Chapter Forty-Four- The FDMP’s Success

Danny did what can only be described as his happy dance into my room. It was an odd movement and I chose not to comment on the mechanics of it but he certainly seemed pleased with himself. “I’m well happy!” he enthused. “She actually said it was good! How wicked is that? But, if I ever have to describe the characterisation of Blanche DuBois again, it will be too soon.”

I snickered, “Yeah. Those thirty minutes of work must have been so draining...”

He narrowed his eyes at me, “Funny guy, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry. Well done... You are aware that you’re the type that most students hate?” I asked him, shrugging off my bag.

“What?”

“You barely work yet get good results.”

He grinned, “I can’t help that they’re jealous.”

“Uh-huh.” I dumped my bag on the floor and leant back on my desk. If I didn’t do it now, I never would. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure.” He threw his bag and coat aside and sat down on my bed, “What’s up?”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I wasn’t backing out now. It wasn’t the time to take the coward’s way out. “I...”

“Tom, what is it...?” I felt hands on my arms and opened my eyes again to see that Danny had moved over to me and was watching me with careful concern.

“This isn’t easy...” I muttered.

He smiled at me, “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“It really is.”

He put a hand under my chin and directed my gaze up to meet his, “Just tell me.” Then he leant in as if he were about to kiss me and I knew that I couldn’t let him.

“I slept with Dougie.”

He froze, his lips only millimetres off mine. His eyes snapped open again to stare into mine. “What?” he asked in a cool voice.

I tried to twist my head out of his grip, but his hand held me like a vice. “I slept with Dougie.”

He still didn’t move. We were stuck in a ‘would-have-been’ embrace. “When?” he asked, his face and voice equally flat.

I closed my eyes again, “New Year.”

He released me suddenly, “I see.” Then he stepped back and I sank down onto the desk, just watching in silence as he stalked back over to the bed.

“All I can say is sorry.”

He cursed me in a low voice. “You must have known.”

“What?”

“That he still fancied you.”

His voice was calm and that confused me as much as the words that he spoke. I had been ready for red hot anger, not for icy steel. “What?”

As he turned back, his eyes were dark, “You can’t be that stupid, Tom. I always knew that he still liked you.”

“What?”

“Can you please stop standing there looking like a goldfish and repeating yourself?” he snapped quickly. And then the calm descended once more. “Yes, I knew he liked you! I even warned him off!”

“You- What?” I cleared my throat as he glared at me; tried to get my brain to co-operate, “I don’t... How? How long?”

He rolled his eyes, “It’s obvious. Harry doesn’t notice. He’s too trusting.  But it’s there. I knew almost straight away.”

“How can you when I didn’t...?”

“Why did you sleep with him?”

I closed my eyes again, but I knew that I couldn’t block it out. “I don’t know. I don’t have an excuse.”

“Were you drunk?”

“No.”

“Was he?”

“No.”

He turned his back on me again, “I can’t believe you gave into him. And then you let me...” He leant on the windowsill and stared out, “Was it a thrill to sleep with both of us in the same week?”

“Danny...”

“Two guys... Must have made you feel powerful...”

“Stop it.” I clenched my fist over the desk, “I feel horrible. I feel guilty. But I couldn’t keep it in. I had to tell you.”

He turned back and regarded me, “You want a medal?”

“I want you to punch me and let the anger out so we can see how the land lies.”

He walked to the bed again calmly and picked up his belongings, “And I want you to writhe in your guilt for a bit longer. You deserve it and I have to think.”

“You’ll hit me later, right?”