by G. Bailey
“Come on, I’ve got something fun planned,” I greet him.
“Fun? I should be terrified, right?” he replies teasingly.
“When is being scared ever not fun?” I reply, leading the way through the large building I call home. I lead him to the secret exit, tucked away behind a large painting of the sea is the tunnel that leads right out to the small cove. It had once been used for smuggling, before the human pirates were all but wiped out anyway.
“It’s a bit late to be sneaking out, Zu,” he says, following me down the pathway anyway.
“I just want to go for a quick dip in the water, Jay,” I reply, trailing my fingers along the wall in the darker parts of the tunnel to make sure I don’t walk into anything. Not that I really need to, I know the route from memory by now, considering I sneak down here most days to take a dip in the sea. I try not to feel guilty about my secret, but I know that not even James would approve of me sneaking down here by myself. He thinks we only ever come down together, but I doubt I could stay away from the water for that long to wait for the days when he’s here.
“We won’t have long if we’re going to be inside by dark, Zu,” he says.
“What if we aren’t inside by dark?” I ask.
“Don’t be ridiculous, that’s way too dangerous,” he answers.
“Why is it? They haven’t bothered this island for years. It’s been years since they raided here and yet we all still hide away in our homes. How is this any different to us going in the sea during the day? We’re not supposed to do that either,” I reply, challengingly, not slowing my pace as we walk through the dark.
“You know it’s different. We never go out too deep, if something happened we could always get to shore and with the sun up, there’s nothing they could do once we reached the land,” he says.
“It will be fine, don’t be such a bore, James. I thought you were more interesting than your two brothers,” I reply, trying to hit the right nerves to get my way. James was easily far more interesting than his two older brothers. William and Archie were two of the most boring people I’d ever had the displeasure of meeting, they ranked up there with Mr Burcham himself. It was a wonder James had come out as interesting as he had. I like to credit that to all the time he spent with me growing up, but he’d always been like a spark in my life.
“You know that I am far more interesting than those two fools,” he mutters. I stop and turn to face him as we reach the opening to the cove.
“Then prove it, what have we got to lose? Just this one time, let’s take a dip in the moonlight?” I offer, stepping close. “It could be romantic,” I add slyly.
“Fine, what’s the worst that could happen?” he says, giving into my demands as always. I smile and slide into his arms.
“This is going to be so much fun,” I whisper in his ear, as I tug off his blue jacket, letting it fall onto the sandy ground.
“That’s what you always say before getting me into trouble,” he replies wryly.
“And yet you keep following me,” I tease.
“I’ll follow you anywhere, Zu,” he replies sincerely. And I know he would, James has been in love with me for years after all.