My Heart and Other Breakables by Alex Barclay

Author:Alex Barclay [Barclay, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2022-04-20T12:00:00+00:00

And Megser and I try to look at each other but it’s too hard.

And he’s frowning. ‘WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?’

And I have to go: ‘A charity shop.’

And he goes: ‘WHERE?’

And I am PANICKING because I have ZERO idea what the problem is or who exactly is in trouble: me/the charity shop/the person who GAVE it to the charity shop.

And I channel my Inner Disgraced Politcian and go: ‘I can’t remember.’

And Quentin Schaeffer goes: ‘Can I keep this? I’ll swap you for a brand-new one.’

And Meg goes: ‘NO.’ (Her theory shared later was that it’s worth

And he just shrugs and says: ‘Well, I can’t exactly sign an already signed book, can I?’

And I literally don’t know if he can. Then – to mine and Megser’s GREAT SURPRISE – I go: ‘You knew my mom.’

‘Who’s your mom?’ says Quentin. And Valentina looks pre-jealous in the eye.

‘Laurie Brown. She was a writer too—’

‘You don’t need to explain to ME who Laurie Brown is,’ he says, and he sits back. ‘I didn’t know Laurie had a daughter. So how old are you back there, Mr Dinosaur?’

‘Sixteen,’ I say. And I’m all ‘I think you and my mom were on a panel in Nice together years ago when her fantasy novel came out.’

‘Ah, YES,’ he says. And he turns to Valentina, and goes: ‘Her mom wrote a fantasy novel and it was –’ PAUSE – ‘gooood,’ and he nods. ‘Actually, I think our panel at that convention was about whether female authors can write fantasy. Or SHOULD. I can’t remember which. But she … held her own.’

I’m imagining Megser’s costume filling up with steam that turns into sweat that rises up to chin level so she has to stab her own head or she’ll DROWN.

Quentin is nodding in a reminiscing kind of way. ‘That was a very time.’

‘What do you mean “SPECIAL”?’ says Meg. And it’s like this HISS of WILD ACCUSATION.

But Quentin Schaeffer just shrugs. ‘We were young writers starting out: hopeful and unburdened. We had four days in Nice, drinking champagne, partying, being treated like rock stars. We hadn’t a care in the world.’ Pause. ‘No kids.’

And Megser who likes to just goes: ‘The dedication you wrote to Ellery’s mom … we don’t have that book with us … SAYS …’ And then pauses long enough for Quentin to realise Valentina might need to go pick him up lunch. In reluctant obedience, as Mom used to say about my room-tidying, she leaves. Then Megser RECITES an extract from the dedication: We told each other we’re in love! The waterbabies we would have! And they would swim to shore each night. And write their stories in the sand!

And even I’M thinking she’s a for knowing it off by heart. ‘What did you MEAN by that?’ she says to Quentin Schaeffer.

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