The sand was hot and smooth, and the sun was already at it's peak. There were enough bodies that Seren could hardly make out the waves as she laid out her towel and lowered herself down onto it. Rob was looking at her and smirking, then with a swift movement he pulled her bikini bottoms straight. She blushed, but he only winked in that mischievous way and laid beside her. Bodies heaved from the sand to the ocean, but nobody looked at them inparticular.
"Nobody's noticed yet." She sighed, slipping her shades over her eyes and lying back to face the garish sun.
"That's because Actor's are ten a penny out here." He replied, and she pushed her shades aside to eye him confusingly.
He rolled his eyes. "It means there's so many of us, nobody gives a shit."
"It's like that in New York too. Not that you would notice." She almost seethed.
"They just know where to look for me out there, they knowing I'm filming a movie. Out here, it's like oh a movie..."
She wondered if he would remove his shirt. But he didn't. He placed his arms above his head and fell silent.
"You know...You'll burn unless you put sunblock on." She warned, and his eyebrows moved underneath the shades before blindly passing her the bottle.
She obliged, and sprayed his face until he protested and snatched it back. She was already in fits of giggles as he tried to rub it in.
"Thanks for not writing 'Wanker' on my forehead." He said, pulling the cap off and pouring it over Seren's body.
She screamed as the cold cream hit her warm skin and playfully pushed him away.
"I wish it could always be like this." She lamented, as his hands came across and started to rub it over her back.
"You'd get bored eventually." Rob said, " Life aint always a beach!"
She groaned at his bad joke and fell back, rubbing the sun cream against his tshirt.
"No silly....Like this...just me and you. Nobody bothering us, nothing in the way."
His arms came around her. "You'd get bored of that too. What would we talk about?"
"We wouldn't talk at all." She said, leaning her head back into his chest and looking out across the rolling waves.
"I like the sound of that."
For a moment, it seemed, they both were able to appreciate that longing to live in a world of their own. But they both knew reality would always overcome, and in the end there would only ever be these snatched moments.
"Let me come with you." She said, and braced herself for his reaction.
At first he didn't say anything. Only laid his cheek against her hair, wondering what to say. He thought about it. He ached to say yes.
"If you come with me, then it would just be as it is for you now. Waiting around while I have my career. That's not fair on you."
But he didn't say no. And that was the one thing she clung to.
"You said you wanted to start singing again. How will you do that, when you're in Vancouver with me?"
"They got bars in Vancouver, right?"
"You ever sung in a bar before?" He asked.
"No, but I've only ever done small audiences. Bars are perfect. Anyway....I'm not sure I want to perform just yet. I'm not...I have to...."
She turned around to meet his face. "I'll play for you. For now."
The look on her face was almost as if she was remembering something too awful to contain. He held her close to him and regretted that he had brought it up again.
"If I say yes, and you come with me, it wont be like Remember Me. I have to spend a couple of hours in make-up and the whole set up is huge, with more security and enclosed sets. There's a lot of green screen stuff, it's a whole different thing."
But there was only excitement. "Do I get to be an extra this time?"
His smile was all the confirmation she needed. "You can do whatever you want, I don't think I'll ever be able to say no to you."
But there was only a slight sense of accomplishment. She knew she was about to make a change in his life neither of them had any idea would work or not.
But then her attention moved. Looking out across the beach she watched the direction of Rob's eyes. There was a small group of girls standing by the water's edge, whispering to each other and looking right at them. Checking Seren's face, Rob looked down and made a point of rolling onto his stomach. It wasn't that he wanted to be rude, he just wanted to draw away the attention from their perfect afternoon. Maybe they're not looking at us, maybe I'm just being stupid he thought to himself.
"I'll go get us a drink." Seren said, and slipped away.
For a moment he watched her walk across the sand, navigating her way awkwardly as the sand gathered inside her open toe shoes. She pulled them off when she was only half way towards the beach bar, and began to walk gracefully barefoot. And he laughed to himself, because it was that same unawareness of herself which he loved so much. He barely noticed as a shadow approached, and his heart sank. But he couldn't bring himself to be rude, especially when he looked up and saw the face of the girl standing before him. She was only young, no older than fourteen. Her smile was infectious and beaming, and the group of girls who had been whispering by the water had moved on. He noticed her parents sitting a little way back, watching with expecting eyes. But he didn't mind. She had crept up so quietly nobody had noticed her approach, not even him.
"Hi....um..." She said nervously.
Rob said Hi and asked how she was. Somehow, it was much easier to do these things when they were screaming in a crowd of thousands. Always, and he wondered why it was, did it feel more awkward when they came to him like this. Quietly, politely....
"I'm fine." The girl replied sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind...it's just...I'm on Vacation...and I recognised you...I just wondered if you would sign my bag? I don't want a picture or anything..."
She was clutching some Twilight merchandise bag with his face on it, and as she passed him her Sharpie marker he made a point to scrawl all over it.
"Have a good holiday." He said, and watched her walk away as if he had made her entire life complete.
If that was the only attention he was going to get all day, he was grateful. But already the beach was wearing thin on him.
As Seren approached carrying two cans of coke, he began to pack up.
"Something I said?" She shrugged.
"No, I can never sit on the beach for too long. I wanna take a walk to the Pier, You wanna stay here?"
But she shook her head, and he was glad. There was a preposition in him that meant he couldn't sit still for too long. As they packed up and began to make their way along the sand, it occured to Rob that he could wish for it thousand fold, and his life would never be the same no matter where Seren was. He wanted her with him, and that was that.
As they made their way towards the pier, they descended into silence. But it was mutual, appreciative. Both lost in thought, they went for a walk through the fair ground but paid little attention to the rides. They stood looking out to sea, and when finally Seren spoke Rob was already wondering how much time had passed since they had said anything.
"It's been a strange day." She sighed. "A strange, but good day."
Rob agreed, and took her into his arms as they stood facing the ocean. "Back to reality tomorrow."
"I'm not even sure what reality is anymore."
But Rob squeezed her and reminded her. "All of this is reality, now. And so will Vancouver, and any other movie set in the world. And whatever you want to do, wherever you want me to go, that's real."
"I need to figure that part out first."
"There's no rush."
And it seemed there was no rush at all as night began to descend on the water, turning is from it's usual ocean colour to the same black of the sky. The beach had been deserted, there were only a few lifeguards hanging around and the last of the sun worshippers packing up. There was something haunting about the beach at night, hearing the sounds of the waves but only seeing them as they crash upon to the shore in the moonlight.
"I'm hungry." Rob suddenly said, and it suddenly occured to Seren that she was hungry too.
"Yeah, me too. Shall we go back?"
He shook his head. "Not yet, let's grab a burger or something."
She suddenly felt ravenously hungry for a meaty burger with relish and cheese, with bacon strips and ketchup. With extra fries. They went to a little place not far from the beach, and even though they were dishevelled, it didn't matter. It was an inconspicuos place, where they blended in with the other beach bums. They ordered some beers and sat in a booth in the corner of the bar. It was a retro place, with 80s memorabilia on the wall and 80s music blasting out from a Jukebox. They ordered some burgers, with onion rings and fries and as Seren placed her cold beer to her lips she almost closed her eyes against the sweet refreshment of it.
"I think today has been more perfect than perfect." She proclaimed, holding her beer up in a toast.
"More perfect than perfect, huh?"
"Yes. Perfect is every other day except this one. Which is more perfect."
He smiled at her indulgently and nodded in agreement.
"Think we'd better quit while we're ahead, incase there's a meteor or tidal wave."
"Don't joke! You never know, I bet all those people in Indonisia were saying the same thing that morning of that huge Tsunami."
He raised an eyebrow. "I think we both know anything's possible. It's kinda in the movie, Emilie's character likes to eat desert first in case of meteorite."
"I think she might be on to something." Seren said, opening the desert menu. "I like the sound of chocolate mousse."
But she couldn't get through her burger. She pushed her plate away with a few mouthfuls left. Her belly felt full to burst, but Rob was a trooper and finished the lot.
It was almost ten as they prepared to leave. Tired and full, Seren wondered if she could muster that last shred of energy to get back to Kristen's.
And then it happened. The Tsunami. Figuratively speaking. She was about to open the door, walk out into the night air. But something held her back. She looked into the glass of the pane in the door and almost choked.
"What the..."
She turned and spun, hoping the reflection was just a distortion of her imagination. That the face she'd seen wasn't the one she thought it was. Rob looked at her troubled.
"What's the matter, what is it?"
She moved past him, because it was too late to ignore it. How had she not noticed? How had she been sat there for two hours and not seen? And then it dawned on her. They'd been hiding from her. Only now as she prepared to leave had she seen...
"What the hell are you doing??!" She demanded, and Rob watched as she approached one of the waitresses.
The waitress looked away, almost ashamed. For a moment, he thought Seren had gone mad until he saw the flicker of recognition in the waitresses eyes.
" I was hoping you wouldn't see me." Said the meek waitress, picking up the empty plates from the table before them.
"Well you didn't hope enough then." Seren said coldly. "Why didn't you say anything?!"
Rob looked more closely at the girl. She was the same height as Seren, with long blonde hair pinned up on top of her head. She had a pierced nose and tattoos winding up her arm.
"Because I didn't want to. And anyway, aren't you meant to be in New York? I could say the same to you, what the hell are you doing?!"
Seren went quiet and suddenly defensive. "I'm taking a trip with my boyfriend."
The waitress looked over Seren's shoulder to where Rob stood. "Boyfriend, huh? Well I'm glad for you."
She didn't know who he was, and Rob wondered if this was someone from one the communes. Their conversation wasn't drawing any light on the situation.
"What happened? Why are you here?"
The girl pulled off her apron and put down her pad in defeat. "Things just weren't working out. I went to stay with my Dad for a while but I can't stand his new girlfriend. So then I came here, and got a job."
Seren was shaking her head. "But you got married, you made a big deal about it. When everyone told you, you swore you'd make it work. Why'd you give up?"
The waitress shrugged. "I'm not perfect Seren. I can't make everything work out just because I say I want it to."
Seren sighed heavily and sat down at the table. She beckoned for Rob to join them.
"Rob, this is my sister Kendra.....Kendra this is Rob..."
But there was only a slight sense of accomplishment. She knew she was about to make a change in his life neither of them had any idea would work or not.
But then her attention moved. Looking out across the beach she watched the direction of Rob's eyes. There was a small group of girls standing by the water's edge, whispering to each other and looking right at them. Checking Seren's face, Rob looked down and made a point of rolling onto his stomach. It wasn't that he wanted to be rude, he just wanted to draw away the attention from their perfect afternoon. Maybe they're not looking at us, maybe I'm just being stupid he thought to himself.
"I'll go get us a drink." Seren said, and slipped away.
For a moment he watched her walk across the sand, navigating her way awkwardly as the sand gathered inside her open toe shoes. She pulled them off when she was only half way towards the beach bar, and began to walk gracefully barefoot. And he laughed to himself, because it was that same unawareness of herself which he loved so much. He barely noticed as a shadow approached, and his heart sank. But he couldn't bring himself to be rude, especially when he looked up and saw the face of the girl standing before him. She was only young, no older than fourteen. Her smile was infectious and beaming, and the group of girls who had been whispering by the water had moved on. He noticed her parents sitting a little way back, watching with expecting eyes. But he didn't mind. She had crept up so quietly nobody had noticed her approach, not even him.
"Hi....um..." She said nervously.
Rob said Hi and asked how she was. Somehow, it was much easier to do these things when they were screaming in a crowd of thousands. Always, and he wondered why it was, did it feel more awkward when they came to him like this. Quietly, politely....
"I'm fine." The girl replied sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind...it's just...I'm on Vacation...and I recognised you...I just wondered if you would sign my bag? I don't want a picture or anything..."
She was clutching some Twilight merchandise bag with his face on it, and as she passed him her Sharpie marker he made a point to scrawl all over it.
"Have a good holiday." He said, and watched her walk away as if he had made her entire life complete.
If that was the only attention he was going to get all day, he was grateful. But already the beach was wearing thin on him.
As Seren approached carrying two cans of coke, he began to pack up.
"Something I said?" She shrugged.
"No, I can never sit on the beach for too long. I wanna take a walk to the Pier, You wanna stay here?"
But she shook her head, and he was glad. There was a preposition in him that meant he couldn't sit still for too long. As they packed up and began to make their way along the sand, it occured to Rob that he could wish for it thousand fold, and his life would never be the same no matter where Seren was. He wanted her with him, and that was that.
As they made their way towards the pier, they descended into silence. But it was mutual, appreciative. Both lost in thought, they went for a walk through the fair ground but paid little attention to the rides. They stood looking out to sea, and when finally Seren spoke Rob was already wondering how much time had passed since they had said anything.
"It's been a strange day." She sighed. "A strange, but good day."
Rob agreed, and took her into his arms as they stood facing the ocean. "Back to reality tomorrow."
"I'm not even sure what reality is anymore."
But Rob squeezed her and reminded her. "All of this is reality, now. And so will Vancouver, and any other movie set in the world. And whatever you want to do, wherever you want me to go, that's real."
"I need to figure that part out first."
"There's no rush."
And it seemed there was no rush at all as night began to descend on the water, turning is from it's usual ocean colour to the same black of the sky. The beach had been deserted, there were only a few lifeguards hanging around and the last of the sun worshippers packing up. There was something haunting about the beach at night, hearing the sounds of the waves but only seeing them as they crash upon to the shore in the moonlight.
"I'm hungry." Rob suddenly said, and it suddenly occured to Seren that she was hungry too.
"Yeah, me too. Shall we go back?"
He shook his head. "Not yet, let's grab a burger or something."
She suddenly felt ravenously hungry for a meaty burger with relish and cheese, with bacon strips and ketchup. With extra fries. They went to a little place not far from the beach, and even though they were dishevelled, it didn't matter. It was an inconspicuos place, where they blended in with the other beach bums. They ordered some beers and sat in a booth in the corner of the bar. It was a retro place, with 80s memorabilia on the wall and 80s music blasting out from a Jukebox. They ordered some burgers, with onion rings and fries and as Seren placed her cold beer to her lips she almost closed her eyes against the sweet refreshment of it.
"I think today has been more perfect than perfect." She proclaimed, holding her beer up in a toast.
"More perfect than perfect, huh?"
"Yes. Perfect is every other day except this one. Which is more perfect."
He smiled at her indulgently and nodded in agreement.
"Think we'd better quit while we're ahead, incase there's a meteor or tidal wave."
"Don't joke! You never know, I bet all those people in Indonisia were saying the same thing that morning of that huge Tsunami."
He raised an eyebrow. "I think we both know anything's possible. It's kinda in the movie, Emilie's character likes to eat desert first in case of meteorite."
"I think she might be on to something." Seren said, opening the desert menu. "I like the sound of chocolate mousse."
But she couldn't get through her burger. She pushed her plate away with a few mouthfuls left. Her belly felt full to burst, but Rob was a trooper and finished the lot.
It was almost ten as they prepared to leave. Tired and full, Seren wondered if she could muster that last shred of energy to get back to Kristen's.
And then it happened. The Tsunami. Figuratively speaking. She was about to open the door, walk out into the night air. But something held her back. She looked into the glass of the pane in the door and almost choked.
"What the..."
She turned and spun, hoping the reflection was just a distortion of her imagination. That the face she'd seen wasn't the one she thought it was. Rob looked at her troubled.
"What's the matter, what is it?"
She moved past him, because it was too late to ignore it. How had she not noticed? How had she been sat there for two hours and not seen? And then it dawned on her. They'd been hiding from her. Only now as she prepared to leave had she seen...
"What the hell are you doing??!" She demanded, and Rob watched as she approached one of the waitresses.
The waitress looked away, almost ashamed. For a moment, he thought Seren had gone mad until he saw the flicker of recognition in the waitresses eyes.
" I was hoping you wouldn't see me." Said the meek waitress, picking up the empty plates from the table before them.
"Well you didn't hope enough then." Seren said coldly. "Why didn't you say anything?!"
Rob looked more closely at the girl. She was the same height as Seren, with long blonde hair pinned up on top of her head. She had a pierced nose and tattoos winding up her arm.
"Because I didn't want to. And anyway, aren't you meant to be in New York? I could say the same to you, what the hell are you doing?!"
Seren went quiet and suddenly defensive. "I'm taking a trip with my boyfriend."
The waitress looked over Seren's shoulder to where Rob stood. "Boyfriend, huh? Well I'm glad for you."
She didn't know who he was, and Rob wondered if this was someone from one the communes. Their conversation wasn't drawing any light on the situation.
"What happened? Why are you here?"
The girl pulled off her apron and put down her pad in defeat. "Things just weren't working out. I went to stay with my Dad for a while but I can't stand his new girlfriend. So then I came here, and got a job."
Seren was shaking her head. "But you got married, you made a big deal about it. When everyone told you, you swore you'd make it work. Why'd you give up?"
The waitress shrugged. "I'm not perfect Seren. I can't make everything work out just because I say I want it to."
Seren sighed heavily and sat down at the table. She beckoned for Rob to join them.
"Rob, this is my sister Kendra.....Kendra this is Rob..."
