I Was Born for This(77)

There are more texts and messages, but they all sort of say the same thing, until I get to one of the last ones from Juliet.

Juliet Schwartz

ANGEL. I just saw a photo of Jimmy on a train and … YOU’RE THERE? You’re with him??? It’s a blurry photo but it’s definitely you, I recognise your hoodie … What the FUCK … please tell me what the fuck is happening. The internet says he’s gone to Kent so I assume you’re there too!? Why??? What the fuck Angel?? What the fuck are you doing??

I quickly go through all the photos taken of Jimmy on the run; there are only a few that I’m in. And they’re blurry. You can clearly tell we’re together, but I’m not identifiable. That’s good.

God, it’s not easy to hide when you’re an internationally famous celebrity, is it?

I feel a pang of guilt. Juliet was worried about me. Of course she was. She’s my friend. Shit, I should have gone back to her.

I send her a half-hearted message back, not really knowing what else to say.

Angel Rahimi

Hi I’m safe everything is fine

Jimmy is still in bed and I am drinking a cup of tea in the kitchen when there are several very loud bangs on the front door of the bungalow.

Piero, who is already up and dressed, sighs and lifts himself up from the table.

‘That’ll be the boys,’ he says, and the way he says ‘the boys’ reminds me of the way the fans always call them ‘our boys’. The Boys. Our Boys.

Then it sinks in properly.

Rowan Omondi and Lister Bird are here.

I hear Piero open the door and he starts to say, ‘Hello,’ but somebody starts speaking over him immediately.

‘All right, where the fuck is he? I’m going to fucking kill him. Is he okay? Did he make it here okay?’

The voice changes from stern to deeply concerned so quickly that it’s difficult to identify who exactly is talking, but when the figure storms through the hallway and past the kitchen door, I realise that, of course, it’s Rowan.

He steps backwards and peers in at me through the door, frowning.

‘I’ve got a fucking bone to pick with you in a minute,’ he says, pointing directly at me, and then continues walking.

It’s absolutely fascinating. I’ve never seen Rowan angry before.

Lister Bird slopes after him, looking freezing and soaked in just a plain white T-shirt and joggers. He shoots me a guilty look as he walks past the doorway, but doesn’t say anything.

This really is not exactly how I wanted to meet The Ark – make-up-less, wearing an old lady’s clothes, them probably thinking I’m a kidnapper of some sort – but you take what you can get.





My entire body jumps as I wake up and realise that I am being violently shaken from side to side. I unglue my eyelids and try to focus, a strangled ‘Wh-what’ leaving my lips, and realise that the person shaking me is none other than Rowan Omondi.

‘You fucking dickhead,’ he shouts too loud. Oh God, what have I done? ‘You absolute fucking dickhead, I can’t fucking believe you did this to us. Why didn’t you reply to my fucking messages? I can’t believe we had to fucking drive all the way to fucking Kent just to come and get you. Why don’t you ever fucking tell me anything—’

Lister is standing next to him. He pats Rowan gently on the back. ‘Okay, Ro, you can stop shaking him like a bloody snow globe now.’

Rowan opens his mouth to continue shouting, but then closes it again, and he stops shaking me. Then he sits down on the bed next to me and pulls me up and into a hug.

‘Jesus fucking Christ, I thought you’d been kidnapped. Thank God I still remember your fucking home phone number. God, look at you, sleeping in this tiny bed with a knife on your bedside table. Like, you could hurt yourself. God.’

He moves back from me, keeping his hands on my shoulders. He looks me up and down. I can see myself, blinking and disoriented, reflected in his glasses.

‘Are you all right? Did anything happen? Is there something you’re not telling me?’

I clear my throat, feeling still half asleep and confused. ‘Er … those are three different questions.’

He shakes his head. ‘Why did you come here, Jimmy?’

Why?

‘I don’t want to be in The Ark any more,’ I say, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Rowan and Lister stare down at me.

‘All right,’ says Rowan, ‘where’s that girl? She’s got some explaining to do.’

He leaves the room but Lister stays. He rummages in my wardrobe, and chucks a T-shirt at me. I stay very still, not quite able to process what I’m supposed to be doing.

‘You’re not naked under there, are you?’ he says, raising an eyebrow and leaning against the wardrobe.

‘What’s the time?’

‘It’s nearly one in the afternoon.’

Nearly one. I think I was sixteen the last time I slept in until one.

I put the T-shirt on and get out of bed.

‘Maybe some trousers too?’

‘Oh.’ I grab my old chinos off the floor and put them on. Lister waits and watches me passively.

‘Sorry to make you come here,’ I say.

‘Yeah,’ he says.

I look up at him. He looks cold and unlike himself. No smile.