Sighing, I sit up and gather my knees to my chest. I should go back and tell the others about this beach but I like that it’s just mine, for now at least. My stomach rumbles and I press a hand to my belly. Jeffers was right about us gathering food. I can’t remember the last time I ate, and I’m going to struggle to swim all the way back unless I can find some fruit. I scan the trees at the edge of the jungle. I can’t see any coconut palms, fruit trees or banana plants but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any a little way in. As I get to my feet a low humming sound makes me pause. It’s not animal or human. It’s—
I turn sharply and stare out to sea. And there it is, cutting through the water like a hot knife through butter and headed straight for me.
A boat.
Chapter 14
DANNY
Danny stands by the dead fire, staring out to sea, his hands in the pockets of his shorts and his heart twisting in his chest. It had hurt, Jefferson implying that he was homophobic and none of the others sticking up for him, when all he was trying to do was find out who’d scared his girlfriend. Honor had looked so bloody uncomfortable, standing beside him, watching him flounder and fail. He’d been trying to protect her, not embarrass her. He’d taken Jessie to one side to try and explain why he’d gone after Jefferson, but there was no convincing her. In her view Jeffers could do no wrong, and the snake and the spiders had been down to some ‘other group’ that no one had seen and probably didn’t exist. He hadn’t planned on telling her about Milo, but then he’d seen how much her eyes shone whenever she mentioned his name and how much she valued his opinion and he knew he had to set her straight. Milo was a good friend, the best, but he and Jessie were never going to get it together. They’d been at it for years – flirting then pulling away then flirting again – and, as far as Danny could see, nothing was ever going to change. The moment they got back from holiday they’d find someone else to hook up with.
He realized he’d made a terrible mistake the second he told Jessie about Milo’s ex-girlfriend. Her face fell and she looked gutted. Absolutely heartbroken.
‘Banana?’ Meg says now as she wanders out from the jungle with an armful of fruit.
‘Sure. Thanks.’ He takes a banana, peels away the skin and shoves it into his mouth.
I’ll make it up to Jessie when she comes back from her swim, he tells himself as chews. He’s not entirely sure how he’ll make it up to her but he’ll do something to put the smile back on her face. Milo’s too. He’s hiding it well but he must be gutted about Bella not wanting to get back together with him. Danny can’t even begin to imagine how broken he’d feel if Honor ever left him. He finishes the last of the banana and chucks the skin at the dead fire. Pieces of burnt wood scatter over the sand and Honor, sitting about as far away as she can get from the shelter, weaving something out of banana leaves, shakes her head disapprovingly.
‘Hey, Dan!’ Milo waves a hand from further down the beach, beckoning him to the shoreline.
‘What’s up?’
As he walks towards him Milo points into the distance where an empty Coke bottle is bobbing on top of the sea. ‘Fancy helping me check the nets? Jessie isn’t back from her swim yet and Meg says she’s too knackered.’
Danny glances back towards the shelter and the remains of the fire with a banana skin lying in the centre.
‘If we find any fish we’re not going to be able to cook them.’
Milo raises an eyebrow. ‘Someone should have been nicer to Jeffers and then we’d have a flint and steel.’
Danny sighs heavily. Milo is right. He shouldn’t have gone wading in the way he did, not when Jefferson has most of the things they need to survive. He should have confronted him after they’d asked for a flint and steel. Why doesn’t he think? He’s such a short-sighted idiot. If this was the island of arseholes, he’d definitely be king.
All thoughts of dead fires and being the biggest loser on the island go out of Danny’s head as he swims out to the homemade Coke bottle buoy, Milo gliding effortlessly through the water beside him.
Please, Danny prays as they draw closer to the fishing nets. Please let there be fish.
Six fat, healthy fish would put everything right. There’d be one each to fill their aching bellies and one to take to Jefferson as a peace offering in exchange for the flint and stone. He might even offer to start the fire for them if they brought him a fish.
‘Ready?’ Milo bobs in the water beside him. They’re quite a long way from shore now. Fair play to the girls for laying the net. Danny’s out of breath and he hasn’t even dived under the water yet. But he’s not going to let his lack of fitness get in the way of them eating something good tonight.
‘Ready.’ He nods at his friend.
A second later he’s underwater, squinting as his vision blurs and the net looms in front of him, an indistinct green blur. He grabs hold of it and works his way along it, his heart sinking the further he moves. Where are the fish? It’s been in place for a full forty-eight hours. They have to have caught something! The air in his lungs runs out and he bobs back up to the surface. A split second later Milo joins him.
‘Anything?’ Milo asks.
Danny shakes his head.
‘We need to dive a bit deeper. I couldn’t get right down to the bottom on the last go.’
‘Me neither.’
‘OK. Ready? Three… two… one…’
Danny dives down again, not taking so much air into his lungs this time, weaving his fingers into the net to pull himself deeper. His heart leaps in his chest as he spots something grey and silvery a foot or so away and he frantically kicks his legs. His lungs ache as he reaches out a hand to grab it but… damn it… he’s still too far away and his fingers only graze the tip of its tail. He needs this fish. Not because they’re starving, there’s more fruit on the island than they could ever eat, but to prove to the others that he’s not a complete loser. He imagines the delight on Honor’s face as he walks, victoriously, out of the sea with the fish held aloft, his finger hooked through its gills. It’s for Jeffers, he’d say and she and Meg would give him admiring nods. Danny isn’t such a dickhead after all.
His pulse pounds in his ears as he passes one hand over the other, dragging himself closer, inch by inch, to his prize. Jeffers will be so surprised that he, Danny, is the first to bring home some fish. He’ll nod begrudgingly then hand over the flint and steel in return for a share of the haul. Then Danny would return to their camp, start the fire and they’ll have a good night, eating tiny portions of fish and finishing off the vodka.
His lungs start to burn as he pulls himself the last few inches towards the fish. Every cell in his body is telling him to let go of the net and swim to the surface, to take a breath, but he grits his teeth and grabs at the fish with fumbling fingers. The sea pulls at his body, trying to snatch him away, but he fights back, keeping one hand entwined in the net as he wraps the other one around the fish. Even under the water it feels slick against his palm and his hand slides away as he pulls. He tries again, squeezing it tighter and yanking it harder until, finally, it comes free. Jubilation then relief course through him as he tips his head up towards the sky, lets go of the net and kicks as hard as he can. He breaks through the water, hand held aloft, the fish a shimmering prize, and sucks the warm sea air deep into his lungs.