“Ouch!” I said, before realizing it wasn’t a stranger after all. “And also, sorry.”
Elijah looked more shocked than me. I peered behind him. He was on his own. Not that I was looking for Ru. And not that I was already brushing off breadstick crumbs (they’d been my toilet snack) in case he appeared.
“I’m not eating here,” Elijah said, in what I think was most definitely a flap. “I’m just on my way somewhere more … high end.”
If that was true, I wasn’t sure why he had a napkin tucked in his shirt, but who was I to point it out? But I didn’t want to chat either, as I didn’t want Grace finding out about Ru before I’d had chance to tell her what had happened, and even more importantly, I didn’t want to risk her dough balls going cold.
“Grace, Elijah, Elijah, Grace,” I said quickly, before turning to Grace. “OK to catch you up in a sec?” She said it was fine and carried on downstairs. But there was one thing I wanted to check with Elijah. “I hope that Kyle wasn’t in trouble,” I said, ducking out of the way of a waitress carrying platefuls of pasta. Elijah looked at me like I was talking about hanging up pickles. “He didn’t mean to be gone so long but I accidentally got us locked in.”
“Ahhhh.” Elijah nodded, finally catching up. “He didn’t mention that. Typical Kyle.”
“So he’s not in trouble?”
“Sadly, not as much as I would like.” Elijah suddenly smiled unnervingly sweetly. “But I am glad I ran into you actually. I had no idea the cutest little elf had been so very busy…” He said the E-word! In a panic, I scanned around, checking no one heard.
“Can you keep your voice down, please?” I hissed. Even one more person knowing was one person too many. And what did he mean about being busy?
“Sure. If you tell me if you’ve reconsidered my invite to the Sleigh Another Day events?” I shook my head firmly. I’d made it through the premiere without being recognized, and now I was even more determined to avoid all things film-related and keep it that way. “The Liverpool Docks lights switch on this weekend?” I shook my head. “Edinburgh then? We’re building a whole winter wonderland at the castle. You can meet the cast…” I was still shaking my head. “All ending with a bonanza on a boat on the Thames.”
Not even as tempting as a single crumb of dough ball.
“Sorry, Elijah, but it’s not my thing.”
He put his hands on his hips, like Billy does when someone calls a horse a “pony”.
“But Elf Girl all grown up and onstage with Maeve and Joseph. Imagine…” OK, I imagined it … and hated everything about it. “Such a better press story than what happened today. A dangerous fan on the loose and all that.”
“Elija—”
“It would all be so romantic. So Chrismagical.” That wasn’t even a word. “You could bring your boyfriend, girlfriend, whoever, for some special Christmas memories…”
I rolled my eyes. “Not my scene, sorry. And my bestie is the only other half I need.” So he could stop trying that route.
“OK, well, in that case. There is one thing I haven’t mentioned. Since we last met things have changed a little.”
Why was he fishing his phone out?
“I may have seen the CCTV footage of the fan going on a rampage with poor Maeve.” My blood ran cold. And would everyone stop saying rampage?! It was an accidental trip!! “So, unless you want the world to find out you were the one that thought it was a good idea to attack the nation’s sweetheart with a very painful-looking sign, I respectfully suggest you say yes to coming to whatever event I invite you to.”
Had all the potpourri fumes in the loo made me lose my mind or … was Elijah blackmailing me?!
“But … it-it was an accident?” I realized I was gripping on to the handrail, the stairs suddenly feeling all wobbly. “An accidental dog-based trip!? It wasn’t even my sign?!” No one could even know I was at the premiere! Let alone the fan on the rampage! OH NO, NOW I WAS EVEN THINKING IT TOO! There was no way I’d be able to explain any of it. I’d be totally outed as Elf Girl!
“Sure, I saw the whole thing. But if just the last five seconds got leaked online… From the other angle, with Little Elf Girl’s face looking so very shocked…” He winced. “I’m really not sure the world would see it that way. Imagine what all those Maevenators would say…?” Elijah shook his head, as if trying to dislodge a terrible thought. “Doesn’t bear thinking about. So, how about we keep this our little secret?” He winked. “You come to Liverpool, show the world who Elf Girl is now, give the press something nice to talk about, and I will keep this footage away from any naughty, prying eyes who would love to go viral with it.” I watched in horror as the video looped again. “Deal?”
CHAPTER
7
TO DO:
•Ideas for lyrics (not about Simon treading barefoot on every single pine needle in the
•world) Survive the last days of schoooooool
•Raid Mum and Dad’s fancy-dress box
•More ideas for lyrics (not about attacking Simon with mechanical snowman)
•Not think about Saturday
•Start geography assignment
“Late night Christmas shopping is fun,” they said! “The shops look magical,” they said!
No one mentioned it would be minus one million degrees and I’d either be freezing outside or sweating under my scarf and coat and hat inside, as everyone grabbed candles like it was The Hunger Games.
“Having fun?” Grace asked, clutching the calendar she’d just picked up for her dad, full of photos of the two of them. I shuffled my body to block out the couple behind me, who were all over each other.
“So much!” I said, trying to smile.
“ALottaWaffle, here we come!” she said, looping her arm through mine. I grinned. Grace wanted to take me to try out their festive menu for the first time ever, and if novelty waffles made her happy, I was MORE than in. Tonight was the night she was meant to be celebrating her anniversary with Slymon, so instead we were having a shopping, snacks and sleepover evening, and in the interim I was on a mission to hide how much I hated being out and about doing Christmas stuff. Grace didn’t need to know that ever since the premiere all I’d wanted to do was hide inside, especially now the film was in cinemas, because this wasn’t about me.
All week Grace had been bursting into tears whenever she heard certain songs. Or certain shows came on. Or even when it rained. Apparently that reminded her of Slymon too. As did grass. Hot drinks. And tables. Recovery was going to take a while. With everyone else Grace had been putting on a brave face. Partly to make Simon think she wasn’t totally devastated, and partly so her dad didn’t suspect they’d broken up and get even more worried about everything. Last night Grace had also admitted to me she didn’t think it was OK to look miserable when you were surrounded by tinsel.
And I’d been trying to be the friend she needed – the Christmassy friend she needed. I swear my Spotify thought it had been hacked due to my sudden interest in Now That’s What I Call Christmas 1,000! And I hadn’t got round to telling Grace about Ru, even if he did keep popping up in my head. But that was just because he was the first proper American person I’d ever chatted to. Yes. That was a very normal reason to keep thinking about a boy.
“The PERFECT spot for some Grotto plotting, amIright?” Grace said as the cute cafe came into sight. Its windows were steamed up and they’d wrapped a huge light-up ribbon from top to bottom and left to right, like the building was one giant present. Arm in arm we walked in, the warm air hitting us as quickly as “Jingle Bell Rock” on the speakers. My Christmas playlist must be getting to me as I found myself singing along. The cafe had NOT held back. There were lights hung from the ceiling, red-and-white candy cane ribbons wrapped around the chairs and even mini Christmas trees on the counter.
