Lyre (15 page)

‘So, apparently, do you.’

‘No.  I can assure you I’m single.’

‘I suppose that’s why you are playing the field with photographers then.’

‘It’s better than two-bit actresses,’ she rejoined nastily.

‘I think this line of questioning is probably inappropriate,’ Dirk began.

A tiny smile played around Oz’s lips.  ‘You’re jealous,’ he said, completely ignoring his agent.

‘I hardly know you.  Why would I be jealous?’

‘Oh, I think you know me very well.’  He licked his lips.  ‘Tell me, have you followed my career much over the years?’

‘I haven’t had time,’ she lied.  ‘But I’ve done research for this interview.  Your first song, ‘Stabbed Through The Heart’ which effectively made your career is rather self-indulgent, isn’t it?’

‘I can assure you that I meant every word.’

‘It’s rather one-sided though, isn’t it? You sing of a girl who broke your heart and,’ she glanced at her laptop, ‘’threw you in the gutter’.  And yet, we don’t know her side of the story, do we?  Much has been made of your pain and heartache over that relationship, but what about hers?’

‘You’ve just asked three questions.  Which one is it you’d like me to answer?’

‘Why don’t you tell the story of the logo, Oz?’ Alicia interjected nervously.

‘Yes, why don’t you, Oz?’ Yuri lifted an eyebrow.  ‘It is a rather beautiful design after all.’

‘The person who created it was rather beautiful,’ he murmured.

‘Was?’

He held her eyes.  ‘Is.’

Yuri’s mouth dried.   She shook herself slightly, trying to recover her thoughts.  ‘Anais Arletti is beautiful too.’

Oz looked amused for a moment.  ‘She is.’

Yuri leaned across the table.  ‘Why don’t you tell the readers of
Yell
what is going on between you and her?  I’m sure they’d love to know.’

‘She’s a very capable actress and an extraordinarily good friend.  We are, however, merely friends.’

‘Indeed.’

‘You shouldn’t believe everything you read.  As a journalist, I thought you’d know that.’

‘The photographs suggest something to the contrary.’

‘Photos can be misleading.  As can photographers.’

Dirk cleared his throat.  ‘Let’s all take a break, shall we?’

‘Did you sleep with her last night?’

Alicia stood up, her chair falling backwards with the force of her movement.  ‘This interview is terminated.’

‘No.  Are you going to sleep with the photographer?’

‘I’m the one doing the interviewing here,’ Yuri said icily.

Oz’s eyes hardened. 

‘Oh for goodness’ sake,’ she snapped.  ‘Of course I’m not.’

He relaxed.

Alicia tried again.  ‘Oz!’

‘I’ve not slept with Anais Arletti,’ he said, his eyes fixed on Yuri.  ‘I’m not going to sleep with Anais Arletti.’  He took a deep breath. ‘You see the girl who saved me from drowning, the one I wrote Stabbed Through The Heart about?  She’s the one I really love.  She’s the only one I’ve ever loved.’

Yuri stared at him.

‘I thought she’d betrayed me,’ he said.  ‘She told me she hadn’t but the evidence to the contrary was rather damning.  I thought she was lying.’

‘And now?’ she squeaked.

‘Get security in here!’ Alicia snapped at Dirk.  ‘Have Ms. Tateno escorted from the building!’

Dirk was watching Yuri.  A slow smile started to spread across his face.  ‘I understand,’ he said.  ‘Now, I understand.’

‘Dirk…’

‘Be quiet, Alicia.  We’re leaving.’

‘This is my goddamn office!  I’m not leaving!’

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘you are.’

He stood up and took Alicia gently by the arm.  Her mouth flapped open.  ‘What…?’

‘Come on.  These two need to be alone.’  He pushed her towards the door and out into the corridor, where she could still be heard protesting.

Yuri stood up.  Then she sat back down again.  She stared at the table separating her from Oz, a symbolic gulf representing so many years.  He got to his feet and moved round, then took the empty chair next to her.  Gnawing on his bottom lip, he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

‘Yuri, we really need to talk.’

‘My parents have booked a holiday in the sun. You know, one of those package things.’

‘Oh,’ Yuri said deflated. She’d been hoping that with the school holidays fast approaching, they’d be able to spend more time together. Between studying, her part-time job at the zoo and Ozzy’s band practice, they were barely able to snatch the odd hour or two alone together. ‘You’ll be going with them.  How long will you be away for?’

Ozzy grinned at her.  ‘You don’t get it.’

‘I get it fine. You’re going to get a tan.  I’m going to end up selling postcards and ice-creams to tourists while enjoying the thrills of Torquay.’

‘They want to know if you’d like to come.’

She started.  ‘What?’

His eyes gleamed.  ‘You’re invited.  You’ll need a bikini.  I’m thinking very tiny.  Perhaps will yellow polka dots.  But definitely with those little bows on the side so I can…’

She swatted him lightly.  ‘Perv.  But I can’t come.  I can’t afford it.’

He nuzzled the nape of her neck.  ‘They’ll pay.’

‘I’m not taking your parents’ money.’

‘Why not?  I do.’

‘That’s different and you know it.  I’m not a charity case.’

‘That’s not why they’ve invited you.  They want me out of the way so they can…’

‘Canoodle?’  Yuri had long been envious of Ozzy’s parents’ close relationship.

He grinned.  ‘Exactly.  And if you’re with me, then they know I won’t be bothering them.’

‘I’d love to come.  But I’m still not taking their money.’

‘Fair enough.  Would your mum…’

She laughed humourlessly.  ‘You know better than that.’ 

The best thing she could say about her mother was that she finally seemed more settled. It had been nine months and she’d still not mentioned anything yet about moving somewhere else.  It had to be a record.  Yuri put it down to improved weather in this part of the country, not to mention ample ‘friends’ also more than willing to aid her mother’s continued search for alcoholic oblivion.  Torquay seemed to be the place to go to when you were trying – and failing - to escape your past. Escaping that way was an expensive habit, however.  There wasn’t any spare money; certainly not enough to fund a holiday anyway.  Not for the first time, Yuri wondered what her mother would be like if her father hadn’t drowned.  Grieving was one thing; staying mired in the past was something entirely different.

Ozzy gazed at her with a mix of empathy and frustration.  ‘I need you to be there with me.  Can’t you just accept this as a gift?  Just this once?’

She shook her head.  ‘No.  But give me a few days.  I might be able to sort something out.’  Before he got too eager, she leaned over and kissed him.  ‘Don’t get too excited though,’ she warned.  ‘I’m not promising anything.’

‘Really?’ he murmured, nuzzling her neck.  ‘What about if I did this?’

Yuri yelped as his teeth nipped gently at her skin.  Happy dancing butterflies swirled around her belly.  Sometimes his touch made her feel like she was going crazy.  In a very, very good way.

‘Or how about this?’ he asked, his hands moving down her body and grazing her breasts.

‘Ozzy…’

‘I love it when you say my name like that.’

She groaned slightly. 

‘You two need to get to class,’ Mrs. Chibison said, appearing from out of nowhere.  ‘The bell’s about to ring.’

The pair of them looked up to see the teacher waggling a stern finger in their direction. 

‘We’ve still got a few minutes,’ Ozzy began.

She frowned at them, clearly not in the mood to brook any defiance.  Happily, however, where there had once been a ring of pale skin around one finger, there now was a simple diamond band.  Things were obviously looking up for her.  She’d already saved herself.

‘Fine,’ Yuri muttered, grabbing Ozzy’s hand and marching off towards the main school building before they were inevitably threatened with detention.  The teacher’s life may have changed and Yuri’s attitude may have changed but, as much as she’d like to wish otherwise, school still enjoyed enforcing all its stifling rules.

‘Killjoy,’ Ozzy said under his breath, once they were far enough away.  ‘There are only three more days till we’re on study leave so I don’t see what the big deal is.’

‘She’s alright,’ Yuri answered.  ‘She’s just concerned about our education.’

‘Ha!  Look at you all prim and proper.  I’m going to get more of an education hanging with you than I will in French with Monsieur Fermez-La-Bouche.’

‘Maybe you’ll get lucky and today you’ll learn about French letters,’ she said slyly.

‘If I do, then I’ll show you later what I find out,’ he breathed, eyes dancing. 

They giggled together.  Behind them, Mrs. Chibison’s frown had softened to a smile as she watched them.  Out of all the young couples in the school, those two seemed like they were the most likely to actually stick at it and stay together.  Commitment, when it was real, was a joyous thing to see.  Then she spotted something out of the corner of her eye and her eyebrows snapped together.

‘Nicola Jones!  Is that a cigarette I see in your hand?’ she bellowed across the road.

A teen girl with tie and shirt askew shoved her hand unconvincingly behind her back. 

‘No, Mizz Chib!’

‘Teenagers,’ she muttered.  ‘Always up to something.’

*

Emptying the bins around the reptile house, Yuri bit her lip and tried to avoid looking in Medusa’s direction.  There had to be an easy way to broach the subject, she just wasn’t quite sure what it was yet.  She pulled out the black plastic bag, ignoring the reek of rotting sandwich crusts and moved over to the next bin.

‘Come on then,’ Medusa said.  ‘Out with it.’

‘Wh- what?’

‘Yuri, you just put a full bag of rubbish into an empty bin.  Something’s up.  Tell me what it is.’

She stared down at the bin, realising what she’d just done and immediately corrected her mistake.  ‘Um,’ she said, scratching her head, while Medusa’s halo of snakes rose up into a cloud of curving question marks.  ‘Um…’

‘Spit it out.’

‘Ozzy’s invited me to Greece,’ she burst out.  ‘On holiday.  With his parents.’

Something in Medusa’s eyes hardened.  ‘I see.’

‘I have some savings, but not enough to cover a trip like that.  They’ve offered to pay but I don’t want to accept their money.  If I could borrow some, then I’ll do double shifts over the rest of the summer and pay you back.’

Medusa turned away,  looking into one of the glass windows at a sleeping python wrapped around a leafy branch.  ‘You should be concentrating on your exams, not on your summer holidays.’

‘I have been,’ she mumbled.  ‘I’ve been studying lots.’  It was the truth.  Despite daily thanking her lucky stars that she had Ozzy, Yuri was still very aware that to really escape, she had to do well academically.

‘I know.’ Medusa’s voice was kind, however there was still an edge to it.  ‘But you’re too wrapped up in that boy.  You’re only young.  Don’t get too focused on one person.  Play the field a little.’

Yuri blinked.  ‘Are you telling me I should sleep around?’

‘You’re having sex already?’

She blushed.  ‘Er…’

Medusa shook her head, causing several of her snakes to hiss softly.  ‘Actually, I don’t want to know.’

‘I thought you liked Ozzy.’

She sighed.  ‘I do.  But you’re planning your future around him.’

‘No, I’m not!  I’m just planning a holiday!  We’re hardly about to tie the knot and have two point four children.’  She blew air out through her cheeks.  ‘Never mind,’ Yuri grumbled.  ‘I’ll get the money from somewhere else.’

‘You can have the money,’ Medusa said, exasperated.  ‘I’m just saying that you don’t want to shackle yourself to one boy quite so quickly.’

‘You make it sound like I’m in jail.’  Yuri’s eyes narrowed.  ‘Is there something else going on here?  Has Sibyl been doing her divination shit again?’

‘No.  You know she promised not to go near that where you’re concerned.’

Yuri watched her suspiciously.  Medusa threw her hands up into the air.  ‘What?  You think I’m lying?  I’m not.’

‘I’m not accusing you of anything.’

‘You were thinking it.’

‘Sorry,’ Yuri mumbled.  She walked over and joined Medusa by the glass.  The python was still slumbering away.  ‘But there’s another reason why Greece would be a good idea.’

For a long moment, Medusa didn’t speak.  It was clear that she’d heard Yuri’s words, however, because her own snakes were poised, their beady eyes fixed unblinkingly towards the younger girl.  Finally, she took a deep breath.  ‘Olympus.’

‘I need to find Poseidon,’ Yuri said earnestly.  ‘If I can get him to talk to me about what happened with the sirens…’

‘Then what?  You’ll seek them out and take your revenge?  Because they’re immortal, Yuri.  All you’ll do is get yourself killed.’

‘I know that.  I know revenge isn’t going to make me feel any better.  But I need to understand.’

Medusa’s face was pale.  ‘You don’t want to go near Poseidon, Yuri.  You have some vision of him as your saviour but, believe me, it’s only because of the mood you caught him in that day.’ She swept a gaze up and down her body.  ‘You’re older now.  Things may go … badly.’

‘I can look after myself.’

‘Against a god?’

‘Doesn’t that make him one of the good guys?’

Medusa snarled.  ‘Have you not learnt anything yet?  There’s no such thing as good!  It was people from Olympus who drowned your father.  It was a man from Olympus who caused the death of your friend.  What makes you think that the gods are better than that?’

Taken aback, Yuri stared at her, wide-eyed.  ‘But…’

‘No buts.  Besides, he won’t be there.  He prefers the sea.’

‘Near Greece?’  Despite the thunderous look on Medusa’s face, Yuri’s tone was hopeful.

‘Don’t go looking for him.  I mean it, Yuri.  I don’t want to see you getting hurt.’

‘What’s this actually about?’

‘Nothing.’  A man in overalls appeared at the doorway to the reptile house.  Medusa jerked her chin his direction.  ‘You should go.  It’s feeding time for the komodo dragons.’

Yuri remained where she was for a moment or two.  From behind the glass, the python lazily opened one eye and looked at her.  Sighing, she pushed back her hair from her eyes and walked off.

*

Sibyl shook her head.  ‘No, I think this is a good thing.’

‘Good?  How can it be good?’

‘You said it yourself.  Poseidon won’t be there.  Even if he was, he wouldn’t dare try anything.  Not at Olympus.’

‘Like Zeus would care,’ Medusa scoffed.

‘Hera would.’  Sibyl reached out and put a hand on her great aunt’s shoulder.  ‘Yuri needs closure about her father.  We need her to break up with Ozzy.’

Medusa sighed.  ‘You were right about that.  I didn’t think they’d stay together this long.  Have you tried another divination?’

‘No.  I promised her I wouldn’t and I’m not going to break my word.  I don’t want her to hate me again. It took months to get her to trust me after the first one. But that vision was clear.  If she’s still with him by the end of the summer, then she’ll die.  I would tell her about it if I thought it would make a difference.’

‘You know it won’t.  Not after what happened to that Brittani girl.  She’ll ignore the truth of what you saw.  Besides, she’s sixteen years old.  You can’t trust a teenager to make the right decision.’ She tapped her long red fingernails irritably on the table. ‘She still deserves better though.’

Sibyl chewed on her bottom lip.  ‘She does.  Not only that, but I don’t have many human friends.  I don’t want to lose this one.’

‘You don’t have any other human friends.’

She pouted, slightly stung.  ‘I’m doing better than Cassandra did.’

‘That girl was an idiot.’

‘It wasn’t her fault.  She didn’t have any control over her prophecies.’

‘Yet another thing to blame the gods for,’ Medusa said, her voice dripping with bitter scorn.

Sibyl eyed her with empathy.  ‘You know they’re not all bad.  Poseidon did stop the sirens from hurting Yuri.’

Medusa snarled while sudden guilt flashed across Sibyl’s face.  ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.

‘He’s a fickle prick. Like all those fucking gods.’ Her hands balled up into fists while her snakes writhed restlessly at her tension.

‘We can’t turn back time.  But we can help Yuri.’

‘How?’

Sibyl frowned.  ‘If she’s away from Devon, then you will be free to seek out Antaeus.  Find out why he’s so pissed off at her.  Maybe you can get him to see reason and leave her alone.’

Medusa flicked her a skeptical glance.  ‘Poseidon’s son is unlikely to want to talk to me.’

‘I know, I know, it’s a long shot.  But it might help.’