A Pair Of Pears (Completed)

Jackson

I stand in the shower the next morning cupping my ear as I wash my hair, every drop of shampoo and water that catches the back of my ear stings. Cigarette burns are the worst, I've had them before, thankfully this is only a small burn, it shouldn't be too hard to hide. I finish upstairs and go down for breakfast I walk into the kitchen and Mum is stood by the sink drinking a glass of water and clearly hungover. Her hair is all tangled and I notice she's missing half a nail on her right index finger. She can't even look at me, she just stares down into her glass, moving it with her hand to make the water swish slightly and concentrating on the motions of the water instead of giving me any attention. When Gran walks in through the back door with a basket full of washing, I instantly know mum has told her something. She slams the basket down on the table and looks directly at me 
'Charlotte! you stupid girl!' I've never seen her look so angry before. 
'Smoking! At your age! Not only that but you fell asleep, burnt yourself! You could have set fire to the house!'
Mum just stares into her glass and says nothing, she obviously knew this was coming and was waiting for gran to come back inside. There's no point in me arguing about what Mum may have told her, no one is going to believe me, and Gran will just automatically take Mum's side. I decide against breakfast after all, and I know that if I spend the day at home I'm in for a rough time. I grab my rucksack and bike and head off towards the beach. The ride isn't exactly the image I had imagined of dandelions in my basket, the cool morning breeze catches my hair and gives me an instant relaxed feeling, though. I sit on the beach drawing and it's surprisingly empty, Just a few small groups of people. I guess as it's nearing the end of the summer season, the tourists are starting to go back to their lives, I just wish I was one of them. 
'Charlie?' a voice questions behind me. 
I turn and look behind me to see Lily stood there smiling, she's wearing a pair of flower embroidered bell bottoms and a retro Pepsi t-shirt, she has a black lace choker around her neck, she reminds me of a cross between a seventies hippy and nineties grunge girl. 
'I thought it was you!' she says, laying out a vintage patchwork quilt and sitting down with her legs crossed.
 I close my sketchpad and try to slide it quickly back into my bag, hoping that she doesn't notice or ask to see it. 
'What's that?' she asks, eyeing up my sketchpad. 
'Uh, I was just doodling.' 
'Awesome!' Lily says, her face beaming. 
'Can I see? 'She grabs the sketchpad from my bag before I can stop her and starts flicking through it. 
'Wow! These are really good!' she says, smiling down at my Tim Burton style drawings. 'You should join Jackson and me in art club, your mum mentioned you'd be coming to school with us next week, something about your dad and tuition money. Quite aggressive your mum, isn't she?' 
I feel my face blush. Lily has just complimented my drawings. I've always been used to being put down for everything. I can't remember someone making a positive remark about me. Even back in Brum at those parties with my so-called friends, comments were always made pointing out one flaw or another.  Lily reaches her hand out and gently pulls my ear forwards.
 "What happened?" She asks, concerned. 
'Oh, I fell asleep with a cigarette.' I lie. 
Lily stares at me her eyes narrowing, although she doesn't say anything I have this suspicion that she didn't quite believe me. Thankfully the moment is short-lived when a voice calls out Lily's name. We both turn around to look. He's gorgeous, and suddenly my heart melts. Jet black scruffy hair, low hanging cut-off jeans and battered cherry Doc Martens, and a Dollyrots t-shirt. He's carrying a very battered acoustic guitar.  
'That's Jackson' Lily whispers in my ear.
As he walks closer I notice that his wrists are covered in wooden beaded bracelets, and festival wristbands. Jackson sits down, and Lily introduces us. Jackson has one of those cheeky personalities, where you don't know if you should smack him or hug him. He and Lily bicker like brother and sister constantly. Mostly we just talk about everything from music to my old life, minus a few details about my parents. They seem more interested in getting to know me than talking about themselves, yet another thing that I'm not used too. Lily pulls out a disposable barbeque and a large bag full of vegetable kababs out of her beach bag. It's obvious that Lily and Jackson had plans pre-arranged. I can't help but feel a bit like the third wheel. 
'It's all Pagan and vegan at home' Lily says, as Jackson pulls a box of matches out the pocket of his jeans and tosses them to her.
'So, Charlie!' begins Jackson.
'How are you liking Cornwall? Your mum is the snobby, grumpy one, right? I work in the shop with her and Lily.'
Lily shoots Jackson a glare. 
'What?' he says shrugging. 
'It's true.' He mutters under his breath 'Everyone is talking about it.' I suddenly feel very embarrassed about Mum, Lily turns to face me. 
'I'd like to apologise for him, he never thinks before he speaks and has a habit of putting his foot in it!' She shoots another glare in Jackson's direction and kicks her leg out at him. He pulls an incredibly cute childish grin. If he had given me that grin, I'd have forgiven him in an instant. Lily still doesn't look happy, though. There are a few seconds of silence before Jackson looks back at me grinning and asks. 
'So, are you going to answer my question?' He says, poking his tongue out at me. 
'It's boring!' I blurt out. 
'Obviously not doing the right things then are you!' He replies. I like this humour about him, I'm not sure if I want to slap him or kiss him. 
'So, what are the right things?' I ask flirtatiously. 
'Well...' Jackson begins. 'Lily and Willow put on their pentagrams and go around terrorising the locals on a full moon if that's your thing.' Lily narrows her eyes at Jackson, she pulls a piece of courgette off of one of the kababs and flicks it at him. 
'It's more fun than standing on the corner of the road begging them for money with music.' She taunts. We stay on the beach well into the evening, Lily and Jackson are the coolest people I've ever met, they are so laid back and accepting of who I am as a person. I feel like I can completely be myself around them. Jackson lives in an old farmhouse not far away from my grandparents. Turns out both his parents are hippies and he's one of eight children. I can't help but feel jealous, I hate being an only child, maybe if there was another we could share the wrath of my mother, although I probably shouldn't think about it in that way. Jackson's dad is a musician and spends a lot of the summer away playing at festivals. Most summers he goes away with him, this year he got his job in the shop so had to stay, he's saving up for some new instruments apparently, and wants to start his own band, with a friend from school. Lily lives alone with her feminist mum who spends her time decorating everything you could possibly imagine with seashells and selling them to tourists. 
'She's just come into some money, though.' Lily says. 'She's opening one of those new age hippy shops, we won't be living in the camper anymore.' 
Every so often Jackson picks up his guitar and plays something. His singing isn't the best, but he's good with his guitar, he's just getting into the chorus of Minority by Green Day when I realise what time it is, I need to get back soon, so I can disappear before mum gets home. I know if she comes back drunk I'll be in for it, being as it's Saturday night that's likely. Lily walks alone as she lives very close by, Jackson offers to walk with me. He walks alongside my bike and when we pass a field of daisies he picks a load up and puts them in the basket on my biking, smiling.
'Hey, my dad is coming home tomorrow, now that it's the end of the summer and the musical festivals are coming to an end. We always have a huge get together with the locals, Lily and her mum are coming. Do you want to come? You can bring your mum and grandparents of you like?'  
I look down at the road trying to conceal my grin, the thought of spending more time with Jackson alone or not, is sending a whirlwind of butterflies through my stomach. No way am I going to invite Mum or my grandparents. I'm so happy he invited me, I honestly feel like I might throw up. I hate overly social situations but with school starting on Monday it's something I'm going to have to get used to. 
'Sure, why not!' I reply, trying to sound casual and not like an over excited five-year-old.