首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第56章

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mself　in　the　slightest；　but　continued　to　walk　at　the　same　speed；　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　into　the　battery　of　curious　critical　eyes；　raking　him　from　the　top　of　his　head　to　his　trainers。

‘All　righ’；　Fatboy？’　called　Leanne。

‘All　right？’　responded　Fats。　Leanne　muttered　something　to　Nikki；　who　cackled。　Krystal　was　chewing　gum　energetically；　colour　high　in　her　cheeks；　throwing　back　her　hair　so　that　her　earrings　danced；　tugging　up　her　tracksuit　bottoms。

‘All　right？’　Fats　said　to　her；　individually。

‘Yeah；’　she　said。

‘Duz　yer　mum　know　yer　out；　Fats？’　asked　Nikki。

‘Yeah；　she　brought　me；’　said　Fats　calmly；　into　the　greedy　silence。　‘She’s　waiting　outside　in　the　car；　she　says　I　can　have　a　quick　shag　before　we　go　home　for　tea。’

They　all　burst　out　laughing　except　Krystal；　who　squealed；　‘Fuck　off；　you　cheeky　bastard！’　but　looked　gratified。

‘You　smokin’　rollies？’　grunted　Dane　Tully；　his　eyes　on　Fats’　breast　pocket。　He　had　a　large　black　scab　on　his　lip。

‘Yeah；’　said　Fats。

‘Me　uncle　smokes　them；’　said　Dane。　‘Knackered　his　fuckin’　lungs。’

He　picked　idly　at　the　scab。

‘Where’re　you　two　goin’？’　asked　Leanne；　squinting　from　Fats　to　Krystal。

‘Dunno；’　said　Krystal；　chewing　her　gum；　glancing　sideways　at　Fats。

He　did　not　enlighten　either　of　them；　but　indicated　the　exit　of　the　shopping　centre　with　a　jerk　of　his　thumb。

‘Laters；’　Krystal　said　loudly　to　the　rest。

Fats　gave　them　a　careless　half…raised　hand　in　farewell　and　walked　away；　Krystal　striding　along　beside　him。　He　heard　more　laughter　in　their　wake；　but　did　not　care。　He　knew　that　he　had　acquitted　himself　well。

‘Where’re　we　goin’？’　asked　Krystal。

‘Dunno；’　said　Fats。　‘Where　d’you　usually　go？’

She　shrugged；　walking　and　chewing。　They　left　the　shopping　centre　and　walked　on　down　the　high　street。　They　were　some　distance　from　the　recreation　ground；　where　they　had　previously　gone　to　find　privacy。

‘Didjer　mum　really　drop　yeh？’　Krystal　asked。

‘Course　she　bloody　didn’t。　I　got　the　bus　in；　didn’t　I？’

Krystal　accepted　the　rebuke　without　rancour；　glancing　sideways　into　the　shop　windows　at　their　paired　reflections。　Stringy　and　strange；　Fats　was　a　school　celebrity。　Even　Dane　thought　he　was　funny。

‘He’s　on’y　usin’　yeh；　yeh　stupid　bitch；’　Ashlee　Mellor　had　spat　at　her；　three　days　ago；　on　the　corner　of　Foley　Road；　‘because　yer　a　fuckin’　whore；　like　yer　mum。’

Ashlee　had　been　a　member　of　Krystal’s　gang　until　the　two　of　them　had　clashed　over　another　boy。　Ashlee　was　notoriously　not　quite　right　in　the　head；　she　was　prone　to　outbursts　of　rage　and　tears；　and　divided　most　of　her　time　between　learning　support　and　guidance　when　at　Winterdown。　If　further　proof　were　needed　of　her　inability　to　think　through　consequences；　she　had　challenged　Krystal　on　her　home　turf；　where　Krystal　had　back…up　and　she　had　none。　Nikki；　Jemma　and　Leanne　had　helped　corner　and　hold　Ashlee；　and　Krystal　had　pummelled　and　slapped　her　everywhere　she　could　reach；　until　her　knuckles　came　away　bloody　from　the　other　girl’s　mouth。

Krystal　was　not　worried　about　repercussions。

‘Soft　as　shite　an’　twice　as　runny；’　she　said　of　Ashlee　and　her　family。

But　Ashlee’s　words　had　stung　a　tender；　infected　place　in　Krystal’s　psyche；　so　it　had　been　balm　to　her　when　Fats　had　sought　her　out　at　school　the　next　day　and　asked　her；　for　the　first　time；　to　meet　him　over　the　weekend。　She　had　told　Nikki　and　Leanne　immediately　that　she　was　going　out　with　Fats　Wall　on　Saturday；　and　had　been　gratified　by　their　looks　of　surprise。　And　to　cap　it　all；　he　had　turned　up　when　he　had　said　he　would　（or　within　half　an　hour　of　it）　right　in　front　of　all　her　mates；　and　walked　away　with　her。　It　was　like　they　were　properly　going　out。

‘So　what’ve　you　been　up　to？’　Fats　asked；　after　they　had　walked　fifty　yards　in　silence；　back　past　the　inter　café。　He　knew　a　conventional　need　to　keep　some　form　of　munication　going；　even　while　he　wondered　whether　they　would　find　a　private　place　before　the　rec；　a　half…hour’s　walk　away。　He　wanted　to　screw　her　while　they　were　both　stoned；　he　was　curious　to　know　what　that　was　like。

‘I　bin　ter　see　my　Nana　in　hospital　this　mornin’；　she’s　’ad　a　stroke；’　said　Krystal。

Nana　Cath　had　not　tried　to　speak　this　time；　but　Krystal　thought　she　had　known　that　she　was　there。　As　Krystal　had　expected；　Terri　was　refusing　to　visit；　so　Krystal　had　sat　beside　the　bed　on　her　own　for　an　hour　until　it　was　time　to　leave　for　the　precinct。

Fats　was　curious　about　the　minutiae　of　Krystal’s　life；　but　only　in　so　far　as　she　was　an　entry　point　to　the　real　life　of　the　Fields。　Particulars　such　as　hospital　visits　were　of　no　interest　to　him。

‘An’；’　Krystal　added；　with　an　irrepressible　spurt　of　pride；　‘I’ve　gave　an　interview　to　the　paper。’

‘What？’　said　Fats；　startled。　‘Why？’

‘Jus’　about　the　Fields；’　said　Krystal。　‘What　it’s　like　growin’　up　there。’

（The　journalist　had　found　her　at　home　at　last；　and　when　Terri　had　given　her　grudging　permission；　taken　her　to　a　café　to　talk。　She　had　kept　asking　her　whether　being　at　St　Thomas’s　had　helped　Krystal；　whether　it　had　changed　her　life　in　any　way。　She　had　seemed　a　little　impatient　and　frustrated　by　Krystal’s　answers。

‘How　are　your　marks　at　school？’　she　had　said；　and　Krystal　had　been　evasive　and　defensive。

‘Mr　Fairbrother　said　that　he　thought　it　broadened　your　horizons。’

Krystal　did　not　know　what　to　say　about　horizons。　When　she　thought　of　St　Thomas’s；　it　was　of　her　delight　in　the　playing　field　with　the　big　chestnut　tree；　which　rained　enormous　glossy　conkers　on　them　every　year；　she　had　never　seen　conkers　before　she　went　to　St　Thomas’s。　She　had　liked　the　uniform　at　first；　liked　looking　the　same　as　everybody　else。　She　had　been　excited　to　see　her　great…grandfather’s　name　on　the　war　memorial　in　the　middle　of　the　Square：　Pte　Samuel　Weedon。　Only　one　other　boy　had　his　surname　on　the　war　memorial；　and　that　was　a　farmer’s　son；　who　had　been　able　to　drive　a　tractor　at　nine；　and　who　had　once　brought　a　lamb　into　class　for　Show　and　Tell。　Krystal　had　never　forgotten　the　sensation　of　the　lamb’s　fleece　under　her　hand。　When　she　told　Nana　Cath　about　it；　Nana　Cath　had　said　that　their　family　had　been　farm　labourers　once。

Krystal　had　loved　the　river；　green　and　lush；　where　they　had　gone　for　nature　walks。　Best　of　all　had　been　rounders　and　athletics。　She　was　always　first　to　be　picked　for　any　kind　of　sporting　team；　and　she　had　delighted　in　the　groan　that　went　up　from　the　other　team　whenever　she　was　chosen。　And　she　thought　sometimes　of　the　special　teachers　she　had　been　given；　especially　Miss　Jameson；　who　had　been　young　and　trendy；　with　long　blonde　hair。　Krystal　had　always　imagined　Anne…Marie　to　be　a　little　bit　like　Miss　Jameson。

Then　there　were　snippets　of　information　that　Krystal　had　retained　in　vivid；　accurate　detail。　Volcanoes：　they　were　made　by　plates　shifting　in　the　ground；　they　had　made　model　ones　and　filled　them　with　bicarbonate　of　soda　and　washing…up　liquid；　and　they　had　erupted　onto　plastic　trays。　Krystal　had　loved　that。　She　knew　about　Vikings　too：　they　had　longships　and　horned　helmets；　though　she　had　forgotten　when　they　arrived　in　Britain；　or　why。

But　other　memories　of　St　Thomas’s　included　the　muttered　ments　made　about　her　by　little　girls　in　her　class；　one　or　two　of　whom　she　had　slapped。　When　Social　Services　had　allowed　her　to　go　back　to　her　mother；　her　uniform　became　so　tight；　short　and　grubby　that　letters　were　sent　from　school；　and　Nana　Cath　and　Terri　had　a　big　row。　The　other　girls　at　school　had　not　wanted　her　in　their　groups；　except　for　their　rounders　teams。　She　could　still　remember　Lexie　Mollison　handing　everyone　in　the　class　a　little　pink　envelope　containing　a　party　invitation；　and　walking　past　Krystal　with　–　as　Krystal　remembered　it　–　her　nose　in　the　air。

Only　a　couple　of　people　had　asked　her　to　parties。　She　wondered　whether　Fats　or　his　mother　remembered　that　she　had　once　attended　a　birthday　party　at　their　house。　The　whole　class　had　been　invited；　and　Nana　Cath　had　bought　Krystal　a　party　dress。　So　she　knew　that　Fats’　huge　back　garden　had　a　pond　and　a　swing　and　an　apple　tree。　They　had　eaten　jelly　and　had　sack　races。　Tessa　had　told　Krystal　off　because；　trying　desperately　hard