‘And you said you were going to get him,’ she went on, sniffing up huge globs of snot and letting her tears soak her face. ‘You said you were going to put a curse on him. I hate you.’
Zoe looked at me, wide-eyed, as if someone had smacked her across the head. Then she started to laugh.
‘Stop it,’ I said, gritting my teeth. ‘It’s not funny. Kerry’s upset.’
Zoe swung her bag over her shoulder, still laughing. ‘I never did anything to the daft old crow,’ she said. ‘Honestly, you’re such a big kid. If he had a heart attack, it was because he had a bad heart. That’s all. Nothing to do with me.’
I started to pick a tissue out of the little pack Mum always stuffed into my school bag. Then I gave up and just handed Kerry the whole lot.
‘But you said you were going to do something to him. You said you were going to get him. You said -’
‘Oh, Kerry,’ I said. ‘Zoe’s right. You’re just being daft. It’s a horrible thing to happen, yeah, but it had nothing to do with her. It’s just a silly coincidence, that’s all.’
I patted her on the hand. I never really wanted to touch her, for some reason, particularly when she was in tears and all runny and wobbly. It made me feel a bit queasy. ‘Come on, let’s get going. Try not to think about it, eh?’
Zoe was standing with her arms folded.
‘Sorry, Zoe,’ Kerry said, wiping her nose. ‘I was just so upset. I thought you must’ve done what you said, you know -’
‘Yeah, sure,’ said Zoe, turning away and striding ahead of us. I told myself I would keep my arm around Kerry until we got through The Cut and then I could let go. The Cut seemed to go for longer than usual, like someone had added on a couple of extra miles.
When we got to school, Kerry went to wash her face. We waited in the corridor. I grinned at Zoe. ‘Well, you had her completely freaked out,’ I said, with a little laugh. ‘She really thought you’d cursed her mad minister.’
Zoe put her head on one side. ‘Thing is, though,’ she said in a murmur, ‘I did.’
I laughed again. ‘Right.’
‘No, I really did.’ Zoe grasped my wrist. ‘I used a picture of him from that church leaflet she gave us. I stuck a compass through it. And I said a curse.’
I raised my hand. ‘Don’t.’
Zoe’s eyes were wide. ‘You can’t tell anyone.’
‘Zoe,’ I said, keeping an eye on the door to the girls’ toilets in case Kerry came back, ‘Just tell me this is a joke, all right?’
The door swung open and Kerry came out. Her face was still a patchwork of blotches.
Zoe just shook her head at me. But after school, she brought the torn church leaflet and showed me where she’d poked the compass into it.
‘Look,’ I said. ‘That’s his head. He had a heart attack, right? If it was anything to do with your curse – which it wasn’t – he’d have had something wrong with his head, surely?’
Zoe pouted. ‘Maybe. It’s a bit of a coincidence, though, don’t you think?’
‘Yep. That’s exactly what it is. Nothing else.’
Zoe sighed and scrunched up the leaflet.
‘You don’t want to have cursed him to death, do you?’ I said. ‘You don’t want it to be your fault?’
Zoe thought about it. ‘I’d like to be able to do it if I put my mind to it.’
I shook my head. ‘No, you wouldn’t. You’re just saying that. Promise me you’re not sticking pins in pictures of anyone else.’
Zoe smirked. ‘Thought you said it had no effect. Just a coincidence, you said.’
‘It is. I’m sure it is,’ I said. ‘But you said you were trying to get my mum and dad back together. And suddenly he’s arguing with his lovey-dovey girlfriend, when up to now, she could do no wrong. So come on then. How, exactly, are you doing this?’
Zoe leaned forward. ‘You promise you’ll be open-minded about this?’
I nodded.
‘Remember the book I bought? I’ve been following it to the letter. It tells you how to call on the spirits of the dead to get them to help you.’
‘Help you, how?’
‘With things that you need.’
I shivered a bit. ‘Go on.’
Zoe paused. ‘The trouble is, when you just say it or try to describe it, it sounds completely daft. But when you’re doing it, it all makes sense and you can sort of feel it working.’
‘Just tell me.’
Stop the World by Ghost Dance was playing in the background. Part of me wanted to switch it off.
‘You have to make a pact. You have to turn yourself into someone who’s going to communicate with the dead and use their help. You haven’t got to be afraid.’ Zoe showed me where she’d cut a small X-shape onto the back of her left hand. It was a tiny red weal of a letter on her pale skin. ‘Witches’ mark,’ she said.
‘Then what?’ I shifted about on the bed, finding it hard to get comfortable in any position.
‘And when you’ve done that, spirits sort of attach themselves to you. You can ask them for help. You can do little rituals and they’ll respond.’
‘Just like that?’ I gave a little laugh. It was too ridiculous. ‘Like – like ordering a pizza?’
Zoe pressed her lips together. ‘You said you wouldn’t laugh.’
I held up my hands. ‘Sorry. It just sounds so...’
‘I know, I know.’ Zoe sighed. ‘I think you’d get it, though. If you joined in with me.’
I made a spluttering sort of a sound and shook my head.
‘Come in with me, Anna,’ Zoe urged. She leaned towards me and grabbed both my hands. ‘As soon as I started, I felt really – I don’t know – powerful. I’ve never felt like that in my life, but I do now. And look: if I can get this far, and I don’t care about your mum and dad half as much as you do, just
