Cruel Summer by James Dawson Extract

James Dawson
Cruel summer MMP P1.indd iii 30/04/2014 11:59

First published in Great Britain in 2013
by Indigo
This paperback edition frst published in Great Britain in 2014
by Indigo
a division of the Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper St Martins Lane
London wc2h 9ea
An Hachette UK company
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Copyright James Dawson 2013
The right of James Dawson to be identifed
as the author of this work has been asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
permission of the Orion Publishing Group.
The Orion Publishing Groups policy is to use papers that
are natural, renewable and recyclable products and made
from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and
manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the
environmental regulations of the country of origin.
A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library.
isbn 978 1 78062 175 3
Typeset by Input Data Services Ltd,
Bridgwater, Somerset
Printed in Great Britain by
CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, cr0 4yy
www.orionbooks.co.uk
Cruel summer MMP P1.indd iv 30/04/2014 11:59
1
FADE IN: ONE YEAR AGO
A
gainst the white cliffs, the girl in the red dress was as
vivid as a drop of blood. Even by moonlight, the rugged
shoreline was visible for miles at sea: two vast cave mouths
yawned, black stains scarring the chalk. The tide was coming
in, advancing on a dark, rocky beach; the surf sighed over the
shingle as the waves crept closer.
The girl knew the cliffs like old friends. Shed lived in
Telscombe Cliffs her whole life. This was backwards though;
usually she looked up at the cliffs from the beach, not down
on them from the top. They seemed bigger from up here;
the pebble beach was a long way below. It was dizzying.
Vertigo played tricks with her eyes, so that they focused then
unfocused like a wild camera lens. The tips of her shoes were
level with the edge of the cliff. All it would take was one step
forwards. One step and itd be over.
The shoes were brand new, never worn before tonight. They
pinched her toes and heels. Shed bought them especially for
the ball. Red satin to match her equally new dress. Fresh tears
rolled down her face.
How could he do this to me?
What a state she must look, the folds of her dress fapping
in the wind. The sheer fabric clung to her legs. Streaks of eye-
liner stained her cheeks. Angry gusts of wind whipped around
Cruel summer p2.indd 1 10/05/2013 10:40
2
her, blowing ribbons of her thick chestnut hair across her face
so that it caught in her lip-gloss. Only hours earlier shed had
it curled at the salon, excited to the point of giddiness about
the night ahead. Her leavers ball. It should have been the
night of her life. Now it would be her last.
They humiliated you. You are a laughing stock.
She looked again at the beach. A mosaic of sand, shingle
and seaweed. Salt air flled her nostrils a promise of what
was to come. The tide would roll in to collect her body, to
swallow her. She would become part of something bigger,
joining all those souls lost at sea. The thought spurred her on.
It was dangerous, romantic and dramatic. Another inch. If
the soil crumbled, she would go over. How long would it take
to die? Would it hurt? She edged her toes another centimetre
over the edge.
Just do it, you coward. Show him what he made you do. Theyll
never forget you after this.
But what about Mum and Dad? What about Harry?
Covering her face with her hands, she sobbed. She couldnt
do it. Another gust and she staggered away from the cliff edge
and fell to her knees, her dress fanning out across the grass.
The sobs came heavily now, wracking her body.
You are so weak! Youre pathetic. You cant even do this right.
She wiped away the trails of make-up that ran down her
cheeks, her breath shaking. What was she meant to do now?
She was shamed. Everyone had seen. Everyone knew. It felt
red and sore and fresh. In the course of a single evening, her
perfect world had been broken into pieces and stamped on for
good measure.
Footsteps. Even over the wind ringing in her ears, she
heard footsteps. She turned away from the sea and looked
towards the path. She pulled a damp tendril of hair out of her
3
eyes. There was no one there. The pub had long since closed
and only a few windows of the hotel cast light over the grassy
clifftop. A cloud drifted across the moon and suddenly it was
too dark. In the dim light of the coast lamps, the grass seemed
to ripple silver as the breeze rolled over.
The town was dead at this time of night and she felt like
the only person awake in the world. More footsteps, though:
the telltale crunch of gravel. She wasnt alone. In the other
direction there was a car park, but that only held the ice-
cream van, which, all closed up, was a sad-looking shell.
So why did it feel like there were eyes on her skin, watching
her every move? She still couldnt see anyone. It must have
been someone arriving at the hotel. No one was coming to
save her. No one cared enough.
They didnt even chase after you.
The cloud rolled off the moon. When she was younger she
had often sat on the beach and asked the moon questions.
Her father had been away so often, but it had brought her
comfort to know that, wherever he was, they both looked up
at the same moon. What am I meant to do now? she said
aloud, her voice trembling.
The moon, as ever, didnt answer, but gazed down at her
sympathetically.
More footsteps, someone running, coming closer. She
whirled around. There was someone there.
A fgure watched from the shadows, almost blending
into the night. Whoever it was now stood motionless, arms
hanging at their sides. Her heart futtered, her chest suddenly
tight. If it was a dog-walker, they wouldnt just stand. Also,
no dog.
The fgure started towards her, but walked clear of the
coastal footpath and its lanterns.
4
Whos there? She wiped her nose on the back of her hand.
Fumbling with her gown and unsteady on her heels, she rose
to her feet and scanned the plateau, worry furrowing her brow.
The silhouette came closer. She squinted at the shape.
I said, whos there? Moonlight revealed who approached.
Oh, its you. Dont come anywhere near me! I mean it. I dont
wanna talk to you. She took a step backwards, her heel only
inches from the very edge of the cliff.
The fgure came closer. Arms reached out towards her.
Stay away! she snapped.
As she fell, she didnt even scream. The red dress. The
white chalk. She really did look like a drop of blood.
5
SCENE 1 RYAN
K
atie? What do you think really happened to Janey?
The frst line is a voice-over. Opening shot: Pan from
endless, star-spattered sky to a linear and deserted stretch of road
in the middle of the Spanish countryside. You can tell its Spain
because of the arid landscape, chatter of crickets and accompanying
overture of famenco guitars. The vista is barren; almost alien. Its
late at night. Slivers of wispy cloud trail over a jaundiced, sickly
moon. Zoom in on a lonely silver rental car. Its caked in thick
orange dust as it pelts along the asphalt.
The headlights, even on high beam, only managed to cast
a feeble pool of light along the abandoned highway. The road
was rod straight to Ryan, this really was the road to nowhere.
He suddenly felt a long way from home.
RYAN HAYWARD RETURNS FOR A FEATURE-
LENGTH HOLIDAY SPECIAL. Ryan often imagined
his life as a long-running TV show in which he was the star.
The high-school series had come to an end with Janeys death
and the last year had been his solo spin-off: Ryan: The Drama
School Years or possibly Ryan: Acting Up. This holiday was
supposed to be a summer special a ratings-winning reunion
of the original cast: Ryan: One Year On. It was pretty sick,
but what had happened to Janey had made quite the series
fnale. He knew it was wrong, but thinking of it all as a TV
6
show, with himself and his friends as famous actors, made it
somehow easier.
Janey wasnt dead, she was just some actress whose contract
was up.
What do you mean? His companion, Katie, was a
pretty redhead with alabaster skin, almost luminous in the
dark.
Oh, come off it! You know what I mean.
I dont understand . . . Katie wrinkled her nose. She . . . a
diffcult pause, killed herself.
Ryan put his feet on the dashboard. The night was sauna-
dry, like that wave of hot Spanish air that greets you as soon
as the plane doors open. His bare legs stuck to the leatherette
seats. He popped a duty-free sweet in his mouth. And you
believe that?
Katie grabbed a sweet too. Must we talk about Janey?
Maybe we could pick a more cheerful subject, like vivisection
or famine or something? she quipped. She focused on the
road ahead, gripping the wheel a little tighter.
When someone young and beautiful dies, a shroud falls
over a community. The sun stopped shining on Telscombe
Cliffs when Janey Bradshaw vanished. It felt as though there
were a blanket ban on laughter and no one was allowed to say
her name except in reverence. You certainly werent allowed
to ask questions. Ryan had questions.
Yeah, but dont you think
Ryan, knock it off! Katie interrupted. Her almond-shaped
eyes were wide, blue and sweet. Shed grown up this year
like all of them. She looked tired and thin, even a little
gaunt. That was the story arc this year the aftermath. Katie
Grant was Ryans high-school best friend and, quite literally,
the girl-next-door. She was the frst person hed told that
7
he was gay. She was pretty, but relatable; she was clever, but
never aloof; she was deep, but not tortured. Or perhaps he was
overthinking it slightly. In Ryans head, she was second in the
credits after himself.
Talking about Janey was not the purpose of this holiday,
Katie continued. I think . . . I think we need to jolly well
move on. Its been a whole year. A monumentally hard year.
Youve been in Manchester. Ive been up to my eyeballs in
books. What we need now is R and R. I have had my fll
of teen angst. I was starting to feel like the protagonist in a
vampire novel.
Ryan laughed. So not a good look. Maybe youre right. He
wanted the reunion to be a touching, heartfelt comedy, but
since theyd left the hypermarket at the airport hed had an
odd displaced feeling a sense of being lost. The bright lights
of Madrid were far, far behind and Katie seemed to be driving
them into oblivion.
He tried to shake it off. Unsolved mysteries had always
bothered Ryan. That feeling of something youve forgotten
to do the weird panic in the night that youve left the oven
on, or neglected to pay a bill. That was how he felt constantly
about their dead friend. Things just didnt add up. You know,
I miss her, though.
Oh, God, I do too! Katie conceded. She tucked an escaped
auburn curl behind her ear.
Ryan smiled. Do you remember those plays we used to put
on?
For your poor mum? Gosh they were terrible! The car
passed through what looked like orange groves. The crickets
were out in full force a cacophony. It took Ryan a moment
to realise the shadowy triangles darting among the trees were
bats, not birds.
8
Do you remember how I was always called David? I always
wanted to be called David. What a lame-arse character name!
Youd think Id have been more creative. Something like
Javier or Storm would have been better.
Katie laughed, cloudy eyed on memory lane. Janey and I
were always twins. We were obsessed with Sweet Valley High.
I was the good girl and she was the evil twin . . . what did we
call ourselves?
Shana and Lana! Ryan cackled. Do you want to know a
secret? I always longed to be Dana!
Katie laughed so hard, she almost hit a stray dog in the
middle of the road. She stood on the brakes and swerved
around it. Oh, my God! He came out of nowhere!
Ryan took his feet down and steadied himself on the
dashboard.
Katie gave his thigh a pat. I missed you this year, Ry.
I know. That old-school, romantic letter-writing thing
never really worked, did it? But, after what happened . . .
some serious drifting was probably inevitable.
Katie adopted the ropey Californian accent shed used
in their old plays. Dana, promise me well never drift apart
again.
I promise, Lana. He leaned over and gave her a peck on
the cheek. Hed missed her too, but things were different now.
There was a question mark looming large over last summer.
Loose plot ends that needed tying up. Viewers had been
waiting on tenterhooks for a whole year. In TV you cant
leave loose ends; everything has to be resolved or you end up
with a mess like Lost.
What really happened to Janey Bradshaw? Ryan had to confess
that, although hed been dying to catch up with the gang, part
of the reason hed agreed to the holiday had been to try to
9
clear up the niggles he felt over Janeys death. He just wanted
some answers. Ryan didnt believe for a second that Janey
Bradshaw had killed herself.

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