‘Toby.’
‘Yeah, he looks like a Toby.’
For a moment it feels like there’s nothing left to be said. Tallulah straightens up and says, ‘Anyway. That was all really. Just Mimi says to stop being a fucking dick and to let everyone know how you are because they’re worried about you.’
She glances at Scarlett, assessing her response to the message. She sees that Scarlett looks thinner than ever, that her hair has grown out into surprisingly dark roots, that she’s dressed less theatrically than she used to dress for college, in plain-cut jeans and an old sweatshirt with the words ‘Guernsey Yacht Club’ and a little red and white flag printed on it. ‘Wanna come in?’ she says.
‘Er, yeah. Sure. If that’s OK with you?’
‘It’s OK with me.’
‘I can’t stay long, I need to be home by two. So …’
‘Let’s have a cup of tea,’ says Scarlett. ‘Everyone’s out so it’s nice and quiet.’
Tallulah follows Scarlett through the hallway and into an extraordinary kitchen which looks like a glass box stuck on to the back of the house. Even on this overcast day it is dazzlingly bright, a dozen halogen lights sparkling off the glossy work surfaces and cabinets. A delicate wooden table surrounded by grey velvet dining chairs sits by a set of huge sliding doors that open out on to a sun terrace and, just beyond, what looks like a swimming pool with the cover drawn over it. Overhead is a Perspex chandelier dripping with red beads. The walls are white-painted brickwork hung with abstract canvases. At the other end of the glass box is a seating area with an electric-blue L-shaped sofa and the biggest plasma screen Tallulah has ever seen.
The dog follows closely behind Tallulah and then collapses at her feet when she sits down.
‘He loves visitors more than he loves his own family. It’s pathetic really,’ says Scarlett, filling up the kettle and switching it on.
Tallulah smiles and says, ‘He’s lovely. You’re really lucky.’ There’s a beat of silence. ‘So,’ she says. ‘Have you got a message for me to send back to Mimi and that lot?’
Scarlett, who has her back towards her, sighs. ‘I don’t want anything to do with Mimi. Or Roo. Or any of them. So no. Just don’t tell them you’ve seen me.’
‘Oh,’ says Tallulah. ‘Did you fall out?’
‘Well, no. I just …’ She pulls open the fridge door and takes out a bottle and says, ‘Milk?’
Tallulah nods.
‘It’s complicated,’ Scarlett continues. ‘I’d rather not talk about it.’
She finishes making their tea and brings the mugs over to the table.
‘So, how are things at college?’ she asks Scarlett.
Tallulah shrugs. ‘Boring.’
‘What is it you’re studying again?’
‘Social Science and Social Work.’
‘So, you want to go into social work then?’
‘Yeah.’ She nods and picks up her tea. ‘That’s the plan.’
‘Well, that’s very worthy. You’re clearly a very nice person.’
Tallulah laughs nervously. ‘What about you? What do you want to be?’
‘Dead, mainly,’ Scarlett replies darkly. ‘Yeah. Dead would be good.’ Then she rallies quickly and says, ‘Do you want to see something amazing?’
‘Er, yeah? Sure?’ Tallulah replies uncertainly. She puts down her tea and gets to her feet. The dog lumbers up onto his feet too.
‘Now,’ says Scarlett, ‘seriously, you cannot tell a soul about this, OK? I mean, this is literally mind-blowing and I am literally the only person in the whole world that knows about it and in a minute you will be literally the second person in the world to know about it. Can I trust you?’
Tallulah nods. ‘Yes,’ she says. ‘Of course.’