Chapter three
1481 Words
“No! Leave me alone, I don’t want to!” I tried to resist by turning my head away from those blinding lights that were being thrown right in my face. I could do nothing. Then the engine of a horrible motorcycle started right next to me. “Enough! I want to be left alone!” The noise stopped.
I opened my eyes, slowly, with a grumpy pout. I sat up gently on the bed, searching with one eye for the filthy character who had given me such a wake-up call. There was no one, of course. The rays of the sun were shining directly on my bed, exactly where my head was resting, I hadn’t closed the curtains before going to bed.
The engine noise started again. But come to think of it, it didn't sound like a motorcycle.
I pushed back the sheets to get out of bed. I got up and walked over to the window to take a look and see where that hellish rumble was coming from. I lifted the window and leaned my head outside. In the big oak tree, a man, dressed in overalls, a yellow helmet and enormous construction goggles, was busy cutting with a chainsaw a few large branches that leaned against the facade. I mutter aloud:
“Obviously... nothing to do with a motorcycle.”
The man turned and saw me.
“Hello, miss. Sorry for all the fuss. Did I wake you up?”
Not at all, it's the sweet song of the birds that came to caress my ears!
I sighed.
“Hello. It's okay, I had to get up anyway”
I closed the window and stretched myself voluptuously.
I put on my clothes, a big pair of socks, and went down to the kitchen to have breakfast.
The radio was screaming a Leonard Cohen song, Dance me to the end of love. Millie was preparing lunch while shaking some butt—I had slept late, it was already past ten. I smile as I watch her perform.
“Morning.”
“Oh, hello, sweetie! You scared me. Slept well?”
Pastries were on the table, I tasted one.
“Yeah. Like a baby. I’m so hungry!”
“Well, so much the better. I'll make you some eggs, bacon, and some toast.”
“Thank you, Millie. My parents aren't here?”
“No. They left early this morning to take May to the hospital. They should be back at one o'clock.”
“To the hospital? Is something wrong?”
“No, no, sweetie, don't worry. May had an appointment with the ophthalmologist, just routine.”
“Okay.”
I finished my breakfast and decided to take the bike to the city centre. The manor wasn't exactly in Wick, it takes about twenty-five minutes by bicycle to get there. I had to ride seven and a half kilometres—not the end of the world—and I needed to get some fresh air.
“I'll be back for lunch Millie, around one o'clock. I'm just going to town and back.”
“Ok, sweetie, see you later.”
I ran to get dressed, tied my hair into a ponytail, and hopped on my bike. It was cool, barely thirteen degrees, for late morning. Fortunately, I had taken my favourite sweater—the hood stopped the wind blowing on my neck.
I took a few quiet back roads and came up to the sign informing me that I was entering the town. Wick had about seven thousand people and a nice little fishing harbour where my father and I loved to go for a walk. You could see a few colourful boats there which sometimes smelled very strongly of fish. This is where I decided to go for a walk.
I sighed. Wick was so different from Paris... I was a real city girl. In Paris, I could do lots of different activities, take many trips and go out with my friends, in Wick, this could be difficult. Of course, don’t get me wrong. It’s certainly the liveliest place for several kilometres around, but this didn’t make me feel any better. I didn't know many people of my age and didn't know the popular places in town at all. Besides, walking alone in the town isn’t that great!
I arrived at the harbour. I got off my bike and chained it to a lamppost. I had no idea what time it was. I hated watches and hadn't picked up my cell phone. I stopped to ask the time of an old man who was reading his newspaper, sitting on a bench.
“Eleven twenty,” he says without looking at me.
He immediately dived back into his paper.
“Thank you,” I stammer.
Well, talk about my bad mood!
“Scarlett? Hey, Scarlett!”
I turned to see a boy approaching, waving his hand at me.
“Jacob!”
Jacob Brown is the twin brother of my friend Hazel, the one I usually spent all my time with while on vacation in Wick—the Brown family owns a large farm a short walk from May's.
“Gosh, Jacob, I thought you were in America for two years.”
“Yes, that’s right, but I come to spend the summer holidays at home. I'm leaving in September. What are you doing here?”
“Well, I'm going for a walk.”
“No, I mean what are you doing here at Wick? Last year you said it was the last time you’d spend the summer here. Have you changed your mind or were you kidnapped?”
“Very funny Jacob... Let’s say that I consented to this k********g for the good of the community. What would the Scottish people have done without my wonderful presence!”
“Sure, Redhead!”
Redhead! This now!
“Hey, don't call me that!”
I slapped him on the head. Jacob laughed, pretending to protect himself from another blow to come.
“What about Hazel? She's in Ireland, right? Have you heard from her?”
“Yep. My mom spoke to her yesterday. It doesn't stop raining but she's having a blast. Looks like she's found herself a boyfriend!”
Her too... But it must be said that Hazel was a "nice little package" as the guys from my area would say. A tall blonde, very slim, with big blue eyes and shapes placed exactly where they’re needed. Quite the opposite of me...
Jacob was also not bad for his type: athletic, tall and blond, like his sister, but with hazel eyes. And I admit that even if my preference was for brunettes, I recognized that Jacob didn’t leave me indifferent. He had one of those charming smiles that girls love, a bit daredevil and provocative. As far back as I can remember, he always used to tease me, and in any situation. When I was a little younger, it got on my nerves and I avoided him like the plague. Since he and Hazel are a year older than me, Jacob kept pushing me around, calling me a kid all the time. When a guy teases you, it means he likes you. It seems. Yeah, but I remember back then I wished he didn't like me at all and shut up! Between that and Redhead, I could have strangled him on the spot.
“And you, Jacob, what are you doing at the harbour?”
“I was coming back from a boat trip.”
“Hey… That's nice. I didn't know you liked to sail. Do you have your own boat?”
“Yes and no... For the moment it's my father's. He doesn't have much time to go out to sea and is seriously considering giving it to me on my return from Philadelphia. But in the meantime, I can use it whenever I want. Why? Do you like sailing?”
“No idea, never done it.”
“Would you like to try?”
“Yeah, absolutely!”
His face lit up with a radiant smile.
“What do you think about tomorrow morning? The sky should be completely clear, it will be beautiful.”
“Tomorrow? Great!”
The holidays were off to a good start!
“I’ll call you tonight to give you the meeting time, is that okay with you?” he says, laughing.
“Ok, perfect!”
We chatted for a bit more before he walked me to my bike—I was going to be late. But when I had barely done two pedal strokes to set off again, he rolled down the window of his pickup and called me.
“Hey, you know what, Redhead? (I frowned.) You look even prettier than the last time I saw you!”
I immediate blushed and pedalled at high speed.
- Writer
