All the Way Home and All the Night Through by Ted Lewis Read Free Book Online Page B

Would you credit it?” I said.
    She talked to them in an animated fashion looking round her as she did so to make sure everyone was taking it in. She saw Harry and me and smiled at us in a very distant manner, just with the mouth, as though we were very insignificant acquaintances.
    â€œSometimes that girl really gets my back up. She really does.”
    Harry smiled.
    â€œShe’s only daft,” he said.
    â€œYes, well I know. But.”
    â€œNever mind, eh, Vic? She only does it to annoy, etc, etc, etc.”
    â€œHey, Harry, what do you think of that new bird, Karen, the one from Horncastle.”
    â€œNot bad. Nice arse.”
    â€œYeah. You know, I think she’s all right. I think I’d be all right there. I may try it out.”
    The two of them were talking, Janet and the other new girl. Sitting on the high stools in the canteen part. I wandered up, belly in mouth, all a-fluttering. I sparked off a conversation with Jenny about really interesting things like which bus do you come to college on and what does your uncle do; mine works in a bike factory. I felt like a jerk with a mouth full of Cow gum. I talked directly at Jenny, almost ignoring Janet. Then we got on to college things and band things and I was very funny. Then Janet asked me a question; I forget what it was. She had been sitting there listening, looking at me as though I was some oddment but she was afraid to say so. It had been disturbing, although I had expected nothing else, no more. Then she asked me this question, and it was really like those parts in pictures when the fellow sees the girl and she sees him and the technicians in the recording studio turn down the sound, and the frame goes scruffy round the edges and there you are in this vacuum; the audience is quiet, everybody breathing out that nice crinkle-eyed “AH”, everybody wanting life to be like it, except it’s Clifton Road outside in the dirty rain. That’s what it was like. Everything went quiet. I saw nothing else but this face asking a question. Not even hearing the words, I answered, stumbling and bumbling, and generally feeling that I wished I was Tab Hunter. Then I carried on talking at Jenny.
    Next day I was wandering down into the basement to go to the gents. I was having Graphic with Smithson, but he had left the studio for a few minutes which had given me a chance to slip out to have a few untroubled minutes in the bogs, possibly throwing wet paper towels into the wire basket.
    I reached the bottom step and saw Janet putting some stuff into her locker. I stood still and watched her. She was having difficulty in fitting whatever she had into the locker. In the middle of her attempts, she turned slightly and saw me standing there.
    â€œOh, hello,” she said, and smiled.
    I walked toward her. She fingered the V-neck of her sweater. There was no one else round.
    â€œNow then,” I said. “It looks as though this locker wasn’t meant for you.”
    â€œPositively the conclusion I had just arrived at myself.”
    â€œYep. Life’s hard. These lockers are specially designed for new students. They believe in bringing you up the hard way. Here, let me have a go.”
    I took the armful of stuff from her. Somehow I managed to force it in and close the locker door.
    â€œNow’s the part where you tell me that you were trying to get the stuff out instead of putting it in.”
    â€œBut even if it were so, it’s the thought that counts. Thank you.”
    â€œI’m also available for weddings and funerals.”
    â€œYou must be quite versatile then.”
    â€œOh, yes.”
    There was a short silence.
    â€œWell, I suppose I should go back to my class,” said Janet.
    â€œA typical new student on her best behaviour, frightened to death of being out of class too long.”
    She smiled.
    â€œIt’s best to be on your best behaviour. Look what happened to me.”
    She didn’t say