the world narrowing, as if the cliffs of the cove were about to close around her and squeeze her between their cold, rough edges.
Breathe
, she told herself, feeling her chest tightening up.
You have to get this under control!
The constant movement of the sea was starting to make her feel sick. The panic was rising like the tide. She looked around in desperation, trying to find something else to focus on and bring her thoughts to a safer place.
Her eyes settled on Max and Rhi, tucked away in a private little nook in the cliffs near the path to Heartside's main beach, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as they kissed.
What is it with romance in this place?
she thought in despair.
It was as if Heartside Bay, capital of romance, made you love people whether you wanted to or not. Except no one loved her. All she wanted was to go home, take her stupid skirt off and throw it in the bin.
Polly started walking towards the path that would lead her back to the centre of town. She averted her eyes from the two heads, one dark and one auburn, that were kissing so intently in the cliff nook. Then she paused.
Rhi and Max both had dark hair.
Max wasn't kissing Rhi. He was kissing
Eve
.
Polly's heart thumped as Eve pulled back from Max â and caught Polly's eye.
A rush of colour flooded Eve's pale cheeks. “Spying, are you?” she accused, grabbing her coat and pulling it protectively around herself.
At first, Polly couldn't find the words to express her shock. “You. . .
traitor
!” she said at last. She looked with disgust at Max, who was scrambling behind Eve as if that would somehow hide his betrayal of Rhi.
“Run and tell Rhi then, why don't you?” Eve challenged.
The tremble in her voice proved Eve wasn't as cool about being caught as she was trying to make out. Polly realized that she looked scared. Eve was never scared.
If I were Eve
, Polly thought,
I'd run right to the campfire and tell everyone, not just Rhi. But I'm not Eve.
Polly had problems of her own, and not just with her crush on Ollie. Her friends and family knew nothing about her anxieties, or the trouble she had controlling them. She couldn't face the idea of telling tales tonight.
“I hope you're both very happy together,” she said coldly, and stormed away towards the main beach.
