The Look of Love (7 page)

Victoria showed
no intention of moving away, so Louise seized the opportunity to
put her arm around her waist. Victoria didn’t seem to mind, and
they carried on walking like that. Louise held onto her, pressing
the palm of her hand against Victoria’s stomach, feeling her skin
and the muscles beneath moving as she walked along. Louise was
ecstatic. Things couldn’t have been going better.

They headed
down Market Street towards Deansgate. Chrissy and Scott were in the
lead, followed by Louise and Victoria, Jo and Max, and Angela and
Andy, who had also seemed to pair up. Only John was now on his own.
He walked along despondently with Angela and Andy.

They took a
short cut through St Ann’s Square, and halfway across they passed a
group of boys heading in the other direction. One or two of the
boys still held glasses of beer they had brought with them from the
last pub or bar they had visited. Victoria’s brief outfit instantly
caught their attention, and they all whistled at her and called out
lewd comments as they went passed.

Victoria didn’t
turn a hair, but Louise had mixed feelings. On the one hand she
felt proud that she was the one with the subject of their
admiration, that she was the one with her arm around Victoria. And
on the other hand she felt a little scared but very jealous and
possessive. She wanted them to go away and leave her and Victoria
alone.

Then one of the
boys called out, “You’ve got great legs, baby! I bet they’re long
enough to wrap all the way round me!”

Louise was
expecting the usual put down, but instead Victoria stopped, drawing
them both to a halt. And looking over her shoulder, she said in a
very seductive voice, “They’re longer than you think. They go all
the way down to the ground–” as she spoke, she slowly lowered her
hand until it almost reached her knee, then she raised it back up
again, “–and all the way up to heaven.” When her hand reached her
skirt, she flicked it up, giving the boy a quick glimpse of her
bare buttock.

Victoria then
led Louise away to a roar of approval from all the boys. Louise
glanced over her shoulder, and saw that more than one of the boys
had spilt his beer.

Deansgate was
the sight of several other bars. They visited each in turn, hanging
about among the tables and chairs outside the bars on the pavement.
It was still early September, and the evening was mild and
pleasant, and the whole of the top of Deansgate was filled with
young people roaming around. It was like the corridor inside one
huge bar. Passing cars hooted at all the scantily clad girls, and
people milled about, going from one bar to another, or heading off
to one of the nearby clubs.

Louise quickly
lost her hold on Victoria. As soon as they reached the first bar,
Victoria had dived inside, leaving Louise behind. Chrissy and Scott
also disappeared, as did Max and Jo. Louise tagged along with
Angela and Andy, conscious of John watching her suspiciously. But
soon, even he disappeared.

Louise stayed
with Angela and Andy. They seemed to be getting on well together.
Andy wasn’t Mr Universe, but he was very polite, charming and
attentive to Angela, and it was obvious to Louise that Angela liked
the attention. He was also very polite to Louise, and always bought
her a drink when he bought one for himself and Angela. Without
Victoria’s bad influence, Louise was able to stick to orange juice
or Coke, and she soon began to feel a little more clear-headed.

As they moved
from bar to bar, Louise caught the occasional glimpse of Victoria.
She was with a different boy each time, and the alcohol she had
consumed was beginning to have an effect. She never stopped to talk
to Louise; she just waved, grinned, and dived into the next
bar.

When Louise
next saw Chrissy and Scott, Chrissy looked decidedly unhappy about
something. She seemed to be ignoring Scott, who was now with Max
and Jo. He didn’t look too pleased either. Louise asked Chrissy
what was wrong.

“The usual!”
Chrissy snapped, and quickly disappeared into the next bar before
Louise could question her further. Scott was quick to follow after
her.

Louise would
have spoken to Jo and Max, but they, too, hurriedly disappeared
into the bar. Louise returned to Angela and Andy.

“What do you
think is the matter?” Louise asked Angela.

“It’ll probably
be something to do with Tori,” Angela replied with a shrug. “She’s
had a skin-full, and what inhibitions she has will have gone by
now. If she causes trouble, I don’t think we will get to a club
tonight. I’m sorry, Louise, but it looks like you’ve wasted your
time tonight.”

Angela was
right. The evening was beginning to go sour; Louise could feel it
in her bones. She was beginning to feel depressed, when there was
the sound of shouting and glasses breaking somewhere inside the
bar.

Everyone began
to stare into the interior of the bar, and Angela quickly muttered,
“Oh-oh…”

It wasn’t long
before Chrissy emerged dragging Victoria with her. Chrissy looked
very angry, and she was pulling Victoria along very roughly. When
they reached the pavement, Chrissy swung Victoria around and pushed
her away from the bar. She used quite a lot of force, and Victoria
tottered quickly forward on her heels, fell over a chair and
sprawled on the floor.

Louise
instantly rushed forward to help her up. She was shocked and
embarrassed, and very worried about Victoria, but Chrissy was still
angry. She ignored the gathering crowd and stood over Victoria,
shouting at her.

“You can’t
leave it alone, can you? You have to get drunk and ruin everything!
I warned you! I told you not to piss about, but you just couldn’t
help yourself, could you?”

Victoria pouted
as Louise held her in her arms. “I’m only having a bit of fun,
Chrissy! I didn’t mean it! Really I didn’t! Don’t hate me!”

“It’s not fun!
It’s malicious! And hurtful! And I’ve had enough of it, and
you!”

Louise couldn’t
help defending Victoria. “Don’t be so hard on her, Chrissy.”

“Don’t
interfere!” Chrissy snapped at Louise. “You don’t know what she’s
like!”

“But what’s she
done?”

“Got Scott into
a fight by causing trouble like usual! She’s always stirring it!
She’s a pain in the arse!” Then Chrissy turned back to Victoria and
shouted, “You’re a slut, Victoria Kenyon! A drunken slut!”

Victoria
immediately responded. “And you’re a stuck up cow!”

“Slag!”

“Bitch!”

“Ah, go back to
Zach! Maybe you’re drunk enough to let him shag you now!”

Victoria dived
at Chrissy, screaming, “Shut up! Shut up!”

The crowd
cheered at the start of the fight, but Chrissy was stronger and far
less drunk, and there was little more than a quick scuffle before
Victoria ended up on the floor again. It was all a bit of an
anti-climax.

“That’s where
you belong!” Chrissy told her. “In the gutter!”

“Bitch!”
Victoria wailed as Louise went to her aid for a second time.

Jo and Max
emerged from the bar. “What’s going on?” Max asked.

“Ah, get lost,
the lot of you!” Chrissy replied and stormed off.

Victoria
climbed to her feet. She was suddenly tearful. Louise hung on to
her as she staggered after Chrissy.

“Chrissy! Don’t
go! I didn’t mean it!” she begged.

“Drop dead!”
Chrissy called back.

Scott now
appeared. He looked dishevelled and he was covered in beer. He was
also just as angry as Chrissy. He went straight to Victoria,
grabbed her and demanded, “What’s the matter with you? Do you hate
me, or what?”

Victoria
shrugged him off, her face twisted in anger. “Chrissy doesn’t need
you! You only want to get in her knickers! Why don’t you get
lost!”

Scott didn’t
reply. He just slapped Victoria and she fell over again. The crowd
cheered as Scott hurried after Chrissy.

Louise went to
help Victoria for a third time, and Jo, Max, Angela and Andy all
gathered round. The five of them quickly got Victoria back on her
feet again. They moved away from the bar, heading down Deansgate.
They left the crowd and the bar behind them, the fight already
forgotten.

Louise had her
arm around Victoria again, helping her as she staggered along. She
had lost one shoe somewhere back at the bar, and one side of her
face was now bright red. Angela and Andy both looked worried, while
Jo kept pestering Victoria about what had happened.

“What did you
do this time?” Jo asked her.

“I didn’t do
anything!” Victoria moaned.

“Were you
stirring it with Chrissy and Scott?”

Victoria’s
expression turned nasty again. “He’s a shit! Pawing all over her!
He wouldn’t leave her alone!”

Max was
instantly offended. “That’s my brother you’re talking about! I’m
not standing for this! Let’s go home, Jo!” He tried to pull Jo
away, but she resisted.

“I’m not going
yet, it’s too early! I want to go to a club!”

“I’m not going
anywhere with her!” Max said.

“Well, you go
home then! I want to have some fun!”

And Victoria
added, “Yeah! Piss off like your brother!”

Louise was
shocked. “Victoria!”

Max grabbed
hold of Jo’s arm. “Are you coming, or not?”

“No!” Jo said,
and pulled her arm free.

“Stuff you,
then!” Max told her. He turned and walked away.

Victoria said,
“Good riddance!” She pulled free of Louise and looped arms with Jo.
“Come on, Jo! Who needs men? At least the two of us can have a
laugh!”

“Yeah! Bugger
them!”

The two of them
staggered off, stopping only briefly for Victoria to reach down and
remove her remaining shoe. She tossed it over her shoulder and it
landed in the road and was instantly crushed by a passing bus.

Louise was now
on her own. Angela came to stand next to her.

“Me and Andy
are going for a pizza,” she said almost apologetically. “We’ve had
enough booze for one night. Do you want to come?”

And Andy added,
“You’d be very welcome. It’s no problem.”

Louise looked
at Jo and Victoria. Both of them were laughing and singing as they
walked along together, arms linked and shoe-less. She sighed and
shook her head in dismay.

“No, I better
stay with them,” she replied.

“Are you sure?”
Angela looked concerned. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

Louise caught
her meaning. “It’s alright,” she said. “I’ll be fine, Angie! And
somebody ought to keep an eye on those two!”

“Alright then.
But you take care. Phone me tomorrow so that I know you are
alright, okay? And I’ll see you at Uni on Monday.”

Louise nodded,
and Angela gave her a peck on the cheek before she and Andy headed
for Pizza Hut.

Louise smiled
and then hurried after Jo and Victoria. When she caught up with
them, she quickly linked arms with Victoria.

Victoria looked
up at her and grinned. “It’s Louise!” she called out. “Look, Jo!
Now we’re three!”

Jo looked
across and said, “Where’s Angie?”

“She’s gone for
a pizza with Andy,” Louise said.

“Gone for a
pizza? Wimps!” Jo exclaimed. “No stamina!”

“Maybe we
should call it a night, too,” Louise suggested.

“Nah!” Victoria
said. “It’s too early!”

“But you don’t
look too well.”

“I wanna dance!
I want to go to a club with you and Jo! And I want to go
now
!”

“Yeah!” Jo
agreed. “Let’s party!”

“But what about
Angela and Andy?”

“Oh, forget
them!” Victoria said. “Forget all of them! I know just the place!
Come on!”

Scott caught up
with Chrissy on King Street.

“Hold on a
minute!” he called out as he ran up to her. “It wasn’t my
fault!”

Chrissy stopped
and spun round to face him. “It
was
your fault!” she said,
angrily. “You didn’t have to fight with that lad! You could have
walked away! But you just had to show everybody how macho you
were!”

“He was trying
to chat you up!”

“And so have
you! All fucking night!”

“But I thought
we were passed all that!” Scott pleaded. “I like you, Chrissy, and
I want to see you again!”

“Well, I’ll
take my knickers off! What a surprise!” was the tart reply. “I
suppose that’s alright then! Because all the other lads were only
interested in my body, while you obviously only want to get to know
me for my mind!”

Scott looked
hurt. “Alright, so I’m normal. I have to admit that when I first
saw you, and when that Victoria turned up later, I thought all my
Christmas’s had come at once. Yeah, it was lust at first sight. But
there was something else about you, and I think I saw it right
away.” He paused to take a deep breath before plunging on.

“You’re a real
beauty, Chrissy. Real classy. But you’re smart, too. And you’re
more grown up and together than any of the girls I’ve ever met.
They’re all like Jo and Victoria, just air heads who think larking
about is all that life has to offer. You’ve gone way past all that.
Max was right. He might have said it wrong, but you’re damn
difficult to get to know. I’ve tried hard all night, and I’m not
giving up now. I like you, Chrissy. I like you lots. And I don’t
think I could find anyone else better if I spent the whole of the
rest of my life looking.” He suddenly held up his hands in front of
her. They were trembling. “Just look at me! I’m shaking all over
because I’m so nervous of losing you! Come on, Chrissy! I’m pouring
my heart out here! Give a poor dumb guy a chance will you!”

Chrissy stared
at him, as she had stared at him all the while he was talking. She
looked stunned, and her anger had quickly faded. Finally she
sighed, and shaking her head, she said sadly, “It won’t work.” Then
she turned and walked away.