laugh ever, like ‘Her-her-her-her!’ He was wiping his eyes and clutching his stomach. After a bit, we calmed down and just grinned at each other, goofily.
‘I couldn’t find you,’ I said, ‘I thought you’d...’
‘I didn’t think you’d come back...’
We both spoke at once then grinned again.
‘You first,’ said Luka.
‘Why were you sleeping in that creepy old place?’ I asked.
‘You may have noticed they’re taking my luxury pad apart,’ he said.
I nodded to where the creepy policeman doll used to be. ‘Yeah. They’ve even taken laughing boy away.’
‘Yeah,’ sighed Luka, following my gaze. ‘I quite miss that crazy guy.’ He looked at me again. ‘I just wanted somewhere to shelter. It gets a bit lonely and spooky in here at night.’
‘Surely you’re not frightened of ghosts?’ I said with a smile, but he didn’t smile back and I wished I hadn’t said it.
Luka cleared his throat in a stagey way and then turned to look at me. His dark eyes looked tired and I fought the overwhelming urge to stroke his cheek.
‘Um, Bel...’ he started to say. ‘I...’ but I clutched his arm because I realised I could hear something floating up through the floor. It was that whispering noise again, coming from inside the ghost train, but louder now. We stared at each other, wide-eyed.
‘There it is again,’ I hissed. ‘I told you there was something.’
We stood there like statues, trying to make out what was being said but it was just beyond our reach. I had the strangest feeling that if I could just make out the words, I wouldn’t be scared.
‘I hear that at night sometimes,’ said Luka quietly.
I looked at him.
‘I sometimes think it’s Eva,’ he said. ‘You know, trying to send me a message or something.’ He sighed. ‘But it’s not working if she is. And why here of all places?’
‘I don’t know.’ I shivered. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
Luka walked me back towards the entrance.
‘Doesn’t seem like we’ve got much further, does it?’ I said.
‘I guess not,’ he said.
We stopped near the gates.
‘Er, Luka ...’ I began. ‘It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow and my mum’s off work. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get back here for a few days.’
‘Oh,’ he said in a flat voice. ‘Right.’
‘I can’t help it being Christmas!’
He gave a tight smile. ‘I know. It’s just... well, it sort of... keeps me going, seeing you.’
I was so taken aback by this, my next words tumbled out too fast. ‘I’ll come back as soon as I can, I promise. I want to see you too.’ All my defences were melting by the second and tears blurred my vision.
‘Aw, come on. Don’t go making that piggy face again, Ann-aaa-belle,’ said Luka and I laughed a bit hysterically.
‘I warned you about calling me that!’ I hiccupped and went to play hit him but he caught my hand and held onto it. We both straightened our arms and our fingers linked together easily. I went to wipe my tears with my other hand but Luka’s was suddenly there instead. I felt the gentle pressure of his fingers across my cheek and shivered.
And then his face was very close. I saw his long lashes like two black semicircles as he closed his eyes and his cool lips touched mine.
It wasn’t the first time I’d kissed a boy. It wasn’t even the second. But the other times had been wet and pushy with not much pleasure involved. This ... this was very different. Our mouths were a perfect fit. I swear it was like the dark, desolate fairground melted away and I could almost hear laughter and music from the rides and sense bright, colourful lights swirling around us. Just for a moment, amid all the bad stuff, this was a happy place again.
When we finally broke apart, he held me close and I squeezed back, hard, trying to breathe him in and wishing I could stop time and live in this moment for ever.
‘Merry Christmas, Bel,’ he whispered.
‘Merry Christmas, Luka.’
C HAPTER 20
Comfort and
‘I couldn’t find you,’ I said, ‘I thought you’d...’
‘I didn’t think you’d come back...’
We both spoke at once then grinned again.
‘You first,’ said Luka.
‘Why were you sleeping in that creepy old place?’ I asked.
‘You may have noticed they’re taking my luxury pad apart,’ he said.
I nodded to where the creepy policeman doll used to be. ‘Yeah. They’ve even taken laughing boy away.’
‘Yeah,’ sighed Luka, following my gaze. ‘I quite miss that crazy guy.’ He looked at me again. ‘I just wanted somewhere to shelter. It gets a bit lonely and spooky in here at night.’
‘Surely you’re not frightened of ghosts?’ I said with a smile, but he didn’t smile back and I wished I hadn’t said it.
Luka cleared his throat in a stagey way and then turned to look at me. His dark eyes looked tired and I fought the overwhelming urge to stroke his cheek.
‘Um, Bel...’ he started to say. ‘I...’ but I clutched his arm because I realised I could hear something floating up through the floor. It was that whispering noise again, coming from inside the ghost train, but louder now. We stared at each other, wide-eyed.
‘There it is again,’ I hissed. ‘I told you there was something.’
We stood there like statues, trying to make out what was being said but it was just beyond our reach. I had the strangest feeling that if I could just make out the words, I wouldn’t be scared.
‘I hear that at night sometimes,’ said Luka quietly.
I looked at him.
‘I sometimes think it’s Eva,’ he said. ‘You know, trying to send me a message or something.’ He sighed. ‘But it’s not working if she is. And why here of all places?’
‘I don’t know.’ I shivered. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
Luka walked me back towards the entrance.
‘Doesn’t seem like we’ve got much further, does it?’ I said.
‘I guess not,’ he said.
We stopped near the gates.
‘Er, Luka ...’ I began. ‘It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow and my mum’s off work. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get back here for a few days.’
‘Oh,’ he said in a flat voice. ‘Right.’
‘I can’t help it being Christmas!’
He gave a tight smile. ‘I know. It’s just... well, it sort of... keeps me going, seeing you.’
I was so taken aback by this, my next words tumbled out too fast. ‘I’ll come back as soon as I can, I promise. I want to see you too.’ All my defences were melting by the second and tears blurred my vision.
‘Aw, come on. Don’t go making that piggy face again, Ann-aaa-belle,’ said Luka and I laughed a bit hysterically.
‘I warned you about calling me that!’ I hiccupped and went to play hit him but he caught my hand and held onto it. We both straightened our arms and our fingers linked together easily. I went to wipe my tears with my other hand but Luka’s was suddenly there instead. I felt the gentle pressure of his fingers across my cheek and shivered.
And then his face was very close. I saw his long lashes like two black semicircles as he closed his eyes and his cool lips touched mine.
It wasn’t the first time I’d kissed a boy. It wasn’t even the second. But the other times had been wet and pushy with not much pleasure involved. This ... this was very different. Our mouths were a perfect fit. I swear it was like the dark, desolate fairground melted away and I could almost hear laughter and music from the rides and sense bright, colourful lights swirling around us. Just for a moment, amid all the bad stuff, this was a happy place again.
When we finally broke apart, he held me close and I squeezed back, hard, trying to breathe him in and wishing I could stop time and live in this moment for ever.
‘Merry Christmas, Bel,’ he whispered.
‘Merry Christmas, Luka.’
C HAPTER 20
Comfort and
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