England's Finest Rebel

Chapter 32

Once we’d finished getting ready, the girls met the boys downstairs in the lobby, of course this was after taking about one thousand selfies. We left the lobby together and since the main shopping street was a quick walk away, we decided it would be pointless to take the cars. In a group we strolled through the sunny, bustling streets and eventually arrived at the top of Rodeo Drive. Looking down the street the shops were posh to say the least; Gucci, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Christian Dior and many more littered the sidewalks, drawing in window shoppers who gazed though the glass in awe of the people who were shopping in such high-end shops.

“Let’s go shopping!” Emma cheered out loud, making us all smile at her enthusiasm.

“Wait!” Jack cried. “SOCAL MOMENT!” he hollered in falsetto voice, quickly we got in a group and Chrissy got some passer-by to snap picture, which, without a doubt would be on Facebook soon.

So our afternoon was spent strutting and strolling through various shops, continually exercising our credit cards on clothes and accessories we didn’t really need. A few times we spotted celebrities shopping with us; that was an experience, to be able to say I was trying on a buttery black studded leather jacket in Chanel as Kate Moss walked in and the next thing I knew she was trying one on too! I brought that jacket, it was too nice to let go of.

Eventually we got back to the hotel in the evening, our arms laden with pricey shopping bags, in fact we had so much stuff that our bags had to go up to the suites in a separate elevator to us! When we got back to the suites, we sorted out our shopping and put the bags in separate piles so we would know whose stuff was whose.

“I’m hungry” I whined, I hadn’t had anything to eat all day and I was starving now.

“What do you want then?” Alexis asked

“Pizza!” JJ answered for me. At this suggestion, I nodded and smiled at Alexis.

“Right, I’ll go and order it in then” and she left to go to order our foods from reception. My legs were aching so I plopped down on the sofa and diverted my attention to the TV that was obnoxiously blaring about the best way to clean you windows, sighing, I stretched out on the sofa and stared off into space; reflecting on life.

Sometimes, I wish the accident had never happened, it haunted my dreams, scarred me, and ruined my life. I couldn’t tell anyone about it, I wasn’t embarrassed by it, it was the emotions it brought out in me; I just couldn’t stop them, they leaked out of me like water dripping from a tap.

“Penny for your thoughts?” JJ asked as he sat down next to me on the sofa.

“I was just thinking about the acci-“ I cut my self off, realising what I was about to say “nothing” I finished with a fake smile.

“No, you were about to say something” he replied with furrowed eyebrows.

“It doesn’t matter”

“It does, I want to know”

“I don’t want to tell you”

“Why not?”

“Because” I snarled

“Why can’t you just tell me” JJ hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously

Apparently Tyler had been watching our argument as he came to my rescue “Mate, just leave it, she clearly doesn’t want to tell you” he spat, his vibrant green eyes, darkening to a dull glow.

“Stay out of this” JJ spat

“Why don’t you make me” Tyler smirked and stood up from his seat, looming over JJ.

“Pizzas here” Alexis cheered from the other room, completely oblivious to the rising tension in the room. I quickly stood up and joined the rest of the crew chowing down on pizza, Tyler and JJ both came in and ate too, but they were both silent throughout the meal.

I went to bed early that night so I could get up and surf well the next day, apparently JJ knew a great surf spot about ten minutes away from the hotel, so tomorrow was looking like it would be good.

We were in the car, driving along the road. I was fourteen and had long blonde hair that sat on my ribcage, in fact I was examining it right now whilst my parents were congratulating me on the dance competition I’d just won. I wasn’t listening to them though, I was hoping my crush, Marco, would see the video I was about to post on Facebook.

“Charlotte, listen to us please!” my mother scolded and turned around, she wasn’t driving, so it was fine for her be turning around. I still didn’t listen to her though, I was desperately trying to see if Marco was online and had liked the video yet.

“Charlotte!” my father exclaimed, still I paid them no attention, I was reading the comments from all of my friends, I was popular at school and I knew it. I was pretty much the queen bee.

My father’s torso twisted as he leant over to snatch my phone from me, but I quickly pulled it away from his grasp, smirking triumphantly. I felt the car swerve on the road; I didn’t look up from my phone though. And then suddenly there was a burst of blinding light, and a loud noise. My vision clouded over with black spots and I heard my mother screaming.

The same dream, again. It kept coming back to me and I hated it, I rolled over and fell back into a fitful sleep, full of ‘what ifs?’ and ‘whys?’