She gave a shrug that was so tiny I almost missed it. I followed her over to the bookshelves and watched as she picked up the first book to hand and started flicking through it.
‘What’s up, Zoe?’
‘Anything to tell me?’ she said, not looking up from the pages of the book. Another one about magic, I noticed.
‘What do you mean?’
Zoe smacked the book shut and glared at me. ‘I really don’t like hearing about what my so-called best friend is up to from the likes of Kerry.’
I felt queasy. I hate fighting with people and I couldn’t stand to fall out with Zoe. ‘What did she say?’
Zoe pursed her lips, as if she could hardly bear to say the words. ‘Apparently my best mate and Kerry’s mega-geek of a brother are now an item.’
‘When did she tell you that?’
‘I had the misfortune to run into her on the bus. I had to suffer her all the way into town, which would be bad enough at the best of times, without her going on about you and her horrible relations.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘He only asked me out this morning. I was going to tell you this afternoon.’
Zoe gave a snort. ‘You do realise Kerry is just about planning your engagement party?’
I breathed out hard. ‘Don’t be daft. It’s just one date, that’s all.’
‘I thought you had much better taste,’ Zoe said. And that was just about all she said to me for another half an hour. I found myself hanging around the shop watching her trying on clothes and scents and chatting to Geena behind the counter, as if I wasn’t there at all. I thought about just leaving and going home. But I didn’t want to fall out with Zoe. She would be just fine without a friend – after all, she’d been happy enough before I came along – that’s what Kerry said. Whereas I’d get lumbered with Kerry and we’d be the geek-girls that everyone laughed at. I was only tough and cool when I had Zoe beside me.
‘Come to the cafe with me,’ I said.
Zoe shook her head. ‘Can’t. No cash.’
‘Don’t be daft, I’ll pay.’ I could hear the begging note in my own voice. Zoe looked as if she could take it or leave it, but she marched out in the direction of the little cafe next door.
She was wearing a long, black, cape-style coat I hadn’t seen before. ‘No wonder you’ve got no money,’ I said, as she draped it over the back of her chair. ‘Great coat. When did you get it?’
Zoe didn’t reply, but picked up the menu card from the table and pretended to read it. As if we didn’t know it off by heart. ‘I haven’t had any lunch, actually,’ she said. Her nails were gun-metal grey.
‘Get something to eat, then,’ I said. ‘I’ve got enough.’ That was even though I’d been hoping to use the money to pay half with Luke on Thursday night. I’d worry about that later. Talking Zoe round was the important thing right now.
Zoe chose a smoked salmon bagel and a mint tea. ‘I was hoping Kerry had made it all up,’ she said. ‘I thought you’d laugh when I told you. I didn’t think it would be actually true.’
‘It’ll probably just be the once,’ I said. ‘We mightn’t get on.’
Zoe narrowed her eyes. ‘Kerry said you hit it off the first time you met and that he’s wanted to ask you out for ages.’ She made a gagging noise. ‘She’s going to love this. It’ll be a chance for her to hang around with us even more.’
Zoe was right. Of course. Kerry would use it to claim me for her own.
So when Zoe suggested we do another ritual, I said yes straight away to please her, even though the sessions were freaking me out. We went back home with some new incense sticks and a CD. Zoe found she had a ten-pound note in the bottom of her bag that she didn’t know was there. Mum told us Kerry had called round, twice. ‘I said you’d be back later. Why don’t you give her a ring?’
Zoe sighed.
‘Mum,’ I said. ‘If she calls, would you say we’re out? Please?’
‘Why?’ Mum frowned at me.
‘Because – because – oh, Mum, she’s a pain in the neck. I can’t be bothered with her tonight. Please.’
Mum shook her head at me. ‘I’m not happy about that sort of thing. It’s not nice and I don’t like lying to the poor girl.’
‘Let’s just go out, then,’ Zoe suggested. ‘I mean, I know it’s raining. But we’ll be OK. We could find a bus shelter or somewhere to hang about, couldn’t we, Anna?’
Mum rolled her eyes. ‘All right. But just this once. I’m not going to make a habit of it. This is something you need to sort out yourself.’
Mum even let Zoe stay for something to eat. And she kept Kerry at the door while we sat in the kitchen with our hands over our mouths, trying not to snigger out loud. It was clear Kerry was being pretty persistent, but in the end, she had to take Mum’s word that we weren’t there. Mum came back inside and clattered some plates around. ‘That was awful. She said she’d seen you coming along the street. I had to persuade her you’d gone straight back out again and I don’t think she believed me. I’m not doing that ever again, girls. I felt
