Soul Beach

The deeper it goes, the more chance there is of them washing up here.’
    ‘Yeah, such a deep connection that most Visitors leave Soul Beach after a week, maybe two,’ Javier says flatly.
    ‘Javier, don’t,’ says my sister.
    He shrugs. ‘Better she knows, huh?’
    ‘Why do they leave?’ I ask.
    They all look awkward now. Triti frowns. ‘Maybe they’re banned by the site for breaking the rules. Or for making a Guest unhappy. That happens sometimes.’
    ‘Yeah, or maybe the bond isn’t as deep as they thought. Maybe they don’t have anything in common any more. It must be hard to take, seeing us living in paradise, while they have to deal with all the boring responsibilities of the real world,’ Javier suggests. ‘And, anyway, we are not very entertaining to watch. All we do is screw, swim and sit around talking crap.’
    ‘Speak for yourself, Javier,’ Meggie says. ‘You’re a grumpy sod.’
    Javier stands up. ‘Maybe I need more sleep .’ And he laughs drily, then walks off towards the sea.
    ‘Why was that funny?’
    ‘We don’t need sleep at all,’ Danny says. ‘Sure, the sun rises and sets, and then most of us do lie on the beach or in a hut when it’s dark, but that’s more out of habit, we don’t need to. We never get tired. People have tried running for hours, until their body drops, but the brain, no. It never switches off completely. So we can’t blame tiredness for our moods.’
    ‘What’s his excuse then?’ I ask.
    Triti frowns. ‘You’ll learn.’
    Meggie shakes her head. ‘Lighten up, Triti. Right now, I’m feeling pretty bloody ecstatic because my sister’s arrived and I’ve missed her like hell. This place does feel pretty much like paradise with her here, so please be nice.’
    ‘Sorry, I’m always nice usually,’ says Triti with an apologetic smile. ‘Nice is my middle name. Bye, Alice. See you around, I hope.’ She shuffles away, her earrings tinkling as she walks. From the back she looks thinner, more like a long, lean shadow than a person, but then that’s not surprising after what my sister said about no one bothering to eat.
    Danny stands up. ‘Guess you guys might like to be alone. Nice to meet you, Alice. I’ll have a word with Javier. Make sure he remembers his manners next time. We’re normally great to be around, I promise.’
    He looks at me with those green eyes and that longing again. I try not to return the look, but it’s too late. I feel like I’m falling through thin air, with nothing and no one to catch me.

21
    ‘Well? Do you like them?’ asks Meggie, when he’s disappeared into the crowd.
    ‘They’re . . . interesting,’ I say, guardedly. Actually, Javier strikes me as completely self-centred, Triti is such a blank canvas that she barely seems to exist except for those boobs and her huge jewellery, while Danny is the only one I’d be interested in talking to. But I don’t tell Meggie that because I know my sister will take even the tiniest hint that I think Danny’s nice as a sign that I fancy him to death – no pun intended – and tease me for ever. Like she did with Tim.
    Tim . I shiver. I’d forgotten all about what’s happening in the real world. How did that happen?
    ‘They’re cool when you know them,’ Meggie says. ‘Maybe you didn’t see them at their best. It can be tough. We’re like a family . . . a huge, really dysfunctional family. But we’re all we’ve got.’ She whispers. ‘How are Mum and Dad?’
    I bet they’re still bickering downstairs, but I decide it would be wrong to tell her that, or to tell her why, much as I’d love to share the burden. I figure she has enough burdens of her own. ‘They’re . . . fine. Well, not fine exactly. Not after everything that’s happened, but they’re coping in their own ways.’
    She gives me an odd look. I never could get away with lying to my sister, but she doesn’t challenge me. Instead she folds her hands together, almost like she’s praying.
    ‘You won’t leave, will you, Florrie? You won’t lose interest in me. Not like other people’s Visitors have?’
    I smile, because already I cannot imagine ever wanting to leave the Beach, or her. ‘No. Besides, you’re the most entertaining person I know. We’ll always have things to talk about. There’s . . . love. And music.’ I pause as I realise that I’ll only ever be able to talk about music that dates from before her death. ‘And theatre and books and . . . well, loads of other