Looking for a Hero (16 page)

‘So you first,’ he said and leaned back into the cushions.

‘Er ... I was born in India. We’ve lived in five places so far. Um. I’m a Gemini. I . . . what do you want to know?’

Tyler smiled.‘Start with telling me about all the places you’ve lived in.’

Once I got started, there was no shutting me up as he appeared to be genuinely interested in the wanderings of my family, who they were and what they did. After that he prompted me with questions to continue about what I was into, who my friends were, what I wanted to do when I left school. I felt very flattered by his attention. His eyes didn’t wander around the cafe at all as I talked, the way that some boys do.

‘You’ll make a great journalist,’ I said when I realised that I’d been talking non-stop about myself for almost an hour.

He smiled.’I like people. Always have.’

‘OK, now it’s my turn,’ I said.‘Tell me everything!’

He sat forward and said, ‘OK. I’m nineteen, I grew up in New York though my family are from St Lucia, which of course you know having spent time there —’

‘Just think, we might have been on the same beach there once,’ I commented.

He shook his head. ‘I think I’d have noticed you even when you were four,’ he said, and looked at me in a way that made me blush.

‘Do you ever go back?’ I asked.

‘Whenever I can. My grandparents still live there.’

‘Brothers and sisters?’

‘Two brothers, one sister, and we live in Queen’s Park.’

I wanted to ask him other things like: Do you have a girlfriend? What do you look for in a girl? But I felt that it wasn’t the time for more personal questions. Not yet.

‘OK, so what are you into?’

‘Well, as you know, I want to be a journalist. I want to make a difference. The right words can change things, make people think.’ As he talked more about what he was into, the thing that struck me was how passionate he was about the environment and doing something to make a difference to the planet. He seemed so well informed about things like carbon footprints, and landfills and the greenhouse effect, I felt like a light-weight besides him. It was so interesting to hear him talk, and I realised that intelligent and well-read would be high on my list of what I wanted in a boyfriend from then on. As the afternoon progressed, I liked him more and more and was feeling a definite tingle of chemistry. I liked the thoughtful expression in his eyes, especially when he looked at me. Not to mention his fabulous mouth.
I wonder what he’s like to kiss,
I thought to myself when he went to replenish our hot chocolates.
And I wonder if he’ll try and kiss me today.

‘How about a movie?’ he asked when he came back and sat next to me. ‘They’re showing
It’s a Wonderful Life
at the Gate cinema down the road.’

‘That’s my favourite Christmas movie,’ I said.

‘One of mine too. I could watch it over and over. Be good to see it on the big screen though.’

‘Let’s do it,’ I said.

After ringing home to check in with Mum, our afternoon drink turned into a longer date. We sat in the movie house and ate ice creams and, although he didn’t put his arm around me or even hold my hand, it felt good to sit next to him in the dark, our thighs touching.

After the movie, we went and bought fish and chips and, when we went to pay, I got out my purse. ‘No, let me get these,’ he said. ‘My treat.’

‘Absolutely not,’ I said.‘I want to get this.You’ve paid for the movie, the ice cream and the hot chocolates.You have to let me get something; besides, I wanted to say thank you for rescuing me that day.’ I also wanted him to know that I wasn’t someone who expected him to pay for everything all the time – I know students don’t have a lot of money.

We went out of the shop, found a bench and ate our fish and chips in a companiable silence.

‘You know one thing I like about you,’ he said as I ate my last chip. ‘You enjoy your food.There are so many girls who are so picky about what they can and can’t eat, always on a diet. Not a lot of fun.’

‘Well you’ve picked all my favourites today,’ I said, glancing at my watch,‘so I couldn’t resist. And I was starving and, oh, it’s late. I’d better be getting home. I promised I’d be back around now.’

‘I’ll walk you home,’ he said. We got up, put our chip papers into a bin and set off in the direction of where I lived. As we did, he casually took my hand. ‘One thing I didn’t ask you,’ he said. ‘Um. Do you have a boyfriend?’

‘Not at the moment. Do you have a girlfriend?’

‘No,’ he replied, and he tucked my hand into his arm. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. ‘Do you think it was fate bringing us together that day you got mugged?’

‘Maybe, but I wish it had chosen a less violent way – like we could always have met in the queue at Costa.’

‘Ah, but we might have never spoken to each other so something good came from it, and we missed each other on that beach in St Lucia,’ he said and he smiled a big smile.

I squeezed his arm to let him know that I agreed.

When we got to the corner of my road, he came to a stop, turned to me and put his hand gently under my chin tilting my face up to look at him. As he gazed down into my eyes, I felt a warm rush in my stomach and, when his lips touched mine a moment later, it felt completely right and comfortable. I kissed him back and when we seperated, we were both smiling at each other.

He made a half nod. ‘Nice,’ he said.

‘Very,’ I replied, and then we both stood there grinning like idiots because neither of us could think of anything else to say. And then he laughed and said, ‘Let’s do that again.’ He leaned forward and kissed me again, a longer kiss and it felt even better. Like we were made to kiss each other.

In the middle of our third snog, I felt someone tugging on the back of my jacket and turned to see Dylan standing behind me. ‘And who’s this?’ he asked in a funny, prim manner.

‘Dy
lan!’
I groaned.

‘Yes. So who is this?’

‘None of your business. Clear off,’ I said.

Tyler laughed.‘The name’s Tyler.You must be India’s brother.’

‘Yes he is,’ I said. ‘My very annoying little brother.’

Dylan shook his hand. ‘Oh yeah. I should have known. Good to meet you,Tyler.You’re the one who helped India the day she got mugged, aren’t you?’

Tyler nodded.

Dylan looked back at me. ‘We all try to look after her you know.’

I gave him a gentle shove. ‘That’s very sweet of you. Now push off.‘

Dylan hovered close by. ‘It’s late and you’ve been gone ages.’

‘So? What’s it to you?’ I asked and turned back to Tyler. ‘Dylan might look like my brother but he’s actually my prison warder.’

‘I see. In that case, I’d better be going,’ said Tyler and he turned to Dylan and gave him a salute.‘Over to you, sir,’ he said, then he turned back to me, kissed me lightly on the forehead and set off down the road.

I felt like I was smiling inside and out. Apart from my irritating brother, it had been the perfect day and the perfect date.

On Tuesday after school, I met Joe in Costa. He looked pleased to see me but slightly awkward.

‘Hi,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t sure that you’d come.’

‘Why wouldn’t I?’ I asked.

He shrugged. ‘Last time we spoke, you seemed a bit . . . well . . .’

‘Pissed off with you? I guess I was. I was fed up with boys and not ever knowing where I stand.’

Joe pulled a package out of his bag. ‘This is for you. It’s some music that I like. A compilation. Says a few of the things that go on in my mad head.’

I took the CD and felt touched that he’d made it for me specially. ‘Thanks.’

As we looked into each other’s eyes, all the usual feelings I had for him came back and, unlike last time, I didn’t shut them out. A part of me felt bad. Only a couple of days before, I’d been looking into Tyler’s eyes, but I quickly let his image go.
Relax,
I told myself.
I haven’t made any promises to anyone. It’s early days with Tyler and Bruno. I am doing what Erin told me to, going with the flow.

‘Are you OK?’ asked Joe. ‘You look worried about something.’

‘Me? No. Not really. No. Usual stuff.‘

‘Yeah, school. The show. But it’s all looking good, isn’t it?’

‘It’s looking great,’ I replied.

Joe smiled. ‘Remember what a hard time the scenery team gave you when you were first appointed as leader?’

‘God yeah. Andrea Ward hated me.’

‘Only because she’s a control freak and thought that the scenery was her baby. I think she rates you now.’

‘Really?’

Yeah. Well you’re good at art. You have a talent and you’ve pulled the team together. I wanted to say that on the night, though, we boys can handle the scenery changes and you girls can sit out front.’

‘I don’t mind helping shift stuff.‘

‘Too many people backstage if the whole team is there. We’ll be fine.You sit and enjoy the show.You’ve done your bit. Hey, I’m starving. Fancy a pizza?’

‘Urn . . . yeah, OK.’

We got our things, went over the road and bought a pizza to share. As we ate it, we chatted about school and had a laugh at various bits of gossip about the show and it felt so good to be with him, like we’d been the best of friends for ever and could talk about anything. It was like he got me. After we’d finished eating, it began to rain. But not just rain, this was torrential and neither of us had an umbrella. He grabbed my hand and we ran down the pavement, and into a shop doorway to take shelter. It was raining so hard that it was splashing up from the pavement and streams of water were flowing down the road into the drains as lightning flashed and thunder boomed overhead. It made me laugh as we were both soaked with rain dripping off our faces.

‘God, I must look a sight,’ I said, trying to brush my wet hair away from my face.

Joe glanced over. He looked gorgeous with his hair slicked back, his face shiny from the rain and water droplets on his eyelashes. He gently pushed me back against the shop door and looked into my eyes – and I knew we were both feeling the same. It was amazing, like bubble bursts of sweetness exploding inside me. We leaned forward at the same time and fell into a passionate kiss that seemed to go on for ever.Then Joe pulled me out of the doorway right into the rain and kissed me again, and it felt exhilarating to be there, getting soaked through and yet feeling the warmth of his body pressing into mine. When we drew apart, we seemed out of breath then we started laughing and laughing.

‘I’d better get you home,’ he said and took my hand. We ran almost all the way home. At the same corner of the street where I’d stood with Tyler, Joe kissed me again and the sensation he caused in me went from the tip of my toes to the top of my head.

‘You’d better go home too,’ I said. ‘You’re getting soaked as well.’

He grinned. ‘It’s been worth it,’ he said, but he did go when I pushed him gently away. As I turned to go into the pathway that led to the house, I thought,
I hope no neighbours or Dylan have been watching! Two different boys in three days, they’ll think I am awful.

When I let myself in, Mum came out of the kitchen. ‘India. Oh Lord, did you get caught in that storm? Come on, get those clothes off.You must be freezing.’

But I wasn’t. I had a wonderful warm feeling inside and I knew in my heart that, whatever was between Joe and me, it was really special.

Bruno flew in on Friday morning. He’d sent a text earlier in the week asking that I keep Saturday free for him. He wanted to do all his business first and get it out of the way so that we had time together. He suggested that we meet at his hotel and asked that I show him a little of London before he flew back on Sunday.

I got the tube to Green Park and, in my head, I was rehearsing my speech to him – that I only wanted to be friends and that a long-distance love affair wasn’t a good idea and that we were both too young to commit. Since my date with Joe, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and, every time I remembered the way that he’d grabbed me and kissed me in the rain, I felt my stomach flip over.

A doorman in a top hat opened the door as I approached the hotel and, as I entered the reception area, I felt slightly intimidated by how posh it was, with marble floors and enormous expensive-looking flower arrangements and smart people passing through. I was glad that I had borrowed Mum’s three-quarter-length peacock-blue velvet coat to wear over my jeans – it looked like it had cost a bomb, although I knew she’d got it in a second-hand shop near Portobello Road. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long until Bruno appeared from a lift at the back of the reception area. He was wearing his stylish coat and red scarf, and his face lit up when he saw me and I felt myself beaming too. I had forgotten how extraordinarily good-looking he was – something that a couple of other girls waiting in reception noticed too as they were obviously checking him out and whispering to each other. He didn’t even notice them and came rushing towards me and wrapped me in a big bear hug. ‘India, at last.’

‘Er, hi Bruno,’ I said, breathing in his light lemony scent and I remembered how good it had felt to be close to him. Joe, said a voice in my head,
you’re in love with Joe remember? Not today, I’m not,
said a different voice.
What’s going on?
said a third voice.
Oh, I’ll think about it later. Go with the flow. Go with the flow.

‘How have you been? Missed me?’ said Bruno as he put his arm around me and steered me towards a room full of overstuffed sofas and leather chairs.

‘I did and then I didn’t,’ I said. ‘I ... I thought you’d forgotten me.’

‘Never,’
he said. ‘I think about you all the time and was cursing that I couldn’t call you every day when I lost my phone. But how are you? You look beautiful.’

‘I’m fine,’ I said. ‘A bit mad but fine. So what would you like to do?’

Bruno opened his arms and said,‘London!’

And so started the most fantastic day. Outside the Ritz hotel, we hopped on to one of the red open-topped tourist buses and sat upstairs. Although it was chilly, it was a lovely clear day and we sat close, snuggled up, and laughed at the bus driver’s hysterical commentary about London.
Tyler would love this,
I thought when the guide filled us in on the history of the buildings and streets that we passed through. It was interesting to hear how much of old London had burned down in the great fire in 1666. We passed St Paul’s cathedral and got off the bus at Tower Bridge. Bruno was well impressed by the Tower of London, and it made me shiver to think about all the people who had been executed or kept in the dungeons there.