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Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. VIOLET
  3. VIOLET
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. Contents
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. Epilogue
  48. Acknowledgements
  49. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  50. Copyright

‘Yep, two of them please,’ Carrie says, snapping the menu shut. I haven’t even had a chance to look yet, but I don’t really care what I eat. I’m just glad to be here with this vibrant, buzzing ball of energy that I’ve stumbled upon.

She lifts her drink. ‘Cheers,’ she says. ‘To new friends and new adventures.’

We chink glasses, and I take a sip. Carrie downs half of hers in one. The waitress is still gathering up the menus, tidying up the table, and I grab her arm, gently. ‘Could we have a jug of water too, please?’

‘Of course!’ She grins at me and scurries off.

Carrie rolls her eyes. ‘You trying to stop me getting drunk?’

‘No, of course not…’ I pause, worrying now that I’ve upset her. ‘I just need a drink of water or I’m not sure I’m going to get through this cocktail. I’m a bit of a lightweight. What’s in it?’

She laughs. ‘Oh my God, you mean you didn’t go out underage drinking in places like this and order the cocktail with the most alcohol you could find, cos you could only afford one?’

I shake my head. ‘I didn’t really do anything like that. There was nothing like this near where I grew up.’

‘Me and Laura used to go up to this American diner place on the High Street … you know, The Royal Mile? That road that all the tourists love because it links Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace, and it’s full of tacky tartan, fudge and bagpipers?’ She laughs again, and takes a sip of her drink. ‘It was called the Filling Station. When I first heard of it I thought it was a garage. Anyway, it was a great place for underagers. I think they thought we wouldn’t stay too long, so they could get away with it. Saying that, most of the bars around The Grassmarket and The Cowgate let us in too. Starting the night with one of these was our wee tradition.’

I take a sip, and it’s actually quite nice. Sweet and sour, but with a definite kick. I feel the warmth hit my stomach, and I let myself relax again. I’m not that much of a lightweight. Far from it. I’m just trying to keep my wits about me so I don’t blow it with my new potential friend.