You Against Me

Eighteen

Ellie opened the door of the Queen’s Head slowly and was immediately hit by the warm stink of food and beer. She felt primitive coming in from the mist, as if she was a wild girl and warmth and shelter meant little to her. She was a girl who invited boys to graveyards and dared them to jump in rivers. She was a girl who boldly entered the information office and demanded to know where every pub in the vicinity of the harbour was. The man had even let her borrow his pen so that she could mark them on the map with red ink.

If he was in here, she would shimmy up behind him, her hand on her hip like the world owed her something, and she’d fix her eyes on him until he felt an irresistible pull at his heart. She’d make him turn round simply by looking at his back.

The woman behind the bar frowned as Ellie approached. She was wearing a name badge that said SUE, MANAGER.

‘I can’t serve you without ID,’ she said.

‘It’s OK, I don’t want a drink. I’m looking for someone who might work here. A boy.’

The woman laughed. ‘Are you now? Well, only two lads work for me – Mikey or Jacko. Which one are you after?’

She knew it wasn’t Jacko, because he was the boy in the car the other day. Ellie found herself grinning.

‘It’s Mikey I want.’

‘I thought you might say that.’ The woman pointed beyond the bar to a carpeted dining area. ‘There he is, right at the back.’

He was standing at a table with a group of elderly women smiling up at him. He looked solid and confident, entirely unlike any boy at school. Adrenalin flooded her body as she watched him.

‘He the one?’

‘Yes, that’s him.’

The woman tutted. ‘Bringing his love life to work again, is he? I’ll be having words with Mister McKenzie.’

‘McKenzie?’

‘Yes, love, and if you’re his new girlfriend you can wait till he’s on his lunch break, which will be in precisely five minutes. And since you’re very evidently not eighteen, could you please step away from the bar.’

Mikey McKenzie? But that meant…

The name affected her physically. She felt light-headed and nauseous.

‘Take a seat in the family lounge, please, and I’ll tell him you’re here.’

She lurched to the seats the woman pointed to and sat down. She wanted to get to the door, to get away, but if she moved that far, something might break. Nobody took any notice of her – the customers in the other seats were chatting to each other, or staring blankly at the TV screen. Her world had shifted and nobody knew it but her.

The manager came back. ‘He’s on his way, and you can tell him from me that if he spends one minute longer than his regulation half-hour with you, he can consider himself sacked.’

She smiled to show she didn’t really mean it, but Ellie didn’t smile back. She couldn’t. She could barely breathe.

He came over slowly, with a strange reluctant walk. He said, ‘What are you doing here?’

She squinted at him, as if the mist was in the bar, as if she’d brought it in with her. She could see the resemblance now – the same dark hair and eyes. Why hadn’t she seen it before? It was all so obvious and terrible – he was Karyn McKenzie’s brother.

He sat down, frowning. ‘How did you know where I worked?’

‘You said a pub by the harbour.’

‘I didn’t say which one.’

‘Well, I was just passing this one and thought I’d check it out.’

‘Just passing?’

She felt such an idiot. She’d been out in the mist and got hold of some stupid fantasy that he’d be pleased to see her, that she meant something to him. Her face was burning with shame as she stood up. ‘You know what? I’m going to go.’

‘What’s the matter?’

‘Nothing.’

He shook his head. ‘Something is.’

How could he read her better than anyone she knew? Better than her own brother?

‘I’m fine. I had an argument with someone, that’s all.’

‘You want to talk about it?’

‘Not really.’

‘I’m a good listener.’

Her heart lurched. That was sweet. Maybe he didn’t know who she was after all. Maybe it was all some amazing coincidence that meant they were destined to be together for ever.

But then she noticed his name badge. ‘So, you’re called Tyler?’

He looked down at himself and frowned. ‘It’s not my real name.’

Tom said Karyn McKenzie was a liar. Obviously the whole family was, since everything about this boy was fake. He’d targeted the party, rather than stumbled across it, he’d deliberately chatted her up because he knew who she was. Even now, as he looked her up and down, his eyes warm and flirtatious, it was only an act.

‘You look nice,’ he said. ‘Windswept, but pretty.’

She didn’t even blush, didn’t say something dumb, like, Oh no, I don’t, because she knew he didn’t mean it, he was trying to manipulate her.

‘I’m going now,’ she said. ‘I’ll see you around.’

‘You’ll see me around? You came all this way and now you’re going?’

‘I’m sorry. It was a stupid idea.’

‘It wasn’t. Don’t go, I’ve got a break now. Let me get my jacket and we can sit outside.’

‘It’s cold out there.’

‘Then we’ll have to sit very close together.’

He smiled, and she couldn’t help it, she smiled back. She was pathetic. Even when she knew he was trying to trick her, she still liked him. She was like some brainless girl in a horror movie, the kind of girl you scream at from the sofa because she can’t see that she should leave right now or she’ll be turned into mince.

‘I’ll just be a minute,’ he said. ‘Don’t go away.’

She stood outside the main door, running the choices through her head. She could get the bus back into town and never see him again. Or she could stay and find out what he was up to.

The McKenzies were liars, which meant Tom was telling the truth. And if Tom was telling the truth, then she needed to put aside her stupid doubts about what happened that night and help him, as any sister should.

If she asked Mikey the right questions, if she flirted and got him to let his guard down, she might find out stuff which could get the case thrown out of court. She’d end up a hero and Dad and Tom would be grateful for ever.

She took a breath and switched on a smile. It was too good an opportunity to miss.