《首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)》第131章

Andrew　laughed　a　little　bit；　out　of　politeness　and　because　he　wanted　to　keep　the　subject　away　from　the　Ghost　of　Barry　Fairbrother。
‘Turned　my　stomach　too；’　said　Patricia。　‘Old　Maureen　and　my　father　singing　along　together。　Arm　in　arm。’　Patricia　took　a　final　fierce　drag　on　her　cigarette　and　threw　the　end　down；　grinding　it　beneath　her　heel。　‘I　walked　in　on　her　blowing　him　when　I　was　twelve；’　she　said。　‘And　he　gave　me　a　fiver　not　to　tell　my　mother。’
Andrew　and　Fats　stood　transfixed；　scared　even　to　look　at　each　other。　Patricia　wiped　her　face　on　the　back　of　her　hand：　she　was　crying。
‘Shouldn’t　have　bloody　e；’　she　said。　‘Knew　I　shouldn’t。’
She　got　into　the　BMW；　and　the　two　boys　watched；　stunned；　as　she　turned　on　the　engine；　reversed　out　of　her　parking　space　and　drove　away　into　the　night。
‘Fuck　me；’　said　Fats。
‘I　think　I　might　be　sick；’　whispered　Gaia。
‘Mr　Mollison　wants　you　back　inside　–　for　the　drinks。’
Her　message　delivered；　Sukhvinder　darted　away　again。
‘I　can’t；’　whispered　Gaia。
Andrew　left　her　there。　The　din　in　the　hall　hit　him　as　he　opened　the　inner　doors。　The　disco　was　in　full　swing。　He　had　to　move　aside　to　allow　Aubrey　and　Julia　Fawley　room　to　leave。　Both；　with　their　backs　to　the　party；　looked　grimly　pleased　to　be　going。
Samantha　Mollison　was　not　dancing；　but　was　leaning　up　against　the　trestle　table　where；　so　recently；　there　had　been　rows　and　rows　of　drinks。　While　Sukhvinder　rushed　around　collecting　glasses；　Andrew　unpacked　the　last　box　of　clean　ones；　set　them　out　and　filled　them。
‘Your　bow　tie’s　crooked；’　Samantha　told　him；　and　she　leaned　across　the　table　and　straightened　it　for　him。　Embarrassed；　he　ducked　into　the　kitchen　as　soon　as　she　let　go。　Between　each　load　of　glasses　he　put　in　the　dishwasher；　Andrew　took　another　swig　of　the　vodka　he　had　stolen。　He　wanted　to　be　drunk　like　Gaia；　he　wanted　to　return　to　that　moment　when　they　had　been　laughing　uncontrollably　together；　before　Fats　had　appeared。
After　ten　minutes；　he　checked　the　drinks　table　again；　Samantha　was　still　propped　up　against　it；　glassy…eyed；　and　there　were　plenty　of　fresh…poured　drinks　left　for　her　to　enjoy。　Howard　was　bobbing　in　the　middle　of　the　dance　floor；　sweat　pouring　down　his　face；　roaring　with　laughter　at　something　Maureen　had　said　to　him。　Andrew　wound　his　way　through　the　crowd　and　back　outside。
He　could　not　see　where　she　was　at　first：　then　he　spotted　them。　Gaia　and　Fats　were　locked　together　ten　yards　away　from　the　door；　leaning　up　against　the　railings；　bodies　pressed　tight　against　each　other；　tongues　working　in　each　other’s　mouths。
‘Look；　I’m　sorry；　but　I　can’t　do　it　all；’　said　Sukhvinder　desperately　from　behind　him。　Then　she　spotted　Fats　and　Gaia　and　let　out　something　between　a　yelp　and　a　sob。　Andrew　walked　back　into　the　hall　with　her；　pletely　numb。　In　the　kitchen；　he　poured　the　remainder　of　the　vodka　into　a　glass　and　downed　it　in　one。　Mechanically　he　filled　the　sink　and　set　to　washing　out　the　glasses　that　could　not　fit　in　the　dishwasher。
The　alcohol　was　not　like　dope。　It　made　him　feel　empty；　but　also　keen　to　hit　someone：　Fats；　for　instance。
After　a　while；　he　realized　that　the　plastic　clock　on　the　kitchen　wall　had　leapt　from　midnight　to　one　and　that　people　were　leaving。
He　was　supposed　to　find　coats。　He　tried　for　a　while；　but　then　lurched　off　to　the　kitchen　again；　leaving　Sukhvinder　in　charge。
Samantha　was　leaning　up　against　the　fridge；　on　her　own；　with　a　glass　in　her　hand。　Andrew’s　vision　was　strangely　jerky；　like　a　series　of　stills。　Gaia　had　not　e　back。　She　was　doubtless　long　gone　with　Fats。　Samantha　was　talking　to　him。　She　was　drunk　too。　He　was　not　embarrassed　by　her　any　more。　He　suspected　that　he　might　be　sick　quite　soon。
‘　…　hate　bloody　Pagford　…’　said　Samantha；　and；　‘but　you’re　young　enough　to　get　out。’
‘Yeah；’　he　said；　unable　to　feel　his　lips。　‘An’　I　will。　’Nigh　will。’
She　pushed　his　hair　off　his　forehead　and　called　him　sweet。　The　image　of　Gaia　with　her　tongue　in　Fats’　mouth　threatened　to　obliterate　everything。　He　could　smell　Samantha’s　perfume；　ing　in　waves　from　her　hot　skin。
‘That　band’s　shit；’　he　said；　pointing　at　her　chest；　but　he　did　not　think　she　heard　him。
Her　mouth　was　chapped　and　warm；　and　her　breasts　were　huge；　pressed　against　his　chest；　her　back　was　as　broad　as　his—
‘What　the　fuck？’
Andrew　was　slumped　against　the　draining　board　and　Samantha　was　being　dragged　out　of　the　kitchen　by　a　big　man　with　short　greying　hair。　Andrew　had　a　dim　idea　that　something　bad　had　happened；　but　the　strange　flickering　quality　of　reality　was　being　more　and　more　pronounced；　until　the　only　thing　to　do　was　to　stagger　across　the　room　to　the　bin　and　throw　up　again　and　again　and　again　…
‘Sorry；　you　can’t　e　in！’　he　heard　Sukhvinder　tell　someone。　‘Stuff　piled　up　against　the　door！’
He　tied　the　bin　bag　tightly　on　his　own　vomit。　Sukhvinder　helped　him　clear　the　kitchen。　He　needed　to　throw　up　twice　more；　but　both　times　managed　to　get　to　the　bathroom。
It　was　nearly　two　o’clock　by　the　time　Howard；　sweaty　but　smiling；　thanked　them　and　said　goodnight。
‘Very　good　work；’　he　said。　‘See　you　tomorrow；　then。　Very　good　…　where’s　Miss　Bawden；　by　the　way？’
Andrew　left　Sukhvinder　to　e　up　with　a　lie。　Out　in　the　street；　he　unchained　Simon’s　bicycle　and　wheeled　it　away　into　the　darkness。
The　long　cold　walk　back　to　Hilltop　House　cleared　his　head；　but　assuaged　neither　his　bitterness　nor　his　misery。
Had　he　ever　told　Fats　that　he　fancied　Gaia？　Maybe　not；　but　Fats　knew。　He　knew　that　Fats　knew　…　were　they；　perhaps；　shagging　right　now？
I’m　moving；　anyway；　Andrew　thought；　bent　over　and　shivering　as　he　pushed　the　bicycle　up　the　hill。　So　fuck　them　…
Then　he　thought：　I’d　better　be　moving　…　Had　he　just　snogged　Lexie　Mollison’s　mother？　Had　her　husband　walked　in　on　them？　Had　that　really　happened？
He　was　scared　of　Miles；　but　he　also　wanted　to　tell　Fats　about　it；　to　see　his　face　…
When　he　let　himself　into　the　house；　exhausted；　Simon’s　voice　came　out　of　the　darkness　from　the　kitchen。
‘Have　you　put　my　bike　in　the　garage？’
He　was　sitting　at　the　kitchen　table；　eating　a　bowl　of　cereal。　It　was　nearly　half…past　two　in　t