by Lu Hersey
“Thanks.”
Something smells like bonfires.
“What’s the smell, Dad?”
“Sage.”
A cloud of smoke wafts out of his bedroom.
“You’ll set the fire alarm off if you’re not careful. Why are you burning that crap?”
“I’m clearing negative energies.”
Negative energies? My heart sinks.
Dad must have clocked my expression. “Don’t worry, nothing to do with Mum. Just bills. I’ve so many outstanding invoices this month.” He sighs. “Bring the tea through, could you, love? I need to finish up before the shop opens.”
While I’m making Dad’s tea, the bell rings downstairs. I immediately wonder if it’s the police with news about Mum.
“Can you get that, Danni?” Dad’s muffled voice comes from his room. “Just let him in, he knows what to do. Tell him I’ll be down in a minute.”
I run down the stairs and open the door. It’s a boy. He’s about my age, maybe a year older. He’s beautiful. Dark floppy hair, falling in his eyes. For a moment I just stand there open-mouthed like a goldfish. Then I attempt to speak.
“Oh, hi. Um, Dad said…”
I can’t remember a word he said.
The boy smiles.
“You must be Danni. Nigel talks about you all the time.”
I smile back. I’m still rooted to the spot. He shifts a little.
“Er, can I come in?”
“Of course, sorry. Dad said you know what to do?”
“Yes, I think so.” He grins and brushes past me and opens the door that goes into the shop area. I follow and watch as he pulls up the blinds and turns the sign on the shop door round to OPEN. The air is filled with a heady fusion of aromas from the display of incense by the counter.
“Is the cash in the till already?”
He’s asking me. Of course I have absolutely no idea.
“I’ll just go and get Dad.” I smile again and back out of the room, nearly falling over the display of incense on the way. My heart is beating faster. Suddenly, I find my brain and put my head back round the door.
“Um, what’s your name by the way? Sorry, I forgot to ask.”
“Elliot.”
He pushes his hair back off his forehead. His eyes are the bluest I’ve ever seen.
“I’ll be right back, Elliot.”
Dad’s still in his room.
“Is the cash in the till, Dad? Elliot wants to know.”
“Oh, sorry – no. Here it is.”
Dad reaches under his desk and hands me a heavy bag full of change.
“Do you mind? I won’t be long…”
“No, that’s fine.”
It’s the first time I’ve felt like smiling in over twenty-four hours.
Elliot is arranging a display of quartz clusters in the window when I get back with the money. He’s focused on the task, so I get a chance to look at him. I’m transfixed by the skilful way he moves things round without knocking anything over. His fingers are really long. Mum would say that means he’s artistic. He turns to acknowledge me with a smile and I suddenly feel embarrassed about staring at him.
When he’s finished, he switches on the halogen lighting and the crystals sparkle. I hand him the bag.
“Thanks.” He smiles at me again, and starts emptying the bags of change into the till. The coins clatter into the metal tray and he has to raise his voice. “How long are you staying with your dad?”
I hesitate.
“I don’t know really. It’s complicated. My mother’s disappeared somewhere.”
His expression changes immediately and he stops what he’s doing.
“Seriously?”
“Um, yes…at the moment we’ve got no idea where she is.”
“That’s awful.”
Even though I’m really worried about Mum, I realize I’m enjoying the attention. I suddenly feel guilty.
“The police are looking for her. Maybe she’ll show up today.” I try to smile. “Hope so anyway.”
He stares at me for a moment.
“Well if not, you’re welcome to come out with me and my friends tonight. We’re going to the Chill Out. Might help take your mind off it for a bit.”
My heart beats faster. Is he serious? I open my mouth to say something, but then don’t know what to say.
“Chill Out?” I manage to squeak. Does he mean a nightclub? I wonder how old he thinks I am.
“It’s a bit lame. It’s a sort of club for young people run by the church in the next village, to try to keep us out of trouble. But nothing else happens round here, believe me. I just thought, if you’re staying, you might like to meet some people.”
“Yes – that would be…um, great. Maybe. I’d better ask Dad.”
“My father could give you a lift if you like.”
I’m about to mention Levi when Dad comes down and starts talking to Elliot about all the deliveries he’s expecting. I’m not sure whether to hang round or not. I start to feel awkward and go back upstairs. I can take Levi down to meet him later.
I start worrying about the invite. It seems weird arranging to meet new people when I don’t know what’s happened to Mum. At the same time I’m getting butterflies thinking about going somewhere with Elliot, which is crazy. After all, it’s not like it’s a date or anything.
chapter 5
“Any chance of some toast, Danni?” Levi’s finally awake. He yawns and puts his duvet over his head again before I can tell him to make it himself. He can be such a slob sometimes.
“So who were you chatting up downstairs?” His voice is muffled by the duvet.
“What do you mean?” I can feel myself blushing, which is very annoying.
“I heard you talking. What’s he like?”
“Elliot? He works in the shop. He seems okay.”
Levi uncovers his head and raises one eyebrow at me.
“And?”
“And nothing.”
I walk out to the kitchen to avoid any more questions. Making toast for Levi is easier than trying to explain why I feel like this about someone I’ve only just met.
Dad buys unsliced wholemeal bread, so I search out a bread knife and start cutting the loaf to make toast. As I slice, the knife handle seems to be sliding from my grip. I look down, and stupidly nick my finger with the blade at the same time. I put my finger straight in my mouth, to ease the pain. I feel a trickle running down my arm. Surely it’s not bleeding that much?
I take my finger out of my mouth to look at it. It’s not blood. It’s water. The cut is tiny and has stopped bleeding, but my hand is covered in water. I look at the knife handle. It’s all wet too, like it’s been in the sink. I feel uneasy. How come I didn’t notice it was that wet? I dry my hand and the knife on a tea towel and start again.
Before I’ve finished cutting the next slice, drops of water start falling onto the loaf. I check my hands and stare at them in dismay. Water is welling up out of the lines in my palms. I can see it happening. I must be hallucinating. I blink hard and look again, then run into the front room in total panic.
Levi looks up at me from the sofa bed.
“Danni? What’s up? Is it your mum?”
I feel like crying.
“There’s something seriously wrong with me. My hands are leaking water everywhere.”
Levi starts to laugh.
“Hey, it’s okay, dumb-ass – stuff happens when you meet boys.”
“What do you mean? I know loads of boys. This has never happened before!” I hold my hands out towards him. Levi glances at them. He doesn’t seem that impressed.
“Danni, when you really fancy someone, you can sweat like a pig. Trust me. It happens to me all the time.”
“Great. They must find that so attractive.”
He grins. “So you do fancy him. Knew it!”
I wipe my hands on my jeans and look at them again. Nothing. The water’s stopped. I start breathing again and glare at Levi.
&nb
sp; “So what happened to breakfast?” he yawns.
I try to convince myself I was imagining things, but I know I wasn’t. I don’t believe that much sweating is normal, whatever Levi says. But I think it has more to do with worrying about Mum than meeting Elliot. At the back of my mind, I can’t help wondering if I’ll ever see her again.
When he’s eaten the toast, Levi and I go downstairs to the shop to see if we can help out. I’m slightly worried about what Elliot and Levi will think of each other, but they seem to get on fine. Levi starts cracking jokes about crystal balls, and soon has everyone laughing, even Dad.
I’m relieved when Elliot invites Levi along to the Chill Out later too. I was feeling a bit awkward about it. A small part of me almost wishes Levi wasn’t here so I could have Elliot all to myself, but that’s stupid. Every so often I catch Elliot looking at me like he’s checking me out, though it might just be that he feels sorry for me because of Mum.
In the afternoon, Levi and I take Jackson down to the freezing cold beach for a walk.
“Bet you’re looking forward to tonight.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Going on a date. That’s exciting.”
“Don’t be daft. Why would I want to take you out on a date?”
“You don’t but you’re stuck with me.”
There’s a tiny bit of truth in what he’s saying but I don’t tell him that.
“It’s not a date. Elliot wants us both to come along.”
“But he likes you.”
“Do you really think so?” I’m trying not to sound pleased but he picks up on it immediately. He imitates me, putting on a stupid simpering voice.
“Do you really think so?”
I push him into a gorse bush. We both start laughing and Jackson barks at us excitedly.
“I feel bad about Mum though.”
Levi’s serious for a change. “It’s not your fault she’s gone AWOL.”
“But I can’t really enjoy myself until I know what’s happened to her.”
He grins. “Maybe Elliot should take me to this club without you then?”
I give him another shove.
We hear nothing from the police all day. Dad calls them to check there’s no news. Levi and I sit and listen to see if we can pick up anything from Dad’s side of the conversation, but it’s mostly just “aha” and “I see” and “thank you”.
“What did they say?” I ask as soon as he puts the phone down.
“Not much. They’re following up a few leads apparently. I’m not sure if that means anything. And they still haven’t found her car.”
“Do you think I should stay here instead of going out tonight, just in case?” For a moment I’m torn. Obviously I want to see if the police find out anything about Mum. At the same time I want to see Elliot and meet his friends.
“No, you go and have fun. They probably say stuff like that to look like they’re doing something. It’ll be good for you to get out and make friends your own age round here. Then maybe Mum would agree to bring you over more.”
Somehow I doubt it. Mum’s been refusing to drive me here since Dad bought the shop last autumn, and she’s really stubborn. But at least Dad’s talking like he expects her to show up again.
chapter 6
Levi and I stand outside Elliot’s house.
“You look nervous.”
“Hey, thanks, Levi. You really know how to make me feel better.”
I sneak a look at my hands. Levi catches me doing it and grins. I ring the doorbell.
The door opens and a middle-aged woman answers. She’s got a black coat on and she’s clutching a handbag like she’s just about to go out. She stares at us in horror, then crosses herself quickly.
“What are you doing here? We don’t mix with you people.”
I’m shocked that she reacts like that to Levi. I wonder if he’s ever come up against such open racism before.
“We’ve come to see Elliot. Is this the right house?” I ask.
“He won’t want to see you. Go away.”
Now I’m totally confused. It’s not Levi she’s staring at. It’s me. I’m sure I’ve never seen this woman before in my life. How come she thinks she knows me?
Elliot suddenly appears behind her in the narrow doorway.
“Aunty Bea? Can you let my friends in for a minute until Dad’s ready to give us a lift?”
“You don’t want that sort in your house,” says the woman.
I catch Elliot’s horrified expression.
“I thought you were just leaving, Aunty Bea. Can you please move out of their way?” Elliot spits the words out angrily. He sounds furious.
The woman pushes past us into the street, glaring directly at me as she passes. She brushes so close, I step back in alarm.
As she walks off towards the car park, I hear her hissing something under her breath.
Elliot looks at Levi. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Levi grins. “Why apologize to me? It’s Danni she didn’t seem to like. Perhaps we should leave her out here?”
Elliot laughs and looks relieved. I guess he thinks Levi’s joking.
“I can’t believe she was that rude to you. Since we lost Mum, she behaves like she owns the place and we can’t get rid of her. Come inside.”
I stare at him.
“You lost your mum?”
“She died. A while ago now.” He smiles sadly.
“Oh no! I’m really sorry.” I can’t think what else to say. Poor Elliot. I get a dull ache in my heart suddenly, wondering how I’d feel if Mum was dead.
At that moment a man comes out of the kitchen, putting his coat on with one hand and jangling car keys in the other. He doesn’t look much like Elliot, but he’s obviously his dad. He grins at us all and tells us to follow him out to the car. No staring, no giving me the evil eye. At least he doesn’t think he knows me too.
The Chill Out is in an old chapel building in Ancrows, a village a couple of miles away. By the time we get there, I’m feeling glad Levi is with us. It’s difficult going into a new place with someone you’ve only met that day. I find it hard to talk to people I don’t know.
When we get inside, it’s obvious the place is still used as a church. The rows of pews have been pushed to one side, and we’re greeted by a friendly woman with very flushed cheeks. She’s wearing a baggy jacket over her clothes and there’s a crucifix pinned on the lapel. Elliot introduces her as Mrs Goodwin.
“Welcome!” she says, smiling broadly. “I’m the minister here at Ancrows Chapel.”
I wonder what kind of evening we’ve let ourselves in for. I hope it’s not a Bible class or something.
It turns out Mrs Goodwin’s really nice. She stays behind the scenes all evening, only coming out to bring snacks and drinks or help set up the table tennis tables.
Levi spends his entire time chatting to a friend of Elliot’s. She’s tall and slim and looks like a model. I overhear her talking about her school and get the impression she’s the same age as me and Levi. I also find out that Elliot’s already in sixth form, so I was right. He must be at least a year older.
The girl’s called Sarah and she hangs on Levi’s every word. I can’t help smiling as he starts telling her exaggerated stories about life in Graymouth.
“Must be really boring for you here,” she says. “I mean you can’t even get alcohol – everyone recognizes you in the shop, so there’s no way.”
“I’ve got fake ID, but it can still be a problem,” says Levi.
“Fake ID? Wow.” Sarah looks impressed.
“Yeah my cousin told me how to get a fake driving licence. I got into real trouble though, so I stopped using it.”
“No, really, with the police and everything?” Even Elliot is drawn into Levi’s story.
“Nah, my aunty. Much more scary. She caught me in the supermarket down the road trying to buy some cans for a party. I was grounded for weeks.”
Everyone laughs, including me. I rememb
er it well. His mum was furious with him.
“Glad I’m not the only one with awful relatives,” says Elliot in my ear.
On balance, I’d rather deal with Levi’s aunt than his any day. But I don’t tell Elliot that. I just smile.
Elliot challenges me to a game of table tennis and I readily agree. It saves me having to think of things to talk about. I feel reasonably confident I won’t make a total fool of myself because Sophie, a friend of mine at school, has a table tennis table in her basement. I’ve spent hours on wet Saturdays playing endless tournaments with her. On the other hand, playing with Elliot makes me feel shy.
At first, Elliot makes the game easy, but he soon realizes I can play. Once we start in earnest, my competitive streak takes over. I want to win. Then suddenly our hands touch as we move round the table. The contact throws me so much I lose the next couple of games. I can’t stop blushing, especially when I catch Levi laughing at me.
“Let’s stop and get a drink,” says Elliot. He puts his bat down.
“Okay.” I put mine down too. Elliot takes my arm and guides me towards the drinks table.
“Coke?”
“Thanks.” My arm’s still tingling where he touched me. I find I’m blushing again. I don’t even like Coke, but I accept the cup he hands me gratefully and take a big swig.
I look hesitantly over towards Levi in case he’s still laughing at me. Fortunately he hasn’t noticed anything and he’s got his arm casually draped around Sarah’s shoulder. The way she’s looking into his eyes, it’s plain she really likes him. I’m pleased because it makes it obvious that Levi and I are just friends. The downside is I feel even more awkward with Elliot. I start asking stupid questions to cover my nervousness.
“What’s that about?” I point at some words in a foreign language that have been carefully painted onto the wall in gold lettering. In Nomine Meo Daemonia Eicient.
Elliot opens his mouth to answer, but Mrs Goodwin chips in. I hadn’t noticed she was standing so close.
“We’ve only recently opened the chapel again. We’ll get someone to paint over it.”
I’ve no idea why she wants to paint over it, but I nod anyway.
“What does it say?” I ask politely.
“It’s Latin. It says, They will cast out demons in my name. My predecessor’s handiwork of course. It’s taken over twenty years for this place to open again.”
