The Ashes

Chapter 18

"Well if it isn't my favourite person ever."

I glance up to see Harvey leaning against the locker next to mine.

"I can see your nose growing, Pinocchio."

"I can't lie if I want to be a real boy," he smirks.

"Okay I'll give you that one."

"Thanks, babe. Ready to go?"

"Almost," I reply, pulling out a last folder from my locker and forcing it into my bag. Of course, the damn thing doesn't close.

"Here, let me." Without waiting for a response he takes it from me and pulls at the zip. It doesn't budge. I laugh, causing him to frown and try again. This time it jerks across the gap, closing the backpack.

"Ha!," he grins victoriously.

"You are such a child."

"Am not."

"Sure. You still haven't told me where you're taking me. I stand by my axe-murderer theory."

"Damn it, she's on to me."

"Harvey."

"Okay, okay," he retorts, "it's a surprise."

"Thanks for the enlightenment," I snort. He just sticks out his tongue and takes my hand, tugging me through the door and out of school.

Half an hour later we're standing near a stack of grey concrete stairs leading down into the river Thames. The water looks an ugly shade of brownish black and I'm pretty sure I can see a dead bird floating in it near the opposite bank.

"So you're not an axe-murderer? You just want to push me in to perish instead."

"I am hurt at your lack of trust. For your information, I prefer to sacrifice my victims to wild animals," he sniffs and turns away from me dramatically. I shove his shoulder.

"Now who's trying to drown me?" he says indignantly.

I just give him a look, trying to hide my smile. "You still haven't told me why we're here, idiot."

"Well I was hoping it would be obvious by now but evidently my timing was off. You might have to wait a few minutes."

"Okay."

And so we sit in silence on the steps, the glassy black waters only a few feet below our shoes, watching the London evening progress. A lone rower slides across the surface of the river, blades dipping in and out silently. She rounds the bend on our left as Harvey nudges me, jerking his head towards the setting sun. Some fluke of nature and light reflecting on water or some other reason I would probably know if I paid attention in Physics enables the entire reflection of the cityscape to be visible in the water. Upside down, of course.

"Pretty cool, isn't it," Harvey says with certainty. I glance over at him; his eyes which look a fluid grey are drinking in the admittedly stunning view. The warm orange light accentuates his cheekbones and jawline, whilst a cool breeze rustles through his hair. He looks like a bloody Abercrombie advert and it's annoying me.

"Yeah, it is," I admit. "Pretty cliché, but cool."

"But people have to have cliché dates from time to time. It's a necessity of life, a learning experience," he declares, still looking ahead. "Also, take a picture, it'll last longer."

"I'm not looking at you," I say, pulling my eyes back to the scene, feeling my face redden at being caught.

"Sure, you aren't."