Chiller (harry styles)

51: Lady Killer

The next day at breakfast, as Auntie Dorothy is passing me the marmalade, she announces my plans (more like her plans) for me to do today.

"You need to have fun, but not too much, and lean out, but not stray too far. The beach, my darling, would be perfect for you."

Patwin looks even greener this morning than he did when I found him lying on the floor yesterday morning. He doesn't make a sound as I spread the sweetness on my toast.

"I'm sure whatever fun I have I'll have even more joy writing it in my diary later." I'm testing the waters. What will they say?

Auntie Dorothy pauses as she reaches for some pepper across the table. I hand it to her, giving a polite smile. I see her her hand trembling, but she tries to hide it.

"Patwin didn't do that to your diary. " She says very quietly.

I look over at Patwin, who looks suddenly angry.

"Go get me that diary." She demands.

I get up from the table and fetch it, like a canine, then hand it to her in a common way, as of I'm giving her a welcome basket full of good things.

"Ah," she says, turning it over, page after page. "I was wrong before. I was dehydrated, of course, and quite off with my medication. There is nothing the matter with this diary. Must of been some delusion side effect from my medicine before, but as far as I can tell this is a blank."

She hands it back to me like it's a venomous spider.

"But that can't be. Look at it! He ruined it! You must know-" I beg, before I am cut off by Auntie Dorothy.

"What I know is you've been a liar. And I...I have been a fool. The diary is perfectly new. How could you try to get Patwin in trouble for nothing at all? Mind you, your vacation here has just begun. I wouldn't try getting on anyone's bad side. It'd be a real hassle for you father to have to come back and get you and we'd hate to see you go so soon. However, it could be arranged."

As she says this is her high pitched voice, her nose kind of curls up, like she suddenly thinks I'm trash. It's like Patwin and I have switched places. Am I the bad one now? No, it can't be. I know perfectly well what I saw, and she agreed. She knew and she's covering up. Something strange is happening with the both of them.

I open the diary and look for the entries. They're all gone. It's like she erased the ink. Or I imagined it. Or

it has become invisible. But, there is nothing there, anywhere. Not one word.

***

"Ready, kids?" Auntie Dorothy calls from the front screen door.

Her hat is threatening to blow off her head as I approach her, calling, "Yes, I am!" Patwin follows sluggishly behind minutes later. We walk to the beach with all of our things, as she lives beside it, and see plenty of people already enjoying the morning sun.

A couple teenage girls in purple and striped bikinis run by us, laughing as a boy in orange boardshorts attempts to hit them with a weightless beach ball. They scream, and Patwin groans. Noises do affect him so so early in the day.

Auntie Dorothy lays our beach towels down and then sprints off toward the campsite. She wants to swim in a pool with most of the other adults here. She finds it less dangerous, less weedy, and more talk than splash. Patwin, as soon as she is out of sight, rolls his back up and puts on a t-shirt.

"I'm going off." He announces. "Don't bother asking to where. And if you tell I'll...just don't tell, okay?"

He almost sounds like the Patwin I know when he pleads me not to tell, more silent than the rest, nearly begging, still young and carefree. I nod and watch him run off to God knows where. And then I'm alone.