Soul Fire

again, isn’t he?’ my sister asks.
    ‘Like a baby chick who’s lost his mother.’
    She giggles. ‘There are worse things in the world than being adored. As you should know, because Danny’s pretty adoring himself.’
    I sigh. ‘Yeah. That’s why I’m here right now. Things have been so busy, lately. I wanted to spend time with him.’
    Meggie kisses me again. ‘Off you go, then. Come back later if you like. Tim’s getting more used to things. And I want you two to be as close as you were . . . before.’
    She skips back up the steps and I carry on towards the set of beach huts lined up just beyond the bar. I tend not to come near these, because it’s where Guests go to make out or argue, but
I want to find Danny, and there’s nowhere else he could be.
    ‘. . . but if it’s that important, why not ask her?’ It’s a girl’s voice, coming from one of the huts.
    ‘Because I’m scared of her answer.’ A man’s voice. Danny’s voice?
    The huts are on skinny stilts. I take a couple of steps closer, then wait. And listen. It probably wasn’t Danny at all. Of course, he gets on with everyone – he’s that kind of
guy – but he doesn’t have any close female friends apart from Meggie and me.
    You’re enough for me, Alice. And when you can’t be here, your sister reminds me of you, of how you’re worth waiting for.
    ‘What’s the worst thing she could say?’ The girl’s voice again. I think it’s coming from the end hut, the sound leaking through the struts of the bamboo wall.
    ‘That I can’t give her what she wants.’
    I stop breathing. It couldn’t be anyone else. I wriggle into the gap between the huts and the scrub-covered rock. I don’t want them to catch me spying. I can’t believe
I’m doing this, but I can’t drag myself away either.
    ‘Yeah, right. Even though you’re, like, every girl’s dream? The very charming, very handsome Danny Cross, heir to the throne of one of America’s most major corporations?’
    When Danny laughs, he sounds so sad. ‘An heir has to be alive, right? That’s what I can’t give Alice.’
    ‘But you always knew that, Danny. A relationship between a Visitor and a Guest could never have had a future.’
    I imagine a future without Danny and it hurts like a punch with a clawed knuckleduster.
    ‘DON’T SAY THAT!’ Danny calls out. I hear movement from the hut, and I move backwards, hitting the prickly bracken that grows on the rocks. I suddenly feel so ashamed for
eavesdropping, yet I can’t stop now.
    ‘Sit down, Danny. Listen. I don’t know Alice, but she seems like a nice kid.’
    Kid? How old is this girl, with her idiotic Minnie Mouse voice?
    ‘She’s not a kid. She’s wonderful.’
    ‘But she’s also a Visitor, Danny. They come here for one reason. To help the person who called them here.’
    ‘You don’t know that. No one knows jack about what this place is really about, Roberta.’
    Roberta . An irrational jealousy begins to burn inside me.
    ‘Well, I know things are different since she helped Triti get away. It changed stuff, right, Danny? And it’s been worse since the German girl disappeared. People are
restless.’
    ‘It wasn’t Alice’s fault. She had nothing to do with Gretchen going.’
    ‘Whatever.’ Roberta sighs really loudly. ‘If you’re not interested in what I think, why ask for my opinion?’
    Yes, why confide in her and not me, Danny?
    ‘Because I’m so scared of losing her. I wanted to talk to someone neutral.’
    ‘None of us are neutral here. Your friends . . . we’re worried about you. What happens when she goes? Because she will, you know that, right? Either she’ll fix what happened
with her sister, or she’ll get bored and get a life in her world.’
    I won’t.
    ‘I’ll . . . accept it. What other choice will I have? But I’d rather have loved her than not.’
    Even though he sounds so sad, I feel warm inside.
    ‘It’s already happening, Danny. Even we’ve noticed she’s not here so much.’
    ‘Alice has exams. She’s busy.’
    ‘I give up. You’re beyond help.’ The hut creaks as she gets up.
    He laughs, softly. ‘Maybe. But I’m happy, while it lasts.’
    ‘I hope for your sake it lasts forever. But whatever happens we’ll still be here, Danny. We’ll pick up the pieces afterwards.’ I squirm backwards as she steps down from
the hut. Roberta is a perfect Beach blonde, in a bikini so small it must have shrunk in the wash. Would he be happier with a girl like