Turning Forty Read Online Free PDF Page B

‘Whiskey?’
    Ginny grinned. ‘Jack D.’
    ‘You could’ve warned me.’
    ‘And miss out on that? You must be kidding.’
    I wiped my mouth. I wasn’t about to be outdone by this girl. I put the bottle back up to my lips, took another swig and swallowed, blinking back tears as thousands of tongues of fire licked up my throat.
    ‘How rubbish was tonight?’ I croaked, handing the bottle back to Ginny.
    ‘On a scale of one to ten?’ she mused. ‘I’d give it full marks for crapness. The teachers really killed the mood: did you see Mr Woodman dancing to Kylie earlier? What was he thinking? The food was disgusting, and the music! Don’t get me started on the music!’ She took a sip from the Coke bottle and handed it back to me. ‘This place is such a let-down! I knew I should have gone to sixth-form college instead of staying in this crap-hole breathing the same air as bitches like Kate Barrett.’
    Intrigued by her attack on Kate Barrett (easily one of the most popular girls in sixth-form), I sat down on the bench next to her.
    ‘Don’t you like Kate?’
    ‘Hate her,’ snapped Ginny.
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Do I look like I need a reason?’
    Earlier I’d seen Kate outside the school secretary’s office with her lips attached to the face of sixth-form Lothario Nathan Spence. I hadn’t thought much about it at the time other than briefly wondering what it might be like to be Nathan Spence’s fingertips but now I could see its significance. At least if you happened to be one of the many girls who fancied him.
    I looked up at the night sky. ‘I can’t wait until I’m out of this dump.’
    ‘You’re in for a long wait. We’ve only just finished the first term.’
    ‘Don’t care. This place is for kids. University is where it’s at.’
    ‘What do you want to do?’
    ‘Computer Science.’
    ‘Where?’
    ‘Up north somewhere, maybe Leeds or Salford. I don’t really care as long as it’s away from here.’
    ‘And then what?’
    I shrugged. ‘I haven’t got that far. I wouldn’t mind working in computer games, you know, for someone like Atari, creating the next Space Invaders or Commando . Someone’s got to do it and I don’t see why it shouldn’t be me.’
    Ginny laughed. ‘I like your confidence. You’ll go far.’
    ‘So what about you, Miss Clever Clogs? What does the future hold for you?’
    ‘Fine Art at Sussex,’ she replied between sips from the bottle, ‘although I’ll have to do some sort of foundation course I guess. And once I get my degree I’m going to move to London and be a painter.’
    ‘Is that right? Will you do wallpapering as well or will it be strictly gloss and emulsion?’
    ‘It’ll be gobby wannabe computer game-makers if I have my way,’ replied Ginny. ‘Which shade of phlegmatic green do you think would suit you best?’
    Considering her use of the word ‘phlegmatic’ I needed a good retort if I wasn’t to look like a fool but for the life of me I couldn’t think of anything snappy enough so I just said, ‘You’re funny,’ and tried to make it sound suitably sardonic. But it actually came out more like a compliment.
    In the space of an hour I learned more about Ginny than I had during the entire time we’d been at school. I discovered which bands she liked to listen to; which films she loved to watch; and which local pubs she’d been to where she’d actually been served and after all of this I was left with the impression that she was a whole lot smarter and funnier than any girl not on my radar ought to be. Did this new information mean that I should try and kiss her? I was pretty sure it did, but just as I was about to make my move an unexpected burst of music interrupted me and we both looked over to the hall from where dozens of our fellow students were beginning to emerge.
    ‘Looks like the nightmare is over,’ said Ginny, rising to her feet.
    ‘I think I might be drunk,’ I replied, sounding quite pleased with myself.
    ‘I think I am too,’