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Authors: Owen Sheers
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pick up the atmosphere when the two of them came back in again. He went straight for it though, firing off some jokes as they walked back to the table, stuff about ‘slipping off for some private tutoring eh Teacher?’ That kind of thing. But I could tell even Kev was shaken underneath, that even he was unsettled by what we’d seen.
But then The Band had come on and, well, everyone went wild for them, so I guess we forgot about it. Until what happened later that night. After which no one, not a single person who was in that club, would ever forget what they’d seen again.
As ever The Band didn’t only make us go wild, but made ICU wild too, although in a very different way. They must have had their Company spies in the place because within minutes of The Band starting up one of their Resistance songs the whole party was raided, broken up by Old Growler and his wolf packs of Security.
This time The Band didn’t get away, but were cuffed there and then on stage before being led out the back. As for the rest of us, it was just the usual stuff, photos taken, IDs checked, a few of the rowdier ones taken off for a beating in the back of a van. Old Growler was in his element, stalking the tables, eye-balling us all. He saved his special treatment for the Teacher though. Singling him out and making him stand up on the stage. We all waited for what he’d do to him next, but Growler, he was cleverer than that. He understood anticipation was the worst part of fear. So he did nothing. Just made the Teacher stand up there while he stared at him, stared at him good and hard like he was trying to kill him with looking.
After a while he knew he’d done enough. Rounding up his men, he ordered them out before giving the room one last scan of his own, then left us with one of his favourites.
‘Enjoy your night,’ he said to us all. ‘It’s your last.’
Then, turning to the Teacher.
‘So make the most of it.’
I didn’t fancy sticking around after that. No one knows how to execute a buzz kill quite like ICU, so to be honest I knew the night wasn’t going to be rescued now Old Growler had done his business. So I left. As I was going though, passing the Teacher’s table, I heard him lean across the back of a chair and speak to Joanne again. Now, I can’t be sure, because the club was still loud and everything, the next band coming on stage, but this is what I think he said.
‘If you’re going to do it then do it now. Follow them.’
I carried on out the club doors but then stopped at the top of the stairs. Had he really just said that? Follow who? Old Growler’s mob? And do what exactly? I was still trying to make sense of it when,sure enough, the club doors swung open and Joanne walked through them, then straight on down the stairs, head down, taking them fast, as if she had someone to catch up with, someone to catch.
I glanced back into the club through the windows in the door. The Teacher was up on his feet again, only this time he wasn’t just up, but dancing too. Clapping his hands, swinging his arms and getting them all out on the dance floor, all his followers. Peter, the Legion Twins, Alfie, his brother, Simon, all of them rocking and shuffling out onto the dance floor to shake their stuff, with the Teacher leading them, shouting out to whoever’d listen,
‘Let’s dance! Let’s dance!’
The next time I heard the Teacher he was shouting again, but unless I’d seen him myself, seen him with my own eyes, I’d never have thought that voice belonged to the same man.
He was crouching down on a piece of grass in the middle of the close where my girlfriend lives. I’d gone over to her house after the club becauseshe hadn’t been able to be there herself, so I wanted to tell her all about it. Her mam’s been sick ever since she was twelve, so she spends most of her time caring for her and can’t go out nights. We were sitting in her bedroom, talking, when I heard the shouting. I told my girl
But then The Band had come on and, well, everyone went wild for them, so I guess we forgot about it. Until what happened later that night. After which no one, not a single person who was in that club, would ever forget what they’d seen again.
As ever The Band didn’t only make us go wild, but made ICU wild too, although in a very different way. They must have had their Company spies in the place because within minutes of The Band starting up one of their Resistance songs the whole party was raided, broken up by Old Growler and his wolf packs of Security.
This time The Band didn’t get away, but were cuffed there and then on stage before being led out the back. As for the rest of us, it was just the usual stuff, photos taken, IDs checked, a few of the rowdier ones taken off for a beating in the back of a van. Old Growler was in his element, stalking the tables, eye-balling us all. He saved his special treatment for the Teacher though. Singling him out and making him stand up on the stage. We all waited for what he’d do to him next, but Growler, he was cleverer than that. He understood anticipation was the worst part of fear. So he did nothing. Just made the Teacher stand up there while he stared at him, stared at him good and hard like he was trying to kill him with looking.
After a while he knew he’d done enough. Rounding up his men, he ordered them out before giving the room one last scan of his own, then left us with one of his favourites.
‘Enjoy your night,’ he said to us all. ‘It’s your last.’
Then, turning to the Teacher.
‘So make the most of it.’
I didn’t fancy sticking around after that. No one knows how to execute a buzz kill quite like ICU, so to be honest I knew the night wasn’t going to be rescued now Old Growler had done his business. So I left. As I was going though, passing the Teacher’s table, I heard him lean across the back of a chair and speak to Joanne again. Now, I can’t be sure, because the club was still loud and everything, the next band coming on stage, but this is what I think he said.
‘If you’re going to do it then do it now. Follow them.’
I carried on out the club doors but then stopped at the top of the stairs. Had he really just said that? Follow who? Old Growler’s mob? And do what exactly? I was still trying to make sense of it when,sure enough, the club doors swung open and Joanne walked through them, then straight on down the stairs, head down, taking them fast, as if she had someone to catch up with, someone to catch.
I glanced back into the club through the windows in the door. The Teacher was up on his feet again, only this time he wasn’t just up, but dancing too. Clapping his hands, swinging his arms and getting them all out on the dance floor, all his followers. Peter, the Legion Twins, Alfie, his brother, Simon, all of them rocking and shuffling out onto the dance floor to shake their stuff, with the Teacher leading them, shouting out to whoever’d listen,
‘Let’s dance! Let’s dance!’
The next time I heard the Teacher he was shouting again, but unless I’d seen him myself, seen him with my own eyes, I’d never have thought that voice belonged to the same man.
He was crouching down on a piece of grass in the middle of the close where my girlfriend lives. I’d gone over to her house after the club becauseshe hadn’t been able to be there herself, so I wanted to tell her all about it. Her mam’s been sick ever since she was twelve, so she spends most of her time caring for her and can’t go out nights. We were sitting in her bedroom, talking, when I heard the shouting. I told my girl
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