“This is stupid,” said Kalix, upstairs on the 37 bus. “I don’t want to go.”
“It’s not stupid,” said Vex “It’s a great idea. That’s why I’m coming.”
“I didn’t want you to come,” said Kalix. “I didn’t even want to go anywhere. I just didn’t want to see Dominil.”
“What were you going to do instead? Wander around all miserable and depressed? This is a much better idea.”
Against her better judgment, Kalix was on her way to the art exhibition in Brixton, as advertised on the flier given to her by the young man she’d encountered while visiting Merchant MacDoig’s.
“I can’t just turn up,” she said. “I’ll look stupid.”
“Why will you look stupid? It’s an art exhibition. He gave you a flier. You’re meant to turn up, that’s the whole point.”
Kalix looked anxious. “He’ll think I’m trying to go out with him.”
Vex laughed. “Well, he’s certainly trying to go out with you, what with stopping you in the street and telling you how pretty you are and giving you a flier. Maybe you should go out with him.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why not?” asked Vex. “Because you already have a terrible boyfriend you always argue with and never really see because you fight too much?”
Kalix looked glum. It was true that her relationship with Decembrius had ground to a halt. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
“A new boyfriend is just what you need,” said Vex as the bus approached Brixton.
“No, it’s not.”
“You said he was pretty, right? Maybe you should try some pretty boy instead of these angry werewolves. Have you noticed how angry werewolves get?”
“I’m a werewolf,” said Kalix.
Vex laughed. “You get more angry than anybody.”
“I know what’s going to happen,” said Kalix. “I’ll introduce myself and he’ll be embarrassed to see me again. Probably his girlfriend will be standing right next to him and she’ll hate me because she’ll think I’ve come to steal her boyfriend. There’ll be a big scene. The whole gallery will be standing there watching as his girlfriend screams at me and calls me names.”
Vex stared at her friend. “You’ve really given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?”
“Yes,” said Kalix miserably.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know anything about art,” said Kalix. “What if someone asks me about it? I’ll look stupid.”
“If anyone asks you anything, just make something up. No one’s going to ask you anyway. Who talks about art?”
“People at an art exhibition, I suppose,” said Kalix.
“I doubt it,” said Vex. “Probably they just go there to meet girls. Look, the only thing you have to do is tell this boy you like his paintings or sculptures or whatever he does. Cosmo Junior says that’s really important. If you like some boy and he’s an artist you have to say you like his art. Once you’ve done that you’re home and dry.”
Kalix stared gloomily at the flier. There were some long words on it she couldn’t read and she was convinced they were complicated art terms. Someone was bound to ask her questions about them. Kalix had never been to an art exhibition before and wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that she’d be expected to give a talk to the entire gallery.
The bus arrived in Brixton. Vex bounded off, followed by the reluctant Kalix.
“I can’t even remember his name,” said Kalix, now becoming really anxious.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find out,” said Vex. “And then I’ll shove you together.”
“Don’t shove us together!”
“I’ll do it tactfully. Hey, I’m currently arranging for the Queen of the Hiyasta to get married. I’m sure I can help you as well.”
“Why are we going in here?” asked Kalix as Vex led them into a pub.
“To get a drink, of course. You can’t go around getting boyfriends without a little alcohol inside you. I mean, I can, but you can’t. You’ll freeze up.”
“Does it say that in Cosmo Junior?”
“No,” said Vex. “I learned it from my aunt. You never see her talking to a duke or a lord without at least a bottle of wine inside her. She seems to be drinking a lot more these days, I don’t know why.”
Vex beamed at Kalix. “Was it really true when you said it’s illegal to buy a drink before you’re eighteen?”
“Yes,” said Kalix.
They’d bought drinks in pubs often before, but never legally.
“What a strange law,” said Vex, who’d found it almost impossible to understand. “Well, now we can legally drink! Is there any sort of prize when you reach eighteen? Like a free drink?”
“I’m afraid not,” said Kalix.
They ordered two pints of lager, which were delivered quickly and looked large in Kalix’s and Vex’s small hands.
“To boyfriends,” said Vex, raising her pint glass.
Kalix mumbled something inaudible in reply, not thinking that was a toast she was ever really going to feel like making. The pub Vex had led them into was busy, mostly with young people dressed in a way that made Kalix wonder if they might be artists themselves, or perhaps people who were going to the exhibition. She felt intimidated and stared fixedly at her drink.
“Stop feeling intimidated,” said Vex.
“Stop reading my aura,” said Kalix. She’d have liked to have dallied over her drink so as to delay going to the exhibition for as long as possible, but unfortunately she found that in her nervous state, she gulped it down quickly.
“Time to go,” said Vex. “Let’s see what this art is all about.”
Kalix trailed behind Vex as they walked along the pavement. Vex had the flier in her hand. “Here it is!”
The gallery was nothing more than a converted shop.
Kalix looked in dubiously. “I thought it would be bigger. I don’t want to go in. There’s hardly anyone inside.”
It was much emptier than Kalix had anticipated. Previously worried about being surrounded by a throng of art experts, she now became concerned about being the only person there.
“Come on,” said Vex, and she hurried them inside. She looked around. “Are these the paintings? I like them.”
The walls were covered with paintings of animals, very bright and quite childlike in their application.
“Hey, a funny pink tiger!” called Vex, unconcerned that the few people in the gallery could hear every word she said. “This is much better than I expected.” She turned to Kalix, continuing in an even louder voice. “Didn’t you think the art would be bad really? I thought it would be rubbish.”
Vex’s words, echoing off the bare walls of the small gallery, caused everyone to look at her.
“I mean, what are the chances it would be any good?” Vex looked around her. “Shame there’s no one here. Everyone else must have thought it would be rubbish too.”
Kalix stared at her boots and wished she might just disappear. She didn’t see the young man approach, but was made aware of his presence by a violent prod in the ribs from Vex.
“Hi,” said Vex. “Are you the artist?”
The young man nodded.
“What’s your name?” demanded Vex immediately, for which Kalix was grateful.
“Manny,” he replied.
“We’ve come to see your art. I like the pink tiger and the pink giraffe. I like pink. Why’s there nobody here?”
“It’s still early,” replied Manny. “I hope some more people will turn up in a while.”
“Well,” said Vex, pushing Kalix toward the young artist. “I expect you’d like to talk about art and things. There’s my boyfriend now, so I’m off. Bye.”
Vex started to walk toward the front door, where Pete had suddenly appeared. Kalix bolted after her.
“Where are you going?” demanded Kalix.
“Out with Pete. Look, he’s waiting at the door.”
“You mean you’re just going to abandon me?”
“Of course.”
“But I wouldn’t have come here if I’d known you were going to leave right away!” protested Kalix.
Vex looked puzzled, as if she didn’t really understand what the problem was. She’d brought Kalix to the gallery, found out the artist’s name and pushed Kalix into conversation with him. To Vex it seemed like a job well done.
“I have to go with Pete,” she said. “He’s my boyfriend.”
“I don’t want to stay here alone!”
“You know Manny,” said Vex. “You’ll be fine.”
During the conversation, Vex had been edging her way toward the door. As she reached it she flung herself at Pete and kissed him.
“Hi, Pete!” she cried.
With a wave to Kalix, they departed. Kalix stared hopelessly after them, unable to believe Vex’s treachery. To bring her here and then abandon her seemed unbelievably rude. To make it worse, Kalix knew that the few people in the gallery would all have heard the conversation. Knowing there was no way to make this better, she resolved to just put her head down and hurry out of the building.
I’ll never have to see any of these people again, thought Kalix. Maybe I could move to North London, to make sure.
She was about to make her exit when she found her way blocked by Manny. He smiled at her.
“Some friend,” he said. “Abandoning you like that. But don’t leave now. I’ll show you my paintings, there’s more in the next room.”
Kalix couldn’t help noticing how pretty Manny was. He had long, curly blond hair, blue eyes, a small nose and quite a feminine face. And he was thin, skinny enough that Kalix thought she could push him over with one finger.
He held out a plastic cup. “And we’ve got wine.”
Kalix accepted the proffered cup. “OK. Show me your paintings. But I don’t know anything about art.”
“Doesn’t matter,” said Manny.
He had a soft voice, with a noticeable London accent. Kalix rather liked his voice. She allowed herself to be led back into the gallery, to look at the rest of his paintings.