Free All the Way Home and All the Night Through by Ted Lewis

away, and she brushed back the dislodged hair strand with the tips of her fingers. I concentrated on the pavement. Particles of sunshine tickled the back of my neck. The comfortably warm pavement fed itself in through my rubber-soled suedes.
    â€œAre you still interested in the Film Society?”
    I held my breath. The answer would be crucial.
    â€œThe Film Society? I don’t know. Why?”
    â€œI mean, about coming along with us sometimes. You know, on Sunday afternoons.”
    â€œSunday afternoons would be difficult. My parents might not like the fact of my going on a Sunday.”
    â€œWouldn’t they? Why not?”
    â€œNo, I don’t think so. I’d better not.”
    I screamed and cursed inwardly.
    â€œWell, if you can ever make it, I’ll let you have the dates sometime and then you’ll know when it is.”
    â€œThank you.”
    Inside college the group dispersed. I sped down to the cloakroom. The dialogue with Janet had actually left me out of breath. My lungs were great wings beating inside the cage of my ribs.
    I began combing my hair, to ease tension. The bloody, cool, cool, bitch girl. Her face full of indifference kept floating in my eyes. Harry came in. He hung up his streamlined Mambo hat, low crowned and feathered, on one of the pegs.
    â€œAlloden.”
    â€œEh up, Harry. I’ve got something to say. You know that Janet? Well, I reckon I may ask her out.”
    He adjusted his knitted tie in the mirror.
    â€œGood for you.”
    â€œWell, I mean. There you are.”
    I had expected Harry to be as excited as I was trying not to be.
    â€œThere I am indeed, Thinstuff.”
    â€œWell, what do you think? I mean, what sort of a chance do you reckon I’ve got? You know, if I ask her out.”
    â€œWho knows, who knows? That Tony Jensen is doing a lot of being in her vicinity.”
    â€œYes, but apart from that?”
    â€œI dunno. Better ask her and then you tell me.”
    Five o’clock that evening. After college. The pale, blue sky be-coming slightly fringed with early night. I walked through the station at the back of the college. A good quiet time. Prospects of a cosy bus ride and a big digs’ tea with plenty of gravy. I stopped at the tobacconists on my way through the railway station to the adjacent bus station. I bought ten Parkies and lit up. About twenty feet away, Janet and Tony Jensen were passing by. He was taking her to her bus. They weren’t quite hand in hand. Next time he would try harder. The bus ride wasn’t all that easy after all.
    â€œHey up, Harry. I’ve asked that Karen bird out with me.”
    â€œBloody piss. You soft sod.”
    â€œWhat’s up with you?”
    â€œBloody hell, Victor. What are you gaming at?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWell, I mean.”
    â€œSo why not? I’ve nothing to lose. She’s a cute chickie.”
    Harry shrugged and left the cloakroom.
    I took Karen to see A Hole in the Head on the Thursday night. We had beans on toast in the canteen and crossed the road to the cinema just in time for five thirty. The cinema was only a quarter full at that time of night. We got ourselves installed in the back row. The newsreel was in progress. It finished and a film about deep-sea fishing came on. I put my arm round Karen. She shifted closer. I turned her face toward me by putting my index finger under her chin. Standard practice but effective. We kissed, tentatively. Our heads parted slightly. Then they rushed together for the passionate sequel, the hard one with the fingers charging through the hair and the teeth sometimes clacking together. My finger-tips scored lines of pleasure straight down the middle of her back, and hers caused tickling explosions on the nape of my neck. Very nice. She was sexily malleable. Once I put my hand palm downward on the top of her thigh. I could feel her suspender throbbing underneath her hot skirt. I pressed it with my thumb as