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Dad droveme the full five minutes to the Halloween party because he didn’t trust me to walk over by myself. “They’re nice people,” he said. “You wouldn’t do wrong to make friends with them.”
“What’s their deal?” I asked.
“I’m not sure of the exact details,” he said. “But I know that Byron bought property here, putting himself in debt, I might add, to give these people a place to live. They don’t always stick around, but I’m sure they leave better off than when they arrived. I’m thinking they must be involved in some kind of charity, perhaps something to do with asylum seekers, but your mother hasn’t found out which one yet.”
“You’re spying on them now?” I asked, laughing at the thought of my mother sleuthing away behind the neighbours’ backs.
“We’re just interested,” he said. “And you, be polite and get invited back again.”
“You just think they’re secret billionaires and you want me to marry into the family.”
He clutched his chest. “You found me out. Damn it. Foiled again.”
“I worry about you,” I said dryly.
“And I worry about you,” he said in a serious tone. “And I’m worried we made a mistake coming here, but don’t you see? It’s too late to go back. There’s never going to be a way to go back. We just can’t afford another move. We have to find a way to love it here, to make it feel like home.”
No pressure.
He pulled in outside the houses. The sounds of laughter filled the air, and through the gap in my open window, I could already smell the sweet, smoky scent of a fire. But it was Dad’s white knuckles I paid attention to, his hands gripped tight on the steering wheel. It hadn’t really occurred to me that moving was as much of a struggle for my parents, too, but especially my dad. Mam had found a steady job. He had nothing permanent, no friends to fall back on. I wasn’t the only one feeling as though I didn’t fit in.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “You’d be happy if it wasn’t for me.”
He patted my arm. “I’m happy as long as my family are with me. This is our chance to make a fresh start.”
“I know.” I plastered on a smile. “I’m trying.”
“Good girl.”
I left him there, sensing his fear and uncertainty. It was stronger than even my own. I had changed everything, and I couldn’t fix that, but I could at least try my best to fit in. It wasn’t as though I hated the place; it just wasn’t home. But maybe it could be. I owed Dad that much. He always seemed so upbeat and enthusiastic about everything that I never stopped to think that maybe it was a coping mechanism, that actually, he didn’t have all of his shit together all of the time.
I followed a couple of teenagers who seemed to know where they were going. We walked behind the houses and into a massive extended garden. That was weird. I had never heard of neighbours sharing their gardens like that before. It seemed like a recipe for drama. Back home, even a couple of inches over a boundary line were a no-go.
The bonfire was huge and burned brightly in the darkness, taking a little of the chill away. The houses and gardens were full of Halloween decorations which made me miss home. My village always made the most of Halloween. It was the first year in a long time that I hadn’t dressed up, but seeing everyone else in normal clothes made me relieved I hadn’t put in the extra effort.
I spotted a group of adults near the houses, watching the separation of the teenagers. The town was still torn in two, it seemed. On one side of the bonfire were the new additions who stuck together, and on the other were those who had been born in town. So where did I belong?
I spotted Dorian and waved at him. He smiled, the fire dancing in colours on his cheeks. I took a step toward him, but a firm hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me in the other direction. Chloe.
“What’s up?” I couldn’t help saying. “Thought it was too dangerous on this side of town for you.”
She grimaced. “Stay close to the bonfire, and don’t even think about going into those woods. Don’t go into any of their houses alone. Don’t leave alone either. Just… stay safe, new girl.”
I was too surprised to respond.
Chloe gathered me up with a group of her friends that consisted of Emma and about five or six other teenagers I hadn’t met. One of the boys immediately threw Emma over his shoulder. She squealed and thumped his back. I recognised him as the boy who hadalmosthad a conversation with me in the hall on my first day at school.
“Leave her alone, Adam!” Chloe called out, moving closer to me.
I looked over my shoulder to find Dorian, but he was gone.
“You belong over here,” she said firmly. “You live on our side of town.”
“But we’re at their party,” I said. “Surely we should—”
“And make them think they’ve won?” She sounded horrified. “Not even a chance.”
Won what, exactly? The pointless town rivalry was starting to get on my nerves. I spotted a familiar face step out of one of the houses with a tray of steaming cups.
