Читаем The 8th полностью

David laughed, “It’s okay, I’m not about to pounce on you. I kind of guessed you weren’t going by conversations we’ve been having! But…I mean…How do you know if you’ve never tried it?” I looked at him with a worried look on my face. He gave me a wink and suddenly responded by bursting out with laughter, “I’m messing…Jesus, should have seen your face.”

“Yeah, good one…Okay…You got me…” I started to laugh; a delayed reaction.

I didn’t care whether David was straight or gay. His sexual preferences were of no concern to me. Just because he was homosexual, it didn’t mean I couldn’t have him as a good friend and, sitting here with him in my first week, I felt lucky to consider him a buddy.

“The story about you and Mr Fitzpatrick?” I asked when he had stopped laughing long enough for me to get a word in edgeways.

“That is a lie,” he said.

“Fair enough…”

“I just wish I had!” he started to laugh again. His infectious laughter set me off too. “I mean, his arse…To die for…Seriously…”

“Dude, please stop…” I said, still laughing.

“Oh, I see, it’s okay for you to discuss Mrs Price’s arse but not okay for me to discuss his tight, round butt…Imagine those muscles squeezing around your cock as you try not to squirt deep inside him…”

“Dude! I’m not listening anymore…”

“And he’d be groaning, and moaning…Begging even, to have it deeper in him…Deeper and harder…”

I put my fingers in my ears, “I’m not listening…I can’t hear your disgusting thoughts…La La Laaaaaaaa…..”

David cracked up and, as a result, thankfully stopped.

“You’re sick,” I told him.

“What are you two laughing about?” asked a pretty girl from my class. I think her name was Rebecca; the girl who sat in front of David. As soon as she got our attention by speaking, David stopped laughing and fell silent.

“You don’t want to know,” I said. I didn’t know her well enough to be sure she’d appreciate the comments between David and I. I had seen her hanging around with Piers, and his narrow-minded friends so…

“Listen, I just wanted to say I think you two were really cool…” she went on.

“How so?” I asked.

“I’m not stupid. None of us are. We know who caused those bruises…You not grassing them up to the Head…That was cool…” She smiled at me, a flash in her beautiful eyes.

“Well…Thanks…” I said. I felt myself blush; an annoying habit whenever a pretty girl spoke to me. I wonder whether, in years to come, I’ll be able to control that…Better yet, I wonder whether it will stop completely. That’d be nice.

“Some of us are having a party this Saturday…Be nice if you could both come. Show there are no hard feelings between anyone. You know, a fresh start…” she continued.

I looked at David, “Sounds good, would do you think?” He didn’t answer, he just stared at Rebecca as though he were expecting a punchline to some amazing joke she was telling. “David?”

“I can’t,” he said. “Busy. Some gay thing.”

“That’s too bad,” said Rebecca, “it would have been nice…And…I could have got to know you a little better too.” Her eyes were fixed on me. It was everything I could do to keep focused on her and not her cleavage. “Look, if you change your mind…” she fished in her pocket and pulled out a small card with a phone number on it…”Just give me a call and I’ll pass on my address…Be nice if one of you could make it at least.”

I took the card off her and, just as suddenly as she had appeared, she vanished back into the crowds of pupils all milling about with their lunches.

I turned to David, “I knew they were hiding from us. Scared of whether we had gone to the teachers…It’s good, isn’t it? A fresh start she said. Might leave me alone from here on in…Us alone. Both of us. Come on, it will be a laugh…”

“Have you heard the term ‘fuck-buddy’?” asked David.

“Of course I have…”

“Well she is fuck buddies with most of the school but…I think her and Piers are more than that. She’s a piece of shit.”

“She seems nice enough to me,” I said. I smelt the card in my hands, “Even her card smells like perfume…Come on, it will be a laugh,” I said.

“You can go if you want but I don’t want to. Wherever they are, I tend to avoid.”

“You mind if I go?” I didn’t want to upset David but at the same time I didn’t want to miss the chance to put things right with everyone. It would be nice to come to school not wondering whether I’m going to get another hiding or not.

“You do what you want,” said David. I could tell by his tone that he didn’t think it was a good idea and, more to the point, he didn’t really want me going but…Surely he wouldn’t fall out with me just because I chose to try and put things right…The chance to have things easier for both of us. How great would that be?