the back of King’s Cross. It’s cool.’
‘OK,’ he says, letting me lead him.
We walk along the canal for a while, hand in hand. There’s nobody dodgy around, just a few dog walkers and some cyclists heading home from work. I notice that the water looks cleaner and
more inviting at night, with the lamps from the towpath reflected in it; you can’t see the cans and food wrappers that people have thrown in.
‘I’d like to live on a barge,’ I say, as we pass somebody’s colourful houseboat. ‘Going up and down canals all day, being totally free. I’d love it.
Wouldn’t you?’
Xavier turns up his nose at my suggestion. ‘Rather a yacht.’ He grins. ‘Like zee ones in zee port in Nice.’
I laugh, picturing Xavier as a millionaire playboy and me in a glamorous bikini, sipping ice-cold drinks on the deck. ‘Yeah, a yacht would be cool too. I guess they go faster. And
it’s sunny and you can go way out to sea. Have you ever been on one?’
‘
Non
,’ he says. ‘Only a pedalo.’
I laugh. ‘Not quite the same.’
Xavier laughs too, then puts his hands around my waist and gently pushes me back towards the wall, so we’re out of the way of anyone passing by. He kisses me and, even though it’s
chilly and dark and we’re in the middle of Camden Town, I close my eyes and imagine we’re on a yacht together, basking in the sun, without a care in the world. Sailing away from it
all.
I don’t know how long we kiss for, but something, a bicycle bell perhaps, drags me back into the real world and makes me stop and check my watch. ‘We’d better get the
shopping,’ I say. ‘Come on. We’ll come back here another time and we’ll walk along to the back of London Zoo. You can see some of the animals for free that way. Maybe at the
weekend.’
We come up the stairs just by Sainsbury’s, on the other side of the road. I ask Xavier to grab a basket and then we weave around the store as quickly as we can, grabbing the things Mum has
asked for. I know where everything is so well that Xavier can barely keep up with me.
When we come into the house, Dad is home, much earlier than expected. At least, I think, with relief, I don’t have to cook tonight too. ‘Your mum wants to talk to you,’ he
says, raising an eyebrow. He gets up from the sofa. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ He takes the bag of groceries from my hands, and heads for the kitchen.
‘Eef eet eez OK, I am going to take a shower before dinair,’ says Xavier.
‘Absolutely,’ says Mum, in a tone that signifies she wants him out of the way so she can tell me off. She waits until he’s disappeared up the stairs and then starts.
‘Where on earth have you been? The shops are only five minutes away. You’ve been gone for over an hour. I was starting to get worried.’
‘Yeah, sorry, we kind of lost track of time. It took a while to find everything.’
‘Don’t give me that. I wasn’t born yesterday. You’ve obviously been off somewhere with Xavier.’
I should just apologise and promise not to do it again, but the censorious tone of her voice is winding me up. ‘So what if I have? I got the shopping too. Can’t I have even a little
bit of time to myself after school?’
‘If you’d got the shopping first, and then asked, it would have been fine.’
‘Would it? Because then you’d have told me it was time to do my homework, or cook for you, or whatever. You don’t seem to want me to hang out with Xavier. Every time I’m
alone with him you call me to do something.’
‘That’s not true. But, if I’m being honest, I don’t really think you should be romantically involved with a boy who is staying in our house. I don’t feel
comfortable about it.’
I huff. ‘Dad doesn’t mind. He’s even pleased about it. You’re only saying that because you want all my time for yourself! You’re jealous.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Victoria. I’m thinking about you. He’s only here for a few weeks. I’m worried
‘OK,’ he says, letting me lead him.
We walk along the canal for a while, hand in hand. There’s nobody dodgy around, just a few dog walkers and some cyclists heading home from work. I notice that the water looks cleaner and
more inviting at night, with the lamps from the towpath reflected in it; you can’t see the cans and food wrappers that people have thrown in.
‘I’d like to live on a barge,’ I say, as we pass somebody’s colourful houseboat. ‘Going up and down canals all day, being totally free. I’d love it.
Wouldn’t you?’
Xavier turns up his nose at my suggestion. ‘Rather a yacht.’ He grins. ‘Like zee ones in zee port in Nice.’
I laugh, picturing Xavier as a millionaire playboy and me in a glamorous bikini, sipping ice-cold drinks on the deck. ‘Yeah, a yacht would be cool too. I guess they go faster. And
it’s sunny and you can go way out to sea. Have you ever been on one?’
‘
Non
,’ he says. ‘Only a pedalo.’
I laugh. ‘Not quite the same.’
Xavier laughs too, then puts his hands around my waist and gently pushes me back towards the wall, so we’re out of the way of anyone passing by. He kisses me and, even though it’s
chilly and dark and we’re in the middle of Camden Town, I close my eyes and imagine we’re on a yacht together, basking in the sun, without a care in the world. Sailing away from it
all.
I don’t know how long we kiss for, but something, a bicycle bell perhaps, drags me back into the real world and makes me stop and check my watch. ‘We’d better get the
shopping,’ I say. ‘Come on. We’ll come back here another time and we’ll walk along to the back of London Zoo. You can see some of the animals for free that way. Maybe at the
weekend.’
We come up the stairs just by Sainsbury’s, on the other side of the road. I ask Xavier to grab a basket and then we weave around the store as quickly as we can, grabbing the things Mum has
asked for. I know where everything is so well that Xavier can barely keep up with me.
When we come into the house, Dad is home, much earlier than expected. At least, I think, with relief, I don’t have to cook tonight too. ‘Your mum wants to talk to you,’ he
says, raising an eyebrow. He gets up from the sofa. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ He takes the bag of groceries from my hands, and heads for the kitchen.
‘Eef eet eez OK, I am going to take a shower before dinair,’ says Xavier.
‘Absolutely,’ says Mum, in a tone that signifies she wants him out of the way so she can tell me off. She waits until he’s disappeared up the stairs and then starts.
‘Where on earth have you been? The shops are only five minutes away. You’ve been gone for over an hour. I was starting to get worried.’
‘Yeah, sorry, we kind of lost track of time. It took a while to find everything.’
‘Don’t give me that. I wasn’t born yesterday. You’ve obviously been off somewhere with Xavier.’
I should just apologise and promise not to do it again, but the censorious tone of her voice is winding me up. ‘So what if I have? I got the shopping too. Can’t I have even a little
bit of time to myself after school?’
‘If you’d got the shopping first, and then asked, it would have been fine.’
‘Would it? Because then you’d have told me it was time to do my homework, or cook for you, or whatever. You don’t seem to want me to hang out with Xavier. Every time I’m
alone with him you call me to do something.’
‘That’s not true. But, if I’m being honest, I don’t really think you should be romantically involved with a boy who is staying in our house. I don’t feel
comfortable about it.’
I huff. ‘Dad doesn’t mind. He’s even pleased about it. You’re only saying that because you want all my time for yourself! You’re jealous.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Victoria. I’m thinking about you. He’s only here for a few weeks. I’m worried
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