Summer's Edge (17 page)

They had both resolved not to apologise or admit wrongdoing because neither believed they had done anything wrong. They were eighteen, they had been to the festival on the weekend not a school day, they weren’t identifiably from Fairmount and nothing untoward had happened. Except for Jules taking drugs and Alice spending the night with a member of staff. But Mr Francis thankfully did not know these last things. "Never apologise, never explain," Jules had said. "It’s what the Queen Mother does."

Alice suspected that the Queen Mother had more accommodating manners than this but it seemed like a wise strategy for their circumstance.

"Did either of you consume illegal substances at this event?" Mr Francis asked them.

What a stupid question. "I had some beer," Alice said. "Which we are legally allowed to drink."

"And you, Julia?"

Jules had had enough. She’d had enough of prissy Mr Francis over the past five years but today was the last straw.

"Unless you plan to carry out urine tests I can’t see the point of you even asking that," she said.

Mr Francis looked like he was about to explode. Alice wasn’t sure whether it was from Jules’ defiance or the reference to urine.

Just as he started with "How dare you…" ahead of a no doubt apocalyptic tirade, Alice interrupted him.

"As you say, Sir, it’s only a couple of weeks before we finish. We won’t be going to another festival between now and our final exams. We understand you’re disappointed but we didn’t mean to end up on TV and we can’t turn back the clock so unless you plan to expel us maybe we should just focus on our revision."

Mr Francis clearly had no intention of expelling them since to do so was a major move and he didn’t want the newspaper headline of "Exclusive private school pupils expelled over illegal rave drugs scandal" ending up in the Daily Mail. This was inevitable whenever anyone was ousted for something juicy. The papers always got hold of it.

"I shall be writing a letter to your respective parents." As a final threat it was sadly weak.

"They already know, they saw us on TV too," Jules said.

He was losing the battle. For the first time they had less to lose than he did.

"We’ll leave this matter for now. I hope you will both reflect on how your disgraceful behaviour has affected both your own reputations and that of Fairmount."

* * *

Their reputations however were greatly improved among their classmates. "We spend five years as swots, we leave as rebels," Jules said as they walked back through the school.

This was hardly true, Alice thought, since Jules had always been known as rebellious. People wouldn’t have been half so impressed by the whole Castlemorton thing if Mr Francis hadn’t made such a big deal about it anyway.

"It’s about time we had a little talk about your antics the other night," Jules said. They still hadn’t had a chance to discuss what had happened with Alice and Mr Walker in depth. All Jules knew was that Alice had gone back with him and stayed over. "It’s all happening then, at last?"

"I guess so." Alice was trying to suppress the thrill of joy and excitement that came over her whenever she thought about being with him.

"Just look at your face. You’ve completely lost it, haven’t you? In all senses of the word," Jules said.

"Maybe."

"Stop being so reticent and spill. Not every gory detail but at least an overview."

Alice did her best.

"So you’re actually an item then?" Jules asked. "Alice and Stewart?"

Alice’s heart sang a little at hearing their names paired. "Yes. But obviously not openly at least until school’s over."

"I can’t believe you ended up at the family planning clinic. I mean you’re the one doing Biology, you’re supposed to know about human reproduction," Jules said.

"We got carried away."

"So I gathered. At least he’s good in bed."

He was more than good in bed. Even though Alice hadn’t got anything to judge him by, she was certain of this.

* * *

It was even more thrilling seeing him occasionally around school. Although he seemed to be around less, perhaps deliberately keeping a lower profile, when they did cross paths he would catch her eye. They were conspirators, a secret team.

On one incredibly risky occasion when he was directly behind her in the crush of people entering the assembly hall, he fondled her from behind without anyone seeing, his hand cupping her rear.
 

It was only brief and Alice knew he was there but it still made her start. The thought of what he was doing without anyone else knowing, and how shocked they would be if they did know, was a huge turn on. She didn’t even dare smile at him in case she gave herself away.
 

She sat through assembly that morning unable to concentrate on anything Mr Francis was saying. All she could think of was his presence several rows behind her, hoping that he wanted her right at that moment just as much as she wanted him.

For her part Alice didn’t dare go near the pavilion or anywhere she considered to be Mr Walker’s territory. As much as she was tempted she owed him at least that consideration. There was no point deliberately playing with fire. Things were risky enough already.

But it was such a rush, knowing she was seeing this man and how illicit it was. A man that so many other girls had a crush on. Sometimes she felt she wanted to shout it out.

Another time she was outside the examination hall with a group of people, waiting to go into Chemistry. He passed by and stopped to wish a couple of his First Eleven cricket players good luck. He smiled directly at her before he left and she knew his thoughts were with her.

"I'll miss seeing him about the place. First decent looking member of staff they ever get and it's only the boys who have him," one girl commented.

Alice was glad that neither Jules or Becky were there because they wouldn't have been able to resist nudging her or making some innuendo.

Maddy Pullen, jealous of the attention that Alice and Jules were getting over Castlemorton, had tried to start a rumour that Alice was dating a tramp. No one believed it but Alice let it roll. Anything that concealed the truth was a good thing.

As it was the rumour backfired, partly because Alice’s, Jules’ and Becky’s social stars had risen that term.

"You’re just bitter because you got dumped," someone told Maddy. A boy Maddy had been seeing had recently ditched her for a girl at another school, seen as evidence that Maddy’s own star was waning.

It had instead got around that Alice was seeing Mike Jackson’s older brother, gossip that Alice suspected Jules had nudged as much for her own purposes as Alice’s. This was considered even more impressive than Castlemorton as Mike’s brother had become something of a legend around the school that term. Joe was constantly getting mentioned in the local paper as "former Cheltenham boy tipped for England selection" and Fairmount was basking in his reflected glory.

"It’s really unfair on Mike," Jules had said. "He should be getting the attention as captain of Fairmount’s best First Eleven in decades. Instead everyone’s going on about his brother."

In actual fact Joe had called Alice again. She had managed to turn him down as kindly as possible by saying that she was too busy with exams and travel plans. Not being after anything serious anyway he had taken it on the chin, but said he’d still catch up with them all for a drink next time he was in town.
 

Alice suspected he’d be one of those guys who would always take a chance whether a girl was available or not. He obviously liked her, but she was probably one of a string of girls he flirted with.

She just hoped the rumours didn’t reach Stewart Walker’s ears. She knew he wouldn’t believe them if they did, but she still thought he might feel bad. Someone had made a joke about him dating Miss Symons, obviously absurd as Miss Symons reportedly cohabited with another female teacher, but it still stung Alice. She was looking forward to the day when they could just be together without all the subterfuge.

Finally it was the night of their first official date. Mr Walker, or Stewart as he would be for that evening at least, was picking Alice up at seven. She found she was incredibly nervous. Suddenly it all seemed official and she was worried she wouldn't know what to say to him.

She had managed to give her parents the impression that Jules was picking her up, without expressly stating it, and waited outside for him. He arrived exactly on time once again and got out to open the door for her.

Alice appreciated the courtesy but was anxious that her parents or a neighbour might see them so slipped into the seat as quickly as she could.

"How was your week?" he asked her.

"Good, now Biology and Chemistry are over."

He drove them into the town to a restaurant that was stylish without being the kind of stiff and formal place that her parents’ friends went to. It was relatively new and she hadn't been there before.

As they walked from the car he had his hand against her back. "Not quite as accommodating as your other dress, but you look beautiful," he told her.

"It got kind of ripped," she said.

"I'm sorry." He hadn't wanted to remind her of her ordeal at the party.

"So you liked it then?" She hadn't been sure that he'd even noticed it. He had been pretty much the only guy there who hadn't tried groping her back at some point during the evening.

"You could say that." He cast her a glance and she saw the glint of desire in his eyes. "Your tennis gear wasn't bad either."

Alice went scarlet. "Oh god, you did see. I wasn't really thinking." She didn't want him to think she had been hanging off the tree on purpose to flash her underwear.

"It gave me plenty to think about."

They were given a prime table by the window which surprised Alice until she realised, after looking around, that they actually did look glamorous together. He was wearing a jacket perfectly tailored to his flawless physique and the dress she had chosen, while less suggestive than her backless one, was still both sexy and stylish. Most other diners were less fashionable or more casual.

While they were waiting for their orders to arrive, she asked him when he had finally decided he wanted to see her. "I thought at the party you were really angry with me."

"When I saw that idiot with his hands all over you I was so furious I wanted to knock his block off," he told her. "That's when I knew. It felt like he was mauling my girl."

"You did knock him out though, didn't you?"

"Not that piece of scum. I mean the Worcester idiot, hanging off you all the time."

He meant Joe. So he had been really bothered by it. She felt both a little bit guilty and a little bit glad. "I tried to tell you there was nothing going on," she said.

"From his side there was plenty going on."

"But I wasn't interested in him. I wanted to be with you," Alice told him.

"Yes and I'm sorry for being such a blockhead," he said. "Those guys, they're all your age. I felt like the old guy at the party."

"You're hardly that."

"I am older than you, Alice, significantly older. We can't just dismiss it."

"Well it doesn't matter for now, does it? It didn't seem to make a difference to you the other night."

They looked at one another and she knew he was remembering what had happened, just as she was. She also wanted a repeat performance tonight. Right now, in fact, but they had to get through the meal first.

But it was still too early to go home once the meal was finished. Going for a drink was risky due to the amount of Fairmount pupils whom they might bump into. Eventually he suggested the cinema which inevitably led to them seeing Basic Instinct, as nothing else worth seeing was on.

"You don’t mind having seen it already?" he asked.

"No, it’s the kind of film you want to watch twice, to see the clues you missed the first time round," she said.

It was even better the second time even though Alice knew who the killer was. She was slightly embarrassed watching some of the sex scenes with him next to her, not knowing what he might think of them. Or of her, for watching them twice. Maybe it would be more ladylike - more feminine - to be shocked at them like Becky was.

Outside the cinema he put his arm around her as they walked back to his car. She was blissfully happy.

"Not a bad sort, Sharon Stone," he said.
 

Alice had been picking up on how both he and Chris tended to understate things. It must be an Australian thing. If something was "average" they really meant it was absolutely terrible. To describe someone as "not bad" meant they were amazing.

"She is very beautiful," Alice agreed. "What about the other actress?"

"Not my type. I prefer blondes," he said, ruffling her own blonde hair. "Though she wasn’t bad in that one scene."

They both knew the scene he was referring to.

"Yes that was pretty hot," Alice said. She looked him directly in the eye as she said this. Take the hint, she thought. She’d been fantasising about it for long enough.

"So you liked that did you?"

Alice felt her stomach flip with anticipation. He understood. After all, he had been pretty rough with her in the pavilion that first time and she had still responded to him. He couldn’t have forgotten that.

The car was parked by a wall and before he unlocked it he turned to her and pushed her up against the brickwork. He kissed her, hard, pinning her against it. She felt the stone, cold and hard, behind her back. She could feel how hard he was through his jeans.

"You’re coming back to my place," he told her.

They hadn’t actually discussed whether she was staying over with him or not, but she wasn’t about to refuse. They both wanted one thing right now.

He drove as swiftly as he could safely get them back to his place. Neither of them spoke on the journey back. Alice was nervous but couldn't wait to get there. After all, she had wanted this. Now she would find out if it lived up to the idea of it.

He led her upstairs and closed the door behind them. Immediately taking her in his arms he kissed her passionately for a few moments, not too roughly or enough to make her lips bleed but enough that she knew the strength of his desire.