Mum was properly freaked out by the skeletons, I could tell. It was a bit weird, that one was wearing her scarf and the other had my tie on. I guess dozy Rosie hadn’t picked it up by accident, after all. I couldn’t actually work out how it had got from school to my front garden and that was making me feel unsettled.
Cassie, though, thought it was all a laugh. ‘I’d love to know who put them there.’
‘Do you think it was someone from school?’ I said, thinking about my tie.
‘Nah.’ She shook her head and her curls bounced. ‘Has to be some of those emo students from the college or somewhere. Some freak who’s obsessed with witches.’
I grinned. ‘We’re obsessed with witches.’
I flopped onto my bed, where Hermione was curled up, fast asleep. I rubbed her head and she opened one eye and looked at me, unimpressed, then shut it again. ‘Did you see who left the skeletons, Hermione?’ She snored on and I lay down next to her so her face was close to mine. I’d been surprised by how much I loved this little cat. I’d never really been one for pets – I’d mostly ignored the cat Mum and Dad had had when I was younger and I’d not been bothered when she got ill and had to be put to sleep. Hermione, though, was so sweet-natured and followed me round like a shadow. Plus, even though I didn’t know for sure it had been her mews I’d heard on the night of the storm, I felt like she’d saved me.
‘Show me your costume for the disco,’ Cassie said.
The big Halloween disco was still two weeks away but it was all anyone was talking about. I was feeling a bit weird about it. I knew Callum from the play was going and I liked him a lot. I sort of wanted to see him there but then I worried that I’d do something wrong or say something silly or he’d turn out not to like me in that way after all, even though Cassie swore he did.
‘I hate my outfit,’ Cassie said, lying back on my bed dramatically.
‘No you don’t, yours is perfect.’ I’d seen Cassie’s dress – made by her mum – and it was amazing. Long and sleek and black. ‘It makes you look about 21. So sophisticated.’
‘Really?’
‘Really.’
She smiled. ‘Show me yours.’
I jumped off the bed and pulled my costume from my wardrobe. Mine was less Morticia Adams and more Harley Quinn. Not nearly as elegant as Cassie’s but much more me. It had a short, sticky-out black skirt with lots of bright pink netting underneath, and the top was black satin. I had black and pink stripey tights to wear with it – not unlike the ones worn by the witch mannequin that had turned up in our garden – and my big black boots.
‘Ohmygod, I love it,’ Cassie squealed. ‘That’s amazing. Did your mum make it?’
‘Nope,’ I said proudly. ‘I did. Eva helped me. Remember her? Our next-door neighbour. She’s got a sewing machine.’
‘Awesome.’
‘Callum’s going as Harry Potter,’ I said, giggling because Callum had messy hair and glasses and looked just like the famous wizard.
‘Well, of course he is.’ Cassie gave me a sly look. ‘Maybe he’ll whisper love spells into your ears.’
‘Cass,’ I groaned, feeling my cheeks flame.
She picked up my pillow from my bed and cuddled it. ‘Ohh, Jemima, Expecto patronum,’ she said in a soppy voice. ‘Oh, Callum, expelliarmus.’
Giggling, I snatched the pillow from her and whacked her. ‘I heard Max is going as Donald Trump.’
‘No!’ Cassie looked horrified. She’d had a crush on Max for ages and she was convinced the disco was going to be the night he finally noticed her.
‘Yes!’ I was triumphant. ‘But I’ve heard he’s a great kisser. The best. Bigly.’
Cassie collapsed in laughter and I flopped over onto my stomach, thinking about the disco. I was really looking forward to it, and not just because Callum was going – though that was quite a big part of it. I just really wanted to have some fun and hang out with Cassie and the other girls from school. Even dozy Rosie. And this weekend, I’d been invited round to Cassie’s on Saturday. It was her mum’s birthday and her family were having a party. Cassie had been allowed to invite loads of people from school and it sounded really fun.
We did some French homework – Cassie was much better at languages than I was so she helped me with mine – and then Mum shouted upstairs that it was time to take Cassie home.
‘It’s still early,’ I moaned but Mum had her determined face on and I didn’t want to argue.
We dropped Cassie off, and then Mum went to the McDonald’s drive-through on the way home, which never happened and made me suspicious.
Sure enough, when we were back home and I was stuffing fries in my mouth and picking the gherkins out of my cheeseburger, she dropped the bombshell.
‘I spoke to Granny when you were upstairs with Cassie,’ she said. ‘She’s free this weekend so I thought we’d go and stay. We can leave first thing in the morning.’
I stopped chewing and stared at her. ‘Not this weekend,’ I said. I took a slurp of milkshake, thinking she’d got confused. ‘I’ve got a rehearsal tomorrow and then Cassie’s party. Do you mean next weekend?’
Mum scrunched up the paper from my burger and put it in the bin, not looking at me as she said: ‘No, I thought we’d go tomorrow.’
I threw down my burger in disgust, not hungry anymore. ‘Mum, no!’
‘Granny would love to see you.’
‘Is this about the skeletons? Why are you so freaked out?’
‘It’s not about the skeletons,’ Mum said, but she was clearly lying because she still wouldn’t look me in the eye.
‘Ohmygod, what is wrong with you?’ I said. ‘It was a joke, obviously.’
‘Not a very funny joke.’
‘So? It doesn’t mean we have to run away to Granny’s. What about Hermione?’
‘We can ask Eva to feed her.’
I threw my head back in despair, thinking of all the time I wouldn’t spend with Callum and the fun I’d miss at Cassie’s party. ‘I’m needed at rehearsals.’
‘I’m sure they’ll be fine without you, Jem. We can play Macbeth with Granny.’
‘Jesus,’ I said. ‘I’m not 5 years old, Mum.’
‘We’ll have fun. We can watch some old films and snuggle up on the sofa.’
‘I don’t want to snuggle anywhere,’ I shouted. ‘I want to go to Cassie’s party and have fun like a normal teenager.’
‘Jem …’ Mum began but I was so angry I didn’t let her speak.
‘You were always on at me to make friends and now I have and you’re not letting me see them,’ I wailed. ‘You are literally ruining my life, Mum.’
‘Don’t be so dramatic, Jemima,’ she snapped. ‘It’s just a party.’
I stood up so I was facing her, feeling rage burning in my belly. ‘I hate you,’ I hissed.
‘Well, I love you,’ Mum said calmly, which only made me feel even more annoyed. ‘And that’s why I have to protect you.’
I let out a frustrated groan. ‘This is totally unfair. I know Dad is a shit, and I know you’re sad, but it’s not my fault.’ I was shouting but I couldn’t help it. ‘I don’t see why I should pay for his mistakes. He’s the bloody grown-up.’
Mum looked like she was going to cry but it didn’t stop me being cross. ‘Jem, I was wrong to try to shield you from what was happening when we were in Edinburgh. You’re old enough to understand and I want to be honest with you now …’ Her voice quivered and I suddenly wanted to cry, too. ‘I’m just worried someone’s worked out who we are.’
She looked so worn down and sad, that my anger suddenly vanished like a puff of smoke. ‘I don’t hate you,’ I whispered. ‘I had my fingers crossed behind my back when I said that.’
‘I know.’
‘I just really want to go to the party.’
‘I know that too.’
She walked out of the kitchen area and into the living room where she sat down heavily on the sofa. Seeing an opportunity, Hermione jumped up onto her lap and Mum gave a small smile.
‘She’s such a sweet cat,’ she said. I left my cold burger and fries on the worktop and went into the living room too.
‘I really don’t think this is personal,’ I said. ‘Everyone knows our house is the witch’s cottage and there are loads of weirdos who do this sort of thing. Cassie reckons it’s one of the emo students from the college.’
‘Does she?’ Mum looked thoughtful.
‘She’s going to have a trawl through social media and see if she can find any pictures, or work out who’s done it some other way.’
‘She’s a good girl.’
I grinned. ‘She’s the best.’
Mum rested her head on the back of the sofa, stroking Hermione, who looked very pleased with herself. ‘You’re probably right,’ she said. ‘It’s just a prank.’
‘So we don’t need to run away?’
‘I suppose not.’ Mum sighed. ‘I’ll ring Granny and tell her. Maybe we can go next weekend.’
‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’ I said. I threw myself onto the sofa and hugged her hard. ‘Know what? I bet these weird pranks happen here every year. It’s probably a thing.’
‘You could be right there, Jem.’ Mum looked thoughtful. ‘Eva didn’t seem to know anything but she did say the people who lived here before us kept themselves to themselves. I’ve got their contact details, maybe I’ll email them just to check.’
‘Do it now,’ I urged. ‘Put your mind at rest.’
The doorbell rang loudly, before Mum could reply. ‘I’ll get it,’ I said.
To my surprise, it was Rory.
‘Hello, Jem,’ he said. He held up a pile of pizza boxes. ‘I was just passing and thought I’d see if you guys were hungry.’ In his other hand he held a bottle of wine. ‘Or thirsty.’
I grinned at him, thinking about my discarded McDonald’s on the kitchen counter. ‘Muuuum!’ I shouted. ‘It’s Rory. He’s got pizza.’
‘Come in,’ Mum called. When Rory and I went into the living room, she was standing up and she’d taken her hair out of its ponytail and fluffed it up with her fingers. Nice work, Mum, I thought. She definitely seemed to have a crush on him, which was sort of weird. I wondered if she worried about what to say to him, like I worried about what to say to Callum.
‘I thought I’d wander past to see the decorations,’ Rory said. ‘But then I thought, why not pop in. I hope I’m not intruding.’
‘Not at all,’ Mum said. ‘Especially not when you bring wine and food.’ She smiled at him, and I thought how nice it was to see her looking happy. ‘I’ll get some glasses and plates.’
‘You really don’t mind?’
I eyed Rory carefully. He seemed to like Mum, too. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but I knew I liked pizza and I’d hardly eaten any of my burger, so I smiled at him. ‘Sit down,’ I said. ‘Watch out for Hermione.’
Mum put some plates on the coffee table and two wine glasses, and handed me a can of Diet Coke. ‘Jem and I were just talking about the additions to our decorations,’ she said as if it was no big deal.
‘Additions?’
‘The skeletons – did you notice them?’
‘I did,’ Rory said. ‘Nice touch. I liked the school tie round the neck. Bored to death in a lesson, were you?’ He grinned at me and I smiled back less than enthusiastically at his lame joke.
‘The other one’s wearing Mum’s scarf,’ I told him.
‘Spooky. Whose idea was that?’
‘That’s just the thing,’ Mum said, concentrating on laying out the plates. ‘We don’t know.’
‘You didn’t put them there?’
‘Nope. Mum was totally freaked out.’
‘You were?’
Mum looked a bit sheepish. ‘Not totally,’ she said, backtracking now Rory was there.
Rory made a face. ‘It’s a bit weird,’ he said. ‘Seems personal, because they’re wearing your stuff. Like a threat.’
I felt a shiver down my spine. ‘It’s just a joke,’ I said firmly. ‘Actually, I need my tie for school. I got paint on my other one in art. I might go and get it.’
I dashed off outside and pulled Mum’s scarf and my tie from round the necks of the skeletons. I couldn’t really imagine why we hadn’t done that in the first place. Suddenly they looked less scary and more like silly Halloween decorations and I felt a bit foolish for being spooked.
Inside, Rory was leaning forward to open the boxes of pizza. ‘I just got margheritas because I thought everyone likes those.’
‘We do,’ said Mum, gazing at Rory in a way that made me want to be sick.
‘I’m not that hungry actually,’ I lied, feeling my mouth water as the smell of the melted cheese hit my nostrils. ‘I might give it a miss.’
Mum gave me a sharp look, which I ignored.
‘Halloween’s nearly over anyway,’ I said, fake cheerfully. ‘Everything will be back to normal in a couple of weeks.’