afterwards.
"What do you mean?" Becky had been oblivious, wrapped up in Brett as usual.
"Joe Jackson putting the moves on Alice deliberately to rile you-know-who. I wonder if there’ll be a fight on Saturday?"
"I’m sure Mr Walker’s not going to the party." Alice said.
Jules laughed. "Of course he will. They’re all going. And more importantly, you’re going to be there."
"They won’t really fight will they?" Becky asked.
"I hope so," Jules said. "And that someone gets it on camera."
14. Party
With the first exams done and dusted and no more for nearly another two weeks, they were ready for fun. The party that night was being thrown by one of the players in Gloucester. "It’s practically a mansion," Becky had told them.
"They don’t have mansions in Gloucester, it’s a hole," Jules said. She had been persuaded to come as Leafy was somewhere else roaming around the countryside in a convoy. The festival they had been heading to in Avon was cancelled and everyone had been driven away by the police.
Now they were all looking for somewhere else to go. There were news reports every night about travellers’ vehicles getting turned away all over the country. Mush, Leafy and their crew were currently stuck somewhere in a lay-by near Stroud.
"Let’s get dressed up tonight," Becky said. If they all glammed up it would be ok. Just one of them in a little dress if the others wore jeans would look odd.
Alice was tempted to go shopping for a new outfit but she also wanted to save her money for her trip. Particularly as her veterinary job was on hold until exams were over.
Becky being petite could get away with anything and had loads of great clothes passed down from her sister as well as her own wardrobe. She was spoilt for choice and willing to lend but everything was too small a size for the others. Jules and Alice could just about swap clothes though Jules was taller.
"Is this too nightclub?" Becky asked about a white frock she was trying on.
The problem with parties in summer was that they started ages before the sun went down. Nightclubs were easy, they never went until around pub closing time when it was long after dark. Alice didn’t want to look too sweet or too slutty. If Mr Walker was there - and in her heart of hearts she knew he would be - she wanted to make the right impression. He had only ever seen her in school uniform or jeans. And her tennis skirt, she remembered in embarrassment.
"White is more day, but it’s shiny-ish so you’re fine," Jules said.
Alice picked something short, black and backless. From the front it looked relatively demure. From the back it was anything but. If it turned out to be over the top she could just stand with her back to a wall.
"You can practically see your arse in that dress. I presume it’s for lover-boy’s benefit?" Jules herself was wearing something tight and purple she’d bought from Top Shop ages ago and the others had to beg her not to pair it with Doc Martens. Instead she was forced into a pair of Becky’s sister’s old heels that were half a size too small.
"You do look amazing Alice," Becky said. "Like a popstar or something."
Alice tried to protest out of embarrassment but even Jules agreed. "You are way more attractive than Maddy or any of those girls. They only get all the boys because of who they are at school. Plus everyone knows Maddy’s easy. But a guy like Joe Jackson isn’t going to be all over just anyone like he was over you the other day."
What Jules said about Maddy was true. If you weren’t in the top echelon of cool at school you simply didn’t date anyone else there. The premier clique dated one another, everyone else looked on. Alice’s former boyfriend had been from a different school.
"Won’t it be great to be past all that?" she said. "I can’t imagine anyone cares about that stuff at university." There would still be different social sets that formed but at least they’d get to start from scratch.
Because
"What do you mean?" Becky had been oblivious, wrapped up in Brett as usual.
"Joe Jackson putting the moves on Alice deliberately to rile you-know-who. I wonder if there’ll be a fight on Saturday?"
"I’m sure Mr Walker’s not going to the party." Alice said.
Jules laughed. "Of course he will. They’re all going. And more importantly, you’re going to be there."
"They won’t really fight will they?" Becky asked.
"I hope so," Jules said. "And that someone gets it on camera."
14. Party
With the first exams done and dusted and no more for nearly another two weeks, they were ready for fun. The party that night was being thrown by one of the players in Gloucester. "It’s practically a mansion," Becky had told them.
"They don’t have mansions in Gloucester, it’s a hole," Jules said. She had been persuaded to come as Leafy was somewhere else roaming around the countryside in a convoy. The festival they had been heading to in Avon was cancelled and everyone had been driven away by the police.
Now they were all looking for somewhere else to go. There were news reports every night about travellers’ vehicles getting turned away all over the country. Mush, Leafy and their crew were currently stuck somewhere in a lay-by near Stroud.
"Let’s get dressed up tonight," Becky said. If they all glammed up it would be ok. Just one of them in a little dress if the others wore jeans would look odd.
Alice was tempted to go shopping for a new outfit but she also wanted to save her money for her trip. Particularly as her veterinary job was on hold until exams were over.
Becky being petite could get away with anything and had loads of great clothes passed down from her sister as well as her own wardrobe. She was spoilt for choice and willing to lend but everything was too small a size for the others. Jules and Alice could just about swap clothes though Jules was taller.
"Is this too nightclub?" Becky asked about a white frock she was trying on.
The problem with parties in summer was that they started ages before the sun went down. Nightclubs were easy, they never went until around pub closing time when it was long after dark. Alice didn’t want to look too sweet or too slutty. If Mr Walker was there - and in her heart of hearts she knew he would be - she wanted to make the right impression. He had only ever seen her in school uniform or jeans. And her tennis skirt, she remembered in embarrassment.
"White is more day, but it’s shiny-ish so you’re fine," Jules said.
Alice picked something short, black and backless. From the front it looked relatively demure. From the back it was anything but. If it turned out to be over the top she could just stand with her back to a wall.
"You can practically see your arse in that dress. I presume it’s for lover-boy’s benefit?" Jules herself was wearing something tight and purple she’d bought from Top Shop ages ago and the others had to beg her not to pair it with Doc Martens. Instead she was forced into a pair of Becky’s sister’s old heels that were half a size too small.
"You do look amazing Alice," Becky said. "Like a popstar or something."
Alice tried to protest out of embarrassment but even Jules agreed. "You are way more attractive than Maddy or any of those girls. They only get all the boys because of who they are at school. Plus everyone knows Maddy’s easy. But a guy like Joe Jackson isn’t going to be all over just anyone like he was over you the other day."
What Jules said about Maddy was true. If you weren’t in the top echelon of cool at school you simply didn’t date anyone else there. The premier clique dated one another, everyone else looked on. Alice’s former boyfriend had been from a different school.
"Won’t it be great to be past all that?" she said. "I can’t imagine anyone cares about that stuff at university." There would still be different social sets that formed but at least they’d get to start from scratch.
Because
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