Soul Love (3 page)

I scooped up the mountains of post, plopped it all on the counter and took a look at the office space. It didn’t take long. There was a cash register, an old computer, a grubby radio and a
battered office chair, complete with an old velvet cushion that was covered in cat hair. There was also an ancient telephone made of heavy plastic. There was no dial tone, but at least the radio
worked. I tuned it to an R’n’B music station. I took the cushion off the chair and swung round in my seat. On my second swing I encountered a mass of white whiskers and a pair of watery
eyes looking back at me.

‘You’re new,’ Whiskers said.

Without thinking, I answered, ‘You’re old.’

He burst out laughing and said ‘Touché!’ Then he held out his hand. ‘Julius Lawrence, at your service! Everyone calls me Julius.’

‘I’m Jenna,’ I said, eyeing him cautiously.

Julius continued smiling and speaking in a loud voice. ‘Ah, Jenna. The girl with the green eyes! I used to own this fair establishment until I retired. It was called Julius Lawrence
Antiquarian Books in my day. It specialised in books about art and photography then.’ He fingered the straps of an old camera round his neck and went on. ‘Many moons ago, I fancied
myself as a bit of a photographer. Now like a faithful old Labrador, I keep coming back to my old hunting ground. It’s come in very handy since they closed down the library. By the way
there’s some correspondence stuck in the door.’

I followed his gaze to where a crumpled brown envelope was jammed under the door.

‘I guess that’s why I didn’t hear you come in,’ I said.

He walked over to a shelf and pulled out a book that had a bookmark in it. Then he sat down in the armchair. ‘Don’t mind me. I’m what is known as a “local
character”.’

I turned the music up and tried to ignore him. Although I’d never admit it, I was actually quite glad of the company. I liked being treated like an adult, but it was scary to be left in
charge of a shop – albeit a dusty old bookshop with a naff name.

Julius barked across the room, ‘Sarah usually has Radio 4 on low. Music can be quite distracting when one is trying to lose oneself in a book.’

‘You know what they say, Julius,’ I yelled back at him, bending down to switch on the computer. I was hoping to send some e-mail to Mia and Jackson. ‘“Music hath charms
to soothe the savage beast.”’

Above me, a sparky voice said, ‘
Breast!
I think it’s breast.’

I popped my head out from underneath the table and found myself staring at a familiar faded red T-shirt. I bobbed quickly back under the table.

‘Er, breast,’ I said as I struggled to banish thoughts of his naked chest from my mind. Then I banged my head as I backed out from underneath the table and into an ambush of cobwebs
that had been hanging in wait for me.

By the time I had got to my feet he had walked over to a shelf, pulled out a book and handed it to me.

‘“Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast,”’ he said, then he nodded, turned and walked out of the shop, leaving me with a book of quotations in my hands and
wearing a fetching cobweb headdress.

Not the most promising of introductions. Plus, I still hadn’t really been able to take in what he looked like without a book in front of his face.

I dislodged the letter that was wedged under the door. I didn’t want any more surprise visitors. To keep myself busy, I dug out a box of felt-tips from under the counter and added
Customers preferred!
to the tatty
Browsers welcome
sign. Then I sat back and began to relax.

About an hour later a loud ring shattered my calm.

‘The bells! The bells!’ Julius did a terrible Hunchback of Notre-Dame impression that he seemed to think was hilarious and I stared at the old lady who’d just walked in. With
her purple hair and bright red lips, she looked like she belonged on the set of an ancient horror movie.

She plonked down a pile of books on the counter, pointed at my sign and said, ‘I prefer customers myself. Mind you, you don’t get as many time-wasters in the hairdresser’s
where I work.’

‘I’m not buying today,’ I said, eyeing the pile warily. I hadn’t worked out how to use the cash register yet, and I didn’t know if I was allowed to buy books.

‘Aren’t you? Well, I’m sure you know your business.’ She went over to a shelf and began flicking through some tatty paperbacks.

Julius looked up. ‘That’s Ava. She’s another regular.’

Ava straightened her brightly coloured cardigan. ‘I’m quite capable of introducing myself, thank you very much, Julius.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘I expect Sarah has already
briefed you about the Rampant Romantics.’

‘L’amour, toujours l’amour!’
Julius gushed.

Ava was still looking at me expectantly. ‘The Rampant Romantics,’ she repeated slowly, as if I were stupid. ‘Sarah must have told you about us.’

‘Not exactly,’ I mumbled. ‘I’ve only just arrived.’

‘We have an arrangement. We circulate our romantic fiction around the village and the shop. If any should be sold in the shop then Sarah gets to keep the money.’

In a swift move she replaced the books on the shelf with her copies and whizzed the others into a string bag. She also put down a paper bag on the counter.

‘I brought this in for Sarah. Is she feeling any better? She’s got to eat. Heartbreak is a terrible thing.’ She leaned in so close to me that I could smell her
peppermint-flavoured breath. She grabbed hold of my arm and squeezed it tightly, saying, ‘Mind you, I never quite trusted that Kai. He has a roving eye and a finely cut calf muscle. Mix that
with a few rhyming couplets, and you’ve got a lethal combination.’

‘People say I have good legs,’ Julius cut in. He stood and rolled up his trouser leg.

Ava rolled her eyes again and said, ‘I can’t stand round chatting all day. I’ve got some heads to wash.’ She wiggled out of the shop in her tight pencil skirt.

Julius watched her every move and whistled, ‘What a woman!’

Another hour passed by and I was still struggling to get the computer to work when Julius got up from the chair and stretched.

‘Would you care to join me for a spot of afternoon tea at the café?’

‘No thanks. I’d better go and check on Sarah. She ought to have been here by now,’ I mumbled. I wasn’t in the mood for drinking tea with an old fogey.

‘After tea I’ll pop back and keep an eye on the shop for you. Sarah let me hang on to my set of keys,’ he said.

When Julius had gone I peeped into the bag that Ava had left. Inside it was a large piece of bread and butter pudding. The sweet spicy smell was irresistible so I broke off a chunk, wolfed it
down and went off in search of Sarah.

On my way back up the high street, I peeped into the café. I’d expected it to be one of those over-fussy tea shops with heavy-patterned wallpaper and lace tablecloths, but it had
stripped pine tables and internet access. It was definitely worth checking out another time. I paused to brush a sugar crystal from my cheek and spotted Julius sitting in the window, waving his
arms and chatting animatedly to none other than Torso Boy.

Just as I was about to walk away, the boy turned his head and caught my eye for a fraction of a second. It was like someone had dropped an ice cube down my back. I looked down and continued
quickly on my way.

My mind buzzed. Why had I reacted like that? Why had I said I’d go and check on Sarah instead of going for tea with Julius? If I hadn’t, I might be getting to know Torso Boy. And why
was I so bothered about that boy anyway? He probably treated girls like arm-candy like Jackson did. And when there was any real trouble around, he’d walk away too.

I slapped my head. One thing was certain. I would have to get him out of my mind, because I, Jenna Hudson, had an amazing ability to always make the wrong choice.

Chapter Five

S
arah had taken to her bed like a soppy romantic heroine in an historical drama. Her eyes were red raw with crying.
She blew her nose loudly and said, ‘Sorry I didn’t make it to the shop. I just couldn’t face it.’

‘I had no idea where you were!’ I replied. ‘You could’ve let me know . . .’ Then I checked myself. The phone was cut off, and I was sounding too much like Mum in
nag-mode.

She grinned weakly. ‘I’ll see about getting the phone reconnected tomorrow.’

‘I couldn’t get the computer to boot up either,’ I added.

Sarah’s eyes misted over again. ‘Kai has a knack for making it work.’

I quickly changed the subject. ‘Have you eaten?’ Sarah shook her head. I’d finished off the rest of the bread and butter pudding on the way home so I rustled us up some
spaghetti with half a tin of tuna. Not exactly fine dining, but you can only work with what you’ve got. Tallulah got most of my half.

After that measly meal, I prised some of Mum’s money from Sarah and went out. I had noticed a Mini-Mart in Little Netherby, which was about half a mile down the lane towards Greater
Netherby.

As I walked there I made a mental note to ask Julius tomorrow what the deal was with all these Netherbys. He’d be bound to know the local history of the place. I assumed that I’d be
looking after the shop again. There was no way Sarah was in a fit state to run the place alone.

Mum would die of shock if she could see me volunteering to go to work, as well as doing the cooking and shopping. Thinking of Mum gave me a twinge of guilt followed by a huge wave of
homesickness. There was a phone box outside the Mini-Mart. Maybe just a quick call would break the ‘no speaking’ mood that had ruined so much of the last few weeks.

To my surprise, the phone box was spotless inside. There were no junk food cartons or illegal chatline cards. I’m not sure why, but I found myself dialling Mia’s number first.

Mia’s mum answered. ‘Is that you, Jenna?’ Her voice sounded like she was trapped in a room full of bad smells.

‘Yes, Mrs Andrews. I’m phoning from a call-box for a quick word with Mia.’

Mia’s parents were investment bankers who left their house at six a.m. every morning with their personal trainers and usually got back home (after a power business dinner) at around ten
p.m. Mia had housekeepers, a personal maths tutor, an au pair, plenty of money . . . and me to keep her company.

There was a long pause, then, ‘Mia is round at the Worths’ having some catch-up French tuition from Becky’s private tutor.’

I bet Mia’s loving that, I thought. She’s always going on about how stuck-up Rebecca Worth is!

Mia’s mum sighed and said, ‘I really don’t think that it is a good idea for you and Mia to be friends. Mia doesn’t want dragging down. She has a bright future ahead of
her.’

Click.

‘Snooty cow,’ I said to myself. Besides, Mia wasn’t a child. She was quite capable of deciding who to be friends with. I’d send Mia an e-mail as soon as I could. I picked
up the phone again and dialled home. It was a relief when Marcus answered.

‘Hey there, Squirt!’ I said.

‘Jenna!’ He sounded pleased to hear my voice. ‘Mum’s out getting a few things for our surprise holiday to Florida.’

I cheered up. I wasn’t being exiled to Sarah’s for the summer after all! Mum had been winding me up. I suppose I deserved it for giving her such a hard time. Yippee! Sun, sand and
roller-coasters!

‘When do we leave?’ I asked.

‘We’re getting the plane tonight. We’ve got a house in Florida for three weeks,’ Marcus continued excitedly.

‘What about me? Are you picking me up on the way, or shall I get a train?’ I asked as Marcus rattled on, oblivious.

‘A friend of Mum’s had two spare places available at the last minute. Mum says we deserve a break after all the stress you’ve put this family through. She was going to tell you
tonight.’

‘Sarah’s phone has been cut off,’ I said.

Mia had been to Florida and now I was desperate to go to the shopping malls and theme parks that she’d told me about. I couldn’t believe that they were really going without me.

‘I hope you both have a lovely time!’ I said sarcastically.

‘Thanks, Jenna,’ he said. ‘I’ll send you a postcard.’

I stayed in the phone box for a long while, shocked by the news. Then all my emotions started sparking off like fireworks inside me. I stumbled across the road and followed a public footpath
sign through a field. The path led to a stile and then into another field.

How could Mum even consider going away without me? The stress
I’d
put them through? What about me? Admittedly, I had been pushing things with her in the weeks before the last
incident. Coming in late at night, spending a lot of my time at Mia’s house, talking on the phone with Jackson and lying about having done all my schoolwork. But that was only the usual stuff
that kids did to wind up their parents. Did she hate me so much that she wanted me grounded in a Netherby hell instead of flying in a roller-coaster heaven? It’s not easy getting excluded
from school. Did Mum stop for one minute to wonder how I was feeling? That what I might need right now was some support and encouragement, instead of being sent away from home? I certainly
wouldn’t be getting any here. Aunt Sarah was incapable of being in charge of a tin of soup, let alone a human being.

I sat down in the shade of a tree and looked round. With no one in sight, I unpacked that section of my mind that stored all my unhappy feelings about Mia and Jackson, and mixed them with how I
felt about being abandoned by Mum and Marcus. Then all my anger, hurt and sadness bubbled up into a liquid that I let out as ugly great blobs of tears. I’d been bottling things up for too
long – time I let it all out and had a really good cry.

A few minutes of this and I was feeling much better.

I was blowing my nose when a stick dropped from the tree above and landed at my feet, followed by a rustling sound. I looked up, expecting to see a bird or a squirrel, but to my surprise it was
a girl. Her hair was tied in tight plaits and she was wearing a pair of homemade dungarees and an intense expression.

‘Trees don’t like crying. It upsets them,’ she said as she worked her way down a branch and landed at my feet. She patted the bark, sat down beside me and added,
‘You’re not from round here.’