Read Online All the Way Home and All the Night Through by Ted Lewis - Free Book Online Page A

yesterday.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œWhat do you think of her?”
    â€œNot bad. Quite attractive really. Bit of a silly bitch. Bit like you in that respect.”
    â€œShe thinks you’re marvelous.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œTalking to her in classes and sitting with her in the common room. She thinks you’re all keen. Starry-eyed and all.”
    â€œShe must be mad.”
    â€œThat’s what I said.”
    â€œI only talked to her in the common room once, and we do happen to be in the same classes a lot.”
    â€œThere you are. It’s your natural charm.”
    â€œPfui.”
    She chatted on about various girls, but never once did she mention Janet.
    Harry bowled toward us. I could see he was feeling irritated though no one else could have known it. I guessed the trouble. I’d just seen Jenny heart-to-hearting with a nice lad called Alex Joplin for the second time that day. The buffer hadn’t moved quick enough.
    â€œAlloden, Harry,” said Angela.
    â€œAlloden.”
    He pulled up a stool and sat down.
    â€œI see the new ones are fraternizing pretty freely,” I said to him. He took out his cigarettes and offered them round. As I was lighting mine, Janet walked past and went over to Jenny and Alex accompanied by Tony Jensen. Thunder and lightning.
    â€œYou were right, son,” said Harry.
    They were all flushed and laughing, enjoying exploring each other’s fresh looks with their eyes. The static of new acquaintance crackled round them.
    â€œI thought so,” said Angela.
    I turned to look at her. She was smiling her guaranteed-to-annoy smile. I didn’t say anything.
    â€œWell, well. We are looking up, aren’t we,” she said.
    I looked at Harry. He started smiling.
    â€œDon’t think you’ve much chance there,” she said. “Too nice.”
    â€œYou don’t have to make yourself appear more stupid than you already are,” I said.
    â€œNot a chance, Victor. Stay in your own class. Karen’s more your drop. Janet’s a lovely girl though.”
    â€œAnd you’re not. Don’t be soft, Angela. I’m not interested. You know that really.”
    â€œDo I?”
    â€œCome off.”
    She stopped leaning on me.
    â€œSee you later, lads,” she said and minced over to the happy group.
    â€œI’ll break her neck,” I said.
    â€œIt’s cast iron, like her head,” said Harry.
    â€œNo, she’s too sharp for her own good.”
    Silence prevailed.
    â€œSo anyway,” said Harry. “It’s Freshers Ball on Saturday. Taking anyone or are you going to let Fate take the reins?”
    â€œI shan’t take anything, I don’t think. Several bodies should be there which will be of interest. I think I’ll let them sweat a while.” We grinned at each other.
    â€œIt’s old stuff really,” said Harry.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThis talking to other blokes when all they’re waiting for is for us to get their corsets off.”
    â€œTrue, true. They’ll learn, perhaps too late,” I said.
    We left, not looking in the direction of that charming group. We climbed the stairs.
    So, suddenly within minutes (as Harry would have said), there I was. In a situation. There was no doubt about it. The main thing was to get the girl. For no reason, suddenly she had become the Most Desirable Object—Why? One minute marked antipathy. Next, urgent predilection. How did it happen? It hadn’t been conscious. There were plenty of other girls, all okay. Even the transition hadn’t been noticeable. It was as if in one minute this feeling had thundered up from my lower vertebrae, covering every square inch of me. A nervous tremor possessed my lungs whenever she entered my mind. Immediately she had become purer-looking than the Holy Grail. The whole weight, height and depth of the emotion was unfamiliar. I was harbouring a stranger inside me, and the