come out victorious. ‘But you know what I’m like, Rox. Anyway,
it was you I was thinking of when this next idea suddenly washed over me. And I say
wash
… ’
Roxi looks at me suspiciously. ‘Darcy, you’re worrying me now. What have you done?’ She takes a bite of her bacon sandwich.
‘Are you sure I can’t make you anything, honey? It will do your hangover the world of good.’
I shake my head and shift uncomfortably on the sofa in the dressing gown I’ve now changed into. ‘No, really, Rox, you know
I can’t stomach breakfast at the best of times, and eating something this morning isn’t going to make dealing with this memory
any easier.’
‘I could break into my chocolate stash I keep hidden away in my room, if you like?’
‘No, I don’t think even chocolate would help me today.’
Roxi almost drops her sandwich in shock. ‘Oh my, now I know something ain’t right, when you don’t want chocolate. You better
tell Auntie Roxi, and fast!’
I sigh heavily as I have to take myself back to last night again. ‘Well, I’m in the ladies’ toilet, and Samantha comes in
while I’m washing my hands … ’ I begin.
‘Enjoying your evening?’ Samantha enquires, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
Her face is still unbearably smug as she stares back at me waiting for my reply, and suddenly I feel a wave of intense emotion
like nothing I’ve ever felt before. ‘It’s about to get a whole lot better,’ I reply, leaping away from the sink. The cold
tap I’ve been rinsing my hands under shoots water from its spout at full bore, splashing up out of the basin and on to whatever
is in its path.
‘Aaah!’ Samantha cries as water sprays all over her cream and oyster dress. ‘What the hell are you
doing
?’
‘Sorry, I must have turned the tap the wrong way there. Silly thing.’
‘But look at my dress, it’s soaked, it … it’s virtually see-through now!’ Samantha looks desperately at her reflection inthe mirror. Frantically she pulls the sheer fabric away from her chest.
Tilting my head to one side, I pretend to examine the situation in the mirror. ‘Maybe you could just pop home and change?’
I suggest. ‘I’m sure Brian will let you back in, if you give a little tap on the door when you get back, that is. Ooops, sorry
– did I say
tap
?’
And now, as I finish telling Roxi the whole sorry tale, I cover my face with my hands in shame. ‘Oh God, Rox, I can’t believe
I did that. I don’t know what came over me.’
‘Is that it?’ Roxi smiles in amusement. ‘I thought you’d flushed her head down the toilet or something. Blimey, us girls did
a lot worse to each other at the school I went to. Where did you go to school, Darcy, Miss Prim and Proper’s Academy for delightful
young gals?’ she grins. But when she fails to raise a smile from me, she continues: ‘You’re right, though, it doesn’t sound
like you. Maybe you’re just under a lot of pressure right now, with this whole island thing?’
I nod. ‘But it’s still no excuse. My aunt Molly always used to say if you do something bad, something bad will happen to you,
and vice-versa – doing good will bring equal good. Karma, it’s called. Samantha will make my life hell now at work, after
that little stunt. Maybe I should just go and live on the island after all.’
Roxi picks up her mug of tea. ‘What’s stopping you from going, anyway? If that was me, I’d be over there like a shot.’
‘No you wouldn’t. You’d be having the same dilemma I am. How am I going to cope over there for a year without all this?’ I
gesture round at the flat. ‘And how will I cope without you?’
‘Darce, you’ll be just fine. You don’t need me to hold your hand any more. I think I might have been doing that a little bit
too long now, anyway. Maybe it’s time you stepped out on your own. You can do this, you know it’s what you really want inside
here,’ and she points an
it was you I was thinking of when this next idea suddenly washed over me. And I say
wash
… ’
Roxi looks at me suspiciously. ‘Darcy, you’re worrying me now. What have you done?’ She takes a bite of her bacon sandwich.
‘Are you sure I can’t make you anything, honey? It will do your hangover the world of good.’
I shake my head and shift uncomfortably on the sofa in the dressing gown I’ve now changed into. ‘No, really, Rox, you know
I can’t stomach breakfast at the best of times, and eating something this morning isn’t going to make dealing with this memory
any easier.’
‘I could break into my chocolate stash I keep hidden away in my room, if you like?’
‘No, I don’t think even chocolate would help me today.’
Roxi almost drops her sandwich in shock. ‘Oh my, now I know something ain’t right, when you don’t want chocolate. You better
tell Auntie Roxi, and fast!’
I sigh heavily as I have to take myself back to last night again. ‘Well, I’m in the ladies’ toilet, and Samantha comes in
while I’m washing my hands … ’ I begin.
‘Enjoying your evening?’ Samantha enquires, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
Her face is still unbearably smug as she stares back at me waiting for my reply, and suddenly I feel a wave of intense emotion
like nothing I’ve ever felt before. ‘It’s about to get a whole lot better,’ I reply, leaping away from the sink. The cold
tap I’ve been rinsing my hands under shoots water from its spout at full bore, splashing up out of the basin and on to whatever
is in its path.
‘Aaah!’ Samantha cries as water sprays all over her cream and oyster dress. ‘What the hell are you
doing
?’
‘Sorry, I must have turned the tap the wrong way there. Silly thing.’
‘But look at my dress, it’s soaked, it … it’s virtually see-through now!’ Samantha looks desperately at her reflection inthe mirror. Frantically she pulls the sheer fabric away from her chest.
Tilting my head to one side, I pretend to examine the situation in the mirror. ‘Maybe you could just pop home and change?’
I suggest. ‘I’m sure Brian will let you back in, if you give a little tap on the door when you get back, that is. Ooops, sorry
– did I say
tap
?’
And now, as I finish telling Roxi the whole sorry tale, I cover my face with my hands in shame. ‘Oh God, Rox, I can’t believe
I did that. I don’t know what came over me.’
‘Is that it?’ Roxi smiles in amusement. ‘I thought you’d flushed her head down the toilet or something. Blimey, us girls did
a lot worse to each other at the school I went to. Where did you go to school, Darcy, Miss Prim and Proper’s Academy for delightful
young gals?’ she grins. But when she fails to raise a smile from me, she continues: ‘You’re right, though, it doesn’t sound
like you. Maybe you’re just under a lot of pressure right now, with this whole island thing?’
I nod. ‘But it’s still no excuse. My aunt Molly always used to say if you do something bad, something bad will happen to you,
and vice-versa – doing good will bring equal good. Karma, it’s called. Samantha will make my life hell now at work, after
that little stunt. Maybe I should just go and live on the island after all.’
Roxi picks up her mug of tea. ‘What’s stopping you from going, anyway? If that was me, I’d be over there like a shot.’
‘No you wouldn’t. You’d be having the same dilemma I am. How am I going to cope over there for a year without all this?’ I
gesture round at the flat. ‘And how will I cope without you?’
‘Darce, you’ll be just fine. You don’t need me to hold your hand any more. I think I might have been doing that a little bit
too long now, anyway. Maybe it’s time you stepped out on your own. You can do this, you know it’s what you really want inside
here,’ and she points an
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