Page 52 of Hot Girl Summer

“It doesn’t always work.”

I’m too far away to help her, but the least I can do is try. This will be the ultimate test for the both of us—if I can help her from afar, it’s a huge win. I rack my brains. “Maybe a bit of movement will help. Where are you?”

“Sitting on my bed.”

That’s good. “Okay, try sitting on your shins, with your hips resting back on your heels.” I pause. “Now, bring your chest forward onto your thighs and rest your head on the pillow with your arms by your side. Try to relax, and take ten deep breaths.”

Child’s pose always works for me, it’s my fail-safe ticket to calmness. I take deep breaths alongside her and place the phone on loudspeaker on the bed while I sift through my clothes, finding a cardigan and wrapping it around me. Hidden underneath, I notice a small, cotton tote bag containing two cans of ready mixed gin and tonic, a family sized bar of chocolate, and a small organza pouch. Before I have a chance to look inside, I’m distracted by a knock at the door. I throw the pouch down on the bed, and invite Ellie in.

When my new friend enters the room, I signal to my phone conversation with Kiki, and Ellie quietly perches on the bed, setting down a wooden box carved with moons and stars.

I excuse myself, finishing up my conversation with an infinitely calmer version of Kiki in the bathroom, and I can relax knowing that the exercise worked before I join Ellie on the bed.

“What’s that?” Ellie asks, turning her attention to the organza bag.

“I don’t know. I was just about to look.”

She picks up the bag, opens the drawstring, and pulls out a small crystal pendant. It’s a beautiful, sunshine yellow with raw edges, and comes with a handwritten note which says,

A little something for good luck. Have a fab time. We love you.

I instantly know it’s from Stefan and James. I smile at their lovely gesture.

“It’s citrine,” Ellie says. “Your health, wealth and happiness crystal.”

“You’re into all that stuff, too?” I ask. Ellie nods. “You and Stefan would get on so well.”

“Who’s Stefan?”

“My housemate, the one who—” I gesture at the crystal.

“You’re lucky to have a friend who cares so much,” Ellie says, smiling.

I crack a can open and hand it to Ellie. Then I open the second one, take a long pull, and move my attention to the mystery box she brought with her.

“What’s in there?”

Ellie takes a sip and sets the can on the bedside table. “Tarot cards. I thought it would be fun, you know, to get to know each other. But you probably think I’m a big weirdo now.”

“Not at all. That sounds like fun.”

Ellie looks up at me with wide eyes. “I’m not very good. I’m still learning.”

“That’s okay, I’ll be your guinea pig.”

Although I generally err on the side of sceptical, tarot has always intrigued me. I place my drink next to Ellie’s and clear the bed, then put my clothes away while Ellie arranges the cards into four piles.

“Ready?” Ellie asks.

We both sit cross-legged on the bed facing one another, with the cards laid out between us. Ellie utters a verbal disclaimer statement, which sounds like an informal version of a police officer reading the Right to Silence.

“Now, I want you to choose a pile. Meditate on them if you need to, but don’t think about it too much. Just go with your gut.”

I soften my gaze and take a few deep breaths as I focus on the cards. After the situation with Danny, I’ve now deemed my intuition broken and untrustworthy. Without further thought, I pick the second pile from the left, then bring my hands down to rest on my thighs. Ellie discards the other cards and lay out my choice in a row with the cards facing up.

“Okay, so the first card I have for you is The Moon. Something new is taking form. The Moon reflects new possibility rising from your subconscious to fill the space you have created within your internal work. It also shows me that you’re very sensitive. Your ability to pick up energy from others and experience what they’re feeling, can be extremely draining on your own energy. You know when people are mad at you, and you have huge amounts of empathy, which is a natural spiritual gift, but it can be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

“I feel like in the past you may have come on too strong with friendships and relationships, and that's maybe caused people to back off a little. I also feel that you’re quite vulnerable, and not very good at hiding your emotions or faking feelings. The Moon represents your fears and illusions, and often appears in a reading when you are projecting your fear based on past experiences into your present and future. I just need to add that the Moon also hides things, so others might like to make assumptions based on the way you act or look, perhaps. This is telling you to let go and trust your intuition.”

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