Demo Read Online Free

cubicles.
    That you, Clare? she shouts.
    Aye, I says. I go in the other one. I wait till Laetitia flushes afore I start to pee.
    By the time I come out she’s leanin ower the basin lookin into the mirror, puttin lipstick on, a sorta dark browny pink colour. She rubs her lips thegether. Then she clocks me watchin her in the mirror and smiles.
    Lipstick revolutionary, that’s me I’m afraid, Clare. Here, look. She rummages in her bag, takes out a wee tube of ointment and holds it out to me. Great for coldsores this stuff; I swear by it.
    Thanks, I says. I take the tube, set it next the basin and wash my hands. I don’t see any towel so I just shake them a bit in the sink. Then I unscrew the top of the tube. A wee white worm starts to ooze out the nozzle. I rub it on my finger and look in the mirror. My coldsore’s even worse in the fluorescent light – dead scabby. I smear the cream quick onto my lip, screw the top on again and hold out the tube. Thanks, I says.
    No, no, she says. You keep it.
    Thanks a lot, I says.
    She smiles, No need to keep thanking me. She’s dead pretty. Like really beautiful.
    What d’you think of Julian? she says, out the blue.
    I’m like, I don’t know. He’s a bit… kinda weird… is heno? Laetitia’s leanin back on the basin with her mad bag in front and her arms crossed over it. And she’s lookin… sorta into the distance, except she’s really starin at the toilet door. That stuff he says about you and like… oysters… I mean, that was pure…
mental
.
    She turns to me then and smiles. Yeah, she says, pure mental. Only she says
pyaw.
Come on, honey child, better get back out there in case they start the revolution without us. And she pushes open the door into the restaurant.
    It’s dark and like dead noisy and hot and folk are singin. We walk over to our table. Everybody’s standin up singin. I know this one too.
‘Bandiera Rossa’.
I looks over at Danny; he’s givin it laldy, punchin the air. The waiters are standin with their arms folded, watchin. Julian’s no at our table but. He’s over with the wee French guy, arm in arm and they’re like conductin the whole thing with their other arms. Baith of them thegether. Julian’s dreads are hittin the baldy head a the French guy so the wee guy stops conductin and grabs a bunch of them and holds them on top a his head like a mad wig. I looks at Laetitia and she looks at me and we both start laughin. And then we sing too.
    â€¦ Avanti o populo, alla riscossa,
    Bandiera rossa trionferaà.
    â€˜Bandiera rossa la trionferà,
    Bandiera rossa la trionferà,
    Bandiera rossa la trionferà,
    Evviva il socialismo la bella libertà…
    Julian and Danny are still singin on the way back to the B&B. Different songs I don’t know. They’re walkin in the middle a the street but it’s dead quiet; there’s no traffic. I’m walkinbehind with Laetitia. She’s got her arm through mine and I’ve got my hands in my pockets tryin to keep warm.
    Julian starts up a new song, ‘50 Ways to Leave Your Lover’. Danny joins in.
    Oh Christ, here we go, Laetitia says. I look at her but she says nothing.
    Julian’s dancin about the road, wavin his arms.
    â€¦ slip out the back, Jack
    Make a new plan, Stan
    What’s the next bit?
    â€¦ Don’t give a fuck, Chuck…
    Naw, that’s no in it, ya bam!
    Get yourself free…
    There’s a squeaky metal noise and then a bang. A guy up above has just threw open a shutter and he’s shoutin something at us. Julian stops in the middle of the street and holds his arms up to the guy.
Buona sera, signor. Che bella città!
The guy looks like he’s in his vest; he shouts again then goes away back into the room. Julian’s shoutin,
Signor, signor…
and Danny’s tryin to pull him away. Suddenly the guy’s came back and he like… flings this