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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