‘You’re right,’ says Roo. ‘I bet it’ll be more cheerful soon.’
‘Of course it will,’ I say. ‘I’ll make sure of it!’
When the episode ends, Roo gets up and stretches. ‘Right. More tea. Do you want to try one of my new tisanes? I made a good citrus one this morning.’
Roo is fond of concocting her own herbal teas, and is actually pretty good at it, which is why the house always smells lovely.
‘Yes, please,’ I say. Roo pads off to the kettle and I let theNorthsidecredits roll. I think of Susan’s promise to listen to all my ideas and feel a cosy warmth spread through me as I lie back on the cushions. I can’t remember when I last felt this happy. I’m back in my home town, living with my best friend. I’m going to be part of a new golden age ofNorthside! And tomorrow I’m going to walk down Charlemont Street and my brilliant new life is going to really begin.
I’m so, so happy I came home.
Chapter One
INT: ANNIE AND ROO’S HOUSE / INT:NORTHSIDEOFFICES
I’m sitting at the kitchen table the next morning when Roo tells me that my whole world is about to come crashing down.
‘It’s not necessarily a bad thing,’ she says.
‘How,’ I say, ‘isthisnot a bad thing?’
I point at the tarot card Roo has drawn for me. It shows a square tower being blasted by lightning. A woman is tumbling head first towards some jagged rocks. Another woman has already been impaled by a rock. It looks, I have to say, pretty bad.
‘Have you forgotten everything we learned together?’ Roo shakes her head. ‘You’re so rusty, Annie. I’m appalled.’
Roo is doing tarot readings at a lifestyle brand launch in a few hours and she’s already in full glam. She slept in heatless silk rollers last night so her hair is in tumbling waves, and she’s wearing a translucent black dress with a full skirt and fitted waist.
‘Go on then,’ I say. ‘Remind me.’
‘Don’t you remember the Tower can mean creative destruction?’ says Roo. ‘Rip it up and start again, and all that?’
‘Oh yeah,’ I say. ‘Sorry. You’re right, Iama bit rusty.’
When we were in school, Roo and I were both obsessed with tarot and all things witchy, but I can’t remember when I last usedmy tarot deck. Roo, however, to everyone’s surprise (including her own), has gone on to make a successful career with hers. You might even have seen one of her TikTok or Instagram videos.
‘Anyway,’ she says, ‘your world is already crashing down. You don’t live in England anymore. You don’t write forOur Toonanymore. Your old life has been hit by lightning!’
‘So I’m the lightning in this situation?’
‘You’re the one shaking things up,’ says Roo. ‘And now you’re going to do the same atNorthside. You’re starting a whole new adventure!’
‘I suppose I am,’ I admit. ‘Right.’ I drain the last of my coffee. ‘I guess I’d better go and start building my new tower. How do I look?’
I want to start this job in the most ‘me’ outfit possible, which means I’m wearing a pink and orange blouse with vivid blue wide-legged trousers. My dark brown hair is a mass of thick, bouncy curls. My witchy little teenage self, who straightened her hair and only wore black, would havehatedthis look.
‘You’ll dazzle everyone in IBC,’ says Roo. ‘And I really do mean dazzle. That shirt is searing my retinas.’
‘At least I’m not dressed like a haunted Victorian doll,’ I say.
‘I’ve never dressed like a haunted Victorian doll in my life,’ says Roo, which is a total lie. ‘And I’ll have you know this is an exact copy of an outfit Veronica Lake wears inI Married a Witch.’
‘I know that,’ I say. ‘And I love it. I haven’t totally gone to the dark side, you know. I mean, the bright side.’ I take a deep breath. I’ve been on aNorthsidehigh ever since I accepted the job offer, but now that the day has actually come, I’m starting to feel nervous. ‘It’ll be fine, won’t it? Working with a new team? I mean, I’m sure they’ll be nice. Susan seemed pretty cool.’
‘They’ll be brilliant,’ says Roo. ‘And you know what we’ll do if they’re not?’
‘Curse ’em?’ I say.
‘Curse ’em,’ says Roo. And regardless of her perfectly arranged hair and make-up and exquisite dress, she pulls me to her and hugs me fiercely.
