James even settled in. He made new friends, became popular at school through his natural ability with sports, and joined a local football and cricket team. Soon enough he'd moved on from his old friends in London, had forgotten entirely about his love of Rugby, and referred to his old life quite categorically as the past in sentences like, 'oh I used to like that in the past', turning the edge of his mouth up when he said it, as though smelling off milk.
Out of all of Alice's friends, Alice's parents were most worried about Toby being a bad influence. They considered the boy to be polite and well behaved, but knew he was prone to mischief. He'd dug up part of their garden one afternoon, looking for old Roman coins, and they were worried that their daughter's grades would drop if she spent too much time with him. They always worried she was becoming less of a lady and more of a layabout, after the umpteenth time she came in with muddy trousers after an afternoons fishing session at the lake.
They found a ouija board in amongst her things one day, that her and Toby had planned to do at the church, and it frightened them enough to ban her from seeing him for a month. Obviously they couldn't stop them seeing each other at school, but at least in an educational environment they reasoned, there were other people for their daughter to socialise with.
Toby introduced Alice to a lot of things she'd never have found on her own at that age. She caught her first fish with Toby, picked her first blackberry, climbed her first tree, blew up her first cow pat with bangers Toby's cousin had brought in for him from a school trip to France, listened to her first gangster rap song, and smoked her first cigarette.
Toby's mum smoked like a train, and one afternoon after school, when Alice and Toby were in their last year of primary school, and ready after the summer to go onto high school, they were hanging out by the lake talking about what they were going to do when they grew up, and Toby produced a squashed cigarette from his pocket.
'I was going to smoke it before, but I wanted to save it so we could do it together', Toby said.
Alice took hold of it, treating the object carefully, as though like a stick of dynamite, it might blow up in their hands immediately.
'How do we do it?' Alice said. 'I don't know if we should.'
'Why not?' Toby said. 'Everyone does it. My mum smokes loads.'
'My parents say it's really bad for you.'
'All the more reason to do it', Toby said with a huge smile.
'Alright', Alice said.
They lit the cigarette with matches Toby had liberated from his parents house, and Toby took the first drag, before coughing so much his eyes filled up with tears. He passed the cigarette over to Alice, and Alice carefully put it to her lips, closed them around it and pulled. It was so disgusting, she threw the cigarette onto the ground, coughed heavily and nearly puked. Toby couldn't stop laughing.
'It's horrible', Alice said, already feeling dizzy.
'I know, right?' Toby said, picking up the cigarette for another go. He pulled deeply on it, managed to control his body this time and wheezed out a thick stream of smoke.
'Wow', he said. 'I feel dizzy.'
Alice took one more drag, coughed it out and then gave the rest to Toby. She lay back on the grass and watched the clouds above her spinning in dizzying circles. Toby dared himself to take one more drag, which he held in his lungs until his face went red, then put the cigarette out, and put the rest back in his pocket. He lay back on the grass next to Alice.
'Do you ever think about the future?' Alice said.
'About school?' Toby asked.
'Not just that', Alice said. 'About where you'll be, or about who you'll be with?'
'Not really', Toby said. 'It's a long way away, and we've got to get through five more years of school yet.'
Miro yawned and lay down at their feet. They stayed like that, side by side, dreaming and looking up into the clouds until Alice's mum came over to tell her that her dinner was ready. It shocked Alice, and she was worried for a while her mum might have been able to detect the smell, although she didn't say anything immediately. Toby was much calmer. He seemed to have a way of appearing nerveless, even if the opposite was true.
'Hello Mrs Cartright', Toby said when he saw her.
'Hello Toby', Pam said.
'Do you want to come and eat with us?', Alice said.
'Alice I don't know', Pam said. 'With Miro and everything.'
'Mum', Alice protested.
'It's ok', Toby said. 'I'll have to get back anyway, mum'll be expecting me.'
***
At some point over the summer, between primary school ending and secondary school starting, when the days were long and hot and sticky, and Alice and Toby spent whole days lying in the grass and making shapes out of clouds, there was an evening conversation in hushed tones that went like this, that Alice heard from a secluded position on the balcony outside her room, several hours after she had been tucked up in bed:
'He's been in trouble with the police a number of times already', Pam said.
'In the past', Peter said. 'There's nothing to say.'
'James saw Toby smoking, down by the lake', Pam said.
'Are you sure?' Peter said.
'I just don't think. I mean, what do they do? They're sat at home all day, watching TV, I mean how is that contributing to society. And Toby?'
'That's a little over the top isn't it?'
'Not according to Greg and Daphne it's not. It's their lawn that Miro goes and shits on every day.'
'Look, Alice's grades are good, she's not in trouble, and she likes this boy. I mean they've been pretty much inseparable since we got here. He's been a better friend to her than anyone else has, even if he is a bit grubby.'
'A bit grubby?' Pam said. 'He practically ruined our sofa last year. That took months to clean, and it cost a lot of money. Who's to say he won't follow in his father's footsteps as soon as he gets old enough to do so.'
'Well I'll guess we'll have to wait and see, won't we', Peter said.
'Will we?'
'What do you want to do Pam?' Peter said. 'Ban them from seeing each other? They are best friends for Christ sake. Has Toby ever actually done anything bad as far as you can tell?'
'Apart from smoking?'
'Every one experiments from time to time', Peter said.
'Well don't say I didn't warn you.'
On the last day of summer, at the secret tree house in the middle of the blue bell forests, with nothing around them but the gentle sound of trees swaying in the afternoon breeze, Toby and Alice became blood friends forever. It was Toby's idea of course, and he was the one who knew how to do it right. It was perfect for the mission that they had awaiting for them, which they would approach together as a team, no matter how much Alice's mum wanted Alice to distance herself away from her best friend.
Toby brought the knife, the matches again to sterilise it, and Alice brought the plasters to patch up their handiwork afterwards. Toby went first, cutting into the skin on the top of his index finger and screaming as he went, load enough to raise a roost of birds from the top of the trees. When he was done, and blood was already swimming down his thumb, he handed the knife over to Alice. He'd cut deep enough for the blood to come out quite freely, and Alice was worried that he'd really hurt himself.
Alice took the knife, pressed it to her skin and closed her eyes.
'I can't do it', she said. 'You do it for me.'
She handed the knife back to Toby. 'Are you sure', he said.
'Make sure it doesn't hurt', Alice said, and Toby took her hand in his.
'Are you ready?' Toby asked, pressing the knife to the skin of her finger, blood already dripping onto it from his own cut.
'Do it', Alice said, and Toby slid the knife across her skin.
Alice screamed. The pain was immense. She looked down at her finger, and the blood now trickling out of the cut at the top. It hurt just to look at it, and she felt immediately light headed.
'I need to sit down', she said, more falling
than sitting.
'Are you ok?' Toby said, worry making his voice streaky. He stabbed the knife into the wood of the tree house and sat down next to her.
'I'm ok', Alice said. Wow, that really hurt.'
'I told you it would', Toby said. 'Here.'
He took her hand in his uncut one, turning it upwards.
'Are you ready?'
'Blood friends forever?' Alice said.
'Blood friends forever', Toby said. 'Whatever happens.'
'Do it', Alice said, and Toby pressed his bloody finger down onto hers.
Chapter 8
I would have been skipping all the way home, except I wasn't going home, and I wasn't walking. I was going to my parents house (late again of course), and Devizes called for Jackson to take me there. Before all of that, before I sat round the family table, a smile so big on my face none of my brother's shit could remove it, Devizes showed me around his modest flat, we took a spa circuit together (jacuzzi, sauna, plunge pool, bonk in the heated swimming pool underneath the water fountain), he showed me his collection of exotic fish and dangerous animals (poisonous arrow frogs, snakes and spiders as big as my hand, piranhas too), we had breakfast (continental), and he looked at my book.
'But hang on', he said. 'You've already published it.'
'It was self published', I said. 'Vanity press.'
'Oh', Devizes said.
'Oh exactly', I said.
'I like the cover, Alice Cartright', he said, taking care to pronounce my name. 'So, what's it about?'
'It's a love story', I said. 'It's the best love story that ever happened. Ever.'
'Mmmhmmm', he said.
While he read the blurb on the back, I watched his face closely for a reaction. He didn't give anything away. A raise of the eyebrows, a curl of the lips, nothing more.
'Ok', he said. 'I like it. I'll take it to my publishing house and get one of the editors to have a look at it.'
'Really?'
'Yeah, of course, really. They may want to make a few changes here and there. Direct it more specifically at the right market, you know, that kind of thing.'
'Right', I said, a little unsure. 'What kind of changes?'
'Oh you know, nothing major I'm sure', Devizes reassured me. 'Did you have an editor take a look at it?'
'No', I said. 'I couldn't afford to.'
'Well there you go. They'll take a look, tidy up punctuation and grammar, and tell me if they can publish it. Of course I may just tell them to publish it anyway. They won't do anything major to it unless you okay it beforehand. I have to say though, these people are some of the best in the business. I guess you're already familiar with the kind of authors we work with right?'
'Absolutely', I said. 'It's just, it's kind of like my baby.'
'Every good writer has a better editor behind them', Devizes said. 'I think Truman Capote said that once.'
'I think Truman Capote edited his own work', I said.
'Alice, don't worry about it', Devizes said, and kissed me. 'You're going to get your book published.'
'Might.'
'Where there is a will, there is a way', Devizes said. 'And where there is a will, a lot of cash and a man who owns a publishing house, there is definitely a way.'
James passed me the bread, as my news carved a thickening scowl of disapproval across his face.
'But is it a real publishing house?' he said, unable to believe that someone had accepted me.
'Yes it's a real publishing house', I said.
'And this guy is a billionaire?' dad said. 'smells fishy to me.'
'It's not really the same is it?' James said. 'I mean, sending your book to a publishing house and having them accept it is different to sleeping with the boss so he'll print it for you.'
'What's sleeping with the boss?' Charlie said.
'I'll tell you later', Vicky whispered to him.
'Why can't you just be happy for me?' I mumbled, almost too tired of trying to bother continuing to search for their approval.
'We are proud of you sweetie. It's just it's happened so fast, that's all. Plus it's better to wait until you know for sure whether it's going to be published or not', mum said.
'Mum's right', James said. 'It's better not to get your hopes up.'
James gave me a shit eating grin so I mouthed the words 'fuck off' to him, which got me a slap on the wrist from mum.
'So who is he then?' dad said, chasing a pea around his plate with the end of his fork.
'Devizes Carter', I said.
'Devizes? He's named after a place in Wiltshire? What's his middle name, Kent?'
Charlie and Sam giggled, but nobody else did.
'I don't know, I'll ask him for you. Or you can ask him yourself if you like.'
'Ooooh', dad said. 'This sounds serious.'
'It could be', I said, and went a little bit red.
'Alice is in love', dad teased. 'Look Pam, it's written all over her.'
'Stop teasing her Peter.'
'Yeah well, it's early days yet, but I like him', I said.
'How many days is it sis?' James said. 'This could be a record for you.'
'At least I don't have a lump of coal where my heart should be.'
'At least I don't fall in love as soon as someone shows me a little bit of affection. What did he do, buy you dinner, flash a wad of cash and you automatically dropped your knickers?'
Sam and Charlie giggled, while James raised his eyebrows at me.
'Mum', I said. 'Doesn't he get a smack for that?'
'He's just looking out for you Alice', mum said, while she stroked James's arm fondly. Bloody golden boy couldn't do anything wrong.
'No he's not', I protested.
'I am', James lied. 'I don't want you to get hurt. Even if it gets you your book published, it's not worth it.'
'Thank you James, but I can look after myself.'
'Which book is it?' Vicky said. I could punch that woman for her stupidity sometimes.
'I expect the only one she's ever bloody written', dad said, now mopping up gravy with a chunk of bread. 'In how many years?'
'It's Fallen Away Vic, and for your information dad, I'm half way through another book.'
'James writes a handful of books a year, and he's got a proper job to do too', dad quickly retorted.
'Dad!' I said, shocked by his lack of sensitivity.
'I don't know why it takes you so long, that's all.'
'James writes children's books, and I've got a proper job too. In fact I work more than James does.'
'I don't think it's quite the same thing', mum said.
'How is it not the same thing?' I said.
'Well it's not really a career is it?' dad said.
'Fine, it's not really a career', I said, finally giving up. 'I've had enough of trying to convince you all. When the book's published I'll be sure to let you all know.'
'Pudding anyone?' mum said, breaking the stuffy silence that had descended like a rain cloud over the room.
Sophia, bless her, was much more supportive. She was genuinely excited about the prospect of me having my book published by a bona fide publishers. She was one of the first people to read it, and actually one of my only friends to buy the book when it was released - my parents didn't even do that. Sophia was also extremely interested in listening to every single juicy detail about what had happened on my date with Devizes, proud that I'd finally found someone that I liked.
'You know', she said when I was done, 'you sleep with more people you've only just met, than I do.'
'That's impossible', I said. Sophia slept with a hell of a lot of people after all.
'Ok then, what's the longest you've known someone for before sleeping with them?'
'I don't know', I said, 'A year maybe.'
'Who?'
'Alex from work', I said.
'You slept with him a week after he started', Sophia quickly pointed out to me.
'George then', I said. 'I get the two mixed up.'
&nb
sp; Sophia looked at me suspiciously.
'What's your point?' I said. I knew Sophia wasn't judging me, she would never do that, but I did wonder why she was asking me.
'Just curious, that's all. I read some statistic about married couples that said those ones that stayed together the longest were the ones that had been friends a long time before fucking.'
'Where did you read that?'
'A fetish website.'
'What about you then?' I said. 'How long is the longest?'
'Six years', Sophia said proudly.
'Are you lying to me?'
'No', Sophia said. 'The guy I lost my virginity to, Tyler, I knew him all the way through school.'
I wasn't sure whether Sophia meant primary school or secondary school, but I didn't dare ask.
'And the shortest?' she said.
'You definitely win on that count', I said.
Sophia threw a cushion at me.
'Sleep with anyone last night?' I asked her.
'No', Sophia said, shaking her head mischievously. I could tell she was lying.
'It's my dad's book launch next Friday', I said, changing the subject. 'Will you come along to it with me? I could do with the company.'
'What about your billionaire?' Sophia asked.
'He's already got some function or something, but he said he'd make it up to me.'
'Make it up to you?' Sophia said. 'You mean anal sex?'
I threw the cushion back at her.
'Not everyone's got as dirty a mind as you', I said, smiling.
'I know you're thinking about it', Sophia said, 'you just don't like admitting it.'
'Let me get the basics out of the way first', I said. 'I've only had one date with him after all.'
'Well whatever it is, or whatever it's going to be, I hope it makes you happy', Sophia said.
'Having my book published and falling in love, those are the two things that would make me happy.'
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