The Protagonist Speaks

Dear readers, tonight with me on the interview couch is a young woman, struggling to acclimatise in London after growing up in sunny south of Spain.

She is also about to discover a hidden meaning behind life’s little coincidences and apparent little miracles.

She is here to tell us of her life, and of the man she loves.

What was it like growing up in Spain and why did you move to London?

I loved growing up on the Costa del Sol. No, it’s not as nasty as people thing it is. I used to hang out at the beach with my mates, back when I actually had proper friends, and I could see the sea from my bedroom. When I was sixteen my mum married one of the richest hoteliers in the world and here we are, bloody London. Everyone makes out like the capital is this fucking amazing glitzy glamorous place, but it’s not. It’s cold and grey and lonely. I don’t care that my life looks amazing to other people, if they could be me for a few days they’d want to jump off the nearest tall building too.

Do you have any particular cherished memories of your childhood?

Cherished memories? You know ‘cherished’ is a crap word, right? No one uses that any more. Okay, well my best memories are probably of my mum and how she was before she married Richard Fantz (have you noticed how I have his surname now and how I’m a laughing stock? Seriously, who calls their kid Ella Fantz?). Anyway, back then my mum was all cut off jean shorts and sand in her hair, we’d have late nights on the beach watching shooting stars and eating chocolate while she told me stories about princesses and how love could change the world. Now she’s a manicured mannequin that won’t even look at sugar. She makes me sick.

What are your parents like?

Well my mum is a blonde bimbo who doesn’t care about me and ponces about with her stinking designer perfume and towering heels and my step-dad is older than her and loaded but kinda nice. Actually, I’m not going to slag him off, Richard is always on my side. As for my REAL dad, fuck knows! That’s one thing my mum won’t talk to me about, makes out like he was some random Spanish waiter that she didn’t even know. I don’t even know his name or what he looks like. I don’t care either. There’s more to it than though, there has to be. For instance she always crosses a road when we walk past a church and she would never go west of Marbella when we lived in Spain. She’s definitely hiding something.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Not a lot. Like I said, life in Spain was brilliant, but what the fuck am I meant to do in London? The weather is crap and I can’t even take the car out without sitting in traffic all day. I mainly go to uni, that’s what I do in the day. I study Psychology in town, near King’s Cross. I only started a few months ago so I suppose I should give it a chance, plus I finally made a couple of friends, so looks like my social life might pick up soon.

Tell us a little about your friends.

Mai Li is brilliant, she’s this skinny little Vietnamese girl . She reminds me of a sparrow, her shoes look too big for her and her head is always darting about like she can’t sit still. She has beautiful hair, thick and bright and black, cut in a sharp bob. And then there’s Kerry. She’s loud, brash and a complete slag. She’s hilarious. We went to a club a few weeks ago, it’s called Indigo and it was like being on another planet. I can’t even explain it, it was so surreal but so cool. Zac was there, apparently he works there.

So you and Zac are romantically involved?

Yes. Kind of. Oh god, I’m blushing. This is so stupid. I haven’t even kissed Zac yet but there’s definitely something going on between us. I’ve run into him three times now. He’s…I don’t know…he’s like nothing I have ever known. Zac’s quiet but strong, you know the type? Like he knows what you’re thinking all the time. And he listens, really listens. God, I’m blabbering on again. Anyway, I found out he’s been living in a shed all summer so I let him stay at mine last night. I felt bad considering the size of my step-dad’s house when he’s clearly really poor but he was cool. Then I caught him doing this weird thing in the garden, like a praying thing, it was creepy. I’m sure it’s nothing.

What did you first think when you first met Zac?

The first time I saw him I actually thought I already knew him, it was embarrassing as he was at the bus stop and I dropped some stuff and I made him help me. He was so intense with these blue eyes that I thought were contact lenses, they were practically lilac. Crazy eyes. He scared me a bit at first, the way he hardly spoke and the way his eyes shone out from beneath his hoodie, but it was exciting too. He excites me. He intrigues and excites me.

Is there anyone you really hate?

Yes but I don’t want to talk about it. Forget it. Next question.

What’s your favourite drink, colour, and relaxing pastime?

Is this like a psychological quiz you get in those shitty magazines? Well I like the colour blue, I like drinking anything with alcohol in it and I like staying in bed as long as I can. So what does that make me? Am I destined for great things?

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

A secret. Yeah, I have a few of them. Remember I mentioned there was someone that I didn’t like? Well he’s my step brother, Sebastian, and on my mum and Richard’s wedding day he… no, I can’t say it. I really don’t want to say what he did. Just imagine the most horrible thing anyone could do to you and then double it. I’m glad he’s working in Asia right now, I never want to see him again.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Well something strange happened on the tube the other day. I’ve always had a fear of the London Underground but Zac convinced me to go with him. I was shitting myself, felt like I was going to die. Then I found myself surrounded by these people dressed all old fashioned, like I’d gone back in time. Then the ceiling started caving in, people were screaming , it was hell but then Zac brought me back and it all went away. He made it all okay. He has a way of doing that. I haven’t got a clue what it all meant but he seemed to, he said he understood. I was just happy to have him hold my hand.

Zac sounds pretty special. What is it about him that is so different?

I don’t know. I’m trying to find out. There’s definitely something weird about him, not just the homeless thing. It’s like he knows me already, like we’ve always known each other, but at the same time he’s pushing me away. I think he’s protecting me from something. I don’t know…but one way or another I’m going to find out.

What is the worst thing about life at the moment?

What? Besides living with a psycho mum, only having two friends who I hardly know, living in a rainy cold country and being madly in love with a guy who isn’t interested in me? Oh I don’t know, how about all of them?

What does the future hold for you?

No idea. You better ask Zac…he seems to always know what’s around the corner. What would I WANT in my future? Zac, that’s all I want.

NJ Simmonds is a new author YA Fantasy Romance series. Under her real name, Natali Drake is a freelance writer and marketing consultant. ‘The Path Keeper’ is the first book in the series, and is available from February 2017. Natali writes for a number of online and print publications and specializes in lifestyle marketing as well as supporting fellow writers with their book promotions. Originally from London, Natali spends her time between her homes in The Netherlands and the south of Spain.

You can find Ella and Zac on the pages of The Path Keeper.

Join us next week to meet a gentleman out of the English Civil War. Please follow the site by email (bottom-right), via Twitter, or like our Facebook page to be notified when the next interview is posted.