Poison Heart (12 page)

‘Wow. I don’t remember. Guess I must have had a vivid imagination.’

I went back to my room, worried that Nat still hadn’t called. When I drifted off to sleep that night my head was full of Mum’s words. I couldn’t help but wonder why all these strange feelings of recognition and déjà vu had suddenly resurfaced after lying dormant for so many years.

Genevieve was a chameleon. She had changed again over the weekend. Her face was now framed with curls, not wiry untamed ones like mine, but soft tumbling ones that bounced and danced in the October sun, golden like the autumn leaves. Her features appeared even more delicate than usual and she wore an ethnic smock over leggings that made her look like a beautiful waif. Whenever I tried to pull off this look I managed to resemble a heifer in a sack. I tried to ignore her, focusing on Nat, who had her back to me. I tugged her sleeve, my heart missing a beat in case I detected hostility in her eyes. But she turned to me and looked as open and friendly as ever.

‘Everything OK?’ I asked nervously.

She nodded ruefully and whispered. ‘Sorry about yesterday. I had to endure quality time with my family … no texting allowed. It was torture.’

‘What about the … you know … Facebook thing?’

‘I’m just going to brazen it out,’ she answered bravely.
‘They’ll soon be picking on someone else and I’ll be yesterday’s news.’

My eyes felt moist with relief that she was so cool about everything. It was such a weight off my mind, although I was still livid with Genevieve, who simply refused to be ignored. She came right up to me, vainly fingering her gorgeous curls. Hannah and Nat must have sensed something was going on because I could feel their nervous sidelong glances.

‘Love your hair,’ I trilled, trying to reassure them.

‘Do you?’ Genevieve answered casually. ‘My straighteners broke and this is the result.’

I stretched out one finger and wound it around a tendril, feeling her cringe at my touch.

‘How was your weekend?’ she asked pointedly, and something about her knowing smile made my blood run cold. She was probably hoping that Nat would have cut me dead and I was so glad that things seemed the same between us.

‘It was fine, thanks.’

We walked into class together. ‘Did you do much work on your project, Katy?’

So that was why she was extra smug. It was the final session before our first semester’s project was due, and Genevieve’s submission was bound to be fabulous. Despite starting college later than the rest of us, she was still streets ahead. I couldn’t compete and she knew it.

‘I didn’t do anything at the weekend,’ I admitted. ‘But I’d already finished.’

‘Good luck then.’ She smirked. ‘I really hope you do well.’

Her moods were a complete mystery and I was glad to move to my own desk away from her. When she was close by, this battle of wills wore me out and drained all my energy. I slowly unzipped my art folder. Time seemed to stop as I stared, uncomprehendingly, at what was inside. Dazed, I took out each piece and studied it, thinking I was hallucinating or they must belong to someone else. There was a roaring sound in my ears as if I’d been submerged in water, and warm terror engulfed me. My hand-drawn designs were almost obliterated with navy-blue dye and my fabric samples were unrecognizable. Weeks of work ruined. Miss Clegg must have noticed the horror on my face and made her way over. She peered over my shoulder and gave a deep sigh.

‘I’m sorry, Katy. You mustn’t have used a colourfast solution … this can sometimes happen. What a shame it spoiled your other designs.’

My voice was unnaturally high-pitched and panicky. ‘But it wasn’t like this on Friday. Everything was dry and crisp. I wouldn’t have been so stupid …’

She smiled sympathetically. ‘It could happen to anyone. There’s still a week to redo them.’

‘It’s six weeks’ work,’ I said, tears filling my eyes. ‘I’ll never manage to finish, and if I hurry it’ll be rubbish and I’ll fail and …’

She raised her hand to stop me mid-flow and her voice
was kind but firm. ‘See how you get on. If you can’t finish in time, we can work something out. I know you’ve put in a lot of effort.’ She turned and walked away from me as fast as she could.

I tried to stop my lip from trembling, terrified of breaking down completely. Miss Clegg, my favourite teacher, had witnessed me acting like a drama queen and completely put me in my place. This was almost as bad as having my work ruined. I should have kept my dignity. When I lifted my head from the desk, everyone seemed to be looking my way. It was like the dream I sometimes have when I’m walking the street without any clothes, trying to get home. I felt so naked I actually hugged myself and tried to disappear.

After a few minutes I plucked up the courage to look up again. People were still staring and throwing embarrassed smiles my way. Everyone except one person – Genevieve. She was perfectly focused and engrossed in her own work, appearing oblivious to anything else. The hairs on the back of my neck began to rise again one by one and the first beginnings of suspicion filtered through. She surely couldn’t have got to my folder, could she? I always kept it close to me, although on Friday I did leave class for five minutes to go to the office and hand in my sheet of contact numbers. There were plenty of materials lying around, and if she was really clever no one would have noticed.

Why was I so shocked? It was so completely like her to be this underhand and vindictive. She’d already declared
war and made it clear that she wanted to destroy my life. But Luke was right. I had to resist the urge to retaliate because it would only rebound on me.

It wasn’t that easy. I was so incensed by the injustice of it all that my hands shook and I could barely hold a pencil. I tried to work, but no matter how much I warned myself to stay calm, the anger inside me bubbled away until it reached boiling point. My hair was sticky and I pushed it off my face and used my book as a fan. It felt as if I was suffocating from within, my breathing growing shallower and my throat constricting.

I could stand it no more. I stood up and moved forward like a sleepwalker, my vision cloudy and the room no longer familiar. Genevieve knew what was happening and she was feeding my anger. It felt as if she was inside my mind, fanning this blaze within me, all the time goading me to make a scene. Suddenly I was determined to resist. But I couldn’t completely contain my rage. With a tiny cry I ran outside to the corridor and banged my head against the cold of the white and blue wall tiles.

At lunchtime my mouth was so dry that I couldn’t swallow. My tuna-melt sandwich had turned to sawdust and even a moist, gooey muffin stuck in my throat. I took huge gulps of scalding coffee, which only made my heart race more. Genevieve arrived in the cafeteria with Nat and Hannah.

‘We heard what’s happened,’ Nat began. ‘It’s awful.’

‘Is there anything we can do to help?’ Hannah offered.

I wrinkled my nose and blinked, terrified of blubbing again. ‘No, but thanks anyway. I’ll just muddle through.’

‘I can help you finish on time,’ Genevieve announced, and I was forced to look directly at her. There was no emotion in her cold green eyes.

‘I’ll just be accused of copying then,’ I told her bluntly, wondering if this was another one of her ploys. ‘That would be worse than handing in nothing.’

She shrugged regretfully. ‘Suppose.’

‘Thanks so much for the offer, Genevieve,’ I made a point of saying through gritted teeth. ‘It’s so thoughtful of you and really appreciated.’

When lessons ended I took the long way home, away from the main roads, even though Mum would disapprove. The weather came out in sympathy with me – a persistent drizzle fuelled by low-lying grey and black clouds. I didn’t even lift my feet going through the puddles and my shoes squelched horribly. My route took me down a narrow road that ran beside a row of Georgian terraces with long gardens, each painted a different period colour, from palest pink to dove grey. It was peaceful here, away from the noise of the cars and the traffic fumes. The road wasn’t even properly surfaced, just a track which was formerly used for coaches and horses.

My mind went over and over what had happened. I even resorted to talking to myself because there was no one around, except for an annoying crow which followed me, squawking loudly and bobbing up and down. I looked at
it suspiciously, trying to work out if it had a tail feather missing and then laughed because this was so ridiculous. I didn’t hear any footsteps, but a vague feeling of unease made me spin around quickly and catch my breath. Without any indicator of where she’d come from, I was confronted by Genevieve, who must have moved as softly as a panther. She didn’t even have the grace to look guilty at creeping up on me like this.

‘You live in the opposite direction,’ I told her rudely.

‘Yes, but I wanted to commiserate with you.’

‘How nice. Why’s that?’

‘I know how it feels for your life to be ruined.’ She took one step closer and her nose nearly touched mine. ‘Don’t imagine your little game with Luke will work. You both think you’re so clever …’

My body began to tremble. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about … Luke’s my oldest friend …’

‘I’ll always be one step ahead of you … just remember that, Katy.’

My eyes closed with frustration, and when I opened them, she had disappeared as silently as she arrived.

When I got home I paced around my bedroom, unable to rest until I’d spoken to Luke. As soon as his car turned into our street I was outside on the pavement shouting through his open window.

‘Genevieve must have my house bugged – she says she knows about us and what we’re up to.’

Luke calmly closed his windows and got out of the car.
‘How would she organize something like that, Kat? Is she an electronics expert as well?’

He took me inside and sat me down in his kitchen. He was completely unfazed by my hysterical tone. ‘There has to be an explanation. She didn’t follow us and she doesn’t have psychic powers. So think, Katy.’

‘I can’t. My head’s all fuzzy.’

‘Who knew we were going out together on Saturday?’

‘No one,’ I answered quickly.

‘Your mum?’

‘Well,
she
did, of course.’

‘Phone her,’ Luke instructed in all seriousness.

I did as he said, and, after less than two minutes, put away my mobile, completely shamefaced. I could hardly look him in the eyes.

‘Nat and Hannah didn’t ring, but a very friendly girl called Genevieve did. She and Mum had a chat together about all sorts of things, including you. Mum forgot to mention it.’

Luke’s voice was gentle. ‘I told you there’d be an explanation … a really boring, simple explanation.’ He sat down beside me and mussed up my hair, which he knew annoyed me. ‘You’ve given this girl supernatural powers and made her into something you can’t defeat. She’s just ordinary and everything she does is ordinary. Don’t build her up into something out of this world.’

I rested my head on his shoulder for a few seconds, wondering what I’d do if Luke wasn’t there to keep me sane.

Merlin texted me to meet somewhere away from the college and suggested La Tasse, which seemed like a good omen – to meet in the cafe where we had our first proper date. I couldn’t wait to see him. The weekend had flown by with hardly any contact between us, and yesterday was so eventful I barely noticed he wasn’t around. The problem was, if I had to devote every minute of my spare time to my extra coursework then our time together would be even more restricted, and I wondered if this was Genevieve’s intention.

For once I’d dressed to look alluring and had to admit that my super-skinny jeans and fitted white shirt were quite sexy, with no hint of the bag lady about them. I swung open the cafe door looking eagerly for Merlin, but he was nowhere to be seen. He arrived late, with a downcast face, and his half-hearted kiss landed on my chin instead of my lips. Instead of sliding into the same bench as me, he sat opposite. After a couple of awkward minutes I turned
around, almost expecting to see Genevieve watching me. That’s when I realized that this place was tainted by her as well.

‘Sorry I couldn’t come over on Saturday,’ I gushed.

Merlin seemed distracted as if he hadn’t heard me. The waitress approached and I ordered a jacket potato, salad and milkshake, but Merlin settled for a large cappuccino.

‘How was your weekend?’

He exhaled loudly. ‘Pretty boring.’

‘Did you go anywhere?’

‘Not really … I did some painting, and helped Mum with her class.’

I tried to keep my face composed. Merlin’s mum’s class meant just one thing to me: Genevieve. ‘Is everything OK?’

‘Fine.’ Merlin didn’t lift his head as he spoke but traced the knots on the table with his long fingers. There it was again, the feeling that he was a million miles from me.

‘Tell me what’s wrong.’

Now he looked at me and his dark eyes were distant, like rain clouds overhead. ‘There’s no easy way to say this …’

He stopped and so did my heart. I waited to hear the words I dreaded.

I’ve fallen for someone else. Don’t know how it happened. We didn’t plan it and I’m sorry to hurt you … it’s Genevieve … but it isn’t her fault, I’m the one to blame. I hope we can still be friends.’

‘Just tell me,’ I demanded mutinously.

‘Is there … I mean … is anything going on between you and Luke?’

I laid my head on the table and broke into relieved laughter. When I finally looked up I had to wipe the corners of my eyes with my sleeve. I reached over to touch his hand.

‘Don’t be silly. He’s like a big brother. I’ve known him forever, and he has a girlfriend … fiancée almost.’ Merlin’s face stayed immobile and I had to keep on gabbling. ‘He doesn’t even think of me as a proper girl, and he’s seen me at my absolute worst. Once I sneezed on him when I had a bad cold and … you can imagine what went all over his T-shirt. He still teases me about it.’

Merlin still didn’t smile. He reached into his pocket and deliberately laid a photograph on the table as if he was setting up a card trick. Even upside down I could make out the identities of the two figures. Something inside my chest seemed to expand and fill me with trepidation.