Page 101 of Tendu: Dancing in the Castle

“I haven’t known him long enough to tell.” The words escaped through gritted teeth. The more honest answer would have been ‘no.’ I had not felt at ease with Ross, and was convinced that he’d been as cajoled into the whole escapade as I had. But Aleks had spoken in a negative way about my friends, so I had other things to say.

“Do you even understand the concept of friendship, Aleks?” I asked. “It’s something so strong. It never lets you down, it’s always there for you, always listens, trusts, believes. It’s beyond price, it’s…” I had the perfect example in my pocket, put there for the earlier meditation plans, and took it out now. “True friendship is like a precious stone, unbreakable and beautiful.”

The sun shone through the high foyer windows and straight into the small pink stone, sending coloured beams out in several directions, highlighting the carved angels of the ceiling and bedazzling us both.

I looked at Aleks as the light faded. “I love my friends. I’m going to be with them now.” I could hear football sounds – a whistle and shouting – from outside, and wanted to be out there too.

The flounce downstairs was painful, lacking in dignity and speed due to my injury, and then Colin blocked the way. “My dear, Miss Treadwell. How are your delectable toes today?”

“Entirely without skin, Colin, like you give a flying—”

“My feisty little temptress. I am a mere mortal man. I understand so little of what I do.”

“Yes, there’s a lot of you about. And I’m not your little anything.”

The heavy castle door slammed satisfyingly behind me and Will approached. “I don’t need carrying,” I asserted, anticipating his plan.

“You’re in socks on the gravel, Malph, so don’t be stupid. And you’re going to be our ref.” It seemed everyone was there, everyone except Simone. “Girls against boys,” Will told me as he carried me. “Bevan’s playing for the girls to even things up with the numbers.”

“I thought you were going to be a burly man, Just?” I said.

“That was never going to happen, darling!”

The afternoon took on a holiday atmosphere, especially after half-time when I shared Will’s beer before remembering that my medication wasn’t supposed to be mixed with alcohol. The holding up of red and yellow cards became ever more random.

“Can’t hold your drink,” said Will at dinner, after piggy-backing me into the hall and fetching us food.

“I’m not drunk, Hearse. I’m prescription-drugged, and that’s quite different.”

“You certainly showed bias in your refereeing,” Sun called up the table.

“She always did favour the boys, Sunlight,” said Justin. “Hearst kicked my legs out from under me. She watched, laughed, then red-carded me for standing still too long!”

“Look,” I said. “The actual rules don’t concern me. My decisions were based on how interesting things were to watch. A performance-based system, if you will.”

“You’re just all sore LOSERS!” Will proclaimed, and then turned quietly to me. “Holly gave Zolotov a right bollocking when you were out. It was awesome, you should have heard her.” His impersonation was uncanny: “‘When you were nae weel, that quiney was beside herself with worry. But you dinna care a shite, div ye?’ There was more, but it was so fast, I didn’t get it.”

Aleks certainly wasn’t having a very good day.

The rest of the evening was spent with Will in front of the television. He held my feet and watched an action-packed and violent film. I read a crime novel lent by Ruaridh.

Aleks came in as I was considering going to bed. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Fine.” I looked back down at the book.

“You are tired,” he went on. “I carry you up?”

“I’m quite capable of walking. And I want to be alone.”

“Okay, but you will let me know if you need anything?”

I increased the pretence of reading. He left.

“Wow, Malph. That was cold.”

“He believed Michelle that I was just sulking. He basically said I was an attention-seeking diva.”

“Has he met you?”

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