The Girl With Pink Hair: Pt. 03

Sylvie dragged Elena to the centre and held her hand in the air. "To our hero, that even Professor Lord God Almighty Dexter - did I get that right? - thinks might be quite clever! To Elena!"

There was a chorus of 'To Elena!' while Elena blushed as deeply as Jess had ever seen her while their friends crowded to hug her and offer congratulations.

Jess muscled her way to her girlfriend to put an arm round her while shouting, "Mine, hands off!"

Back at the house after the display had finished, surrounded by the best that the local take-aways had to offer, Elena bathed in the well wishes of her friends, old and new. Jess watched her, taking gentle pleasure in the reflected glory and wondering whether the future was adequately prepared for Doctor Kowalski ...

***

When the email from the Secretary to the Faculty Board arrived three weeks later, Elena felt a distinct sense of anti-climax. All this time and effort amounted to just a couple of sodding lines on her phone? However, Professor Edwards was positively avuncular, mainly because her achievement reflected very well on him. They'd be flocking to him next semester.

"Always knew you had it in you," he rumbled, like somebody's favourite uncle.

Elena gave him her special look and he had the grace to add, "You had your rocky patches, to be sure, but then who doesn't?"

***

Christmas started to loom out of the calendar. The lovers started to have a slightly repetitive conversation.

"What do you want to do?"

"I asked first."

"I asked second so you should answer my question first."

"I asked before that, so my question takes precedence."

"Says who?"

"I'm going to smack you, you know."

"C'mon then if you think you're hard enough!"

*sigh*

"I think we should spend it here. If we go to your folks, my folks will sulk and vice versa."

"Do you want to upset your folks?"

"Do you?"

"I'm going to make a decision."

"You are? That's a novelty."

"I can do the smack thing too, you know."

After far too much of this sort of thing, they resolved to see whether either set of relatives minded visitations on Boxing Day or New Year's Day and the toss of a coin decided who went first. Elena won and rang her parents whereupon the matriarch of the Kowalski clan announced that they'd be in Italy for the festivities. Elena banged the phone down and snarled 'fuck you, then!' at it. Jess prudently decided not to intervene. Chateau Calamar it was then.

***

"What do I do about presents?" Elena asked as they loitered in the queue at the supermarket. Jess idly rearranged the goods on the conveyer, sugar and flour at the front, delicate items at the back. The girl behind the till was the same one that Elena remembered from the café. They exchanged smiles.

"Do we really have to do presents?"

"Not to individuals but from one house to the other sort of thing. A vase or something."

"Maybe put a plant in the vase. Then it's something they've got to keep alive for when you visit the next time," said the girl behind the till.

"Devious!" Elena applauded and the girl's eyes glinted with mischief.

"What kind of plant?" asked Jess.

"Strelitzia," the girl said promptly. "I got given one years ago and it's a complete pig. I only managed to get it to flower once, and I was so chuffed that I showed photos of it to everyone I knew. Still died in the end."

There was a cough behind them in the queue and Jess dug in her wallet for her credit card. "We may come and consult you again."

"What's your name?" Elena asked.

"Eva."

"Elena and Jess. Nice to meet you," Jess smiled.

***

Dalecott Nursery

"Apparently it's named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg and is the official flower of Los Angeles. Also called the Bird of Paradise Flower" Elena announced as she read the label stuck into the pot of the glossy-leafed plant.

"Fifteen quid and another fifteen for the pot. Is thirty notes a good present or not?"

"It's comes with a daughter's love, so price is irrelevant," Elena smirked. Then her expression slipped, and she added, "I'll pay half seeing as Mommie Dearest is sunning herself on the Adriatic coast."

***

Developments

New Year's Eve

Everley House

Joan Calamar eyed the plant warily. "I'd better get George to look after this."

"What now?" her husband said, as he appeared in the doorway.

Elena liked George Calamar, he didn't simply come into a room, he entered it, as if he was taking the stage in a play. Even if he wasn't using witchy powers, which Jess said he had in abundance, he simply oozed bonhomie.

"Elena! Welcome, welcome!"

Elena giggled and went to embrace him. He smelled of sandalwood and leather and warm things and she would have happily bottled Eau de George for a quick spritz when she was feeling down. Joan Calamar looked on benignly, the power dynamic was quite clear.

"Come through," he said, releasing her and leading them into the big morning room. Joan Calamar, who was left holding the pot - which could have stood in for a lot of things - sighed. Sometimes she envied Sapiens, men were gadflies by nature and a matriarchal society simply encouraged it.

She placed the Strelitzia reginae carefully on the hall table and made a mental note to investigate its care arrangements later. She didn't immediately follow the others but detoured into the kitchen to make coffee.

The morning room faced south and east and had an uninterrupted view of the gently undulating countryside away to the low hills in the distance. Elena knew George was a keen cyclist and thought that the local terrain looked ideal, bit of distance, smidgin of cardio.

He waved them to the sofas arranged in front of the big bay window and threw himself into one of them, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Is it too early for a drink?"

Much as the idea of a leisurely boozy afternoon beckoned, Elena was heartly relieved when Jess' mother appeared with a tray of coffee and something that trailed tantalising wisps of steam.

"Vol-au-vents!" she announced with a flourish. "They're so retro they're cutting edge!"

"You've even put their little hats on!" Elena exclaimed delightedly. "What's inside?"

Joan winked. "A surprise!"

It turned out to be a combination of spiced lentils, peas, and sautéed onions. Elena did not have to feign enjoyment. Mrs Calamar had got the balance just right, with the tiniest little spike of heat.

After her first one, Elena sat still for a moment with her eyes closed. "You know I'm not leaving until I get the recipe."

Joan's husband was on his fourth. "I shall have to put another 10 miles in to work this off but it's worth every yard. You have excelled yourself my dear."

They smiled at one another with such warmth that Elena looked away to where Jess was watching her. She shook her head in wonder and her lover smiled wryly.

"Got a lot to live up to."

"It's not a competition, darling," her mother chided.

"Given the envy that leaks out when we have a get together, I'd say it was. Especially for Aunty Claire."

"Now now, it's not her fault she's never made a match."

Elena was sure that a waft of satisfaction trailed Mrs Calamar as she took the plates out to the kitchen.

***

Elena offered her assistance in preparing the evening meal and was welcomed with open arms.

"Oh, you've no idea. The other two loll around being waited on hand and foot."

Elena chuckled. "It's no different at home. Offer to make one meal and now I'm the household skivvy."

"Not true," shouted Jess from the other room.

"You've been together six months now," Mrs Calamar said quietly as they peeled vegetables together. "You're as perfect a couple as I've ever seen. How are you feeling?"

"Sometimes I can't quite believe it." Elena hesitated as the memory of the encounter with the opposition surfaced. She was painfully aware that her paring knife had stopped moving, and she struggled to push her awareness of Jess' clandestine activities back down.

Joan looked at her appraisingly. "You're a very clever young woman, Elena. It's no surprise to me that you attracted my daughter. I understand how our existence must be unsettling for you and if you ever need to talk to someone about your doubts, you can come to me."

"Thank you," Elena said, thankful that the other had misinterpreted her momentary anxiety.

***

While tea was cooking, they went up to change and Jess guided Elena past her old bedroom door which was where she had assumed they would be sleeping. When her mother told her of the change in arrangements, Jess squealed and hugged her mother who simply deluged her with russet hues of hope and love and affection.

Unaware of the drama, Elena pushed open the door.

"Blimey, what a room! And bed! Who on earth has a four poster bed?" she exclaimed.

Jess caught her bottom lip between her teeth and looked bashful.

"Christ, there's a small sofa at the end of the bed! And a proper dressing table!" Elena walked round the room trailing her hand over the woodwork and remarking at it all. "This is a palace, Jess! I don't warrant this."

Jess walked rapidly to her and took her hands. "I wanted you to see how special you are. Not just to me or because the Lord God Almighty Dexter thinks you are but because everyone does!"

Elena surveyed the grandeur with a jaundiced eye. Her earliest memories were of growing up on a down at heel Council estate, in a dreary overspill town built in the dog days of the 1950s. Scrubby front gardens with chicken wire fences and the odd mattress for decoration, in a place where self-respect was in short supply. Ice on the inside of the windows in winter and her mother swearing at the electric cooker as it stopped working yet again. Walking to school by roundabout routes on cracked pavements to avoid groups of children who didn't take kindly to a girl whose beauty and intellect made her stand out too much.

Even after her father got his job with the Civil Service, and they moved to Leigh (not Southend, her mother insisted firmly) and the sort of house Alice Kowalski thought she deserved, after Elena moved to the grammar school for girls and an environment where her mind was cultivated and prized, what everyone who's ever been bullied or poor understands, is that some of that sticks.

Elena's head dipped, giving off complex mixtures of shame and negativity, and turned away. Jess looked at her in astonishment. In all the time she'd known her, Elena had been many things, but this naked hotchpotch was not one of them. She turned Elena to face her again and fell to her knees in contrition, appalled at how badly she'd misjudged things.

Abruptly, like a switch being flicked, Elena was exasperated and hauled Jess to her feet. "Enough with the drama! I get that you're infatuated with me but not every gesture has to be a grand one. We're not living the great romantic novel."

"Aren't we? I'd hoped we were. I'm sorry I screwed up so badly."

Elena cuffed her on the shoulder. "I'm not a princess and I'd prefer it if you didn't treat me like one."

"I'm sorry," Jess repeated humbly.

"Enough; let's get changed and have a nice evening with your lovely parents, okay?"

"Okay."

***

Later, Jess lay awake as Elena snored gently beside her, trying to process why everything had seemed so intense that day, like the colour and brightness had been subtly dialled up. There had been no reason for Elena to react to the room the way she did or for Jess to blurt out all that hero-worship stuff and then to fall, crushed, at her feet.

She fretted that everything felt just the tiniest bit ... scripted.

***

January

The Beech Woods

Back from the New Year's celebrations at Everley House, they settled back into comfortable routine: Jess at the station bistro, Elena at the hippy grocery. Home at the end of the day to the house and warm evenings in with Sylvie, Shawna and whoever dropped by. At times Elena almost forgot that her girlfriend was an elven spy. Everything was delightfully calm.

Most of January was bitterly cold, but by the last weekend a warm front had pushed in from the south. Sunday afternoon, equipped with sweaters and light jackets and Jess' pink shock tamed under a woolly hat, they had a wonderful walk in the beechwoods alongside the Roman Road, the low sun piercing deep into the open woodland. Hand in hand they waved off the compliments and admiring glances from the young men that fell in beside them from time to time.

"It's your boobs," Elena decided.

"This from the most beautiful woman in a generation?" Jess replied wryly. She relished her good fortune, fully aware what an eye-catching couple they were.

***

The Loft

Back at the loft, Jess set about organising herself for the evening. The manager of the station bistro had a side-line in running functions and she was scheduled to be out very late for a wedding reception. She dropped a kiss on the top of Elena's head in farewell as Elena wrapped herself in a quilt and settled down with a book. At some point she drowsed.

Her eyelids fluttered open hours later to find the full moon sending shafts of cold light into the darkened loft. The white pillars marched across the middle of the room like a colonnade. The walls of the loft were in such deep shadow it was almost as if they weren't there, and she was on stage in some darkened theatre. The silence was absolute.

Unsure if she was even awake, Elena lay unmoving beneath the quilt trying to determine whether she was in another of her infrequent eldritch dreams.

On the far side of the pale bars, something slowly became present. Analytical brain raised its eyebrows. Sure there were indeed 'more things in heaven and earth', but being haunted was a step too far.

Elena watched it and was somehow sure that it studied her in its turn, although she could not make out any features. She slowly pushed herself upright and reached for her phone to turn the ceiling lights on, but the apparition shook its head. At least she thought it did.

Elena decided she was not dreaming.

"What are you?" Her voice echoed in the space of the loft.

'Potential.'

Elena did not think that any sound had been uttered but she understood perfectly. The hair stood up on her arms and she felt a preternatural awareness, as if she was in terrible danger.

"Potential for what?"

The moonlight seemed brighter, and Elena struggled to see anything beyond the cold brilliance. Even as she squinted against the glare, the mysterious presence seemed to become more solid, taking on details, eyes, a mouth, hair ... no, not hair, something else.

Then it was as if a UFO from the movies passed over the house, the light flaring impossibly bright before cutting out completely. Elena blinked away afterimages. The time on her phone said midnight. The moonlight was just moonlight.

She sat motionless, wondering if anything else was going to happen. At least nightmares had the decency to stay in the unconscious. Slowly she let go the breath she'd been holding and became aware all the other lights in the loft, even the red standby lights, were out.

Turning on the torch on her phone, she made her way downstairs on shaky legs to where Sylvie and Shawna were lighting candles in the dining room. The soft light warmed and grounded her. Whatever she had just experienced might have been one of those things that happen in a drowse, the mind knitting together the real and the fantastic.

"Power cut," Sylvie said over her shoulder as she touched the taper to the wick. "Even the streetlights are out."

"Does the house have a ghost?"

The other two stopped and turned to look at her.

"Seriously?" Shawna said in amazement. "The girl genius believes in the supernatural?"

Elena pulled the quilt a little tighter. She looked fragile and Sylvie went to put an arm round her in concern.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

Elena wondered how to explain what had just happened and shook her head. Sylvie looked at Shawna.

"Do you remember where the camping stove is?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good. I think hot chocolate with a drop of rum is what's needed now."

***

Elsewhere, like Lachesis, the people of the Folk that trailed the timelines through their metaphorical fingers, crooned of Elena Kowalski's significance above all others. Their handlers hurried to inform their superiors.

***

When Jess came home in the small hours, she found the loft empty. Puzzled, she cast around until she found Elena's signature with Sylvie and Shawna. Elena appeared to be asleep, her aura muted.

She tiptoed to her housemates' door and knocked very gently. Moments later Shawna opened it and beckoned her in.

"Bad dream. She's really spooked," Shawna whispered. Jess peered over her shoulder to see Elena curled up against Sylvie in their bed. Sylvie beckoned her over with a wave of her hand.

"Come on Jess, time to do some of your magic."

Jess paused and gave her a quizzical look. However, Elena's distress overrode her puzzlement and she moved to soothe it. Elena relaxed a little and Sylvie gave Jess a knowing look but said nothing.

"Do you want to take our room tonight? We'll go in the spare room," Shawna whispered.

Jess gave her a grateful smile and climbed up beside Elena and took her in her arms. Immediately Elena reached out to take hold of her and sighed. Sylvie and Shawna let themselves out quietly. Jess felt her eyes prick at the kindness of her companions.

***

The next time Jess came awake, Elena's head was in her lap, looking up at her with serious grey eyes.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Love you too," Jess murmured, stroking her hair. "You okay?"

"Yes, I think so. It's all different in the light of day. But it was so real, Jess. I saw a ghost."

Jess wanted to smile but kept her expression neutral as she felt Elena's emotions colour the blue and violet of fear and confusion. She hugged her lover tight.

"No ghosts, love. Trust my witchy powers on this one."

Elena nodded, not convinced. It had been real; it spoke to her. She looked round properly for the first time. "Why are we in their room?"

"They thought it was best to let you sleep once I got home."

Elena smiled and nodded. "They were lovely. They made me hot chocolate even though the power was out."

"A little payback for all those marvellous meals you've made for them."

Elena shrugged and nestled a little further into Jess' side.

Jess looked out of the window and pondered Elena's nightmares. Something was going on, that was for sure. Raise it with Mariam, perhaps?

***

Later the same morning, Jess found Sylvie in the kitchen.

"You said something strange, last night. About doing my magic. What did you mean?"

The older woman looked at her sideways and then looked down, tucking her short blonde hair behind her ear. "You do some odd things from time to time, Jess."

Jess tensed. "What sort of odd things?"

"Your hair changes colour."

Jess attempted carelessness. "I dye it, sometimes I wear a wig, what of it?"

Sylvie fished a slice of bread out of a packet and reached into the fridge for the butter.

"You don't hang around in the right circles, Jess. This is not such a big city and me and Shawna pretty much cover it. In fact, other than the bedmates you've brought home from time to time - and none of them last very long either - I wouldn't have said you had any friends at all. Until you brought Elena into this. Then things have only gotten stranger. You still don't have any friends - except through her. Not even us really until she came. You're really pretty, Jess but somehow no-one notices you."