Page 38

Adam

‘Sophie . . . Stop!’

I pelted after her, catching up at the end of the golf club driveway. I grabbed her arm, but she shook me off. Her eyes glittered with fury and betrayal.

‘You tricked me? You’re going to Stanford? Not Cambridge?’

Her staccato words sounded like the rattle of a machine gun, making my heart pound painfully. Mum was horrified when she realised Sophie didn’t know about my decision. Well, it was mainly Dad’s, but I’d gone along with him, not wanting to cause friction.

Tell her right away! Mum had warned after discovering Sophie creeping out of our house. This is going to be far worse if you keep putting it off and she finds out from someone else. You’ve been together a long time. She deserves better and you know it!

Mum was right. I should have listened. But it was too late.

‘I’m sorry! I never found the right time to tell you... I was going to... but I was being cowardly. I couldn’t bring myself to ruin everything. Us. ’

‘There is no us when you’ve been lying to me. You’ve known for months!’

‘I thought I could talk Dad round and go to Cambridge, but this is all he ever wanted for himself and then me... I didn’t want to disappoint him.

’ I raked my hand through my hair. ‘Going there didn’t feel real.

I tricked myself into thinking that if I didn’t say it out loud.

.. well, it wouldn’t be real. I wouldn’t be going . I know it sounds stupid . ’

‘Yeah, it does! Because you are abandoning me, like my mum whenever a better offer comes along. But at least she has the guts to tell me herself, rather than leave it for someone else to break the news.’

‘I’m not like her,’ I insisted. ‘You know how I feel about you.’

‘Do I? You’ve never even said you love me.’

Her accusation was an arrow to my chest. ‘Erm, yes, I have! Lots of times.’

‘No, Adam. You’ve never said the words back. All you ever say is ditto.’

‘But you know I mean it with this!’

I reached out to touch her necklace, but she stepped aside.

‘This was a gift to ease your guilty conscience. You’re a typical rich boy who throws money at things to solve your problems. Problems like me!’

‘That’s not true!’

‘Isn’t it?’

I opened my mouth to tell her how I felt, but the words jammed in my throat.

Before I could think what to say, Lily lurched down the driveway, followed by Tom.

‘Where are you going?’ she shouted. ‘The taxi’s waiting!’

Sophie wiped her eyes, smearing mascara across her cheek, as they reached us.

‘I’m not coming. Sorry, Lily.’

‘Hey! Don’t cry.’

Lily shot a fierce glare at me before hugging Sophie. Tom had obviously filled her in – he was the only person who knew my secret. He’d found out weeks ago as his mum chatted to mine whenever she had cleaning shifts at the solicitors’ office.

Sophie stepped back, her gaze lowered. ‘I’m fine, Lily. I don’t want to ruin your night. Get the taxi with Tom. I’m going to the beach party. On my own.’

She stalked off towards the lane and was consumed by blackness within seconds.

‘How could you do this to her?’ Lily demanded.

She didn’t wait for an answer and ran after Sophie. I switched on my phone’s torchlight and followed. Tom did the same. Our beams caught glimpses of two ghost-like silhouettes through the slashes of rain.

‘Come back and we’ll talk!’ I called after Sophie. ‘You won’t get a taxi out here... and you can’t walk two miles alone in the dark.’

‘Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do!’ she yelled back.

I caught up but she pushed me away. The road was slippery; I tripped and stumbled towards the wet hedgerow. Brambles scratched my outstretched hands, but I didn’t care about the pain.

‘Stop following me, Adam. Leave me the hell alone!’

‘Sophie!’ Lily cried. ‘Come back to the taxi with us. We’ll drop you off at the beach if you really want to go?’

‘No! The cottage is in the opposite direction. I’ll be fine, honestly.’

‘You’re not,’ Lily hiccupped. ‘You’re drunk. Me too.’

‘Which is why this is madness,’ Tom said, gripping Lily’s arm. ‘It’s pissing down and we’re getting soaked. Let’s leave them to it.’

‘No! We have to make her come with us.’

The thud of a distant beat-box grew louder.

We pressed ourselves into the wet hedge as a car rounded the corner at speed.

I shielded my eyes, dazzled by the headlights.

The vehicle swerved past Sophie and mounted the grass verge.

The driver’s door swung open, music blaring.

Vinny leaned out, his eyes glazed. His on-off girlfriend, Priti, sat in the passenger seat, her head lolling against the window.

‘Anyone want a lift to the beach?’ he slurred.

I reached Sophie, panting. ‘No, we don’t. And you shouldn’t be driving!’

‘Well, fuck you, ten A*s boy!’

I winced. I hadn’t shaken off the nickname since my first term; someone had stuck the newspaper cutting on the sixth-form common room noticeboard.

Vinny almost fell out of the car as he yanked the door shut. He rammed the clutch into gear and stalled the engine.

‘Don’t speak for me,’ Sophie said icily. ‘I can make my own decisions, thanks. Unlike you, I don’t need Daddy to make them for me.’

The engine started up with a roar and Vinny flicked a finger out of the open window as he pulled away.

‘Well, staggering around out here, drunk, isn’t your best choice,’ I hit back.

Her accusation about my dad had struck a nerve.

‘You’re judging me ? After what you’ve done?!’

‘Sophie, let’s—’ Lily began.

‘Hold up!’ Sophie yelled after the car. ‘I’m coming with you.’

‘No, you’re not!’ I tried to catch her hand, but she slipped from my grasp.

She waved her arms wildly, chasing after the vehicle. Its brake lights suddenly glowed red, demon-like.

‘I don’t care what you think when you’re fucking off to America without telling me!’ she retorted over her shoulder. ‘I’ll do whatever the hell I want.’

‘Adam’s right,’ Tom shouted. ‘It’s too risky to go with Vinny.’

His warning was a red rag to a bull, and she lunged towards the rear passenger seats. She opened the door and turned around. Her gaze radiated hatred as she ripped off her pendant.

‘Have your Mobius strip back.’ She tossed it in the air. ‘It’s meaningless. It doesn’t go on forever. This ends now!’

I heard a faint tinkle as the chain hit the ground, seconds before she climbed into the car.

‘Wait for me!’ Lily cried.

‘No!’

Tom tried to step in Lily’s way, but she dodged past him. Sophie swiped for the door handle, but Lily hung on, preventing her from closing it.

Sophie leaned out, sobbing. ‘I want to be on my own. Please go back with the boys.’

Lily shot a pleading look at Tom. ‘I’m sorry. She needs me. I’ll call you later.’

He shook his head vigorously and strode towards her. ‘Don’t do this! Vinny’s wasted and the seat belts don’t work in the back.’

‘It’ll be fine for a short distance. I can’t leave my best friend alone on prom night. She’s in a complete state.’

‘This is her problem, not ours,’ Tom claimed.

Lily blew him a kiss and jumped in. The car sped away before she’d managed to shut the door properly. It veered across the lane and screeched around the bend.

Tom rounded on me, jabbing a finger at my chest. ‘What the fuck? You and Sophie have wrecked everything!’

‘I’m sorry! Should we... I don’t know... call the police? We could report Vinny for drink-driving and get him pulled over.’

‘We can’t, without getting the girls into trouble – Vinny’s probably got drugs in the car. There won’t be any police nearby anyway.’

‘Oh God. If anything happens to them . . .’

The words were barely out of my mouth when a metallic booming noise rang out, followed by smashing glass. We stared at each other in horror before running blindly towards the appalling sounds.

Rain slashed my face with tiny, vicious knives. The air smelled of burning rubber.

We turned the corner and found a car ablaze. A second vehicle was a mangled mess. A body hung half out of the windscreen and the three other people inside were motionless. Then I saw the blood. So much blood. It was dripping down the passenger door.

Tom said something but his words disappeared into nothing.

Screams pierced the darkness, above the roar of the flames.

I realised they were mine.