CHAPTER SIX

When I return to my bedroom, it’s transformed into some kind of Halloween haunted house. Mia’s been busy while we were peeing. There are candles everywhere, lit and flickering, and Mia’s sitting in a giant circle she’s made out of tealights. She’s using a compass app on her phone so we can see where north, south, east and west are. She’s switched off all my lights and it’s black and pretty spooky and witchy.

“Are you ready?” Mia asks as I stop in shock in the doorway. She sees my phone clutched in my hand and adds, “Phone off.”

“But yours is still on,” I object.

“Only because we need to know where north is. It’s on do not disturb.”

Alexis holds both palms up and shrugs at me. “She’s made me put mine in my bag.”

I mime switching mine off, not wanting to start another argument. But there’s no way I’m actually turning it off, not when Aidan could ring to declare his undying love at any moment.

“Thank you,” Mia says. “Now, sit down and let’s form the circle.”

I fold my legs under myself and join them on the carpet, then absent‑mindedly reach out to hold my finger in a candle flame for a second.

I hope this works.

“Right, we all need to hold hands in order to cast a circle,” Mia instructs us.

“Why do we need to cast a circle?” Alexis asks.

“It makes the magic stronger.”

“Okey dokey,” I say, and hold out my palms. I really want to giggle and I can tell Alexis does too.

“Eww, Lexi, your hands are all sticky from pizza,” I say.

“Sorry. I washed them in the loo but then I found a leftover slice. Hang on.” She rubs them on her lacy outfit. “That better?”

I wrinkle my nose. “Sort of.”

Mia eyeballs both of us. “Are you two done already?”

We nod and clasp our hands tighter to hold in our laughter.

“Right, so there are four elements but only three of us,” Mia says, “so I don’t mind being two elements. Which element do you want to be?”

“Umm, what’s an element again?” Alexis asks, while Mia rolls her eyes. God, she really is in a cranky mood tonight.

“Earth, fire, water and air.”

“Oh, right, cool,” Alexis says. “Can I be fire?”

I feel my stomach twist, as I kind of wanted to be fire.

“Yep, of course. Sophia? What element do you want?”

It’s not a question I’m used to being asked and I struggle as I consider them in my head. I’m trying to figure out which element feels most “me”, besides fire. Not earth, I don’t think. I don’t like getting dirty. Maybe air? I do like it when it’s proper windy outside. I always go out and stand in it and have deep and meaningful thoughts.

“Air,” I say.

“Right, that makes me earth and water. They’re a bit conflicting, but I’m sure it won’t damage the spell too much.” Mia reaches into her bag and hands two items over to us. Alexis gets a match and I get a really gross feather that looks like it fell out of a dying pigeon.

“Umm, thanks for the present?” I say, deadpan.

“It’s a representation of your element,” Mia explains, pulling out a lump of moss and a travel bottle of Evian. “Right, I’ll say some stuff and you have to repeat it after me and then put your element down in front of you to form a circle. Ready?”

“Ready,” we chorus.

Mia closes her eyes, and Alexis and I look at each other to check if we need to copy her.

“Close your eyes,” Mia instructs.

We do, but we both start giggling.

“Stop laughing,” Mia snaps.

“Sorry,” I say, still laughing.

We giggle ourselves out, but it takes a good few minutes and another telling‑off from Mia. “Why aren’t you taking this seriously? Sophia, tonight was YOUR idea.”

“I know, I know …” I start laughing again. “I’ve just got the giggles, that’s all.”

“You have to take it seriously. Intention is really important in magic.”

The thought that I could ruin my spell calms me down. We eventually settle and hold hands again, close our eyes again. I let myself sink into the darkness. This could work, I tell myself. Then Aidan will be mine again and my heart won’t constantly hurt any more – the anguish and pain and longing and feeling like nobody ever wants me will be gone.

Mia starts talking in this really loud, spooky voice. “Spirits of Mother Nature, I call on you,” she booms out. “We ask that you keep everyone in this circle safe. Spirits of earth, I call on you.” There’s a big silence, then Mia says, “Sophia, you’re next. Air is east on the compass.”

“Oh, right,” I say, with my eyes still closed. “Umm. Spirits of air, I call on thee,” I say.

“Why did you just say thee?” Alexis asks, cracking up. “You sound like a witch from Macbeth!”

“I dunno,” I say. “It felt right. Anyway, I call on YOU,” I correct myself. I feel around for the grubby dead pigeon feather and chuck it in front of me.

“Lex, it’s you,” Mia says.

“OK, cool. Spirits of fire, I call on you.”

“Spirits of water, I call on you,” Mia finishes. “Mother Nature, we have called upon your elements and we ask you to guide us and help our intentions come true. Again, please keep everyone in this circle safe …”

That’s the moment it stops being funny. I suddenly feel my skin burst into prickles of goosebumps and every hair on the back of my neck stands up. Alexis freezes next to me and I sense she’s feeling it too.

“And that’s it,” Mia says. “The circle has been formed. Now it’s time to cast our spells.”

And, if it’s possible, my goosebumps get even bumpier.