首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第93章

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‘e　downstairs；　Col；’　she　urged　him。

‘No；’　said　Colin；　and　he　crossed　his　arms　like　a　mutinous　child；　but　with　that　muscle　working　in　his　jaw。　‘Drugs　in　his　bin。　The　son　of　the　deputy　headmaster。’

Tessa；　who　had　sat　down　on　Fats’　puter　chair；　felt　a　familiar　thrill　of　anger。　She　knew　that　self…preoccupation　was　an　inevitable　consequence　of　his　illness；　but　sometimes　…

‘Plenty　of　teenagers　experiment；’　she　said。

‘Still　defending　him；　are　you？　Doesn’t　it　ever　occur　to　you　that　it’s　your　constant　excuses　for　him　that　make　him　think　he　can　get　away　with　blue　murder？’

She　was　trying　to　keep　a　curb　on　her　temper；　because　she　must　be　a　buffer　between　them。

‘I’m　sorry；　Colin；　but　you　and　your　job　aren’t　the　be　all　and　end—’

‘I　see　–　so　if　I　get　the　sack—’

‘Why　on　earth　would　you　get　the　sack？’

‘For　God’s　sake！’　shouted　Colin；　outraged。　‘It　all　reflects　on　me　–　it’s　already　bad　enough　–　he’s　already　one　of　the　biggest　problem　students　in　the—’

‘That’s　not　true！’　shouted　Tessa。　‘Nobody　but　you　thinks　Stuart’s　anything　other　than　a　normal　teenager。　He’s　not　Dane　Tully！’

‘He’s　going　the　same　way　as　Tully　–　drugs　in　his　bin—’

‘I　told　you　we　should　have　sent　him　to　Paxton　High！　I　knew　you’d　make　everything　he　did　all　about　you；　if　he　went　to　Winterdown！　Is　it　any　wonder　he　rebels；　when　his　every　movement　is　supposed　to　be　a　credit　to　you？　I　never　wanted　him　to　go　to　your　school！’

‘And　I；’　bellowed　Colin；　jumping　to　his　feet；　‘never　bloody　wanted　him　at　all！’

‘Don’t　say　that！’　gasped　Tessa。　‘I　know　you’re　angry　–　but　don’t　say　that！’

The　front　door　slammed　two　floors　below　them。　Tessa　looked　around；　frightened；　as　though　Fats　might　materialize　instantly　beside　them。　It　wasn’t　merely　the　noise　that　had　made　her　start。　Stuart　never　slammed　the　front　door；　he　usually　slipped　in　and　out　like　a　shape…shifter。

His　familiar　tread　on　the　stairs；　did　he　know；　or　suspect　they　were　in　his　room？　Colin　was　waiting；　with　his　fists　clenched　by　his　sides。　Tessa　heard　the　creak　of　the　halfway　step；　and　then　Fats　stood　before　them。　She　was　sure　he　had　arranged　his　expression　in　advance：　a　mixture　of　boredom　and　disdain。

‘Afternoon；’　he　said；　looking　from　his　mother　to　his　rigid；　tense　father。　He　had　all　the　self…possession　that　Colin　had　never　had。　‘This　is　a　surprise。’

Desperate；　Tessa　tried　to　show　him　the　way。

‘Dad　was　worried　about　where　you　are；’　she　said；　with　a　plea　in　her　voice。　‘You　said　you　were　going　to　be　with　Arf　today；　but　Dad　saw—’

‘Yeah；　change　of　plan；’　said　Fats。

He　glanced　towards　the　place　where　the　matchbox　had　been。

‘So；　do　you　want　to　tell　us　where　you’ve　been？’　asked　Colin。　There　were　white　patches　around　his　mouth。

‘Yeah；　if　you　like；’　said　Fats；　and　he　waited。

‘Stu；’　said　Tessa；　half　whisper；　half　groan。

‘I’ve　been　out　with　Krystal　Weedon；’　said　Fats。

Oh　God；　no；　thought　Tessa。　No；　no；　no　…

‘You’ve　what？’　said　Colin；　so　taken　aback　that　he　forgot　to　sound　aggressive。

‘I’ve　been　out　with　Krystal　Weedon；’　Fats　repeated；　a　little　more　loudly。

‘And　since　when；’　said　Colin；　after　an　infinitesimal　pause；　‘has　she　been　a　friend　of　yours？’

‘A　while；’　said　Fats。

Tessa　could　see　Colin　struggling　to　formulate　a　question　too　grotesque　to　utter。

‘You　should　have　told　us；　Stu；’　she　said。

‘Told　you　what？’　he　said。

She　was　frightened　that　he　was　going　to　push　the　argument　to　a　dangerous　place。

‘Where　you　were　going；’　she　said；　standing　up　and　trying　to　look　matter　of　fact。　‘Next　time；　call　us。’

She　looked　towards　Colin　in　the　hope　that　he　might　follow　her　lead　and　move　towards　the　door。　He　remained　fixed　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　staring　at　Fats　in　horror。

‘Are　you　…　involved　with　Krystal　Weedon？’　Colin　asked。

They　faced　each　other；　Colin　taller　by　a　few　inches；　but　Fats　holding　all　the　power。

‘“Involved”？’　Fats　repeated。　‘What　d’you　mean；　“involved”？’

‘You　know　what　I　mean！’　said　Colin；　his　face　growing　red。

‘D’you　mean；　am　I　shagging　her？’　asked　Fats。

Tessa’s　little　cry　of　‘Stu！’　was　drowned　by　Colin　shouting；　‘How　bloody　dare　you！’

Fats　merely　looked　at　Colin；　smirking。　Everything　about　him　was　a　taunt　and　a　challenge。

‘What？’　said　Fats。

‘Are　you　–’　Colin　was　struggling　to　find　the　words；　growing　redder　all　the　time；　‘–　are　you　sleeping　with　Krystal　Weedon？’

‘It　wouldn’t　be　a　problem　if　I　was；　would　it？’　Fats　asked；　and　he　glanced　at　his　mother　as　he　said　it。　‘You’re　all　for　helping　Krystal；　aren’t　you？’

‘Helping—’

‘Aren’t　you　trying　to　keep　that　addiction　clinic　open　so　you　can　help　Krystal’s　family？’

‘What’s　that　got　to　do—？’

‘I　can’t　see　what　the　problem　is　with　me　going　out　with　her。’

‘And　are　you　going　out　with　her？’　asked　Tessa　sharply。　If　Fats　wanted　to　take　the　row　into　this　territory；　she　would　meet　him　there。　‘Do　you　actually　go　anywhere　with　her；　Stuart？’

His　smirk　sickened　her。　He　was　not　prepared　even　to　pretend　to　some　decency。

‘Well；　we　don’t　do　it　in　either　of　our　houses；　do—’

Colin　had　raised　one　of　his　stiff；　clench…fisted　arms　and　swung　it。　He　connected　with　Fats’　cheek；　and　Fats；　whose　attention　had　been　on　his　mother；　was　caught　off　guard；　he　staggered　sideways；　hit　the　desk　and　slid；　momentarily；　to　the　floor。　A　moment　later　he　had　jumped　to　his　feet　again；　but　Tessa　had　already　placed　herself　between　the　pair　of　them；　facing　her　son。

Behind　her；　Colin　was　repeating；　‘You　little　bastard。　You　little　bastard。’

‘Yeah？’　said　Fats；　and　he　was　no　longer　smirking。　‘I’d　rather　be　a　little　bastard　than　be　you；　you　arsehole！’

‘No！’　shouted　Tessa。　‘Colin；　get　out。　Get　out！’

Horrified；　furious　and　shaken；　Colin　lingered　for　a　moment；　then　marched　from　the　room；　they　heard　him　stumble　a　little　on　the　stairs。

‘How　could　you？’　Tessa　whispered　to　her　son。

‘How　could　I　fucking　what？’　said　Stuart；　and　the　look　on　his　face　alarmed　her　so　much　that　she　hurried　to　close　and　bar　the　bedroom　door。

‘You’re　taking　advantage　of　that　girl；　Stuart；　and　you　know　it；　and　the　way　you　just　spoke　to　your—’

‘The　fuck　I　am；’　said　Fats；　pacing　up　and　down；　every　semblance　of　cool　gone。　‘The　fuck　I’m　taking　advantage　of　her。　She　knows　exactly　what　she　wants　–　just　because　she　lives　in　the　fucking　Fields；　it　doesn’t　–　the　truth　is；　you　and　Cubby　don’t　want　me　to　shag　her　because　you　think　she’s　beneath—’

‘That’s　not　true！’　said　Tessa；　even　though　it　was；　and　for　all　her　concern　about　Krystal；　she　would　still　have　been　glad　to　know　that　Fats　had　sense　enough　to　wear　a　condom。

‘You’re　fucking　hypocrites；　you　and　Cubby；’　he　said；　still　pacing　the　length　of　the　bedroom。　‘All　the　bollocks　the　pair　of　you　spout　about　wanting　to　help　the　Weedons；　but　you　don’t　want—’

‘That’s　enough！’　shouted　Tessa。　‘Don’t　you　dare　speak　to　me　like　that！　Don’t　you　realise　–　don’t　you　understand　–　are　you　so　damn　selfish　…？’

Words　failed　her。　She　turned；　tugged　open　his　door　and　was　gone；　slamming　it　behind　her。

Her　exit　had　an　odd　effect　on　Fats；　who　stopped　pacing　and　stared　at