by Mel Sparke
“What does he look like?” Anna demanded.
“Um… just a guy,” replied Sonja, feeling less sure of herself now. “Er, I dunno,” she continued, “early twenties, tallish, dark hair. What else do you want me to say?”
Anna sighed. It was time to face the music. Perhaps it would be better this way.
“Thanks, Sonja,” she said flatly. “I’ll come down. But I need to sort myself out first. Could you tell him to give me five minutes?”
Deep in thought, Sonja made her way back to the front entrance of the End. Anna Michaels really was an oddball, she decided. It was obvious that she wasn’t pleased with the idea of someone coming to see her.
What was her problem? Most people would be delighted to have people call round. Especially those with few friends and no social life.
She walked back through the open door of the café. Before she could go up to Tasty Guy, who was still sitting on his own and staring straight at her, she was grabbed by Kerry and steered towards the table by the window where Matt. Joe, and now Maya and Ollie too, sat waiting expectantly.
“Come on,” Kerry hissed, “fill us in.”
“What?” Sonja frowned, her thoughts still on Anna’s weird ways.
“You and that guy. What’s going on? Why did you walk out like that? Why is he still here?”
“Oh, right. I’m with you,” Sonja said, her train of thought back along the same lines as her friends once more.
She sat down at the table, her back to Tasty Guy, and spoke in a low voice to the expectant faces around her.
“He’s come to visit Anna, who I’ve just been to tell, and I definitely think he’s interested.”
“What? In Anna?” Ollie asked, disbelief in his voice.
“No, stupid. In me. I could just tell by the way he was looking at me and by the way he spoke. There was a spark between us. Electric. It was instant.”
Matt nudged Ollie in the ribs and gave him a wink. “See, I told you mate. She’s rampant. I think even I might be in with a chance the way she’s feeling at the moment.”
“You must be joking!” Sonja laughed. “What do you think I am? Desperate?”
“Shall I take that as a no, then?” Matt replied, his face full of mock hurt.
Sonja ignored him. She turned from Kerry to Maya and back again, “you know, I can’t believe my luck. No interesting guys around for months, then-boom!-two in the same week. I must be giving off those pheromones.”
“Eh?” Matt asked, perplexed. “Ferroro-what?”
“Pheromones,” Maya explained. “They’re chemicals that animals give off to attract the opposite sex. Sonja obviously has an abundance of them at the moment.”
“Got any spare for me?” Matt implored. “I haven’t had a snog for hours.”
“Get your own.” Sonja grinned. “I’m hanging on to mine. There might be loads of other boys out there who are just dying to ask me out. I could even start collecting them.”
“So, has he asked you out then?” Kerry quizzed, her eyes shining with excitement.
“Um, no, not yet. But I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before one of us does the asking. If Anna hadn’t been in I was going to show him around town for a few hours until she started her shift. I was quite disappointed when she answered the door.”
“Crikey, showing him around Winstead?” Matt mocked. “Apart from boring him stupid, it would only have taken ten minutes. What would you have done for the rest of the time?”
“I’m sure we could have thought of something,” Sonja whispered, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. “Now, I must let him know what’s happening.” She turned to Kerry. “How do I look?”
“Ravishing,” Kerry laughed.
“Right, time to go in for the kill. See you later, guys… maybe.”
As Sonja walked confidently back to where he was sitting, she noticed something move out of the corner of her eye. Tasty Guy must have seen it too because he turned his gaze away from Sonja over to the serving counter.
Anna stood in the kitchen doorway and scanned the café scene in front of her. When she saw the boy in the corner she started to cry. Huge tears rolled down her crumpled face, then she ran at him and threw herself into his outstretched arms.
Bummer! thought Sonja.
CHAPTER 10
CATCHING UP
Her skin tinged pink with embarrassment, Sonja retreated to the table in the window. She figured dolefully that her pheromones must have run out, or had transferred themselves to Anna instead.
Dammit. She must have completely misread the situation. By the looks of the reunion scene in front of her. they obviously knew each other intimately.
She had noticed the lad’s response first. His entire face had broken into a huge grin at the sight of Anna and his eyes lit up like beacons, full of the warmth only people in love have for each other.
And Anna was blubbing like a baby, as if he was someone she hadn’t seen for a very long time but whom she had missed like mad.
He had to be the love of her life.
Sonja turned from that scene to her friends, who were sitting open-mouthed and gawping.
Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick, she thought. She sat down next to Kerry, by which time Anna and her long-lost friend were also sitting at the little corner table, huddled in animated conversation.
“Oh, well, another one bites the dust,” Sonja remarked ruefully and silently thanked God that Cat wasn’t there to make snide remarks at her expense.
Mind you, her catty cousin was bound to hear about it-exaggerated a hundred times no doubt-and would take every opportunity from now on to rub her nose in it.
“You don’t know that,” Kerry said measuredly. “They might just be good friends.”
“Yeah, and I’m the Queen of Sheba,” snorted Sonja. “You can’t tell me there isn’t some sort of connection between them. She was all over him like a wet towel.”
“I have to say I agree with Sonja,” Maya said. “They’re certainly very close. You can tell by the body…”
“No, you’ve got it wrong,” interrupted Matt. “They’re not an item. They can’t be. Didn’t you notice? That wasn’t a snog.”
“What?” Sonja grimaced. “Is that what you were looking at, you old perv?”
“No, really,” continued Matt, quite indignant now. “When they kissed, it wasn’t on the lips. Honestly, I saw it all. It was definitely a cheek to cheek kiss. They’re old friends. Or related to each other. Trust me.”
“Ssshhh!” Joe warned. “I think we might be about to find out. Anna’s coming over.”
Anna walked over to the big table by the window and motioned to Ollie. A transformation seemed to have come over her. Her face, which normally looked permanently pinched and sad, now radiated happiness.
For the first time since she’d arrived in Winstead, she looked her true age of eighteen-she could even pass for someone younger-rather than a good fifteen years older.
“Ollie?” she said. “Can I have a word?”
Ollie slid out of the seat and disappeared off to a quiet corner with Anna. The others tried hard to hear but only saw Anna gesticulating wildly and then introducing him to the newcomer. Then Anna and her friend disappeared back into the inner sanctum of the kitchen and Ollie slouched back to his friends.
Turning to Sonja he grinned and said, “Well, guys, his name’s Owen. They haven’t seen each other for a long time… and it’s OK, Son, you’re still in with a chance. He’s Anna’s brother!”
“So how did you track me down?”
Anna, curled up like a contented cat on the sofa in her flat, took a slurp of coffee from her mug. She hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d first set eyes on her big brother, and her cheeks were flushed and rosy with the pleasure of seeing him for the first time in over a year.
“I tell you, Anna, it wasn’t easy. When I heard that you’d upped and left home, with no mention of where you were going, or for how long-or why-I thought I might n
ever see you again.” Owen lowered his eyes to the floor and for a moment looked as if he might cry.
“I know. I’m sorry,” she said and gave his hand a little squeeze. “That’s why I wrote to you. I felt so guilty about not telling you.”
‘Teah, and if you hadn’t mentioned you were staying with Lucy from school I don’t think I would ever have found you. I knew you were staying somewhere in or around Exeter then because that was the postmark on the letter, but that was the only clue you left me. I found out from a friend of mine that Lucy was at university there. So all I could do was send her a letter via the university and hope it would be passed on.”
“Which it obviously was.”
“Yeah. Except that by that time you’d moved on again and she didn’t know exactly where…”
“Although I did write to her to let her know that I was safe and well and to tell her what I was doing.”
“But you didn’t give her an address or phone number to contact you. Why was that?”
Anna shrugged. “I guess I wanted to be the one calling the shots. I wanted to sort my life out before I let anyone know exactly where I was.”
Owen chuckled. “Well, your theory didn’t quite work out. did it? The clues you gave her and which she passed on to me were ‘Winstead’ and ‘working in a café’. Did you know there are seven cafés in Winstead? I know, I’ve been to them all this morning.”
“Oh, Owen, I’m sorry. You’ve had to do some serious detective work, haven’t you? I know I should have contacted you sooner.”
“That’s OK,” he smiled. “I’m here now. You’re not mad at me for finding you, are you?”
Anna leaned over and gave Owen the umpteenth big hug of the past half an hour. “Do I look like I’m mad?” she said, eyes sparkling. “We’ve lost so much time. How did your finals go? Did you pass?”
“Sure, I got a First, you’re looking at a fully qualified web designer, and one of several million unemployed graduates looking for someone to give me a job.”
“You’ll soon be snapped up, I know it. You were always the brainy one. And Cathy-are you still going out with her?”
“Nope. She dumped me for someone else about six months ago.”
“Oh no! I thought you were really into her…”
“I was, but so was she.” He chuckled. “Nah. I’m well out of it. I’m back on the loose again. Lock up your daughters… Anyway, I haven’t travelled this far to talk about me. I want to know what’s been going on with you.”
“Crikey.” Anna took a deep breath and sighed loudly. “Where shall I start? As you can see I’m living in this fancy pad in a smart part of town. And I’ve got a great career with huge prospects…” She broke off and they both laughed.
“No, really,” she went on, “I’m actually dead happy here. I like my job, though it’s not the sort of career that’s going to set the world alight-although the kitchen’s a possibility. I like this flat, I’ve got to know a few people and they’ve all been incredibly nice to me. So it’s great. I’m quite content. Obviously, I miss you and everyone at home, but, well… things change. People change.
Owen put his coffee mug on the table, took Anna’s away and grasped her hands in his. He looked her square in the eye.
“So, are you going to tell me why you ran away?”
CHAPTER 11
ANNA OPENS UP
Anna pulled away from Owen’s grasp, folded her arms across her chest and began to rock gently, her eyes shut. An expression of pain was written across her entire face.
I can’t tell you, she thought. I’m not ready.
Owen stood up, gave her hair a brotherly stroke and went over to the kitchen where an opened bottle of red wine stood on one of the units.
“Fancy a glass?” he asked, lifting the bottle and waving it in front of him.
Anna broke off from her thoughts and looked up. “Mmm, please…” she nodded, adding hesitantly, “has Mum not told you anything then?”
Owen frowned, shook his head and began rummaging in the cupboards for wine glasses.
Maybe I can tell him a few things, Anna thought as she watched him, but not everything. I can’t tell him the whole truth. Owen removed the cork half poking from the bottle, poured the wine and handed a glass to Anna. As he sat down, she took a swift gulp and began her story.
“I wouldn’t say I ran away exactly,” she said. “It was more the case that I had to leave.”
Owen looked startled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I suppose the bottom line is that Mum threw me out.”
“What?! Why?”
“Because we weren’t getting along,” Anna replied as vaguely as possible.
“But there has to be more to it than that,” prompted Owen.
“We were arguing. All the time. It got ridiculous. There were times when we wouldn’t speak to each other for days on end. We’d cross paths in the hall and look through each other as though there was no one there. If the phone rang and Mum picked it up and it was for me, she’d hang up. And stupidly, I did the same.”
“God, I knew you two didn’t get along,” Owen said, “but I can’t believe Mum actually kicked you out.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t believe how grim it got, even more so after you’d left home and gone to uni. We never really got on, you know that as much as I do. But while you were living at home, you managed to keep the peace between us; once you’d gone, we did nothing but fight.”
“But the thing I still don’t understand is why you didn’t tell anyone where you were going. Especially me. I thought we were closer than that.”
Anna struggled for something feasible to say. So far, she’d told nothing but the truth. She and her mum had been at each other’s throats all the time; ultimately, though, that wasn’t the only reason she’d left. If only it was that simple…
“I… uh, well, you see… there was also this guy…”
“Who?” Owen cut in. “Would I know him?”
“No, he was no one you knew, although you might have heard me mention him once or twice on the phone. Anyway, we’d been seeing each other for a while and it just wasn’t working. I wanted to break it off with him, but he, uh, started to get difficult…”
“What the hell do you mean, Anna?” demanded Owen, looking agitated for the first time. “He didn’t threaten you, did he? He didn’t hit you? Who the heck was this guy?”
“No, no, none of those things,” Anna said and, choosing her words carefully, added, “he was never physically violent to me. but he was the type who could be, if you know what I mean. He was a bad sort and I guess I should have seen it coming. But I didn’t. When I first met him, Mum and I were so much at loggerheads that it felt good to have someone being nice to me. I fell for him really quickly-dived straight in there without even thinking about it. Then, after a while, he started to show his true colours and that’s when I realised I had to get away.”
By now Owen was pacing the room, clearly disturbed by what he was hearing. “So what do you mean when you say he showed his true colours? What is it you’re not telling me, Anna?”
If Anna wasn’t careful, she knew she would end up revealing much more than she was prepared to. And she certainly didn’t want to tell Owen the whole truth about David. Not yet.
“What I’m trying to say is that the guy was a mess. He had a dodgy past; he’d been in trouble with the police: he’d been expelled from school. He was bad news. Normally, I would have sussed someone like him out and steered well clear, but, like I said, I was feeling the need to be loved when I first met him.”
She paused, searching for the right words. “The longer we went out the more I realised how jealous he could be. He wanted to know my every move when I wasn’t with him. And yes, actually, towards the end he did threaten me. That was when I knew I had to get away-before he hurt me.”
“I can hardly believe what I’m hearing!” raged Owen. “Why on earth didn’t you tell me when it was going on? I would have sorted him out!”
“I know,” Anna said coolly. “And that’s why I didn’t tell you. It was my problem, not yours. I didn’t want you steaming in and thumping David-I didn’t want you to get involved, to fight my battles for me. I was the one who had to deal with it. So I left home and didn’t tell anyone where I was going in case he tried to find me.”
Owen slumped back down in a chair and ran his fingers through his hair. The muscles on his face were pulled tight-his whole expression a mask of tension. Anna could see his eyes flickering as his brain whirred, taking all the information in. She knew the grilling wasn’t over yet.
“So did Mum know what was happening with this… this animal?”
“God, no! Like I said we were hardly speaking. And when things got bad between me and David I was hardly likely to go running to Mum with my problems, was I? That would have made me seem like a total loser. No, I kept it to myself, just like I kept the bad stuff going on at home to myself. I figured I’d got myself into this mess and it was up to me to get myself out of it.”
“So you ran away…”
“Yeah, at the time it seemed like the only way out.”
“And you’ve got no regrets?”
Tons, Anna thought. You don’t know the half of it. “Of course, I would have liked to have put you in the picture earlier rather than have you traipsing halfway across the country looking for me. But, like I said, the stuff with David was pretty heavy and-and-I guess, in a lot of ways, I was ashamed that I’d got involved with someone like him. That’s why I wanted to sort it out by myself.”
Anna went over to where her brother who had slumped in a chair and sat on the arm next to him. She put her arm round his shoulder and gave it a big squeeze.
“Telling you has lifted a huge weight off my mind,” she said, trying to diffuse the situation a little. “And seeing you is the best thing that’s happened to me in ages.”
Owen took her hand in his and studied her face earnestly.
“You amaze me,” he said. “It’s like I’m meeting you for the first time; you’re a completely different person from the geeky kid I left at home. You’ve really grown up.”
