Dad put his head in his hands for a moment. Then he looked up. ‘All right, you’re still raw about what happened with me and your mum. I understand that. But you know, ever since you were a little girl, you found it in you to be fair to people. I was always really proud of that. Your mum says now you hardly talk to her, you spend all your time with that Zoe or else texting or chatting to her over the laptop. You don’t even read much anymore and you used to love your books. She says you never wear anything she buys you, only all this whacky stuff that your new friend likes. She’s worried, Anna. What happened to you?’
I clenched my fists under the table. ‘Bad parenting? A broken home?’
Dad groaned.
And then a weird thing happened. A woman came up to our table and tapped Dad on the shoulder. It was a tall-ish blonde woman, sort of pretty, like a Barbie doll who’d got older and a bit chunkier round the hips. She gave my dad a glossy smile. ‘You’re still eating! Sorry! I didn’t mean to get here quite so early.’
So this was the dreaded Ellie and she was barging in on my dad and me. On purpose, I guessed. Although considering the way she’d barged through our whole family, I suppose this was nothing to her.
‘I didn’t know you were coming at all.’ Dad didn’t sound all that pleased.
‘Neither did I,’ I chipped in.
Dad gave me a warning sort of a look and pulled out a chair for Ellie.
‘Not pleased to see me?’ Ellie practically batted her lashes at him. I thought I might be sick.
‘It’s not that. It’s just – Anna and I need to have a chat –’
‘Anna!’ Ellie held out her hand across the table. I just looked at it, as if she was waving a dead fish at me or something. She kept her hand held out for a few seconds too long and then pulled it back when she realised I most definitely wasn’t going to take it. She kept her smile on, though. ‘It’s so nice to meet you. Your dad’s always talking about you. He didn’t tell me you were so pretty, though.’
‘Well, he wouldn’t,’ I said. ‘He’s just been saying how he doesn’t approve of my clothes or my make-up or my friends. Or just about anything I do.’
I watched as Ellie worked to keep her lips stretched into place. ‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ she said. ‘I just know he dotes on you.’
‘Wrong,’ I said. I dragged my jacket from the back of my chair and started to pull it on. ‘He doesn’t even like me anymore. Or my friends. He’s just said so. Right, Dad? But then I guess that’s fair, because, you know what? I don’t like the company he keeps either.’
‘Sit down, Anna,’ Dad said. ‘You’ve hardly eaten anything.’ He turned to Ellie. ‘Look, could you just leave us alone for another half hour or so? Haven’t you got any shopping to do?’
Ellie gave another forced smile, her brow wrinkling. ‘No, I haven’t.’
‘Sure? You usually do.’ Dad was being really sharp. I stood there, my jacket half on and half off, glancing from one to the other.
‘I could just stay and have a coffee?’ She turned to me. ‘I could referee. Anna?’
I put my other arm into my sleeve. ‘Isn’t it a bit late to ask whether I mind you being around? My dad might be stuck with you. But I don’t have to be.’
Dad looked as if he couldn’t decide which of us he’d like to kill first. I took my chance and strode to the door. I could hear their raised voices behind me and I saw that they were having an almighty row and that other people in the restaurant were staring at them.
Outside, I blinked. My eyes were watery. It was a cloudy afternoon, but it felt bright compared to the inside of the restaurant. I almost stepped out into the road without looking and a car blared its horn at me, making me jump back. I got the next bus home, went in and found Mum sitting watching some corny old film on the TV. I put my arms around her from behind and offered to make her some tea. I told her what had happened with Dad and his girlfriend.
‘Trouble in paradise, eh?’ She gave a little smile that I probably wasn’t meant to see.
9
‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’
The next day was even weirder. Zoe called round late in the morning and we went into my bedroom to put some music on.
‘So?’ she said, sitting on my bed. ‘Your dad moved back in yet?’
I stared at her. ‘What’re you on about?’
Zoe lay back on my bed and propped herself up on one elbow. ‘You didn’t believe me yesterday, did you? You think I’m nuts, trying these books out. So I’ve decided. The first big experiment is for you.’
I turned the music down a notch. ‘I don’t get it. What’s my dad got to do with anything?’
Zoe inspected her nails. They were painted black with little silver teardrops on top. ‘I could only think of one thing I know you really, really want. And that would be for your mum and dad not to be divorced. Right?’
‘It’s too late for that, though.’
‘Yes and no. The thing that I’m realising is that there is always a way. Your mum and dad got divorced, but they could also get back together,
