‘Then duck.’
Before I knew it, he had yanked both of us to the floor, leaving me to sprawl on the plush carpet.
‘What the hell?’ I screeched at him, but he dived towards me on his knees, clamping a firm hand down on my mouth. He raised the other to his mouth, pressing a single finger to his lips.
‘He’s here,’ he mouthed. My eyes widened. I went to open my mouth, but he shook his head, pointing in the direction of the escalator, grabbing my hand and dragging me along behind him. Keeping low and darting between the shelves, he lugged us closer to the escalator, and ultimately, to our escape. But however much I despised Joel for what he had done, how he had hurt me, I could not help but crane my neck, trying desperately to catch just one glimpse of the boy I loved for two years, just to confirm he was real … that he was here.
And yet I knew deep down that if he saw me that would be it: old life and new life would come crashing together, violently.
Kaspar stopped, listening intently. How he could hear anything through the cheesy jingles blaring through the speakers and the sound of squealing children, I didn’t know. He pointed behind me, through the shelf, mumbling something.
‘What?’ I mouthed back.
‘He’s right there!’ he muttered back a little louder.
‘How right there?’
‘Right, right there!’
‘What are we going—’
Before I could finish he had lunged towards me, clamped a hand down on my mouth and sent me sprawling across the floor. He must have misjudged the distance though, because he landed right on top of me, earning him a loud groan as every bone in my body felt as though it were being squeezed into a pulp. He silently wrestled with me for a moment, as I tried to throw him off and he tried to shut me up.
‘Sshh … sshh!’
Then he froze.
‘Kaspar! What are you—’
‘Violet?’
I froze as well. Peering over Kaspar’s shoulder, I saw the one person I really did not want to see whilst a vampire was straddling me in the middle of a toy shop.
‘Joel?’
Joel stood there, mouth wide, eyes transfixed on me – or rather, should I say, his eyes were fixed on Kaspar lying on top of me.
‘I, err, it’s not what it looks like!’
‘That’s them, right there! Those two! On the floor!’
‘Well, what does it look like then, young lady?’ a strange voice said.
Kaspar looked down at me expression that read ‘we are in deep shit’, an expression I was sure I shared. Peering timidly over his shoulder, I could see a uniformed man clad in a shirt emblazoned with HAMLEYS, a glinting badge pinned just above his breast pocket that read MANAGER. Beside him stood one of the tight-lipped parents, nose upturned.
‘I can’t believe this behaviour! In front of children! It’s scandalous! They should be thrown out!’
I winced. Joel was here and now we were in trouble with the manager. Wonderful, just wonderful.
‘Yes, yes, quite right, Mrs …?’ the manager began.
‘Charles-Pomphrey.’
‘Yes. Out! Both of you! And don’t come back! And you too, young man,’ he said, turning to Joel. ‘Young people these days, honestly, ma’am, I have never seen anything like it in all my days here.’
Kaspar’s eyes closed and he relaxed into me slightly. He muttered something inaudible, before slowly, as though it took a lot of effort, clambering up and offering me a hand. I took it gratefully, gliding upright in his strong grip. I opened my mouth to protest to the manager, but Kaspar grabbed me by the elbow and marched us out, Joel hot on our heels, face still puzzled.
As we passed the manager, I thought I heard Kaspar mumbling an apology, passing him a slip of paper that looked suspiciously like a fifty-pound note.
We reached the entrance, the bitter air raising goose bumps on my arms. The clouds had finally cleared to reveal a glowing sun, low in the sky, even in the early afternoon. Dazzled by the light, I did not see as Joel stepped in front of us. But Kaspar did.
His arm snaked around my waist, pulling me close as he snarled faintly. ‘What the f**k do you want?’
‘And who are you? And what are you doing with my babe?’
I scowled. ‘I’m not your babe!’
Joel’s eyes flickered towards me before immediately returning to meet Kaspar’s defensive pose, as he pushed me slightly behind him.
‘C’mon, babe … you know I’m sorry. And I know that you weren’t taken that night, Vi. I know you ran because I cheated. But that’s over now.’ He stretched out a hand for me to take, and sensing the risk, Kaspar snatched my upper arm, tightly grasping it to the point where my circulation was cut off.
He need not bother. He thought I had run away because of the cheating? That egotistical assumption caused anger to flare. Loathing, yet it was bittersweet: his eyes still made my heart to squeeze. It took a lot of self control to not correct him and just scream the truth about vampires.
‘No! I’m not going anywhere with you! And for the last time, I’m not your babe!’
There was silence and even the street seemed to stand still, passers-by not bothering to hide their surprise at my outburst.
‘You … what? What d’ya mean … not going anywhere? You mean you want to stay with him?’ he jerked his thumb towards Kaspar and his eyes lowered to where Kaspar’s arm was sneakily wrapping itself back around my waist, trying to steer me away. Comprehension dawned on his face. ‘Are y-you two … together?’
My mouth fell open, appalled and I pulled myself abruptly out of Kaspar’s grip.
‘No! We’re not anything. No, I mean, me and him? No.’ I giggled girlishly, blushing until I resembled a tomato. Kaspar draped his arm back around my shoulders, looking at me quizzically.
‘Yes, we are!’
Again my mouth fell open, and I scoffed, half-laughing, half-making choking noises. ‘No, we are most definitely not!’ I stepped out of his hold, glaring at him.
He tugged me back. ‘Yes! We are!’
I shrugged him off. ‘No. We’re not. And that’s final.’
I thought I heard Kaspar distinctly breathe the word ‘Idiot’, under his breath as I turned back to Joel, whose eyes followed us like tennis, an eyebrow raised.
‘Well if you’re not with him, then come and be with me.’
He reached out and grabbed my arm, yanking me to his side. Not expecting it, I tripped over my own feet and stumbling, closed my eyes, expecting to have the pavement meet my nose at any moment. Yet the impact never came.