Threadneedle

by Cari Thomas

  ‘Are you a house-party virgin then?’ he said.

  Anna didn’t hear him properly. ‘A virgin? Er – I—’ She felt the blood run to her face and thanked Effie silently for the anti-blush blush.

  ‘A house-party virgin,’ he repeated more loudly, a smile settling on his face.

  ‘Oh yeah,’ said Anna, looking away. ‘Well, I’ve been to some parties, but none in a house. No. So yes.’ Stop talking.

  ‘You don’t know the rules of survival then?’

  ‘Definitely not,’ Anna laughed.

  ‘Come with me.’ He put his arm around her and, at his touch, she felt the shivers return to her stomach in waves. He led her down the stairs, steadying her.

  She wasn’t sure what to do about the arm: Lean into it? Let it be? She was acutely aware that several people at the bottom of the stairs had seen them and were whispering. She half expected him to turn around and reveal that talking to her was all a big joke, but he simply smiled back up at her in a camera-flash of white teeth and steered her into the kitchen, the floor sticky, glass crunching underfoot. Anna thought of Lydia and wondered if the popularity points she was earning were worth her house being trashed. Probably. A group of people were playing some kind of game involving chanting and banging on the table.

  Peter leant into her. ‘There are three things you need to know at a house party. Where the wine is.’ He opened the fridge and took out a bottle tucked at the back. ‘Where the bottle opener lives.’ He put his hand behind a pot on the top shelf and pulled one out. ‘And where the secret food stash is.’ He opened the oven door to reveal a few slices of pizza on a tray. ‘Here you are, my lady.’ He handed her a glass of wine and a piece of pizza. Anna put her handbag down on the surface and took them. He’s only being kind, just be cool.

  ‘I never expected this level of service at a house party,’ she said, biting into the pizza and realizing she was starving. They clinked their glasses together and Anna drank the wine. It was sour.

  ‘Don’t we have a class together?’

  ‘Yeah. English.’ Twice a week. You once said my name.

  ‘You look different. Is your hair a different colour?’ He caught a lock between his fingers and studied it. If Darcey sees me now I’ll be dead forever.

  ‘I had an enforced makeover. I don’t recommend it.’

  ‘Sounds painful.’

  ‘It was for my eyebrows.’

  He laughed and took a sip of wine. ‘And who carried out this makeover then?’

  Someone bumped into them from behind, sending her glass toppling and the wine spilling out across the surface.

  ‘For God’s sake,’ said Peter, pushing himself away from it, a wet line across his white shirt where he had been leaning. He turned to find the culprit – a greasy-looking boy who’d been participating in the drinking game.

  ‘Sorry, mate,’ the boy slurred.

  Peter put a hand on his chest and pushed him back firmly. ‘No harm intended,’ he said rigidly. ‘Did it get you?’ he asked Anna, searching through a set of drawers and finding a tea towel. He dabbed at his shirt, tutting.

  ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘You sure?’ He offered the towel to her.

  Anna nodded.

  ‘Good. We wouldn’t want to ruin that beautiful dress, now would we?’ His mouth softened into a smile. ‘Onward with the survival tour?’

  He offered her an arm. Anna took his again, her mind entering a space somewhere between panic and elation. They were walking through the maze of the house together – publicly. ‘This place is huge! It’s ridiculous,’ she exclaimed. Peter nodded, pulling her closer to him as they wove through the crowd. Anna realized, feeling immediately idiotic, that the house wasn’t out of the ordinary to him – his own was probably bigger. He led her into a slightly quieter room with several opulent sofas containing various writhing couples.

  ‘Chill-out zone. An easier place to talk,’ he said.

  ‘I see,’ said Anna, heart hammering as she watched a rogue hand creep up the jumper of a girl on the nearest sofa.

  She’d never liked crowds but at least they had the advantage of anonymity. Standing here with Peter was entirely different; this crowd was aware – drunk and slurring, but mindful. They gathered around them with the interest of wasps. Darcey’s going to find out. Anna finished her wine, a bubbling rising up inside of her – excitement or fear – it didn’t seem to matter any more.

  ‘Where’s Darcey, Peter?’ A girl with mascara halfway down her face appeared in front of them, looking back and forth between them.

  ‘I have no idea,’ Peter replied, irritated.

  The girl laughed and raised a phone out of nowhere taking a picture of them – the flash temporarily blinding Anna.

  ‘Shall we go outside?’ Peter whispered in her ear. ‘Then you can finally tell me your name.’

  Anna nodded, her head spinning.

  ‘There you are!’ A hand on her shoulder. Effie’s voice. No! Not now! Anna turned to find a significantly more dishevelled Effie. Her hair had fallen down and was wet on one side; she was clutching a glass in one hand, which was steadily spilling liquid onto the floor, and wearing a large blazer that didn’t belong to her. Rowan was with her, holding a teapot.

  ‘Peter.’ Effie said his name with slow relish. ‘I see you’re looking after my Anna.’

  ‘Effie,’ he said stiffly. His gaze took in her revealing outfit.

  ‘You got something on your shirt,’ she slurred, drawing her finger across the red wine stain.

  ‘I was aware, thank you.’

  ‘Sorry to interrupt your mooooves.’ Peter’s jaw tensed – he did not like to be teased. Anna made furious eyes at Effie. ‘But I’m going to have to borrow Anna.’ Effie began pulling her away.

  ‘Can’t it wait?’ said Anna.

  ‘No. Come on.’

  Anna turned back to Peter, mouthing sorry before she was dragged into the crowd.

  ‘Anna, you were with Peter! All the cups have gone so I’ve been drinking out of this teapot. Works quite well.’ Rowan tipped the spout up into her mouth. ‘Manda’s been stalking Karim but I think it’s finally worked. They’re making out in the other room. Where’s my passion, people?’

  Anna was still focused on Effie. ‘Why did you have to wind him up like that? And why did you drag me away?’

  ‘I was rescuing you. Darcey’s on the hunt for him. Anyway, there’s still plenty of time to stick your tongue down his throat.’

  ‘That’s not what was happening.’

  ‘I forgot, you’re far too puuuure for anything like that.’ Anna glared at her. ‘Point is he was calling all the shots. We don’t want you waiting for his kiss, we want him begging for yours. Plus, I was bored.’

  ‘What happened to Laurence?’ said Rowan, offering them the teapot.

  ‘He’s the reason I was bored.’ Effie took a gulp from it. ‘Rowan, that girl who called me a slut earlier …’

  ‘Oh yes, Charlotte.’

  ‘Is her boyfriend still here?’

  Rowan scanned the room. ‘Yes, he’s that one over there. Tall, dark brown hair.’

  ‘Perfect, come dance.’

  ‘I’ll come in a minute,’ said Anna. ‘Need some fresh air.’

  ‘Suit yourself,’ said Effie, making a beeline for the man Rowan had pointed out.

  ‘I guess that’s Charlotte taken care of,’ said Rowan with a mixture of admiration and disbelief.

  Drinking the wine had brought back the earlier feeling of nausea. Anna stepped out into the garden, lit by waves of light rebounding from the pool house which was filled with splashing shadows. She moved to the side and leant against the wall. Her mind was full of Peter’s face, of his lips whispering in her ear; everything in the garden seemed to dissolve into the colour of his eyes.

  ‘You do know you’re shivering?’

  ‘Not now, please.’ Anna rolled her head in the opposite direction.

  ‘It’s cold out here,’ said Attis.

&nb
sp; Anna didn’t reply, her breath forming a momentary cloud.

  ‘Do you know where Effie is?’

  ‘Inside. Preying on an unsuspecting victim: male, brown-haired, tall.’

  ‘That’s my girl.’

  ‘Are you OK with that?’ she asked sharply, turning to look at him.

  He shrugged and looked down.

  ‘Well you can hardly condemn her,’ Anna added defensively. ‘You were up there with your own victims – two if I recall.’

  Attis laughed, his breath joining hers in the air. ‘Victims? That’s an interesting interpretation. For victims they seemed to be enjoying themselves an awful lot.’

  Anna felt the bile turn in her stomach. She bent forward, her head swimming.

  ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Fine.’ She breathed in for a few moments. ‘If they’re not victims, then they’re misled.’ She couldn’t quite make the point she was trying to, with the force of conviction inside her.

  ‘Not all girls are looking for love, Anna.’ He looked at her in such a way that she couldn’t help feeling utterly patronized. ‘Some are just looking for a good time. It’s a little sexist to presume otherwise, is it not?’

  Anna considered his words, finding him right but feeling him to be wrong. ‘But how do you know they weren’t looking for love?’ She pointed a finger at his chest.

  ‘What? At the same time?’ He smiled infuriatingly. ‘It’s just good fun. For them and me. Are you going to be sick?’

  Anna steadied herself against the wall. ‘What about that look?’

  ‘What look?’

  ‘The one you have, the undressing-with-your-eyes one. You shouldn’t—’

  ‘Undressing with my eyes?’ He laughed, turning his eyes on her. ‘I find women beautiful, I won’t apologize for that, but I don’t undress anyone with anything unless they want to be undressed. You’re still shivering – look, here …’ He leant forwards and touched her shoulder with his hand. She flinched away.

  ‘I don’t know where those hands have been. What are you doing?’

  ‘This will help, trust me.’

  She rolled her eyes and held her arm out to him. He traced a pattern on it with the tip of his finger – a symbol. Almost immediately a melting warmth spread from her arm across her body and she realized just how cold she’d been. Anna looked up at him, momentarily lost for words as the feeling travelled through her. ‘What is that?’

  ‘The magic touch.’ He grinned. ‘So have you had any fun tonight?’ His eyes sang with amusement. ‘I saw you with Peter.’

  ‘Perhaps. It’s not for you to know.’ She gave him a knowing smile of her own. She could play his games too.

  ‘And are you sure he knows your rules of engagement?’

  ‘I don’t like to reveal my rules of engagement until it’s too late,’ Anna teased, finding the nausea had settled with the wave of warmth.

  He laughed. ‘Who’s the victim now then?’

  ‘I’ll guess we’ll just have to wait and see.’

  ‘I guess so.’ He leant closer.

  Anna backed away. ‘Fire demon?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Is that what you are? If you’re not a witch …’

  ‘No. That sounds cool, but no.’

  ‘A werewolf?’

  He laughed. ‘No.’

  ‘Come on, let’s go back in. I promised the girls a dance.’

  The air inside was a hot wall after the garden. Anna spotted Effie dancing with Charlotte’s boyfriend, with Rowan and Manda alongside. She knew she should still be mad but she just wanted to dance with her friends.

  ‘Anna! Attis!’ Rowan called. ‘Thank the Goddess you’re here. We have a code red. Tell them what you’ve done, Manda.’

  Manda turned to Anna, big eyes unfocused. ‘Karim sent his friend to tell me to stop following him. That I was freaking him out.’

  Attis released a laugh from behind. ‘Don’t worry, Manda, some men can’t handle a girl with spirit.’

  ‘I think it was when I followed him into the toilet that did it. Oh, but we kissed. My first kiss and two minutes later there’s basically a restraining order against me and I’ve been sick, even though I’ve only had two drinks and one of them might have been water.’

  ‘Meanwhile I’ve had two whole teapots and I’m fine,’ said Rowan, pulling strange dance moves against the wall.

  Anna started to laugh and found she couldn’t stop. Manda looked hurt for a moment and then began giggling too. Effie abandoned the guy and came over. ‘What’s going on here?’

  ‘We’re just not very good at parties,’ said Anna, blinking through her tears.

  Effie smiled. ‘Well, I’d gathered that.’

  She put an arm around Anna and they danced, forgetting the angst, the dramas, the crowds and whispers; feeling nothing but being young and alive. And then Tom Kellman arrived. Attis had gone to get them water and Tom had obviously sensed the opportunity open up.

  ‘I like your top,’ he slurred in Effie’s ear. ‘I can see your bra.’ He was wearing a bright red velvet jacket – now ripped down one arm.

  ‘How fascinating,’ Effie replied. ‘Please give me more insights into the depths of your psyche.’

  ‘You can have all the insights you want. Let’s go upstairs.’ He took hold of her arm.

  ‘Get off me. I’m dancing with my friends, fool.’ She pulled herself away.

  ‘Cooooomme onnn,’ he whispered in her ear.

  Effie threw her drink in his face.

  ‘HEY!’ he shouted. ‘You bitch!’

  Attis had him against the wall within seconds. The noise of the crowd around them hushed.

  ‘If you say anything like that about her again, I will kill you,’ said Attis and the look on his face was terrible: a sudden inferno. Tom tried ineffectually to headbutt him.

  ‘Get off him.’ Peter grabbed Attis’s shoulders and yanked him away. Attis made a face at Peter that was half-smile, half-snarl.

  Tom threw back his shoulders and stuck out his chin. ‘What? I can’t be the first person to point out she is a massive, cock-teasing bitch!’ Attis turned around to hit him but Peter pulled him away again, so Attis punched Peter in the face instead – and then again. Peter fell to the floor, blood pouring from his nose. Attis got on top of him. There were screams now, the music pulsing, egging him on. Anna was shouting at Attis, pulling at his shoulders, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  ‘ATTIS,’ shouted Effie. ‘HE’S NOT WORTH IT.’ At the sound of her voice his arm froze in mid-air. Peter struggled against him on the floor and the next moment Tom had jumped on Attis from behind, knocking Anna in the process. The scuffle continued for several more moments, until Attis had thrown Tom off again. Effie smiled at Attis, who smiled back, blood on his cheek and a mania in his eyes.

  ‘It’s all good fun,’ he laughed wildy, putting an arm around Effie.

  Peter clambered to his feet and put a hand out to Anna to help her up. ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘Fucking idiots, both of them,’ said Peter, still holding her hand. Blood trickled from his nose, which was beginning to swell.

  ‘Get out of the way.’ Darcey parted the crowd. ‘What’s going on?’

  They all turned to look at her. Anna saw the exhilaration in Effie’s eyes. She was relishing every moment: the fight, the blood, the chaos … Anna’s hand resting in Peter’s … Darcey noticing.

  ‘Nothing,’ Peter spat. ‘Just a loser trying to ruin a good time.’ He let Anna’s hand go.

  ‘Speaking of,’ said Darcey, her eyes landing on Anna like a feast she was about to tuck into. Corinne raised her phone towards Anna. ‘You left your bag in the kitchen. Your phone was ringing so I picked it up. It was your aunt. She’s terribly worried about you. Don’t fret – I told her exactly where you are. She’s on her way.’ Darcey gave Anna a concerned smile and handed her bag back to her. ‘It’s well past your bedtime.’

  Anna took the bag in shock, the crowd
around her laughing.

  ‘Darcey …’ said Peter disapprovingly.

  ‘It’s not my fault! The phone was ringing, I thought I was being helpful—’

  Darcey suddenly fell to the floor with a shriek, her ankle twisted. Anna could see that one of her heels had broken. Peter and Olivia rushed to help her. The look on Effie’s face was all Anna needed to know that she’d done it. And the way Darcey was looking up at her suggested she knew it too.

  ‘Come on.’ Effie smiled, pulling Anna through the clamour of the crowd.

  They wove back into the hallway, which was quiet now.

  ‘Effie! What did you just do?’ said Anna, finding it hard to speak, to move. She’s on her way. Aunt knew she was out, knew she was at a party, knew she wasn’t at a science fair in Reading.

  Effie laughed. ‘Come on, Darcey deserved it.’

  ‘In front of everyone. You shouldn’t have—’

  ‘Anna!’ Manda appeared in front of Anna, face wild with fear, ‘If your aunt knows you’re here then she’ll tell my mum too. Lord! That’s my life over. Over!’

  Anna tried to find a way through. ‘Look. I’ll tell my aunt you’re at the science fair, that I used you and went to meet Effie in London. Selene can back up my story, she can say that it was just Effie and me at the house.’ She wasn’t sure how her voice sounded so calm when her heart was beating so fast she could hardly breathe. ‘You don’t have to be dragged into this. Better that one of us gets to stay in the coven.’

  ‘Anna, no, don’t say that,’ said Rowan.

  ‘I’ve got to go.’ The sick feeling was back with intent this time.

  ‘Let me come out there. I’ll give your aunt a piece of my mind,’ said Effie, but Attis held her back.

  ‘Effie, no, it’ll just make it worse. You have to stay here and call Selene, make sure she agrees with the story. I’ve got to go.’ Anna stumbled out of the front door onto the lawn.

  ‘Look – the Nobody has to go home early, boo hoo,’ she heard someone call out of a window. It sounded like Olivia. They’d all be watching her humiliation. None of it seemed to matter any more. Anna found it difficult to feel anything at all. Her entire world had been swallowed up by a fear so deep it was as if she’d sunk into the depths of a gloomy lake and was viewing everything from below.