Kaden tucked Malik’s keys into his inside pocket and they set off.
“Why does Malik have a record player? It seems a lot easier to play music over a phone.”
“It is. People used to say music sounded better on vinyl but I don’t think that’s true these days. It’s probably that Malik likes to collect the albums and look after them.”
“A…hobby.”
“Yes.”
“Like swimming and bowling and stand-up.”
“Yes.”
“No one is following us.”
Kaden missed a step and gaped at him. “I didn’t even notice you look round.”
Joe was looking forward to swimming, even if there wasn’t a wave machine or a lazy river. He and Kaden changed, put their clothes in a locker and made their way outside with their towels. They both shivered as they stepped through the doors.
“The pool’s heated,” Kaden said. “We’ll jump in the deep end.”
People were swimming in lanes and kids were splashing around at the other end having fun, but the pool wasn’t busy.
“I’m freezing,” Kaden said, then ran, whooped and jumped in. He came up, shaking water from his hair. “Now I’m not. The water’s lovely.”
Joe jumped, and the moment the water closed around him, his breath hitched, his limbs tensed and sound vanished as he dropped. For a fraction of a second, he didn’t understand what was happening, only that he was no longer in control of where his body was. Then instinct kicked in and he thrashed.
Not swimming.Oh no!Why had he assumed he’d be able to swim? His chest tightened. He didn’t need to breathe yet, but his body didn’t seem to know that. Panic made him thrash harder. The surface shimmered above him but he didn’t seem to be getting any closer.
Then a hand grabbed his arm, pulled him up and his head broke the surface. He gulped air, still half-fighting, until Kaden’s grip tightened.
“Joe—hey—hey, I’ve got you!”
Joe stilled, but only because Kaden was there. His legs were still desperately jerking around. Kaden towed him to the side of the pool and Joe held onto the ridge just above the water line. Only then did his legs stop moving.
“I’m sorry. I’m so stupid,” Kaden said.
“I thought I could swim.”
“I should have thought about it more carefully. Make your way down the side of the pool hanging onto the side until youcan put your feet on the bottom. I’ll teach you how not to drown.”
Joe’s heart calmed when his feet were on the bottom and his head was above the surface.
“Right,” Kaden said. “First you learn how to float. Look at me.”
He spread his arms and legs and hung like a star in the water, then came upright again.
“You need to relax, keep your lungs inflated and tip your head back until your ears are submerged. Lifting your head will make your legs sink. I’ll stay next to you. I won’t let you go under.”
By the time they headed home, Joe was feeling downhearted. He could float. He could go under the water without panicking, but he couldn’t swim.
“You’ll get it,” Kaden said. “We’ll keep going until you do. I’d like to take you in the sea but you need to be a good swimmer first.”
“Will you teach me how to drive?”
“We don’t have a car.”
“We could buy one.”
