CHAPTER 1

"Do I have to do this?"

Julie Craig, editor of the Junior Gazette, finished off the last layer of Red Bordeaux nail polish and looked up with a somewhat forced smile.

"We've been through this Katie, yes you do."

"But why? It's not like she's going to say anything anyway. And frankly, I don't particularly feel like talking to a robotisised, cold hearted bitch, who will easily decapitate me, simply for asking the wrong questions."

"She isn't that bad."

"No? I heard she fired three people off graphics in one afternoon."

"Of course not."

Julie held her hands up and critically inspected her nails. This super fast dry polish really wasn't worth the money; three nails had gone all smudgy already.

"It was two off graphics and one off the writing team. I think it was her birthday or something. Oh don't look at me like that, they were lousy anyway."

"But I can't even get hold of her. Her PA keeps telling me she's busy."

"Well, keep trying. We need that interview!"

Katie marched back to her seat and aggressively threw her note pad on the desk. Julie was well aware of the displeased signals Katie tried to send but she wasn't worried. Katie always made a big fuss at first and at the end her interviews turned out fantastic. Hopefully this would be her best one yet, they needed the anniversary edition to be brilliant. A wholehearted interview featuring the first editor of the Junior Gazette on the centre spread might be just what they needed. Only problem was: Julie wasn't sure Lynda Day possessed a heart, more half a heart with icicles on it.

Julie gazed around the newsroom. She couldn't believe it had been a decade since they started. She smiled. They had been so young and naive but so eager to prove themselves. She remembered all the drafts she had put so much effort into and how Lynda had mercilessly refused them all. And if she actually, at very rare occasions, did like the work you could be sure of something else destroying it – like bird poo.

"What are you smiling at? New guy for the weekend?"

Julie waked up from her daydreaming and turned to face the young woman wearing a sharply green jacket, not at all suitable for her age. Julie guessed it was a desperate attempt to try and compensate for her non-height.

"Toni, you know I've given up on bad guys. No more dating for at least six months."

"Oh yeah… good luck with that. Did you see the news about piggy flu by the way; maybe they'll start flying soon…"

Toni Tildesley, Julie's assistant editor, sat down opposite her boss. Sometimes she found it strange sitting in that chair and having no Lynda around to tell her off. No Spike to comment on her height either for that matter. She missed Spike. Hell, she missed both of them, especially as a couple. Not even the bunnies she'd named after them lived any longer. Nothing was the same since they'd left. Nothing apart from the newsroom that is. After the fire they'd had the perfect opportunity to rebuild the whole office to their liking but instead Lynda had insisted on making it exactly the same. Toni guessed it had something to do with Lynda's obsessive need of control.

Later, when Julie took over as editor, she had made a memorable speech about all the changes she'd make and how she wanted more glamour and style. So far she'd gone as far as to change the "DA BOSS" sign on her desk for the slightly more sophisticated "THE BOSS". But then who could blame her? Redecoration was a huge project and office furniture just wasn't very inspirational.

"I love your jacket! New?"

Julie looked up with a proud smile.

"Thanks, it's my latest find from that cool vintage shop down the road. Sorry, I need to get those photos from the dark room, be right back."

"Yeah, sure."

Toni put her elbows on the desk and let a deep sigh slip. She looked at the stash of work that called her attention. She needed tea. Yes tea was definitely her first priority right now. As she stood up her eyes caught sight of the light blue folder in Julie's in-tray. Julie probably still hadn't bothered to look in it. Toni went over to the other side and opened it. The material in it was embarrassingly bad. Why was that guy Martin still on the writing team anyway? They couldn't afford bad writers as it was. Out of habit she sat down in the editor's chair. She felt comfortable in it; liked to imagine she was in charge.

"Julie!"

"Yeah!"

Julie came out from the dark room, photos in hand. Toni didn't seem to notice.

"What should I do about this motorway story?"

"Well, for a start you can get out of my chair."

"Sorry."

"Thank you."

Julie sat down, a little annoyed with Toni's habit of constantly stealing her chair.

"Look. Just tell Martin the story's good but that we're scrapping it for, I don't know, political reasons."

"Why don't we tell him it stinks? You know, the true thing."

"Martin is a lousy writer, but he won't get any better if we make him feel worse."

"Changed days around here since Lynda. He'd been sent to whimper in a corner for about a month. I'm glad I didn't end up as her assistant."

"As a matter of fact, this is all something I learned from Lynda. The way she treats people, she just reduces them to dish rag so I decided when I took over: no way would I behave like that. I mean, a brilliant woman! But totally paranoid."

"Absolutely! I'm gonna get the roughs from graphics."

Julie went on with her read through but for some reason she couldn't concentrate. A feeling of uneasiness came over her. Why did Toni always sit in her chair? What was she trying to say? When Toni came back Julie was unable to control herself.

"Never forget who runs this newsroom!"

"Sorry?"

What on earth came over her? Why did she say that?

"Nothing, I don't know what I was thinking. By the way Tidge you look tired. Why don't you take tomorrow off?"

Well… that couldn't harm anyone could it? She just needed to be sure, that was all. And then when she was, they could both continue as normal. Julie tried to concentrate on her work but it seemed impossible. She glanced at the latest 'Hello' lying in her in tray.

"Hey, look at this! Do you suppose this is why it's so difficult getting hold of her?"

Toni looked at the magazine. 'Hard headed journalist James Thomson gets his own TV-show'. She looked up in amazement.

"So, he's back?"