Burning Bright

  Also by Sophie McKenzie

  FALLING FAST

  GIRL, MISSING

  SISTER, MISSING

  MISSING ME

  BLOOD TIES

  BLOOD RANSOM

  SIX STEPS TO A GIRL

  THREE’S A CROWD

  THE ONE AND ONLY

  THE MEDUSA PROJECT 1: THE SET-UP

  THE MEDUSA PROJECT 2: THE HOSTAGE

  THE MEDUSA PROJECT WORLD BOOK DAY SPECIAL: THE THIEF

  THE MEDUSA PROJECT 3: THE RESCUE

  THE MEDUSA PROJECT 4: HUNTED

  THE MEDUSA PROJECT 5: DOUBLE-CROSS

  THE MEDUSA PROJECT 6: HIT SQUAD

  Acknowledgments: with thanks to Moira Young, Gaby Halberstam, Julie Mackenzie, Melanie Edge, Lou Kuenzler and Lily Kuenzler.

  First published in Great Britain in 2013 by Simon and Schuster UK Ltd, a CBS company.

  Copyright © 2013 Rosefire Ltd

  This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.

  No reproduction without permission.

  All rights reserved.

  The right of Sophie McKenzie to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.

  Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

  1st Floor, 222 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8HB

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  PB ISBN: 978-0-85707-101-9

  EBOOK ISBN: 978-0-85707-102-6

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY.

  www.simonandschuster.co.uk

  www.sophiemckenziebooks.com

  For Jez, Alex and Daisy Startup

  Contents

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  1

  Emmi banged on the door of my changing cubicle.

  ‘River,’ she yelled. ‘Come on.’

  I gritted my teeth and opened the door. Emmi stood in front of me, her hands on her hips. Tall, dark and impatient, the strings of her dark blue designer bikini were looped in artfully casual bows over her slim hips and tanned shoulders. Grace hovered beside her – all fragile and blonde – in a pretty, pink one-piece.

  ‘About time.’ Emmi rolled her eyes. ‘Everyone else is outside already.’

  ‘Are you okay, Riv?’ Grace asked anxiously.

  ‘I can’t go,’ I stammered, looking down at my plain black swimsuit. ‘I look awful.’

  ‘No. You look nice.’ Grace smiled at me.

  ‘Forget nice,’ Emmi snorted. ‘You look hot.’

  I stared at her, unconvinced.

  ‘Oh for goodness sake.’ Emmi practically stamped her foot, then dragged me across the damp tiles of the changing room to the low counter with the hairdryers chained to the walls. She spun me round so I was facing the nearest mirror.

  ‘Look,’ she snapped. ‘Look at the way you curve: Boobs. Waist. Bum. You’re all curves, Riv. It’s sexy.’

  I stared at my reflection. At my straggly hair and ditchwater-grey eyes. Then down to my knees. I hated my knees. ‘I look short,’ I wailed. ‘And dumpy.’

  ‘I give up.’ Emmi grabbed my arm. ‘Fine. You look short and dumpy. You’re coming outside anyway.’

  And she dragged me through the chlorinated foot bath and through the swing door into the main pool area.

  It was a pool party. Alex, Emmi’s boyfriend, was seventeen today and Emmi had persuaded him he should celebrate by getting his parents to hire the swimming baths for a couple of hours. That kind of expense is nothing to Emmi. She’s loaded. So’s Alex – at least he’s always flashing his money around. His parents bought him and all his brothers an iPad each for Christmas.

  Anyway, it was the end of January and had been snowing since yesterday. Kind of an odd time for a party at the swimming baths, but it was typical of Emmi to suggest something that nobody was expecting – and that captured everybody’s imagination. Her plan was that we should splash about for a bit, then go for a pizza.

  The main pool area was loud with excited chatter. Alex and his friends were gathered on one side with a big posse of girls opposite. Emmi dropped my arm and sashayed towards the boys. I scuttled self-consciously behind her, Grace at my side. Emmi went straight up to Alex and slid a sinuous arm around his middle.

  ‘Happy birthday, babe,’ she breathed.

  You could practically see Alex’s chest puffing up with pride as all his friends stared enviously at Emmi. I backed away and slid into the pool as quickly as I could, relieved to be able to hide my body under the water.

  Soon Grace’s boyfriend – James Malloy – turned up along with more of Alex and Emmi’s friends. Most of the boys were now in the water, mucking about or chatting to the girls. Everyone was shouting or laughing. Having a great time.

  I swam a couple of lengths, careful to avoid the noisy male wrestling matches that were going on down one side of the pool. Honestly, they were taking up half the water. And why did they have to be so loud? A large group of girls was watching them – throwing out the occasional comment. My irritation increased. How idiotic did they look? All big-eyed and giggling over the stupid wrestling boys. I guess it was really only a typical party. I just wasn’t in the mood for all these people. There was only one person I wanted to see. And he wasn’t here.

  Flynn.

  Flynn’s my boyfriend. We’ve been going out for four months, since we met acting in Romeo and Juliet at Flynn’s school. Emmi says he’s trouble. So does my mum. But he’s really just kind of intense.

  ‘Oy, River.’

  I looked up. I’d been swimming so intently towards the deep end that I hadn’t noticed Emmi walking along the edge of the pool beside me.

  ‘What the hell are you doing?’ Emmi waved her arms in exasperation. ‘This is a party and you look like you’re in training for a race.’

  I trod water for a moment, gazing up at her. ‘I’m fine,’ I said.

  Emmi grinned and shook her head at me. Alex appeared at her side, tugging at her arm. Emmi winked as she let Alex drag her away.

  ‘He’ll be here soon, River. Don’t worry.’

  I glanced up at the big clock that hung on the wall above the spectator seats. It was almost six. Flynn was still working – he does loads of jobs outside school, trying to help his mum by earning money. Today he’d agreed to finish early so we could enjoy the party together.

  I reached the deep end and turned round to swim another length. There were so many people in the pool now that I had to keep stopping and swimming around them. I nodded every time I passed someone I knew, but I didn’t stay and talk. There was only one person I wanted to speak to.

  I lay in the shallow end for a while, watching my legs drifting about under the water. Then I slid lower in the water and leaned my head back until I was floating. I closed my eyes and reached my arms behind me to the shallow groove in the pool wall. My ears were underwater. I could feel the vibrations of people shrieking and splashing. They all sounded so far away.

  Hands grabbed me
around my waist. I flailed out with my arms and legs, trying to resist, but the hands holding me were too strong. They pulled me upright, steadying me while I found my feet on the bottom of the pool.

  It was Flynn. He stood in front of me, his hands still on my waist.

  ‘You look like a mermaid,’ he said with a grin.

  I smiled back. It was like the whole world had been in black and white and now it was in colour. Even the party around us was transformed. The noisy boys wrestling along the far side of the pool were just having a laugh, while the girls watching them and giggling seemed charming – not stupid at all.

  I drew away to look at him. Flynn’s tall. Well, tall compared to me anyway. Long and lean and really muscular. I stared at his beautifully toned arms and his fantastically fit stomach. He looked amazing. It’s from all the boxing training he does. It’s a big thing to him, working out, though I’ve never really understood why he feels such a strong need to keep in shape. It’s certainly not that he’s vain.

  Flynn was wearing long dark red swimming trunks. They looked great against his skin.

  ‘Where did you get those?’ I asked. ‘James?’

  Flynn nodded. Well, that was no surprise. Flynn didn’t have many clothes and those he did own were mostly second-hand and scruffy. He wouldn’t accept a loan off many people but James Molloy, aka Grace’s boyfriend, was his best friend.

  To be honest, sometimes I wondered if he wasn’t Flynn’s only friend.

  ‘They look good,’ I said.

  Flynn pulled me towards him again. ‘So do you,’ he murmured. I shivered at the low, sexy note in his voice and closed my eyes, ready for his kiss.

  A tidal wave splashed up over my face. I staggered back, choking, rubbing my eyes. I couldn’t breathe. There was water up my nose. Ugh. Laughter broke out around me. I forced my eyes open, though they stung, thanks to the chlorine. Three boys I vaguely recognised from Flynn’s class were standing to my right, doubled over with laughter. Had they splashed me? No, they were pointing to where the water was churning violently, a few metres away. As I watched, two bodies rose up, out of the waves. Alex and Flynn. Everyone was yelling. Flynn’s mouth was open, gasping for air, as he swung his fists at Alex’s face. But Alex was too quick. With a roar he ducked Flynn’s punch, then reared up and shoved Flynn under the water again.

  ‘Stop!’ I yelled.

  But the noise in the swimming pool was deafening. I couldn’t even hear myself. Heart pounding, I waded towards Flynn. Alex’s muscles bulged with the effort of keeping him under. I had to stop him. The water around them was roiling. Panic gripped me. If I didn’t reach Flynn soon, he would surely drown.

  2

  I stretched out my arms, ready to push Alex away from Flynn, but, just as I reached them, Flynn reared up, out of the water. With a bloodcurdling yell he sprang out of Alex’s grip, then launched himself forward. Both hands outstretched, Flynn pushed Alex so hard that he flew in an arc over the water, splashing down heavily several metres away.

  Alex surfaced, spluttering and swearing his head off. He glared at Flynn, his eyes full of hate, but he stayed where he was.

  The shouts and the laughter around us died. The only noise was the sound of Flynn’s jagged breathing, and the soft slap of the waves against the pool lining.

  Flynn blinked the water out of his eyes. He stared at Alex, then turned to me.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he said.

  I nodded, still confused. Clearly Alex had splashed me, and Flynn had rushed to my defence, but why had Alex deliberately provoked him like that?

  Clenching his fists, Flynn took a step towards Alex through the water. I tensed. So did everyone else around the pool.

  Flynn took another step. My chest tightened. He was going to hit Alex again – only much harder this time. An expression of fear shot through Alex’s eyes, then a mask of contempt. He drew himself up and pointed at Flynn’s clenched fist.

  ‘You sure you want to do that?’ he snarled. ‘Remember what happened yesterday . . . you know, at school, during the snowstorm?’

  Flynn hesitated. His eyes flickered over to me.

  I frowned. What was Alex talking about? ‘What happened yesterday?’

  ‘Oh, doesn’t River know?’ Alex said, his voice all mock concern.

  ‘Shut up,’ Flynn snapped. He turned to me. ‘Don’t listen to him.’

  ‘Oh, what’s the matter? Lost your nerve?’ Alex said. He folded his arms. ‘You were happy to lash out before. You have a serious problem.’

  This was so unfair, I couldn’t keep quiet. ‘Stop it,’ I said, my voice shaking with anger. ‘Flynn didn’t do anything to provoke you. We were together and you just came over and—’

  ‘Flynn doesn’t need a reason to lose it,’ Alex said nastily. ‘Like I said, he’s got a serious problem – and it’s not just the violence.’

  I stared at him. What was Alex talking about? I was beside Flynn now. Flynn was glaring at Alex, his whole body tensed with rage. Any second now he was going to lose his temper properly. I’d seen him hit people before and I knew that shove he’d given Alex before was nothing compared to what he was capable of.

  ‘It’s time to get out now anyway,’ Emmi said, materialising at the poolside just above Alex’s head. ‘Come on, babe.’

  Alex glanced up at her and Flynn turned away.

  ‘We’ll get out when we’re ready,’ Flynn spat.

  Alex gave a disgusted snort. ‘You know you’re only here because of her.’ He pointed to me. ‘If she wasn’t Emmi’s best friend . . .’ With a shake of his head, Alex hauled himself out of the pool. As he stalked off towards the changing rooms I caught Emmi’s eye. She looked relieved – but also embarrassed. The people watching the scene were drifting away – the boys who’d been laughing before, started splashing at each other. Noise rose up, echoing off the swimming bath walls. It was over.

  ‘Come on, River,’ Flynn said. He splashed noisily across the pool.

  I hesitated. It wasn’t nice to hear Flynn was only at the party because Alex felt he had to invite him, though I wasn’t surprised. But what really bothered me was Alex’s reference to Flynn’s ‘problem’. What exactly was he talking about? I had the strong sense that Emmi knew, just like Flynn did, but that neither of them wanted me to find out. Emmi turned to follow Alex.

  ‘Wait, Emmi,’ I said, pulling myself half out of the water.

  She stopped. Turned back to face me. Her expression was guarded.

  ‘What did Alex mean when he said Flynn’s problem “wasn’t just the violence”?’ I asked. ‘What did Flynn do yesterday that made Alex attack him just now?’

  Emmi shrugged. ‘No idea.’ She walked away into the changing rooms. A shiver ran down my spine. She was lying, I was sure. But why?

  All over the pool, people were emerging, dripping, from the water. I slid back in and swam over to Flynn. By the time I reached him, we were the only two people left. A few minutes ago that would have seemed romantic but the magic of the moment when Flynn found me had gone and I was only aware of how cold the water was, full of stinky chlorine, making my skin pucker. Flynn was treading water in the deep end, his face still thunderous. I took a deep breath. I knew from experience, asking Flynn difficult questions at the wrong moment was likely to make him explode.

  ‘About what happened yesterday . . .’ I began.

  ‘It was just Alex trying to wind me up, okay?’ he snapped. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

  ‘Right.’ I was sure there was more to what had happened than that, but equally aware there was no point pushing Flynn right now. ‘Shall we get out?’

  Flynn’s face relaxed. ‘In a second.’ He put his hands back on my face. ‘You look so beautiful.’ His eyes were sparkling, so intently focused on me that I felt my neck and face above the water burning. Flynn thought I was gorgeous. Which meant that, surely, I must at least look better than I’d thought. The water was bringing out the emerald in his green-gold eyes. He ducked lower in the wa
ter, so it lapped against his chin, then he pulled me right up against him. I forgot where I was as he kissed me. His kisses were perfect – hard but soft, pushing, yet pulling – always listening to the way I kissed him back.

  I ran my hands up his wet, smooth back. My fingers reached his shoulders and I felt the jagged line of the scar where his da had glassed him. He told everyone else it was a scar from a fight. I was the only person who knew the truth – that his family have no money and his dad’s a violent drunk who’s not supposed to come near Flynn or his mum or sisters.

  ‘We should go,’ I said.

  ‘I’ll just swim a couple of lengths first,’ Flynn said. ‘See you outside?’

  I nodded and Flynn splashed away. I watched as he got into his stride, hurtling furiously down the pool. Despite our kiss, it was obvious he was still angry – you could see it in every pull of his arms, every kick of his legs. All my previous anxieties surged back. What was Flynn so mad about? What ‘serious problem’ had Alex been talking about before? And what had happened yesterday?

  I got out and trudged, alone, to the changing rooms.

  3

  I showered and changed into my jeans, still puzzling over what Alex had said. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe Alex was just trying to wind Flynn up. They didn’t like each other, after all. The tension between them had started because of Emmi: just before Christmas, Emmi had played Juliet in the play at the boys’ school. Flynn had been Romeo and I know Alex had wondered – like I had done – whether Emmi and Flynn had enjoyed kissing each other in the play more than they let on. I knew now that my fears had been groundless but, even though Alex must know this too, it was clear he had disliked Flynn ever since.

  I pulled my top over my head and hurried out of the cubicle, determined to find Emmi as soon as possible and force her to tell me what she knew. But there was no sign of her. In fact the changing room was almost empty. I scurried over to the hairdryers to dry my hair. Grace was already there, tugging a comb through her sleek blonde bob.

  ‘Hey, Grace,’ I said casually. ‘I was just wondering. Did James tell you anything that happened at the guys’ school yesterday? Something to do with Flynn? During the snowstorm?’