Valentine

by Jodi McAlister

  ‘I can’t just leave her!’

  ‘I don’t think you quite understand how bad I suck at this, Pearl. I’m crap at being – whatever I am. If it comes to a throwdown, to us meeting them face to face, we are going to lose. So if something bad is coming for her, it can either get just her or it can get all three of us. Which of those options do you want?’

  ‘Don’t talk about her like she’s just some statistic on a spreadsheet you’re trying to balance!’

  ‘Don’t try to get us both killed!’ he snaps back.

  I’m reminded, violently, of exactly why Finn and I have hated each other so passionately for so long.

  He pulls up suddenly. ‘Stay in the car – keep the jacket over your head,’ he says. ‘I’ll just be a sec.’

  I raise my head and peep out the window just in time to see Finn unlock the door to his house. I collapse back onto the seat and put his jacket back over my head. My teeth are clenched. I hate being bossed around.

  ‘Put these on,’ Finn says, getting back into the driver’s seat and throwing something at me.

  ‘What is this?’ I ask, aghast. ‘What – where did you get these?’

  ‘Not important.’

  I sit up and fold my arms. ‘Finn, I am not wearing these. Absolutely not.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because I don’t do sequins. I don’t do spandex. And I especially do not do pink sparkly shirts that say princess on them!’

  ‘Think of it this way – it’s going to make it much harder for anyone to recognise you.’

  ‘Are you kidding? If I wear this you’re going to be able to see me from space! I’ll stand out like a sore thumb!’

  ‘Not where we’re going.’ He puts the car into gear.

  ‘And where are we going?’ I ask.

  I see his smile in the rear-view mirror. ‘We’re going dancing.’

  When it comes to a choice between certain death and sequins, the sequins win. On countback, after a penalty shootout.

  ‘Finn, explain to me why you think going dancing is a good idea,’ I say.

  ‘Because, Linford, no one will expect to find you there,’ he says. ‘And it’s public. Even if they do manage to find you, it’ll be way harder for them to do anything to you if there are witnesses.’

  ‘Fine. Explain to me again why I have to wear this – ridiculous stuff!’

  ‘Because otherwise you’ll stand out,’ he says calmly.

  ‘I’m bald – I’m going to stand out anyway!’

  ‘I’ll take care of that.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘I said I’ll take care of it!’

  ‘The same way you took care of it in Sydney?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then why can’t you take care of the whole damn outfit?’

  ‘Because that’s not how it works! I can make people see people that aren’t there, but I can’t change their clothes.’

  ‘That doesn’t make any sense! What’s the use of having superpowers if they’ve got stupid limitations on them?’

  ‘Has anyone ever told you that you are a complete bitch, Linford?’

  ‘It happens when something’s trying to kill you,’ I snap back.

  He exhales audibly. ‘Look, just call Phil, if you’re so worried about her.’

  ‘I –’ Oh. That’s actually a good idea.

  I glare at him as I scroll through my phone to find her number. ‘Phil?’

  ‘Hey! What’s up?’

  ‘Oh, nothing, nothing,’ I say, looking at Finn, as he nervously scans the car park we’re parked in for – I don’t know. Wizards. Murderers. Denizens of evil. Fairies. ‘Just checking to see that you got home safe.’

  ‘Is that Pearl?’ I hear Julian ask.

  ‘Yep,’ she replies to him.

  ‘I’m at home too,’ I say hurriedly.

  ‘I know, I dropped you off there,’ she says. ‘Are you feeling all right?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ I say. ‘Glad you’re home safe. Bye.’

  I hang up. ‘Are you satisfied?’ Finn asks tersely.

  I don’t dignify that with a response.

  ‘Now call your family, will you? Tell them you’re staying with Phil tonight.’

  That I do dignify with a response. ‘Not a chance. My sister will –’

  ‘Look, I don’t know how long this’ll take or when I’ll be able to get you home. Do you want them to worry because you’re staying at Phil’s or worry because they don’t know where you are?’

  I hate, hate, hate that he makes sense. ‘They’re not going to like it,’ I say, scrolling down to Shad’s number.

  ‘They’ll be okay with it.’

  ‘What, you’re going to brainwash them too, are you?’

  ‘Geez, Linford, calm down!’

  ‘Stop telling me what to do!’

  ‘Shut up!’ Finn hisses.

  I clench my teeth. ‘Don’t you dare mess with my brother’s mind.’

  He rolls his eyes. ‘I wasn’t going to – and it’s not like I can even do it over the phone. He’s your brother, isn’t he? He’ll get over it.’

  I press the call button before I rip Finn’s head off.

  ‘Pearlie?’ Shad answers on the second ring. There’s a hubbub of conversation in the background.

  ‘Hey, Shad.’

  ‘Are you home? I shouldn’t be too much longer.’

  ‘I’m at Phil’s,’ I say, sitting up and looking at where I really am – a dingy car park, not unlike the one out the back of the restaurant. ‘Um, do you mind if I stay the night?’

  I hear Shad sigh. ‘It’d be better if you came home, Pearlie. You’re still not well yet –’

  ‘I know, but Phil is totally flipping out over homework,’ I improvise. ‘She’s been so good to me bringing all my stuff round – I really need to help her out with this. I’ll be back tomorrow morning, I promise, and I’ve got my phone and everything – please Shad, I have to.’

  Finn’s green eyes are boring into my face. I glare back.

  ‘All right, Pearlie – but Disey is going to kill you,’ Shad warns.

  ‘I’ll explain it to her, promise.’

  ‘Who’s that?’ I hear Helena ask.

  ‘Just Pearl,’ Shad says. ‘Listen, Pearlie, I’ve got to go, but you keep your phone on, you understand?’

  ‘Yes, Shad.’

  ‘And be good.’

  ‘Of course I will.’ For the first time in my life, that’s a lie.

  ‘Love you.’

  ‘Love you too. Bye.’

  I hang up and throw my phone back into my bag. ‘Are you happy now?’

  Finn stares. ‘Christ, Pearl, what did I do?’

  ‘You turned my best friend into a robot,’ I snarl.

  ‘God, is that all? I –’

  ‘What do you mean, is that all?’ I demand. ‘Didn’t you see her? She was sitting there talking to thin air! You rewired her brain! What if you’ve screwed her up for life?’

  ‘You were the one that wanted to talk and I got you out of there without you being followed! What’s wrong with you?’

  ‘Aren’t you listening? Phil –’

  ‘– will be fine!’

  ‘How do you know? Have you done tests? Have you got proof?’

  ‘I just know!’

  We glare at each other. ‘Look, I’m sorry I did that to Phil,’ Finn says, ‘but I had to get you away somehow.’

  ‘If she’s messed up forever, I won’t ever forgive you.’

  ‘She won’t be.’

  ‘You don’t know that.’

  ‘Pearl, please –’

  ‘She’s my best friend,’ I say tightly, ‘and I don’t want her involved in this.’

  ‘Then we’ll do our best to keep her out of it,’ Finn says.

  ‘Do you promise?’

  ‘I promise I’ll try.’

  I regard him sharply. ‘But you can’t promise we’ll succeed, can you?’

  He shakes his head. ‘I can’t lie.’

/>   His eyes meet mine and we stare at each other. ‘I suppose that’ll just have to do,’ I say at last.

  ‘You know how sorry I am, don’t you?’ he says.

  ‘You can’t help who you are,’ I say. ‘Okay, get out of the car.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Do you want me to change into these freaking sequins or not?’

  The Haylesford Hotel is a seedy, seedy place. Through the week, it’s a drinking hole for men wearing grubby singlets with beards down to their ankles who talk only in grunts. But a few years ago, whoever it is that runs it decided they were pulling a bit too much of a niche market. Haylesford isn’t exactly a hip and happening place, but now every Friday and Saturday night the hotel transforms into Club H, the closest thing to a nightclub Haylesford has. And it provides one of the favourite pastimes for kids from my school – trying to sneak in despite being underage.

  ‘I’ve never been here before,’ I say nervously to Finn as we wait in line.

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ he says absently, slinging an arm over my shoulders and looking around.

  ‘What do you mean, you know?’ I say, shrugging his arm away.

  ‘Stay close to me, would you?’ he whispers, putting his arm back. ‘I’ve never seen you here before. It’s not your scene. That’s why we’re here – no one would ever think to look for you here.’

  It makes sense. I know it makes sense. But the thought of going into the hotel still makes my skin crawl. Disey told me a story about the cockroaches here one time . . . no, Pearl, don’t think about it.

  ‘ID?’ the bouncer asks.

  ‘Here,’ Finn says, handing him a bus ticket and a movie ticket.

  ‘Okay, cool,’ the bouncer says. ‘Go on in.’

  ‘Whoa,’ I whisper as we walk inside. ‘What did you –’

  ‘I made him see that we were twenty-two,’ Finn answers quietly. ‘And called Brad and Angelina.’

  ‘And he didn’t see through that?’

  ‘I’m very convincing.’

  I shake my head. The powers of mind control in the hands of the person whom I have spent my life declaiming as the world’s most immature, self-absorbed brat. And yet he can’t change people’s outfits. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

  ‘Finn! Finn!’ someone yells from the dance floor, waving their hand. It’s Tricia and a whole pack of people from school. Including Jenny and Cardy, who are draped all over each other. Vom.

  ‘So your name’s Brad, is it?’ I ask, raising my eyebrow.

  He shrugs, waving back. ‘The bouncer’s not in here. Come on. Let’s find somewhere to –’

  ‘What the hell is this?’ Holly-Anne demands.

  She grabs Finn by his collar and pretty much slams him against the wall. I don’t like Holly, have never liked Holly, but I can’t lie – it’s quite impressive. ‘Holly,’ he says. ‘Let me –’

  ‘No, I will not let you explain,’ she says. ‘I told you we were done. And then you hook up with me when I don’t even remember even though I told you that was never going to happen again and now you turn up here with some other chick and – what are you still doing here?’ she barks at me, turning around. ‘This is a private conversation.’

  I hesitate. This looks like ex-girlfriend business, but what if it’s secret fairy business? We know Holly is involved. And sure, maybe Finn can protect himself, but –

  ‘Go,’ Finn says. ‘Just – I’ll find you, okay?’

  Unsure of what else to do, I nod and walk away.

  There is something out there that wants to kill me. I’m being stalked by evil black animals. People I go to school with are sneaking into my bedroom at night. Finn just performed some kind of Vulcan mind meld on my best friend and I’m currently wearing sequins, lycra and some random girl’s face. And yet I’m more at ease with all of those things than with being in this nightclub.

  What do people do in nightclubs? Should I go and buy a drink? No, I’ll get carded immediately, and with Finn’s superpowers currently being held up against a wall by his ex-girlfriend, I’ll blow my cover at once. But is it weird if I don’t have a drink? If I just stay here, will I stand out?

  Someone stumbles past me and spills half a beer down my sequinned cleavage. Ugh.

  I look around me for a serviette or something. ‘Here,’ someone says, handing me a bunch of tissues. ‘You look like you could use them.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I say gratefully.

  ‘You’re welcome.’ He’s tall and kind of good-looking with very white teeth, maybe three or four years older than me, with messy dark hair. ‘Do you want to dance?’

  I’m about to say no, but then I see the last people I’d ever expect to see in a place like this. Shad and Helena are sitting at the bar not two metres away from me, laughing with each other, and oh God I could be disguised as the Queen or the actual Angelina and it wouldn’t matter because he’d know me anywhere.

  ‘Sure,’ I say.

  The boy takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor. I’m so relieved at putting some distance between me and my brother that it takes me nearly two whole seconds to remember that OH YEAH I CAN’T DANCE.

  Seriously. I can’t. I feel like there was some memo that went round or maybe some classes that I totally missed, because I can’t dance at all. I look around wildly at the other people on the dance floor, gyrating and waving their arms. The dude is moving easily to the music, perfectly in time with the beat. And I – oh God. I bet They’re here. And They must have a dossier on me, because, come on, of course they do, and They’re going to ID me in a second because of my freaking lack of dancing skills.

  Where’s Finn? I need Finn right now.

  ‘Relax,’ the dude says, smiling. He takes my hands and wraps them around his neck. ‘You seem tense.’

  ‘I’m a tense person,’ I reply.

  ‘Maybe I can fix that.’ His breath is surprisingly cold against my ear. One of his hands rests on the small of my back, pressing us closer, and . . . I’m not going to lie, it’s not the worst sensation I’ve ever felt in my life.

  I sneak another peek at Shad over the dude’s shoulder. He’s not dancing (maybe it’s genetic), just sitting at the bar with Helena. She’s got her hair piled on top of her head and bits of it keep falling out. She and Shad make a toast and try to do that thing where you link wrists and drink and she spills half her drink on her lap. Shad laughs and blots it away with a napkin.

  I never knew they came here. But it doesn’t surprise me, really. It’s not like we’ve made Helena welcome at home.

  I look for Finn. I can’t see him. Panic wraps its icy fingers around my heart.

  ‘You’re getting all tense again,’ the dude says. His stubble is rough against my cheek.

  ‘Sorry,’ I say.

  ‘Tell me about yourself,’ he says. ‘What are you called?’

  I can barely hear him above the music. Do people really ask each other this kind of stuff on the dance floor? ‘Angie,’ I say.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Angie!’

  ‘Angie,’ he repeats. He pulls back a little so he’s looking right into my eyes. Then he leans in close and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me but then he smiles and rests his forehead on mine. ‘Hello, Pearl.’

  My heart stops beating.

  ‘What?’ I ask faintly.

  ‘Pearl Linford,’ he says. He smiles at me, but this is no normal smile. His teeth are sharp and wickedly pointed, like the teeth of a shark. ‘I’d know you anywhere. You can’t wear any mask that will fool me.’

  ‘My name is –’

  ‘We’re watching you, Pearl.’ He pulls me close, his fingers digging into my sides so hard I’m worried he’s going to break the skin. ‘You may think you’re clever, but we’re cleverer. We have eyes everywhere.’

  ‘Are you drunk?’ I say, faking a laugh.

  ‘Come with me, Pearl Linford,’ he says, staring into my eyes. ‘Come with me and it will be all right. We’ll look after you.’
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br />   I’m floating. The sea is not cold and black this time – it’s warm, like swimming inside a hot water bottle. It embraces me, pulling me in. If I can just touch the bottom, everything will be –

  I see Shad sitting at the bar. ‘Get off me,’ I snarl, shoving him in the chest. ‘Don’t touch me!’

  ‘Are you all right?’ Cardy asks from behind me. ‘Is this guy bothering you?’

  ‘Yes,’ I say.

  ‘Hey, man, leave her alone, all right?’ Cardy says to the guy. ‘Just leave her be.’

  The guy raises his hands and smiles. This time, his smile is human again, but his incisors are still pointy, like a dog’s, or a vampire’s. ‘There’s no problem here,’ he says, and disappears into the crowd.

  I panic. I can’t see him. That means he could be anywhere.

  Please let him not have seen Shad.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Cardy asks me concernedly.

  ‘Yeah, you looked really scared,’ Jenny says from beside him. ‘You poor thing.’

  ‘Come and sit down,’ Cardy says. ‘I’m Cardy, and this is my girlfriend Jenny.’

  ‘Angie,’ I manage to say.

  ‘Are you here with anyone?’ Cardy asks me. ‘Can we get someone for you?’

  ‘No, no, I’m all right,’ I say tightly. ‘I just – um –’

  ‘Oh, honey,’ Jenny says sympathetically, and hugs me. ‘It’s so horrible when people do that kind of thing.’

  ‘I’ll be fine – just a bit of a shock, you know,’ I say, swallowing. Jenny Greene just hugged me. What is wrong with this picture? ‘I’m just going to – to – go, I think.’

  I make my escape. I don’t want to go outside, not when that dude could be loitering and might catch me alone, so I lock myself in the disabled toilet. I bow my head for a second and try to catch my breath.

  Too much is happening, too fast. I just – I can’t – what was I thinking, dancing with some random guy? That is so not me. I would never – did he do something to me? Was he in my mind? OMG, he was right there in front of me.

  Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. ‘Don’t you cry, Pearl Linford!’ I order myself furiously, but I can’t help it. I clench my teeth and press my tongue to the roof of my mouth and try to swallow the giant lump that’s just appeared in my throat, but the tears fall anyway.