Read Online Where the Rain Gets In by Adrian White - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Adrian White
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“Chemistry, I mean. All those symbols, and that stupid
periodic table – I just don’t get it.”
“But everything in the world has to do
with chemistry,” said Bruno. “The glass you’re holding, the drink you’re drinking,
the floor you’re standing on, the air you’re breathing, the smoke in the bar –
everything. Every single thing in the world is made up of chemicals.”
“I think I must have had a poor
teacher,” said Katie. “Whatever the lesson, he’d always go back to amino acids
or something like that, as though we all knew what the fuck he was talking
about.”
“But he’s right – we wouldn’t be alive
or here at this gig without the amino acids in our body.”
“Now you’re at it,” laughed Katie.“I
don’t see any other lawyers here.”
“No,” said Bruno, “Mike can’t stand
lawyers. I sometimes think that’s why he’s studying law himself – so he never
has to deal with another lawyer.”
“But we get in?” said Katie.
“Oh yes, we’re special.”
“Where is he, anyhow?”
“Nice Guy Mike? He couldn’t make it. One
of his medical friends had a bit of an accident today.”
“What happened?” asked Katie.
“This guy is studying dentistry,” said
Bruno. “He gave an anaesthetic without reading the patient’s notes, so – no
more patient.”
“You mean he died?”
Bruno shrugged again, as if to say –
shit happens.
“So what’s Mike hoping to do?” asked
Katie.
“Make him feel better about himself?”
suggested Bruno. “Or at least not feel quite so bad. I don’t know, as I say –
Nice Guy Mike.”
Bruno knocked back his drink.
“Come on,” he said. “Joy Division are
the support band – they’re the reason I’m here.”
Bruno walked away from the bar. Katie
had wanted to ask him why he never attended any lectures – how he ever hoped to
survive the course – but she didn’t get the opportunity. She followed Bruno
into the concert hall.
Katie had heard of Joy Division but she
didn’t know what to expect. She knew they were from Manchester and presumed
they had the gig on the strength of that. A few hundred people came through
from the bar but most of the crowd didn’t bother. Eugene and the
mathematicians, though, they were on their feet already and Katie looked from
them down to the stage and saw they were mimicking the actions of the singer.
The music was harsh and disturbing. Katie had never heard music like this
before, and she’d never seen anyone act like that on stage before. Part of her
wanted to laugh, but then she saw Bruno’s reaction: he was totally immersed in
the music, his eyes closed, and his head jerking forward like he was kicking
someone on the ground.
They sang a song called ‘She’s Lost
Control’, and Katie had to sit down – images of cutting her legs flashed
through her mind.
I have to stop doing this, she thought.
I have to find a way to stop.
When the band finished, the
mathematicians were ecstatic.
“Are you okay?” Bruno asked Katie.
“Yes,” she said. “I need a drink.”
“That boy needs some help,” said Bruno,
referring to the singer. Somehow this was more damning coming from Bruno, as
though he knew a thing or two about needing help.
The Buzzcocks were disappointing in
comparison – no, The Buzzcocks were just plain terrible. They stopped a song
halfway through and the singer said it was shit!
“I agree,” said Bruno. “Come on, let’s
go.”
The mathematicians shouted down
obscenities to the stage, and all twenty of them left together – or eighteen,
because Mike and his dentist friend were missing.
Bruno shook his head.
“What a fucking circus,” he kept saying.
“What a fucking circus.”
They all went into the bar for a drink.
Katie’s first Christmas as a college
student was hard. She was used to being on her own and this had never been a
problem to her, but she hadn’t realised how much she’d come to rely on Mike
and, to a lesser extent on Bruno, for
periodic table – I just don’t get it.”
“But everything in the world has to do
with chemistry,” said Bruno. “The glass you’re holding, the drink you’re drinking,
the floor you’re standing on, the air you’re breathing, the smoke in the bar –
everything. Every single thing in the world is made up of chemicals.”
“I think I must have had a poor
teacher,” said Katie. “Whatever the lesson, he’d always go back to amino acids
or something like that, as though we all knew what the fuck he was talking
about.”
“But he’s right – we wouldn’t be alive
or here at this gig without the amino acids in our body.”
“Now you’re at it,” laughed Katie.“I
don’t see any other lawyers here.”
“No,” said Bruno, “Mike can’t stand
lawyers. I sometimes think that’s why he’s studying law himself – so he never
has to deal with another lawyer.”
“But we get in?” said Katie.
“Oh yes, we’re special.”
“Where is he, anyhow?”
“Nice Guy Mike? He couldn’t make it. One
of his medical friends had a bit of an accident today.”
“What happened?” asked Katie.
“This guy is studying dentistry,” said
Bruno. “He gave an anaesthetic without reading the patient’s notes, so – no
more patient.”
“You mean he died?”
Bruno shrugged again, as if to say –
shit happens.
“So what’s Mike hoping to do?” asked
Katie.
“Make him feel better about himself?”
suggested Bruno. “Or at least not feel quite so bad. I don’t know, as I say –
Nice Guy Mike.”
Bruno knocked back his drink.
“Come on,” he said. “Joy Division are
the support band – they’re the reason I’m here.”
Bruno walked away from the bar. Katie
had wanted to ask him why he never attended any lectures – how he ever hoped to
survive the course – but she didn’t get the opportunity. She followed Bruno
into the concert hall.
Katie had heard of Joy Division but she
didn’t know what to expect. She knew they were from Manchester and presumed
they had the gig on the strength of that. A few hundred people came through
from the bar but most of the crowd didn’t bother. Eugene and the
mathematicians, though, they were on their feet already and Katie looked from
them down to the stage and saw they were mimicking the actions of the singer.
The music was harsh and disturbing. Katie had never heard music like this
before, and she’d never seen anyone act like that on stage before. Part of her
wanted to laugh, but then she saw Bruno’s reaction: he was totally immersed in
the music, his eyes closed, and his head jerking forward like he was kicking
someone on the ground.
They sang a song called ‘She’s Lost
Control’, and Katie had to sit down – images of cutting her legs flashed
through her mind.
I have to stop doing this, she thought.
I have to find a way to stop.
When the band finished, the
mathematicians were ecstatic.
“Are you okay?” Bruno asked Katie.
“Yes,” she said. “I need a drink.”
“That boy needs some help,” said Bruno,
referring to the singer. Somehow this was more damning coming from Bruno, as
though he knew a thing or two about needing help.
The Buzzcocks were disappointing in
comparison – no, The Buzzcocks were just plain terrible. They stopped a song
halfway through and the singer said it was shit!
“I agree,” said Bruno. “Come on, let’s
go.”
The mathematicians shouted down
obscenities to the stage, and all twenty of them left together – or eighteen,
because Mike and his dentist friend were missing.
Bruno shook his head.
“What a fucking circus,” he kept saying.
“What a fucking circus.”
They all went into the bar for a drink.
Katie’s first Christmas as a college
student was hard. She was used to being on her own and this had never been a
problem to her, but she hadn’t realised how much she’d come to rely on Mike
and, to a lesser extent on Bruno, for
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