it was magic.’
‘When was it taken?’ I asked. I’d have guessed she was about Gabbi’s age. ‘You can talk to me, Winter,’ I said, sensing she was clamming up on me again. ‘We’re friends, right?’
She nodded. ‘You know we’re friends. The picture was taken on my tenth birthday,’ she said, taking it back from me.
‘Your tenth birthday—wasn’t that the day of the accident?’
She half-smiled as she nodded, as though she was happy I remembered her telling me that detail, but sad, casting her mind back to that horrible day.
‘It was taken just before we set off for the aquarium,’ she said. ‘I woke up so excited that morning. I remember ripping off my quilt and literally jumping out of bed. But when I reached the living room, Mum and Dad were potteringaround, acting like it was any other, ordinary day. They told me they were just too busy to organise anything for me, and that they’d make it up to me on my eleventh birthday. As I think I mentioned last time to you, I chucked a bit of a tantrum …’ Her voice trailed off for a moment.
‘You don’t have to go on,’ I said, ‘if it’s too hard.’
‘No, Cal. I’ve never trusted anyone like I trust you. I really want to get this out. I haven’t told you everything,’ she said, toying with her heart-shaped locket.
‘I’m listening.’
‘So,’ she continued, picking at a splinter in the floor. ‘I chucked this massive tantrum. I thought turning ten was such a big deal, and I couldn’t believe they were being so blasé about it. I cried and carried on until they agreed to take me to the aquarium.’
‘You wanted to see the seahorses, right?’
‘That’s right. It was a horrible day, raining and stormy, and they were both supposed to go to a meeting in the afternoon, but I insisted they take me to the aquarium instead.’
I watched as Winter lifted the splinter from the floor. ‘Ouch,’ she said, suddenly pricking her finger on the sharpest end.
‘Careful,’ I said, taking her hand and pullingthe needle-like piece of wood out. I flicked it through the window. A small drop of blood appeared on her fingertip.
‘It was on the way there,’ she continued, seemingly unfazed by the prick, ‘that Dad lost control of the car. The next thing I knew I was in hospital, wondering where my parents were. I kept watching the doorway, hoping and praying for Mum and Dad to appear, but they never came. Vulkan turned up instead. He walked in and knelt down beside my bed. “Your parents are dead,” he said. Four words. Just like that. My family was gone.’
I tightened my arm around my friend, wishing I could erase the memory for her. I hadn’t realised Sligo had come onto the scene so quickly.
‘I didn’t even cry,’ she said. ‘I just felt numb. Completely and utterly numb. Eventually we left the hospital and he took me home. It was just starting to get dark when we pulled up at the house. You remember my house?’ she asked me. ‘In Dolphin Point—the one we had to break into?’
‘I remember,’ I nodded.
How could I ever forget?
‘Sligo instructed me to go inside, go to my room and put some clothes in a bag. So I walked up to the front door, feeling so dazed and confusedin the absence of my parents. When I opened the door, a whole party of people jumped out from hiding, shouting “Surprise!”.’
‘They’d organised a party for you? They were acting blasé about your birthday because they were keeping the party a surprise?’
Winter closed her eyes. A tear fell down her cheek.
‘That’s when I burst into tears,’ she said. ‘The place was decked out with hundreds of pink and purple helium balloons, streamers and a birthday banner. There was this huge cake on the table. Everyone was staring at me, so confused, wondering where Mum and Dad were.’
‘What did you tell them?’
‘Nothing. I just stood there, crying. Sligo finally stepped in to explain to everyone what had happened. He told them my parents had
‘When was it taken?’ I asked. I’d have guessed she was about Gabbi’s age. ‘You can talk to me, Winter,’ I said, sensing she was clamming up on me again. ‘We’re friends, right?’
She nodded. ‘You know we’re friends. The picture was taken on my tenth birthday,’ she said, taking it back from me.
‘Your tenth birthday—wasn’t that the day of the accident?’
She half-smiled as she nodded, as though she was happy I remembered her telling me that detail, but sad, casting her mind back to that horrible day.
‘It was taken just before we set off for the aquarium,’ she said. ‘I woke up so excited that morning. I remember ripping off my quilt and literally jumping out of bed. But when I reached the living room, Mum and Dad were potteringaround, acting like it was any other, ordinary day. They told me they were just too busy to organise anything for me, and that they’d make it up to me on my eleventh birthday. As I think I mentioned last time to you, I chucked a bit of a tantrum …’ Her voice trailed off for a moment.
‘You don’t have to go on,’ I said, ‘if it’s too hard.’
‘No, Cal. I’ve never trusted anyone like I trust you. I really want to get this out. I haven’t told you everything,’ she said, toying with her heart-shaped locket.
‘I’m listening.’
‘So,’ she continued, picking at a splinter in the floor. ‘I chucked this massive tantrum. I thought turning ten was such a big deal, and I couldn’t believe they were being so blasé about it. I cried and carried on until they agreed to take me to the aquarium.’
‘You wanted to see the seahorses, right?’
‘That’s right. It was a horrible day, raining and stormy, and they were both supposed to go to a meeting in the afternoon, but I insisted they take me to the aquarium instead.’
I watched as Winter lifted the splinter from the floor. ‘Ouch,’ she said, suddenly pricking her finger on the sharpest end.
‘Careful,’ I said, taking her hand and pullingthe needle-like piece of wood out. I flicked it through the window. A small drop of blood appeared on her fingertip.
‘It was on the way there,’ she continued, seemingly unfazed by the prick, ‘that Dad lost control of the car. The next thing I knew I was in hospital, wondering where my parents were. I kept watching the doorway, hoping and praying for Mum and Dad to appear, but they never came. Vulkan turned up instead. He walked in and knelt down beside my bed. “Your parents are dead,” he said. Four words. Just like that. My family was gone.’
I tightened my arm around my friend, wishing I could erase the memory for her. I hadn’t realised Sligo had come onto the scene so quickly.
‘I didn’t even cry,’ she said. ‘I just felt numb. Completely and utterly numb. Eventually we left the hospital and he took me home. It was just starting to get dark when we pulled up at the house. You remember my house?’ she asked me. ‘In Dolphin Point—the one we had to break into?’
‘I remember,’ I nodded.
How could I ever forget?
‘Sligo instructed me to go inside, go to my room and put some clothes in a bag. So I walked up to the front door, feeling so dazed and confusedin the absence of my parents. When I opened the door, a whole party of people jumped out from hiding, shouting “Surprise!”.’
‘They’d organised a party for you? They were acting blasé about your birthday because they were keeping the party a surprise?’
Winter closed her eyes. A tear fell down her cheek.
‘That’s when I burst into tears,’ she said. ‘The place was decked out with hundreds of pink and purple helium balloons, streamers and a birthday banner. There was this huge cake on the table. Everyone was staring at me, so confused, wondering where Mum and Dad were.’
‘What did you tell them?’
‘Nothing. I just stood there, crying. Sligo finally stepped in to explain to everyone what had happened. He told them my parents had
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