Chapter Fifty-Four

Alice

We claimed an area of the beach, the whole stretch of which belonged to Ashton's dad's hotel which overlooked the whole thing. The usual crowd from school helped me set up, and by the time we were done, it looked like one of those over the top tiki party's they throw for tourists at a resort abroad.

There were strings of flowered fairy lights surrounding the area which we'd propped up on bits of driftwood. We dotted pretty lanterns, more colourful flowers and little tiki figurines around the beach for added effect, and we'd set up one of those long plaster tables for snacks and drinks, which I'd then wrapped a grass skirt around to make it fit the aesthetic.

I'd made a punch, which Rachel had immediately spiked with a whole bottle of rum, and the boys had brought a huge keg that they were now trying to figure out how to tap, whilst a massive set up speakers Dan had brought down blasted music at us.

It had been beautifully sunny all day and I was enjoying the feeling of sand between my toes as I walked barefoot around our little camp. I was wearing an off the shoulder dress covered in large pink flowers, the skirt was flowy and billowed as I walked, it made me feel like I was on holiday. It was still spring, so although it was warm, it wasn't quite sunbathe in your bikini weather.

"Happy birthday!" people shouted at me as they started to arrive. Most had brought their own drinks. Any excuse to get completely wasted.

I smiled back and gave them a wave before heading to top up my punch in my pineapple shaped cup. I'd pretty much invited everyone in our year and the year above us, as generally a lot of them were friends or friends of friends, and I really didn't like leaving people out. I was starting to regret it now though, as the bonfire was surrounded and our party over spilled out onto the rest of the beach.

I saw Cat wander in with Travis, she looked completely uncomfortable with the growing numbers of people, and for the second time that day I felt guilt. I should not have made her come.

Cat was holding a huge roll of paper, and I watched as she unfurled it and Travis helped her fix it between two of our driftwood posts. She had made the sign!

Written in beautiful calligraphy was Happy Seventeenth Birthday to the Attwood Twins, followed by lots of tiny sketches matching my beach theme.

Travis stepped back to admire the work and gave Cat a thumbs up, and she grinned back at him in a way I rarely saw her do with other people. I wished she would date him; they would make such a great pairing and he really wasn't bad looking.

I plonked myself down on the sand between two pink paper lanterns and stretched my arms out behind me. There were clouds rolling in over my head, plump grey ones. I hoped they'd keep going, rain would completely ruin the theme I was going for here.

I was sat back, enjoying the melody of Symphony by Clean Bandit drifting from the speakers. That's when I heard the whispers. There was a group of girls stood just behind me, on the other side of one of the strands of flower lights, somebody said my name and my ears pricked up to the conversation.

"I don't think it was as bad as Alice made out," a girl's voice whispered. "I think she's just an attention seeker, so she's just been making out like it was this big dramatic thing when it probably wasn't really anything at all. There probably wasn't even a car, she probably just tripped on a road or something."

I felt my cheeks burn. Were they talking about the car accident? I'd barely said a word about it to anyone, most of what had gone around the school was stuff that Owen had said, but now apparently, I was the one looking for attention?

"I don't know," said another girl. "Wasn't she in the hospital?"

"Yeah well, she looked fine when she came back to school, so how do we know that wasn't a lie."

"That's true. I heard that Owen tried to break up with her after, but she went all psycho on him."

"Ooo I hope that's true. Do you think he'd date me?"

I wanted to move, but my feet felt cemented to the ground. I didn't want to hear all of this. All the rumours about me. All the rubbish people just assumed was true because that's what they wanted to believe. They had no idea what the truth was. They had no idea what it had been like for me.

I covered my ears, so I didn't have to hear anymore and by the time that Rachel and Tia appeared in front of me, the girls had long gone.

"Mikael is a surprisingly good dancer," announced Tia, holding a hand to her chest as she caught her breath. "I feel incredibly out of shape."

"Dancing?" said Rachel sarcastically. "Is that what you'd call what he was doing? I thought he was chasing a wasp away."

Tia swatted at Rachel and sat in the sand next to me. "Why are you all alone over here birthday girl?" said Tia.

"And why do you look so depressed?" Rachel followed up, joining us on the sand.

I gave them the rundown of what I just heard, still sickened that that was what people thought of me.

"What the actual fuck?" said Rachel looking around as if she would be able to figure out who the girls were from the people on the beach. "Who comes to someone else's party and talks shit about them," Rachel continued, her tone getting increasingly angry. "It's just rude."

"I mean," said Tia, giving her a look. "You do."

Rachel waved a dismissive hand at her. "Not at somebodies birthday party!"

Tia scoffed but then turned to me looking confused. "That is pretty bad, I mean why would you even lie about that, that's insane."

"Actually," I said hesitantly, pushing my hands into the sand at my side so it spilled over my fingers encasing them. "Owen's story was a lie. Owen crashed his car and I was the passenger. He was driving it illegally, that's why he made up the story. I was in hospital because the car landed in water and the bacteria in it made me sick."

"What?" Rachel and Tia exclaimed in unison.

"I just kind of went along with it because I didn't want to upset him," I explained with a half-shrug. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you guys about it before, I just felt like I couldn't."

"He almost killed you?" Tia said, her expression one of shock. "I can't believe you didn't tell us. We've been treating him like he was a hero or something, but he's actually the villain."

"I was stupid too. I shouldn't have gotten in the car." I pressed my lips together and then said, "I knew he shouldn't be driving, and yet I still got in the car."

"That doesn't make him any less of an asshole," Rachel stated, her scowl deepening. She suddenly stood, looking around the party again. When her eyes settled on Owen, who was over by the keg with the other guys, she started marching toward him. "I'm going to wring his neck!"

"I'll hold him down," said Tia, standing too.

I blinked. "No, wait, wait, don't do that," I said, though I had to admit I wasn't too disturbed by the thought. I quickly followed behind them, wringing my hands at my sides uneasily.

"Owen, you lying jerk," Rachel yelled at Owen.

Owen looked over in surprise, his eyes narrowing as he spotted us approaching. "What do you want?"

Dan and Ashton had learned better than to get between Rachel and her prey, they made their excuses and left Owen solo.

"How could you tell everyone all that crap about the car accident, do you know what people are saying about Alice because of you?" She put two hands on his chest and pushed him hard. He was made of mostly muscle and barely moved an inch under her pressure. "You're such a lying piece of shit. You were the one driving and she could have died because of you."

Tia crossed her arms. "And you're supposed to love her, you make me sick."

From the way Owen was glaring at them, I half expected him to try and claw their eyes out, but instead he propelled his rage toward me.

"You told them!"

"Don't try and turn the blame around on her, we know what you did, this is on you buddy," said Rachel, jabbing a finger in his direction.

Owen grabbed my arm, saying, "We need to talk, without your tiny bodyguards."

"Oh no you don't," said Tia, trying to step between us. "You can say whatever it is you need to say in front of us."

With his other hand, he placed it on Tia's shoulder and shoved her. She stumbled back several steps. "Back off," he warned.

"It's okay," I said, feeling myself beginning to panic. I didn't want my friends to get hurt on my account. "I'll go. Tia, Rachel, stay here, I'll be back in a minute."

They didn't look convinced, a look of uncertainty passing between them, however they complied with my request.

Owen dragged me away from the party, bringing me close to the sea. The waves lapped near our feet, another couple of steps and we'd be in the water.

"Are you fucking crazy?" Owen demanded, throwing down my arm and pushing his hands through his hair. "Why would you tell them all of that?"

"Because it's the truth," I said, looking down at my feet. I didn't like being alone with him, but I couldn't let my friends get involved in this.

"Are you trying to destroy me," he growled. "Is this just another way to end it between us, by making me hate you."

I glanced up at him, seeing the anger coursing through his veins. "Do you even love me?" I asked. "Why do you even want to be with me?" He couldn't honestly like fighting all of the time, why would he want this? Why would anyone want this?

"Stop it." He stepped closer and I could feel his breath on me. "I swear Alice, if you don't stop this, I will make sure you get exactly what you want, you'll be alone. No friends, no family. Just you, entirely alone."

His hands reached for me and I winced, my body tensed, and I prepared myself for his wrath.

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