Rain In My Heart (25 page)

Chapter Forty Nine

The walls started to shake.  A creaking sound,
that
creaking sound, suddenly filled the air -the same sound w
e’
d heard in the art room, moments before the sinks and pipes exploded.  Marshall froze, held his position.  He did
n’
t take the glass dagger away from Byro
n’
s neck, but at least he was distracted from the moment.

‘
Wha
t’
s happening
?’
said Gemma, alarmed.

              A moment of stillness, then the ancient school plumbing gave up.  The water roared through the walls, shattering the plaster, smashing through the skirting boards. The smell was vile.  We all started to cough and splutter.  After being divided, so desperately divided, the four of us looked at each other. 

            
 ‘
We have to leave
!’
I said. 

Marshall glared at Byron.

‘I’
ll deal with you later
,’
he snarled, dropping his grip, shoving the glass in his belt.

He ran towards the broken window.   He did
n’
t wait for us, but we followed anyway.  Byron limped.  We climbed onto the window ledge, but it did
n’
t look good.  The fallen tree - our means of a bridge - was disappearing beneath the water.

‘
I
t’
s rising
!’
I said, with dismay. 

Marshall shoved me aside.

‘
Time to jump ship
.
’

I stiffened.  To me, this looked like a tougher challenge than the dreadful zip-wire.  I glanced back to the dark interior of the library, to the collapsing plaster and burst pipes.  What was it Leon had said about poor foundations?  The entire building juddered. The walls and floors shook.  It did
n’
t seem like they were going to stay standing for my much longer.  I looked to Byron, hoping h
e’
d have an idea about what was going on, what we needed to do.  He'd been right about everything else.

            
 ‘
What do you think
?’
I said.

            
 ‘
I think...w
e’
re doomed
,’
he said.

              A dump of plaster came down behind us.  The dust filled the air.

            
 ‘
Le
t’
s go
!’
cried Gemma. 

We bundled towards the open window.

‘
You first
,’
said Marshall, opening the way for her.

Gemma surveyed the shaky branches and the torrent of water.

‘
No thanks
,’
she said.
 ‘
After you
.
’

Marshall scowled.

‘
Just go
!’
he said, shoving her forward.

              She scooped beneath the broken glass and trod down on the tree trunk, using the higher branches to guide her.  She moved cautiously, edging her way towards the water, bracing herself against the wind and rain.  Part of me wanted her to hurry.  It would
n’
t take much for the tree to wash away or become impassable - and there were four of us to get across.  When she got to the wate
r’
s edge, however, she stopped.

            
 ‘
You can do it
!’
I shouted.

            
 ‘
Hurry up
!’
said Byron.

              She looked back and I could see the fear in her eyes. 

            
 ‘
Go for it, Gem
!’
I cried.

She could
n’
t give up now, no way.  Sh
e’
d come so far.  Sh
e’
d survived.  The tree started to creak and this got her moving.  She leaped.  It was clumsy and close, but she made it.  She stumbled into the brambles.  Marshall pushed Byron forward.

‘
Your turn
,’
he said, pinching his arm.
 ‘
But do
n’
t think I have
n’
t forgotten. 
I’
ll get you on the other side
.
’

              Byron shrugged him off.  Clearly, he did
n’
t know Marshall like I did. He staggered through the window.  He could barely walk and he was obviously in pain.  He was
n’
t the most physically capable looking person anyway, but with his bad leg and all his other injuries, I was scared for him.

            
 ‘
Be careful
,’
I said.

              He looked back and smiled. The tree rocked - the bulk of the trunk was unstable.  Meanwhile, Byron shuffled along, stopping to catch his balance each time it swayed. When he reached the submerged section, Gemma called from the other side, hands outstretched, ready to catch him.

            
 ‘
H
e’
s never going to make that
,
’ said Marshallcoldl
y–
just to remind me of how much I hated him.

              I closed my eyes.  I could
n’
t bear it.

After a second, I forced myself to look again.

              He made it!

              He was in a bundle on the bank, on top of Gemma. He saw me and beckoned.

‘
You have to come
now
!’
he shouted.
 ‘
The tree!  I
t’
s going!  The curren
t’
s too strong for it
!’
             

‘
Now
!
’
shouted Gemma.

              Just an assault course, I told myself.  No time for fear.  I ducked beneath the window.  I heard Gemma and Byron shouting for me.  I put my foot out, swallowed my nerves, stepped forward. 

Then the air stopped in my throat. 

Marshal
l’
s arm swung across my neck.  I could hardly breathe.  I could
n’
t move.  And I knew, whether the tree would hold or not, there was no way he was letting me go.

Chapter Fifty

Every time I struggled Marshall gripped tighter. 

‘
Get off
!’
I cried.

            
 ‘
Not till you tell me you
love
me
.
’

How could he ask me to say a thing like this when he was semi-strangling me?  

I could see ahead, the tree trunk rocking in the water, the brown deluge rampaging across it. 

‘
Just let me go
,’
I begged.
 ‘
Before the bridge goes
.
’

He did
n’
t care.  He forced his hand across my mouth to stop me shouting to Gemma and Byron, then dragged me away from the window.   I did my best to look back.  I could see Gemma jumping up and down, waving her arms.

            
 ‘
Kate
!’
she called through the rain.
 
‘
Kate
!
’

            
 ‘
Get help
!’
I shouted, my voice muffled by Marshal
l’
s hand.

              I think she heard me, but she knew as well as I did, by the tim
e‘
hel
p
’ was found, it wouldbe too late.  Physically, I was no match for Marshall.  Now that he had me alone, I was at his mercy.  And even if I managed to get away from him, I could
n’
t get away from the flood.  I struggled, thrashed, tried to bite him, kick him, throw him off me, but it was no good.   Then, suddenly, he stopped, pulled a face.  There was Byron, crashing through the water, back across the tree bridge, twice as fast as before, taken by the urgeto save me.  I could
n’
t believe his courage.  He staggered up the trunk, ducked through the broken window, grabbed a shardof glass of his own and jabbed it against Marshal
l’
s ribs.

‘
Put her down
,’
he said.
 ‘
Or
I’
ll finish what you started
.
’

Marshal
l’
s grip loosened.  He seemed shocked that Byro
n–
weedy looking Byro
n–
had come back for more. I wriggled from his arms and jumped behind Byron, and together we crept backwards.  Byron held Marshall at bay with the glass, while I inched up to the window, but just as I got my foot on the ledge, the tree took flight down the rapids.  It bashed against the outer wall of the library, then turned on its side and hurtled down the gulley.  Either we were lucky - or incredibly unlucky.  Marshall had both of us now.

              With a flick of his hand, Marshall disarmed Byron and punched him out cold.  I was livid- after all the risks Byron had taken for me, h
e’
d endured yet another beating.

            
 ‘
You thug!  You disgusting thug
!’
I yelled.

Marshall grabbed my arm and marched me forward.

            
 ‘
What are you planning
?’
I demanded.
 ‘
Wha
t’
s next in your twisted head
?
’

            
 ‘
Whatever I like
,
’ he hissed.

              He did
n’
t know, though.  I could tell.  He did
n’
t have a plan.  He was just acting on nerves, on fear.  He stopped at the steps of The Pit, pushed me to my knees.

            
 ‘
I
t’
s time to be true with your feelings, Kate
,’
he said, holding my face over the black water.
 ‘
Everyone said you were the best thing that ever happened to me, that I was lucky to get a girlfriend as nice as you - almost like they did
n’
t think I was good enough for you.  But I say it works both ways.  You need me as much as I need you. I mean, before we got together, you were just some dappy schoolgirl.  I made you look cool
.
’

            
 ‘
Hardly
,’
I croaked.
 ‘
You made me look like an idiot.  My friends ca
n’
t believe I gave you so many chances.  My parents want you banned from coming near me.  I just wish
I’
d listened
.
’

              Saying this only made him angrier.  He pushed my face down, until it was hovering above the water.  Another inch and my nose and mouth would be immersed. 

            
 ‘
In that case
,’
he whispered
,‘
we do
n’
t need them, do we?  We do
n’
t need your parents or your friends interfering.  W
e’
re better off alone.  Maybe i
t’
s a good thing the tree washed away
?
’

              As he said this, he dug his nails into my neck.  I could feel the skin breaking, the blood gathering. He pushed my face until the tip of my nose touched the water. Then I realised there was only one way I was going to win this.  I closed my eyes.

            
 ‘
Okay
,’
I said, trembling.
 ‘
I get it, now.   I see what yo
u’
re trying to say.  You think w
e’
re meant to be together.  You think
I’
m the one for you.  You totally love me
-
’

            
 ‘
Exactly
.
’

            
 ‘
You want to look after me
?
’

            
 ‘
I always look after you, Kate.  Yo
u’
re my number one priority,from dawn until dusk
.
’

              I could see his reflection in the water.  He was smiling.  The hairs on my back prickled.  But I had to play along.

‘
So - so you want to give it another go?  You and me
?
’

              He pulled back, released me from imminent drowning.  But he did
n’
t let go entirely. 

            
 ‘
Are you playing mind games with me, Kate
?’
he said.

            
 ‘
No. 
No
.  Really. 
I’
m just starting to figure it out in my mind, what yo
u’
re saying,
I’
m starting to seeit makes sense.  Yo
u’
re right.  We should stick together
.
’

            
 ‘
So
?
’

            
 ‘
So
,
’
–
I took a breat
h
–
‘
so I
love
you
.
’

              It pained me to say it, but as Marshal
l’
s hands relaxed and his expression softened, I knew the lie was worth it.

            
 ‘
I never stopped thinking about you
,’
I added.
 ‘
You were in my head the whole summer.  When I went back to school, I kept thinking about you
.
’

            
 ‘
You did
?
’

            
 ‘
Yes
.
’

            
 ‘
So, what was that kiss about then?  Do
n’
t deny it, Kate.  I saw you
.
’

              Teary snot streamed from my nose.  I could
n’
t stop shaking, not just from nerves, but because the coldness had caught up with me again.  My feet and hands were tingling and the skin on my fingertips had gone all wrinkly, like
I’
d been in the bath for too long.

            
 ‘
The kiss was nothing
,’
I whispered, trying to control the chatter of my teeth.
 ‘
It meant nothing.
I–
I was missing you.  I thought it would make me feel better about things.  But I was
wrong
.  I
t’
s you I love
.
’

            
 ‘
Tha
t’
s right
.
’

              He exhaled, let go of me.  I collapsed to the step, huddled into myself. He put his arm around my shoulders and cuddled up like we were sitting in the back row of a cinema.

            
 ‘
Wha
t’
s the matter
?’
he said.
 ‘
Yo
u’
re turning blue
.
’

            
 ‘I’
m so cold
,’
I said. 

            
 ‘
You do
n’
t look good.  Yo
u’
rea mess
.
’

            
 ‘
Am I
?
’