fifteen

Christmas loomed large on the horizon, and different student groups frantically promoted their celebrations. They were all hoping for a cut of the money that everyone had put aside. Dylan's first taste of the mêlée was at football practice.

"I hope you lot have all got tickets to the ball," Mike barked as the team left the field.

"The Christmas Ball?" Mark asked.

"It's actually the Rugby Club Christmas Ball," said Mike. "This is why it's so important that we are all there. Just because we're in Wales, the Rugby Club gets its own ball. The Footy Club is more successful on the field, has more members, and can drink 'em under any table, any time. Do we get a ball? Like fuck we do. They get a Ball to call their own, and cut of the takings from tickets and the bar."

"So why should we line their pockets?" Mark asked.

"We need to all be there, and show 'em which is the better sport. There'll be drinking games in the bar. I want us to drink more, drink faster, and sing louder. Then when things move next door onto the dance floor, we'll dance better, and pull better looking birds. All right?"

"So we're not being at all competitive then?" said Dylan.

The following Monday, during their first lecture of the week, Dave, Julie and Dylan were bombarded with still more Christmas spirit. Before he began his lecture, Dr. Tudor Lloyd stepped aside for a tall, spotty young man.

"For those of you who don't recognise me," said the man. "I'm Bob Thomson, president of Physoc, the Physics society. That's the club that you were all made to join at the start of the year. I know that some of you have been to our guest lectures, and can I just remind you that you're all welcome to the ones in the New Year. We've got some fabulous speakers lined up." He paused. "Anyway, today I'm trying to persuade you all to come to the Physoc revue. It's this Friday night, at the Coopers Arms. We always have a laugh and might even be able to persuade Dr. Lloyd to give us a few tunes on his guitar. I hope you all know the words to Delilah."

"Where's the Coopers Arms?" Dave whispered to Dylan as the lecture started.

"He means Y Cwps. Big white, green and red building at the foot of the hill."

"I though Jez told us to stay out of there?"

"Doesn't apply to me, mate. I'm Welsh, not English. Besides, I'm sure you'll be fine. I doubt they would hold it there if half the people who went ran the risk of death or serious injury."

"That's not very reassuring."

When Dylan told Mark that he planned to go to the review, he wasn't very pleased.

"We're away to Cardiff the next day. You'll have to be up dead early, which isn't your strongest point after a night on the lash."

"So come with us. You can keep me on the straight and narrow, or at least get as pissed as me so they we both get in shit with Mike."

"Alright, but I'm only coming to keep you out of trouble."

Toni had different reason to be upset. "That's the same night as the Engsoc party. Shit, I wanted to go to that with Stacey and Kerry."

"So go," said Dylan. "It's only one night, for Christ's sakes."

"But I thought you were staying Cardiff on Saturday."

"Not all night. We have to have a few drinks with the Cardiff players after we've beaten them. That's just good manners. We'll be back about one."

"If you're not back until then it may as well be all night. All the pubs will be closed, and you'll be too tired to want to do anything else."

"So it's two nights. It's not really a big deal, Toni."

After lunch, Dylan returned to the lab. He and Julie talked while Dave carried out the experiment they were working on.

"I think you should persuade her to go to Engsoc," Dylan said.

"So you can a have a night with the lads?"

"Well, yes. But it'll be good for her to spend some time with people on her course. Kerry's going to Engsoc, isn't she Dave?"

Dave looked up from the instrument he was reading. "Yeah." He wrote something in his lab book then turned back to the instrument.

"What's up Dil? I mean really up?" Julie asked.

"Nothing, it's just..."

"Your turn," Dave said, stepping away from the equipment on the bench.

Dylan stepped forward and set the experiment working again. "It's just that since we got back from Alton Towers, I've felt like I haven't had a moment to myself. We are supposed to be taking things slowly but she doesn't seem to know how."

"You mean that she's crowding you?" Julie said.

Dylan took a measurement and wrote it in his book. "Exactly. I could do with some time on my own occasionally, or some time with the lads. I mean, she even gets pissed off if I play Street Fighter with Mark. And she doesn't exactly hide it. Apart from anything else it's embarrassing."

"Okay," said Julie, stepping forward to take Dylan's place. "I'll suggest that I go with her to Engsoc, but I don't know if she'll listen. She just doesn't seem to listen to me anymore. Lately, when she's not with you, she's with Stacey."

"You don't sound too happy about that. Don't you like Stacey?"

"She's nice enough but I don't trust her. She's two years older than us, and thinks that it gives her the right to boss us about."

"Two years, I thought it was one," said Dave.

Julie recorded her measurement in her lab book. "She failed her 'A' levels first time around and had to re-sit. Then she took off around Australia for a year."

"I didn't realised she'd failed. I always thought she came across as really smart," said Dylan.

"Oh she is. She's probably the most intelligent girl here, but she pissed about. The way she tells it, she failed first time because she was hangover in all of the morning exams. She wears it like a badge of honour. 'I got so pissed I failed my exams.'

"And the stories she tells about her time in Australia, you wouldn't believe that people get up to that sort of thing. Plus, she's a tart. No, tart isn't the right word. Slut is what I mean. She's a slut. If she's slept fifty percent of the nights in her own bed, then that's the most she has. Even then, she's hardly ever alone. And I don't think I've seen the same guy come out of her room more than twice running at most. As for the rest of the time, who knows where she spends the nights."

Julie was successful in persuading Toni to go to Engsoc, although she was convinced it was as much to do with Stacey going as any influence of her own. On Friday evening Toni kissed Dylan goodbye before heading to Rosser bar, which was their venue for the night.

Although Dylan, Mark and Dave were going to the Physics revue, they still walked into town with the rest of their friends. The storms of recent weeks seemed to have temporarily burned themselves out. The night was cold and crisp, with just a hint of a possible frost looming.

Dylan had a rare opportunity to speak to Jo on the way into town. As they passed by the main entrance gate to the campus, Jo dropped back from Nat and Andrea and punched his arm playfully.

"Hey, you. What's up?" he said.

"Nothing, just wondering how you were. I haven't spoken to you for ages. I can't seem to get you away from Toni. I don't think likes me very much. At least, she doesn't like me talking to you."

"I'm fine." Dylan said.

"Oh, come on Dil. It's me you're talking to, not your macho mates. Tell me the truth."

"It's ... It's Toni," he said hesitantly. "Oh, it's nothing."

"Dylan." Jo's voice was stern.

The pair had slipped a couple of paces behind the group, and Dylan felt he could talk without anyone else listening. "Alright, just don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're my mother, and I've done something wrong that you already know about, but still want me to admit to."

Jo broke into a smile.

Dylan continued. "Truth be told, she's starting to piss me off a little. She's just so clingy. And I should really tell you this..." Dylan lowered his voice to a whisper. "But over this last week she's been after sex all the time. I'm knackered. She'll come into my room after she's had a lecture, lock the door behind her and just go for it. It's not exactly subtle; everyone on the corridor must know what's going on. Even Mark has had a dig over it, and that's not like him."

"And this is a bad thing, is it? Doesn't it make you look good in front of the lads? They must all think you're some sort of sex god and she just can't get enough."

"I suppose it's not doing my reputation any harm. But I don't think it's all that genuine. I get the impression that it's some sort of game, or that it's planned. It's almost as if she's doing it because she thinks it's what she should be doing, or it's what someone has told her she ought to be doing. Does that sound paranoid to you?"

"A little bit. What's making you think like that? Has she said anything or done anything?"

"No. It's just a feeling."

"So have you any idea why she's being like this?"

"No, I mean it's not like I'm her first boyfriend and she's only just discovered sex or anything, is it? Or is it? God d'you think that's it?"

"I don't know, Dil. But, I'm sure she would have told you if you were her first. It's the sort of thing that you want someone to know if you care about them. Taking someone's virginity is a very special thing. She'd want you know."

"You think? I mean, I don't think I would. Can you imagine not having had a boyfriend until you were nineteen? It must be humiliating. This changes things."

"What d'you mean?"

Dylan paused. "I was going to finish with her. I think that maybe you were right about the rebound thing, and I was going to stop it before it got too serious. But, maybe I'm too late. If I finish with her now I might wake up next to my lightly poached dead bunny. And I don't even own a bunny. She'll probably buy one just for the occasion, give it to me anonymously as a present for Christmas, only to slaughter it in the New Year."

"I wouldn't start to panic about that until she starts showing an interest in pet shops. Besides, I've only seen one pet shop in Aber, and they didn't have any rabbits. Believe me Dylan, there is never a good time to finish with someone; you just have to do it. And if you think she might take it badly..."

"Yes?"

"Talk to Julie, she knows Toni better than I do. She'll be more help than me."

"You're right," Julie said. They were in the lab and Dylan had just told her his theory. "You were her first. Her first boyfriend and her first lover. In fact, you were the first boy ever to pay her any attention at all. That's why she became obsessed with you."

"Obsessed with me?"

"Oh come on, Dil. You must have noticed. Everyone else did. Ever since that first night she's been convinced that she's in love with you. I think it's just a schoolgirl crush that she didn't know how to control, but she's convinced. After that incident with Claire, it was all I could do stop her from rushing downstairs to comfort you, if you know what I mean."

"So what are you saying?"

Julie seemed to give some thought to her next words. "However misguided, she thinks that you are The One. If you don't feel the same way, then you should end this, tonight."

"At the meal? I thought it would be better to wait until after the ball."

"No, do it after the meal. The sooner the better. If you take her to the ball, it'll just prolong the illusion and make it worse when you do it. She's been blinded to anyone else ever since she slept with you, and that's not good for her.