You Against Me by Jenny Downham Page A

him swim up to her. He grabbed hold of it too and they hung there together. When they didn’t move, the river lay smooth, the water cloudy and dark.
    ‘What happens if you drink it?’ he said.
    ‘You die.’
    He looked startled. ‘Serious?’
    She grinned. ‘No, it’s Grade B, which is pretty clean. About three miles further along it spreads out into creeks and goes through the salt marshes. You wouldn’t want to swim in it there.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘It’s tidal by then, so you never know what the depth is. There’s loads of sinking mud too.’
    ‘I like how you know things,’ he said, and he looked right at her.
    ‘You do?’
    ‘I like a lot about you, in fact.’
    It sounded like such a line, she laughed.
    ‘Your lips are blue,’ he said.
    He reached across and touched her mouth with his finger as if he could brush the cold away. And it was astonishing the things her body did in response – her heart racing, the crazy adrenalin rush. She wanted to kiss his finger. Or lick it. She wanted him to put it in her mouth.
    ‘You don’t exactly look warm yourself,’ she whispered.
    ‘Maybe we should get out then.’
    But neither of them moved.
    He leaned towards her. His eyes were brown flecked with dark gold. He kissed her very gently. His hand touched her cheek as if she was infinitely precious.
    After a while, he pulled back and said, ‘I really think we should get out. You’re shivering like mad.’
    She buried her nose and mouth in the curve of his neck and kissed him once there to say goodbye. Then the two of them clambered up the side of the riverbank and raced to the spot where they’d left their clothes.
    She grabbed her tights to use as a towel; he did the same with his T-shirt. They hopped about, teeth chattering, rubbing themselves dry.
    ‘Run,’ he said. ‘Come on, we need to get warm.’
    He grabbed her hand and pulled her along the grass. At the trees she wheeled him round and made them skip back. They took it in turns with instructions. Up and down the riverbank – jumping one way, hopping back, pogo-ing, aeroplane impressions (wings, plus engine sounds), before sinking ragged and laughing onto the grass.
    ‘That,’ he said, ‘has only just begun to warm me up. I swear I’ve never been so cold in my life.’
    ‘You should try the sea next,’ she laughed. ‘And I don’t mean the sea anywhere tame, I mean the wild sea. My gran’s got this cottage over by the bay and there’s a great beach there. It’s got amazing waves, really ferocious. I’ll take you one day if you like.’
    ‘Promise?’
    ‘Course.’
    And they both smiled, like they knew something, and his hand reached hers and clasped it tight, like being chosen and taken care of.
    And that’s when his phone rang again.
    Don’t answer it , she thought. Stay here with me . But he let go of her hand, leaned over for his jacket and fumbled in the pocket for his phone. When he saw who it was he stood up and walked a few steps down the slope.
    ‘Again?’ he said. It was a different voice from the one he’d used earlier. It had an edge of fear to it. ‘What did you open it for? I told you not to. Why would you do that?’
    He flicked Ellie a look.
    ‘Is it your sister?’ she mouthed.
    He nodded, took a couple more steps down the slope. ‘All right, calm down, they’ve gone now. No, I’m not telling you off. Listen, Holly, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to come and see you, OK? I’ll get Jacko to give me a lift and I’ll be with you in twenty minutes. No, babe, I can’t stay, I’ve got to go to work, but I’ll bring you a treat. What would you like me to bring?’
    Ellie pulled her clothes towards her. She managed to unbutton her wet shirt and swap it for her cardigan and coat without him seeing as he said goodbye to his sister. He immediately made another call and arranged to meet his friend at the cemetery gate in ten minutes.
    That was it then. Day over. She’d known it was too good to last.
    He