Doctor Who_ Rags - Mick Lewis [46]
Instead of the mummer’s.
The thought shut her up even more, but it shouldn’t make her lose her resolve, no more than the look of concern on Yates’
boyishly sensible features should.
‘I think you’re overreacting, Jo. I don’t think you’re annoyed at the Doctor’s lack of faith in you at all. Could it be more to do with the fact that I’ve discovered you might be just a little too undercover?’
He was such a pompous prig! Always had to be right. God knows why she’d never seen it before. ‘These people are pissed off, and I can see why. They have every right to be sick of a conscienceless, consumerist society where all that matters is who has the most money and how best they can spend it on themselves. There’s no room left for dreamers.’
‘Is that you talking, or your new friends?’ Mike himself was looking a little angry now.
‘Well it certainly isn’t the Doctor, for once. I’ve got my own mind now, Mike, and I’m using it.’
‘I wonder, Jo. I wonder if you are. The Doctor believes this band is exerting some kind of influence over its followers, 111
brainwashing them. I’m beginning to think he was right. I think you’ve been with this convoy too long.’
That made her shake with rage. If he thought he could just snap his fingers and pull her out of the tour he’d - she clenched her fists and turned her back on him. Then she stopped and turned round again. ‘If you try to interfere, I’ll blow your cover, Mike. And I can’t promise what’ll happen to you then.’ His look of amazement made her feel good. She walked across the grass between the graves to where Sin was waiting for her, watching with shrewd eyes.
‘Give me some of that,’ Jo said with a wicked smile, taking a big fat joint out of Sin’s hands.
‘Trouble?’ Sin asked, face expressionless.
‘Just a former boyfriend. A right jerk. I told him where to get off.’ Sin looked over at Nick. Join the gang,’ she said heartlessly, and laughed.
Yeah, go on... laugh.
Laugh like you’re a heartless bitch.
Because it doesn’t matter. I know you’re not. Not really. You’re a strange girl who’s got caught up in something she doesn’t understand. You don’t know your own mind, Sin. It’s like you’re mixing with a bad crowd or got involved with heavy drugs. You don’t know your own mind.
Mixing with a bad crowd? That was funny. And also the understatement of the century. Now he was beginning to sound like his old man, and might just as well have been him for all the desire she’d been showing lately. She didn’t give a shit. How many times did he have to be told?
Nick got up off the tomb he was sitting on and strolled stiffly towards his former girlfriend. She was chatting to Jo and another bloke he didn’t know. He didn’t like the look of him. Nick tried to look mean, and cool, but had the keen impression he was just looking ridiculous. Sin looked up as he approached, a cruel smile on those lovely lips.
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‘Yeah?’
This was even worse than he’d thought; they were all staring at him mockingly, and the geezer with the Stranglers T-shirt was sucking on his cigarette around a smirk that made Nick want to slam him. But he wouldn’t do that. He would play it cool.
‘Just wanted a word...’
‘Any particular one?’
‘Yeah.’ His dander was up despite himself: ‘How about
"childish". How about "selfish".’
Sin grinned more widely, to show how little he could annoy her.
‘That’s double your allowance. You mean selfish because I don’t want to see you any more. You mean childish because I don’t appreciate your boring outlook on life. Then baby, I’m guilty as charged.’
Nick flushed. He was on the point of walking away, but knew that if he did he would never come back, and she would be truly lost to him.
‘Can we talk in private?’
‘You ain’t got nothing to say I want to hear, Nick. You’ve made it clear you don’t approve