but I saw Tim Hooper at our book in the Letter Library. He’s Cal’s best friend, and it convinced me even more that the writer was Cal.
I could have told Cal I knew before now, but I wasn’t sure that I liked him that way until he stopped writing. I thought he was kind of geeky and a little strange at first, but some time after his letters he started to look cute to me. He’s sweet. And kind. And I want to meet him face-to-face and talk.
George
Dear George
I know Cal a little, and he is all the things that you’ve written about him. I hope you get to meet him and I hope it works out.
You might think you need to keep people at bay – but if you weren’t so reclusive at school, I think you’d actually have a lot of friends. You’re interesting and funny. And I very much like your clothes. I very much like everything about you, George.
Martin
Cloud Atlas
by David Mitchell
Letters left between pages 6 and 7
30 January 2016
Dear Rachel
Thank you for saving me last night. Did you know that you snore? It’s not an unpleasant sound. It’s a soft nuzzling at air. When should we dance?
Henry
Dear Henry
I’m happy to save you any time. Did you know you steal the quilt? It was a warm night, so I let it pass. When do you want to dance?
Rachel
Dear Rachel
You snuggle, but it’s comforting, so I didn’t mind. George and Martin seem to be getting along quite well today. If we wait a week they’ll be getting along even better and they might come with us. Let’s dance next Saturday?
Henry
Dear Henry
I’m fairly certain it was you snuggling. And yes. Let’s dance on Saturday. I’d love that.
Rachel
Henry
her ears are exactly the right size
We decide to dance on Saturday at Bliss, a place with a DJ who, according to Lola, plays a pretty decent mix. A lot of people from school are starting to go there, and it sounds perfect, so I put a big circle around Saturday 6 February on the bookshop calendar.
The club lets in underage people. If you show ID on the way in, you get a yellow bracelet. No bracelet, no alcohol. It means George and Martin can come. I didn’t have to convince Rachel. I asked her and she said yes.
Bliss is at the north end of the city, near Parliament Station, so we’ve left the cars at home. It’s crowded. Rachel and George sit together. Martin sits in a seat behind them. Lola and I stand in the middle of the carriage.
‘You look good tonight,’ Lola says, touching the edge of my shirt. ‘You think Amy will be there?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t just dress up for Amy.’
Lola looks like she doesn’t believe me, but honestly I didn’t even think of Amy when I got ready tonight. Rachel and I got ready together at the bookshop, so I was too busy talking to her. ‘Amy hasn’t called me once to see if I’m okay since her dickhead boyfriend taped me to a pole. I might not take her back this time,’ I say, looking over at Rachel, who’s laughing with George.
‘She’s got a good smile, hasn’t she?’
‘Amy?’
‘Rachel,’ I say.
She looks over my shoulder and back at me. ‘Are the two of you . . .?’
‘I’m admiring her smile, that’s all. Rachel and I are purely platonic.’ She does look gorgeous, though. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t notice how gorgeous she is. I think that’s a perfectly reasonable thing for a best friend to notice about another best friend. She’s gorgeous, she’s brave, and she writes a good letter.
Lola waves in front of my face and repeats what she’s obviously said once before already. ‘I’m asking Hiroko to stay.’
This is terrible idea. ‘It’s a terrible, terrible idea,’ I tell her, but she says it’s a great idea and then starts listing her reasons – the more they record their songs, the more Lola knows The Hollows could really be something, they’ve got the offer of another paid gig. ‘That’s three paid gigs,’ she says. ‘She doesn’t need to study when we’re playing professionally already.’
‘She wants to study music. You can’t ask her not to go.’
‘I could just float the idea,’ Lola says as the train stops and the doors open. She walks out ahead of me, moving fast to find Hiroko, and to get away from what I’m calling after her. ‘It’s good advice!’
‘What’s good advice?’ Rachel asks as we walk