Chapter 1
*Leeds Bradford airport, 1992.*
Flashes of long blonde hair gush past the crowds of people in the airport as Charity practically sprints towards gate number 12, pushing the boundaries of being late for her flight. She of course blames it on her family, Lisa’s fussing over whether she’d packed everything properly and Cain teasing her about her lazy choice of outfit for the airport.“Anyone would’ve thought you’d crawled out of a sweaty hostel dressed in those” he’d said, gesturing to her oversized black t shirt that was falling past her shoulders and her baggy jogging bottoms.
They weren’t due to get to Spain until 9pm so she figured the summer heat would have died down a bit so her outfit wouldn’t force her to overheat. She was flying out as part of a summer internship, her family had presented the idea of it to her and she’d snapped their hands off at the offer, desperate to get out of the clutches of Emmerdale. They needed people for help with the general maintenance of a new animal centre they’d set up somewhere in Valencia, whether that be showing visitors round, answering phone calls, helping with the actual animals or working on the food and drinks bars. Charity had turned her nose up at the animals part but everything else sounded like a free holiday so she was in from the moment Zack had given her the leaflet for it. He’d also given it to Chas and they were originally supposed to be going together until Chas had pulled out, Charity didn’t care though, she’d go by herself, she always did. It was a 2 week internship yet the suitcase she carried was fairly small, she didn’t have many items to jam pack it with. She carried a small rucksack with a crossword book in for the plane ride there, she wasn’t the biggest fan of planes so she planned to distract herself as much as possible. And, it was her first time flying alone, well, not alone as she’d be flying with the bunch of people who were also on the internship, along with two mentors, there names were Fred and Rita, whom she’d talked with on the phone a lot to prepare before flying out.
She approaches her gate, already she spots the other interns all wearing yellow caps, gross, she thinks, knowing full well that they’d make her wear one too, she sighs and steps up to them.
Rita turns immediately towards her, “Charity finally! We were beginning to think you weren’t coming” she hands her a cap, a bottle of water, a sticker for charity to label her name on and a boarding pass while speaking.
“Yeah soz about that” Charity grabs the pass and holds it between her teeth as she rushes to put the water in her rucksack. “Do I really have to wear this?” She grimaces at the yellow hat she’s holding up.
“Well if you wanna come with us to Spain then yeah you do” Rita smiles sarcastically, and shoves the cap she’d snatched out of Charity’s hands onto her blonde head. Charity crumbles under her breath slightly and adjusts the cap on her head. She eyes the rest of the group, they’re as she thought they’d be, all dressed prim and proper. They’re enthusiasm radiates off of them, especially the one with the egg head, Charity laughs internally at his shiny head, she squints to read the label on his t shirt, ‘Paddy’. What sort of a name is that? He’s stood chatting with a smaller girl, who’s smiling along at whatever comes tumbling from his mouth, she thinks her label says ‘Rhona’. There’s three lads stood off to the side from the rest of them, squabbling with each other, she later learns that these are the Barton brothers. There is one girl who’s not yet joined the rest of them, but Charity sees the yellow cap identifying her with the rest of the interns. She’s talking with her mother Charity presumes, who Charity guesses is some business woman with better things to be doing than dropping her daughter off at the airport. “Goodbye Vanessa” She hears, the woman strolling away without even waiting for the girl-Vanessa, to answer. She joins the rest of the group silently.
They board the plane after around half an hour and are hurried into their seats. They’ve been partnered up, ‘the buddy system’ Rita calls it, and Charity is now sitting next to Vanessa, who’s barely spoken two words to her since they’d sat down. She glances to Charity frequently though before lift off, a nervous look on her face but she smiles anyway. Charity can’t help but to smile back.
Fred and Rita walk down the isle, quickly ticking each of them off on a register clipped to a clipboard before finding their seats further back in the plane. Luckily, Charity thinks, they’re seated on a two seater instead of the three seats throughout the plane, at least they don’t have to sit next to a chatty old lady or a dirty old man or something.
As the plane slowly rolls along the runway, Charity sees Vanessa clenching her fists. “You okay?”
Vanessa nods, “I-I’ve not been on a plane before”
Charity widens her eyes, “what not ever?”
She shakes her head, her pony tail swishing. “My mum and step dad prefer cruises”
Wow. She thinks, remembering how from a young age she’d travelled on planes to and from Scotland to visit family. “It’s only a short flight, try going to sleep when we’re in the air and it’ll feel as if we’ve got there in no time” She smiles are her. Since when did she smile so much?
“I’ll try” Vanessa says to her, releasing a breath.
“Oh also…” Charity fishes inside her trouser pocket and pulls out two small hard boiled sweets and then hands one to Vanessa. “Suck one of these when we lift off it’ll help with your ears poppin’”
She plops one in her own mouth.
Vanessa smiles and takes the sweet, a small ‘thanks’ muttered before she unwraps it.
“I’m Vanessa by the way” she grins.
Charity nods, “Charity”
The plane creeps along to the runway, and upon reaching the head of it, it starts speeding up until the passengers are forced back into their seats, heads shoved back against the strong force of gravity as the plane sweeps off into the air. Charity sees Vanessa gripping the arm rest between them for dear life, and halfway through their ascent she places her own hand on top of Vanessa’s, hoping to calm her slightly. She doesn’t remove it until the intercom announces that all passengers were able to remove their seatbelts.
*
The flight runs smoothly, they’d slept for some of it once Vanessa had finally relaxed. It took her a while, she’d told Charity about 30 minutes into the flight that she was desperate for the loo but she daren’t leave her seat, the taller blonde had laughed but had gone with Vanessa to the toilet, waiting outside in the short line for her to finish. They’d done some of Charity’s crossword, she was stuck on a particular one when Vanessa peaked across her shoulder at the clues. “That ones ‘arouse’ I think”….Charity had jumped a little at the voice, she’d assumed she was still sleeping. She’d turned her head to see Vanessa with her chin almost on her own shoulder and then had used her pen to lightly trace the letters in the boxes, going back over them harder when she’d realised that the answer was in fact, ‘arouse’. “…so it is” she’d answered.
They’ve just left the airport and were now on the coach to their hotel, they were staying in a place that was just adjacent to the Animal Sanctuary, Charity was glad because it meant she’d be able to sleep in later in mornings. She rests her head against the window, gazing out at the palm trees they pass and all the illuminated buildings. The landscape was beautiful, the sky was still bright despite the late hour and the weather was blissfully warm but not boiling hot.
The hotel wasn’t the fanciest but she wasn’t expecting it since it was free after all. It wasn’t a dump though, far from it. The outside was a beige colour, and the name of the hotel ‘Le verde hotel’ was lit up in huge neon letters. There were a few people chilling on the benches outside and even more people making use of the all inclusive bar inside. They’re given keys to their rooms upon arrival, they’d be sharing with their ‘buddy’ according to Rita and Fred, so that meant Charity was with Vanessa in a room.
After promising to be up bright and early in the morning to begin working, Rita and Fred had dismissed them all for the first night so they were basically able to roam free and do whatever they liked. Everyone had headed to their rooms to settle, suitcases trailing behind the group.
*
“It’s bigger than I thought” Charity says, letting the door to their room fall closed after holding it open for Vanessa. They both scan the room, there’s two single beds, each with a bedside table next to them, a large window with a picturesque view of the beach that Charity was definitely going to be spending a lot of time on during this trip. There’s also a bathroom, decorated in modern white and a decent sized bath and shower.
“The view is gorgeous” Vanessa says, walking over to peer out of the window.
Charity agrees. She takes a look at their sleeping situation. “Could have had bigger beds though eh”
Vanessa nods, dragging her suitcase next to the bed nearest the window, presumably claiming that as hers. “I know, I’m scared I might fall out of that I’m so used to having a double at home” she laughs a little.
Charity thinks for a moment and then folds her arms. “We could push ‘em together? Maybe it’s be bigger somehow?”
Vanessa tilts her head, considering it. “Yeah alright”
Charity comes round to Vanessa’s bed and the two push and push until the two beds meet, making sure to untuck the duvet covers from getting stuck in between the two. “There we go” Charity wipes her forehead and stands back as if admiring their work.
“So what do you wanna do?” Vanessa sits on the bed. “I mean we could unpack but…”
Charity twists her mouth into a pout, her thinking cap on until her face lights up with an idea. “They said we could go anywhere right?” To which Vanessa nods.
…
“Charity!”…gushes of water come flying at Vanessa, who shields her face laughing.
They’d ended up at the beach, it was only a five minute walk and what better way to spend their first night. They’d left their suitcases in the middle of the room, slipped on some sandals, Vanessa had grabbed a shawl, and had past the bar, Charity’s pretty sure the Barton brothers were already bladdered, and walked the short distance to the sand and sea.
“Come get me back then babe” Charity held her arms open, inviting Vanessa to try splash her with water. She starts running along the shore, the smaller blonde behind her laughing breathless as she runs to catch up with her.
“Ouch!”
Charity whips around to see Vanessa crouching, she walks over to her quickly, “what’s wrong?”
She realises she’d been played a little too late, because she’s now soaked in sea water with her jaw hanging wide open. “Vanessa!”
“Got you back didn’t I?” She says cockily.
“Yeah ya flaming well did” Charity scoffs a laugh and tugs at her wet jogging bottoms.
Vanessa smiles and then nods her head in the direction of the hotel. “Come on, we better get back before you freeze to death in those wet clothes”
“Erm we’re in the middle of Spain babe, don’t think that’s gonna happen anytime soon”
Vanessa just laughs and they walk back to their room. She likes this Vanessa, she thinks, she’s glad none of the other group members had snapped her up, she’d hate to be stuck with one of the Barton’s or worse…Paddy.