Summer's Edge (13 page)

Alice felt even more terrible for having had Joe around while they were leaving. "I just assumed it was anyone at the party. I had no idea it was him," she said.

"Now he’s your rescuer. So you’ll have to find some way to reward him." Jules grinned, and then her own face fell as she looked over at another group of people. "Oh god, of all the people who could be here today, it’s Maddy Pullen."

"Where?"

"Over there, with the usual crowd of them. I hope they don’t see us."

But Jules hoped in vain. Maddy saw them, then held some kind of conversation with her friends while giving jeering glances, and then came over.

"Not shagging any cricketers today? Finally get dumped for someone better, Becky?"

They knew better than to rise to her bait.

"How did you find Biology?" Alice asked, referring to the previous week’s A-level exam. She had noticed Maddy looking particularly stressed and miserable when she came out of the examination hall.

Maddy scowled. "It was fine and I don’t need to get an A in biology anyway."

"You don’t even need any GCSEs to do what you’re doing," Jules said.

"Actually you need ABB to do Sociology," Maddy told her.

"I wasn’t talking about Sociology. I was referring to your degree in being a stupid slag."

"Look in the mirror if you want to see a slag," Maddy said. She turned to Alice. "And what were you up to sucking up to Mr Walker last Friday, going into the pavilion with him?"

Alice felt her heart thump. She must not, must not give anything away. "He wanted some litter picked up in there."

"Very cosy I’m sure. Just as cosy as your night in the Dog & Duck?"

"I have no idea what you’re talking about."

"Just some very interesting rumours that I heard, but I couldn’t possibly believe given you’re such a sad ugly cow. Now I wonder," Maddy said.

"You can wonder all you want," Jules told her. "The only nasty rumours around here with any truth in them are those that feature you."

"Yeah, well there’s no way he’d lower himself to you lot anyway." Maddy left, not satisfied that she’d scored any direct hits.

When she had gone the others were silent until they could see she had rejoined her group and was well out of earshot. Alice felt physically exhausted. With the events at the party last night, and what Jules had just told them about her rescuer, Maddy hearing something about Mr Walker and her was all too much.

"She knows. What am I going to do?"

"She doesn’t know anything. She’s just digging," Jules said.

Becky, who had been lying on her side, sat up. "She doesn’t want to believe what she heard because she likes him herself. I heard her talking about him in class. You’ve got nothing to worry about."

Alice disagreed but didn’t want to dwell on the subject. She thought it was far more likely that Maddy would stir out of jealousy, if what Becky said was true.

"Whatever happens it’s only a few more weeks now. Then we’re free of it all. No more Maddy ever." Jules was trying to reassure Alice, but all Alice could think of was no more Mr Walker, ever. She figured the link via Becky and Brett would still be there, but there wouldn’t be the daily opportunity to see him. It was a miserable thought.

"Will you ring Joe tonight?" Becky asked.

Alice supposed she would have to. She was grateful to him but she really didn’t want to lead him on any more. Now he had taken on the role of her protector he possibly had expectations and she would have to let him down. "I guess so. I’m not sure what I’ll say though," she said.

"Don’t stress it. He’s not going to be devastated if you turn him down. I’m sure he has other girls lining up around the block. He certainly will if he gets an England cap," Jules said.

"What about Mr Walker, will you call him too?"

"He didn’t leave his number," Alice reminded Becky.

"But what about school next week?"

"I’m not sure, if doesn’t go out of his way to avoid me I’ll try and thank him," Alice said.

Just then Jules gave an excited wave. "Kate and Tash are here!"

Tash turned out to be the non-dreadlocked girl from the Selsley rave. There was also another guy with them whom they introduced as Jez. He was small and nondescript save for his t-shirt printed with an elaborate sun design.

"We’re going up to Castlemorton later. It’s absolutely huge, there’s thousands of people there," Kate told them.
 

The Castlemorton festival, described as an illegal rave by the newspapers, had been making headlines the past couple of days. Tens of thousands of travellers and ravers had congregated on common land in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, driven away from an earlier, cancelled festival. Police had been powerless to turn back so many people and it was anarchy.

"What about school?" Jules asked.

"It’s a Bank Holiday tomorrow, remember? And this is the gathering of a lifetime, it’s massive."

"Bigger than Lechlade?"

"Way bigger. It’s like a supermarket for drugs. All the sound systems are there," Tash said.
 

"We’ve got space for you in the car if you want to come," Kate offered.

Jules had an exam the next week and was hesitating. Becky didn’t want to go since Brett wouldn’t be there. Alice didn’t care either way.

"Leafy’s there," Kate said. Jules knew this but the nudge was enough to help her decide.

"OK, let’s go. We’ll have to pick up some stuff first. What time are you planning to head up?"

"Whenever. It’ll be light for hours. Late afternoon, early evening maybe?" Kate said.

"It’ll be better when it’s dark. Easier to avoid any police on the way." Tash pointed out.

Alice was starting to feel excitement. It was such a last minute thing to do, go all the way to Worcestershire, she liked the impulsiveness. She would have to lie to her mother and Richard because they had been tut-tutting at the television news reports every night and would freak out if they thought she was planning to go there herself.

* * *

Back home Alice threw some things into a bag and waited for Jules to call her. Her parents were watching the news again and there was more coverage of Castlemorton. Their sympathies lay with the nearby villagers who were sick of the disruption, rather than the party goers. Alice felt a guilty twinge about her plans. Not enough to change her mind though, the scenes of revelry on the television only acted as a greater drawcard.

The phone rang, it was Jules. "Bad news. Kate’s car is kaput and I can’t borrow either of my parents’ ones, not overnight anyway. The others have managed to get a lift with someone else but there’s no room for us."

Alice was dismayed. "There must be some way to get there?" They discussed different options. It was in the middle of nowhere so even if they got a train to Worcester it wouldn’t be much use. There wouldn’t be any buses at that time of night and taxis probably wouldn’t want to go near the area due to the police. Alice’s parents both needed their cars the next day.

"We could try and hitch a ride from Worcester or something?" Jules suggested. "There must be other people heading that way. They’re arriving all the time according to the news."

"It’s nearer Malvern isn’t it? Is that on the train line?" Alice asked.

"Not sure. Anyway Kate’s making a few calls, the problem is all her mates are already up there."

"Call me back if she has any good news, otherwise let’s give it half an hour and just get a train and hope for the best."

Alice replaced the handset. Immediately it rang again. "That was quick," she said.

"Is that Alice?" A male, Australian voice. Definitely not Jules.

Oh god, it was him. Mr Walker.
 

"Sorry I thought you were Jules," she said, confused.

"I was ringing to find out how you were after last night."

She knew from that moment, from the tone of his voice, that the battle was won.

"I’m fine, thank you so much for your help. I didn’t realise it was you who intervened until today."

There was a short silence. Then he spoke. "I was wondering if you’d like to meet me for a drink tonight?"

Her heart leapt. But she couldn’t let Jules down. "I would love to, but Jules and I are going to the Castlemorton festival." Please let him suggest another time, she thought.

"The one on the TV?"

"Yes. Our lift fell through so Jules was trying to arrange something else. That’s why I thought you were her when you called," Alice said.

"I’ll drive you both there."

She was stunned. "Seriously, you don’t have to do that. It’s miles."

"It’s no problem. Besides I’d be interested to see it for myself. It looked like quite an event on the news."
 

This was unprecedented. She was trying to get her head around it.

"If you’re absolutely sure, I’ll call Jules. Her sister needs a lift too, will that be ok?"

He said it would be and asked for her address. "I’ll pick you up in half an hour. You can direct me to Jules’ place.

Alice sat on the chair in the hall for a while, still in shock. Then she remembered she had better phone Jules. The number was engaged the first two times she dialled but eventually she got through to Kate. "Oh hi Alice, I was still trying to sort us out some transport. No joy yet."

"It’s all sorted. Put Jules on."

Alice told Jules the developments and Jules started laughing. "My god. We’re going to an illegal rave with a teacher. This is the most insane thing ever." She rang off, leaving Alice wondering how she was going to explain Mr Walker’s arrival to her parents. She decided it would be best to just wait outside and get in his car before they saw.

Mr Walker arrived exactly when he said he would and got out and opened the door for her. For the first time Alice found herself feeling horribly shy around him. She was still fearful that he might think she was fickle for being around Joe all night.

"He scratched your face," he said.

"It’s nothing, it’s barely anything." She felt more embarrassed about the whole episode than traumatised now.

"I wish I’d got to the bastard earlier."

Alice got into the front seat, and looked across at his profile as he pulled into the road. He also seemed to be avoiding looking directly at her. Maybe he was still hesitating, still wavering? She sensed that he was torn between wanting to be with her and what he thought was doing the right thing. It would be interesting to see how he would act at the festival.

They drove to Jules’ house and Jules and Kate got in the back. Jules was all sly grins to Alice, who hoped that Mr Walker couldn’t see. She knew that any pointed remarks or innuendos from Jules would only send him further away again.

Instead they talked about the festivals and the whole movement, Kate leading the conversation as she had been involved in it for so much longer.

"Is there anything like in Australia?" Jules asked him.

"In the outback they have B&S balls - bachelor and spinster - that get pretty wild. But they’re organised parties," he told her.

"What about travellers?" Kate asked.

"Not so much. Bikie gangs are more of a thing. Then carnies, but they only travel with fairgrounds."

"Yeah, they’re not the same," Kate said. "So you work at Jules’ school?"

"Something like that."

"Nice, giving us a lift. Can’t imagine any of my teachers offering."

Alice felt excruciating embarrassment. She wished Jules had tipped Kate off about the situation with Mr Walker beforehand. Or perhaps she had and Kate was being clueless or deliberately stirring.

She glanced at him as he drove. His eyes were fixed on the road, if Kate’s words had unsettled him his expression gave nothing away.

Alice also wasn’t entirely sure what his intentions were with the festival. He had said he was interested in seeing it, but did he plan to stay there with them or just drop them off, take a look around and leave? She wasn’t worried about how they might get back, there would be any amount of people heading back at the end of the holiday weekend who they could get a lift with.

* * *

None of them had been to Castlemorton before so Alice had to map read. As they got nearer to the Common it was obvious because there were cars everywhere, parked all over the place. They found their own spot and got out.

The throb of music could be heard in the distance, and there were people still arriving, making their way towards it.

Tash had described it as a "supermarket for drugs" but it was a supermarket for everything rave related. There were stalls selling bottles of water and cans of beer, glowsticks, whistles, music tapes and various drug paraphernalia. An entire shanty town for partying.

"It’s vast," Jules said. Among the many smaller tents there were several large marquees, each a party in itself. Different sound systems were playing, the music blending and clashing as you walked between them. Caravans, cars and lorries everywhere, all different colours.

On the way to find Mush’s van they passed several encampments of travellers. They had campfires, dogs and small children running around. Alice wondered what they must think of all the noise and ravers. For a fleeting moment she imagined Jules and Leafy like this, living on a campsite somewhere, raising a family. She could see the appeal of the freedom, the alternative life, the travel. But she still hoped it wasn’t what Jules would end up doing.

"It’s so beautiful here," she said. It was beautiful. The sun was setting on a day of glorious weather, the sky was a vast dome over rolling green fields and hedgerows. The colour and noise of the people and the music, the scattered tents and vehicles, formed a vibrant carnival. Even without taking anything it was beautiful.

"How will you know where to find your friends in all this?" Mr Walker asked. The festival stretched for what must have been nearly a mile.

"They’ll be here somewhere, we always find one another." Alice wasn’t sure how Kate could be so certain, but sure enough they came across Mush’s van with the usual motley crowd hanging beside it.

"You made it," Tash said. Jez was standing nearby, dancing by himself. A spliff was passed around.