"Why wasn't he at the beach today Skye?" Paisley whined with a pout. "He said he'd be there." 

With him, she meant Ty from Club Ocean. 

I did know where Ty was yesterday, but I wisely kept my mouth shut and watched Skye rub Paisley's shoulder in encouragement. 

"I'm sure he was just sleeping off the hangover today, Pais," she said. "It's a pretty intense job - having to get people to the club all afternoon then party all night."

"Well, if he's not around he missed his shot with you," was Joyce's opinion. "Because you've got plenty of options."

Somehow, Ty had become Paisley's 'prey.' Between yesterday and today, Skye and Joyce had decided Paisley could have Ty and backed off. I'd missed the decision making process and I wasn't sure how they'd reached that conclusion, but that's how it seemed to be.

Lucky me. I'd feel bad about knowing where Ty was and not sharing that information if my sister Joyce liked him, but that wasn't the case. 

"Seriously? Is that how things work now?" Logan  complained from the other side of the table. He had his legs up on the table and twisted from side to side in the wheeled desk chair while staring down at his phone. 

Earlier today, Logan  had complained he was texting with a girl last night and now she wasn't responding anymore. According to Joyce and Skye, that was because she'd been too drunk to even remember who Logan was in the morning. 

"Yep. I think you should give up Pais. I'm ninety-nine percent sure Ty found a new girl already and probably hung out with her today," Gavin added. 

The ulterior motives were practically dripping off of his words. I knew he liked Paisley, and so did everyone else in the room, including Paisley herself. 

Skye and Paisley exchanged a meaningful look, then ignored what he said. 

Ty was with me, I wanted to say. I just wanted to casually insert it into the conversation like it was no big deal. 

At the last moment I chickened out however (did I really want to piss them off?), and lost my shot to talk; Joyce already spoke up. 

"Maybe he has another date, that's his loss - he's not going to get anyone as great as Paisley, Skye, or me in this entire city," she said with a mock-arrogant flip of her long hair. 

Joyce didn't mention me. I wasn't one of the 'great' girls. 

It probably wasn't on purpose - I wasn't on my sister's mind to include because I hadn't really been there at the club. But I noticed being skipped and combined with how the evening had gone down, it stung. 

It stung, and it kind of pissed me off. 

Skye smiled at Joyce's remark, while Paisley mimicked my sister's gesture and tossed her blond hair over her shoulder. 

"That's right," she agreed with a roll of her eyes. "Ugh, guys. I'm over it. So, what's the plan for today. Same as yesterday? Beach then hit the clubs?" 

Paisley got some murmurs in agreement, some more enthusiastic than others. The general consensus seemed to be yes. 

I hadn't opened my mouth, and this time my sister did decide I existed, and noticed me siting there in the living room, chewing on a sandwich. 

"What are you going to do, Char?" Joyce asked. "Are you going to join us or...?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm going to do the same as yesterday, too."

Joyce accepted my reply without further question, and since nobody else would bother to ask, this would be the end of it. 

The thing is, I didn't want it to be the end of it. I wanted Paisley and Skye and even Joyce to some extent to feel the kind of shit they made me feel whenever they talked about guys and clubs, and emphasised that I wasn't part of their exclusive cool people group. 

And I finally had a way to do that. 

"I'm hanging out with Ty and Vera," I said.

I couldn't remember the last time everyone, and I do mean everyone, in the room was looking at me. Maybe it had simply never happened before with this group. 

I casually took another bite from my sandwich, but I couldn't stop heat rising to my cheeks from being stared at this intently. Especially by a group of people that kinda of intimidated me.

Skye blinked rapidly. "What?" she asked, both sounding and looking offended. 

I chewed for a while longer and took my time swallowing. 

"Yeah," I then said. "Ty isn't the type to lazily lie on the beach all day - he'd rather do something more active with his time. He and Vera asked me to come with them again today." 

Skye sputtered a 'huh.' The others didn't say anything, I was savouring the small victory of finally shutting them all up with.... mostly facts.

Okay, technically speaking Ty hadn't asked to see me again today. He asked if he'd see me again sometime at the climbing wall. But today was part of sometime, wasn't it? 

I was also aware that the others had no idea who Vera was. It made me feel and seem less sad if I had some 'friends' or at least people to hang out with here, however. Besides, this wasn't a lie. No 'technically speaking.' Vera had asked me to come to the climbing workshop today. 

"Ah, time to go," I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. 

It wasn't actually - I'd be four hours early for the workshop if I left now- but the words just blurted out. I wanted to leave, before I lost this one small moment of victory because Paisley or Skye came up with a nasty remark to recover. 

I finished the last bite of my sandwich, got up, and walked to the door. 

"Wait, Char!" Paisley called after me. "Where are you going today? Maybe we can join you later?"

Oh, so now she could suddenly use my name and talk to me in a friendly tone. I'd seen Paisley do this. Act nice for a little while in-between ignoring and acting nasty. It was just enough to make you think she could actually be nice, before she'd revert right back to cold. I'd also seen a lot of people fall for it. 

I'd almost fall for it, too. She had the sweet, sincere look down to a t. Almost. 

"Just out," I replied without turning, waving a dismissive hand at Paisley.

I couldn't help but smile as I heard some of the guys laugh at my gesture before I closed the door behind me. 

Still, it was likely just a matter of time - a very short time as the girls would see Ty again tonight at Club Ocean - before they'd find out about the climbing hall. Ty would tell them and they'd all show up in much better shape than I was. 

I doubted any of the other girls would have issues getting up the easiest routes in one go. 

Not today, though. Today was safe. 

Safe, and boring. I was way too early for the climbing workshop now because of my little stunt. I couldn't go back to the apartment. I couldn't already show up at the climbing hall. 

Coming to a halt two streets away from our apartment, I tried to decide what I supposed to do now. It would have to be indoors. The museum, maybe? No, didn't feel like that any more than I had yesterday. 

What other indoors things could I do to pass the time? I took a few more hesitant steps forward as people walking past me, or more like dodging me, were starting to shoot me quizzical looks over their shoulder. 

I looked back at the other tourists, then past them. That's when my eye fell on the shopping street up ahead. That's where all these people around me were headed. 

Shops were indoors. It could do - I was always on the lookout for new books. 

Seeing as I had nothing better to do anyway, I let the crowd lead me to the shopping area. 

I felt confident enough to try on one of those beach dresses today. Just for fun- and perhaps in an attempt to look cuter and blend in with Ty and Vera for real, though that wasn't something I'd admit out loud.