Fatima and B

"B!B! Wake up, B! Fatima and her mother are waiting downstairs!"

I pull my creased Happy Bunnies duvet over my head and mumble something that my foamy-mouthed dog would say. My eyes are stuck together, gritty with sleep, and I strech one foot out from under my duvet.

"B! You've got five seconds to get in that shower! Fatima is here to take you to the Katie Corpse Mansion!"

Something clicks and I rush out of bed into the bathroom. I turn the shower on, get in and start soaping my hair furiously. Once, I've finished, Mum is waiting in my room with my clothes. I get dressed into my favourite Katie Corpse shirt, black tutu and black lacy leggings. I pull on my MadFish's, shove a whole load of make up, Trent , my camera, my phone and my deluxe Happy Bunnies wallet into my beaten old black rucksack.

"Wait," Mum says and back combs my hair into the crazy jumble I like. "Here's your ticket. Be good, stay safe..."

"I know, Mum. I gotta go now."

I clomp down the stairs in my MadFish's and out into the street. Fatima is leaning against the side of her mum's car. She's wearing a long Katie Corpse shirt, black lepord print skinny jeans and limited edition Black Magic Converse. Her lips are painted black, and she's hiding her bruises well.

"Hi, B," she says, giving me a quick hug. I feel a pang once she's let go-I wanted it to be longer, I want more than this....

"Got your ticket?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, here. Let's go then!"

We pile into her mum's car. Fatima's mum is sitting in the front, her long red hair trailing down the back of her blouse. She's wearing black sunglasses and smiles at me in the mirror.

"Hello. Becky, isn't it?"

"B, Mrs...urm...."

It embarassingly dawns on me that I do not know Fatima's last name.

And I say I love her....

Told you it was like a Frerard.

"Mrs Sorrentino," Fatima's mum answers and I swear I see Fatima blush under all the white face powder. She is going to melt-it's really warm today.

"This is gonna be awesome," she gushes. "I can't wait!"

She plugs her iPod in and we sing along to Cubicles out of the window. I shakly apply my make up in my compact mirror, getting white face powder all over my top and black lipstick smeared down my chin.

"Here," Fatima giggles, drawing a packet of tissues from her bag. I go to take the tissues from her but she raises one pale hand and gently wipes at the make up across my face. I think I stop breathing. She's so close. Her fragrant smell wafts over me, drawing me in. I watch her hand as she wipes at my make up. Her fingers are long and white, the glossy black nail polish perfect. There's a huge chunk of black onyx on her ring finger that compliments her eyes amazingly. I want nothing more to take her hand in my own, kiss the dove-like skin....

"Make-up," Fatima says. "Close your eyes."

I do as she says as she rings my eyes with 'liner. Her fingers brush against my skin, like angel's touch. She powders my face, paints my lips kerosene black. I watch her eyes as she does it. Beautiful and dark, flashing with gold, like a sunset....

"Done," she says, placing my make up back in my bag. "This is gonna be so cool, B! I can't wait!"

I have never seen so many Goth's in my entire life.

There are thousands of them, snaking across the strech of road, leading up to the KC Mansion. They are standing there, dressed in black, clutching fat Katie Corpse novels, comic books and merch. There's a banner hung out across the black, wolf-winged gates telling us that Lemmie Hoozerdale is doing a signing there today.

"Yah!" squels Fatima. "I didn't know! Oh, this is the best day of my life!"

Mrs Sorrentino drives past and into the car park. The car crawls under the sun but we find a space and park up. As soon as she cuts the engine, Fatima and me burst out of the car, ignoring the paint work. We dash up to the end of the line, MadFish's and Converse slapping the worn side walk. Fatima's mum takes her time, putting on her sunglasses and sweeping her neck scarf over one shoulder. I know where Fatima gets her looks from.

We stand in the line for ages. It doesn't even move. I stand on my tip-toes to see the first spier of the mansion. Fatima can't even see that.

"Ugh! I hate being so short!" she grumbles. "I can't see a thing!"

Before I know it, she's jumping on to my back so she can see. I shiver at her touch, her scent. She leans forward and I feel her skin brushing against mine, feel her hair tickling my face.

I want more.

*Three hours later*

There are two Goth's standing either side of the gate, leaning lazily back on the stone pillars. The dude's hair is dyed bright pink, his lips slashed black. The girl shifts around in her bondage dress, sighing.

"Ticket's please," she holds out her hand. Mrs Sorrentino passes over the tickets. "Now, would you like passes to meet Lemmie Hoozerdale?"

Fatima nods frantically, and her mum passes over the money. The Goth girl passes us two passes-black on neck ties with a huge Katie Corpse picture on the front.

"Go right through," she tells us and we walk( well, I carry Fatima) through the gates and up to the KC Mansion.

It's a huge, glittering black church, with turrets and spiers. The stained glass windows bear pictures of Katie Corpse, Andy Emo, fighting The Pretenders. The huge doors are studded and the cross on the top has been replaced with the Corpse symbol.

"It's huge," Mrs Sorrentino says. Fatima and I don't speak-we just nod.

"Oh my God!" Fatima screams. "This is amazing!!"

We go round the Mansion all day, snapping pictures and reciting bits of the comic books. We come to the Dead! room last. It's the room where Katie Corpse brings Ben9+, a vampire clone boyfriend, back to life. There are false weapons on the walls, huge books full of Lemmie's early drawings and a coffin in the middle of the floor. A young girl is lying in there, posing, pouting her black lips. She's got dyed black hair in two bunchs tied with red ribbows, along with red eyeshadow and corpse paint. She's dressed in a deep purple corset, a spiky red and purple tutu, black and white stripy tights and black army boots. She crosses her legs, leans back on her elbows and plucks a black rose from the pile, pouting and sniffing it.

"Katie Corpse?" I say and the girl smiles mysteriously. She raises from the coffin and lets Fatima sit in it, posing just like the girl. I snap a picture and I don't notice the bruises, the nibbling of the lip.

Later on, we're standing in the que to see Lemmie Hoozerdale, the brain behind this whole thing. We're almost at the front now, clutching our passes and our comics we brought. I can just see the top of Lemmie Hoozerdale's bowed head. If I was wired up to a heart machine, the little bleepy line would be going crazy.

Fatima is standing on tip toes, neck craned, pink in the face. She is hopping on the balls of her feet, gasping and fanning herself with her hand.

"Oh my God," she whispers. "This is awesome, B!"

The Goths in front of us-two black haired beauties wearing bondage dresses, Chunk's and identicle black lipstick-move away and me and Fatima are at the front of the line. Lemmie Hoozerdale is sitting there, hunched. His hair is long, lank, greasy and as black as an oli slick. His skin is pale, washed out and he's wearing a Cubicles shirt.

"Oh wow, Lemmie," gasps Fatima. "I....you're my hero!"

Lemmie doesn't blush.

"You're the best comic book writer, author and artist in the world. I love Katie Corpse!"

"Want me to sign anything?" he drawls. "What're your names?"

"Fatima and B," she says and suddenly, my pulse stops. Fatima and B...Fatima and B....Fatima and B

Lemmie signs our stuff and then Mrs Sorrentino tells me and Fatima it's time to go. We walk away back towards the car but Fatima stops me at the gate. She passes her mum the camera and smiles, posing.

I don't breath.

As I grin, her fingers-long, slender, pale and bruised-reach out and curl over mine. I avert my gaze towards her and she just looks back, effortlessly perfect, like a Pagen Goddess of Beauty.

This is how it's meant to be.