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Chapter 4 1963-4 I Like It (before the summer hols)
Who do you like best then Fred?What do you mean?Christine Keeler or Mandy Rice-Davies? Who do you like best? I like MandyRice-Davies best.I like that name, Mandy Rice-Davies. What a nice name. I bet she'd like myDads Malaysian Curry. He makes that with rice. Yeah, but which one do you like best?Dunno, Mandy? What difference does it make? That hot summer term first and second year boys debated the highly respectedmerits of Mandy Rice-Davies, the blond, and Christine Keeler, the brunette.Apparently they had done something exceedingly naughty but we never got todiscuss that. It must have been something really exciting like making a movie astheir pictures were in the press most days all summer long. We watched inamusement as the second years held long and heated discussions about them;coalitions were formed and broken on the outcome of their debates. We first yearsmostly expressed a preference. I have no idea if the third year boys and aboveever discussed such serious public affairs as they never mixed with us, or let on tous about anything whatsoever.We've got our own Christine and Mandy here as well you know, Dinky saidconfidentiallyHave we! Where?Here at the school two sisters, Caroline and Sara Altham. Our very own sexbombs.Who are they?Caroline is Head of House and Sara is captain of the School IntermediateHockey Team.Wow! Our own Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies? I've never seenthem.Despite being a mixed school the boys and girls in the lower school voluntarilylived almost entirely segregated lives. I rarely saw girls during breaks. Mostly Iplayed football. And cricket was just starting to occupy us at break.I'll show them to you at afternoon break, mind you we have to go up to thegirls lockers on the top corridor.Strictly speaking we could go to the top corridor at any time, but if you did go thegirls usually wanted to know what you were doing, so you needed to have anexcuse ready. I never went up there but I knew Dinky would have something tosay. He had an elder brother who worked in a hotel and wore Levi jeans; heprobably walked pass girls all the time, if he wasnt stopping to kiss them.Not until the third form did I notice, let alone talk to, any girls in my class. Dianewas moved down from her class to join us; she should have been a fourth former.She looked ten years older than me with her untouchable glossy nails and jingling
 
bracelet. The first time she joined us, after we were all seated ready for the firstclass of the year, a shiver went down the spine of every boy and every girl in theclass as she walked across the room; but for entirely different reasons. Shemaintained this grand entrance all year and always looked as though someonewas about to sweep into class and whisk her off to somewhere exotic, likeScarborough. She probably knew Dinky's brother too.
I like it, I like it I like the way you run your fingers through my hair 
Dinky was right about Caroline and Sara, even though they were both blonds.Caroline had long, sleek, finely brushed hair which she was always running herfingers through, and she tossed it back just like Christine Keeler. She seemedincredibly sophisticated and I saw the likeness straight away. I took a real shine toher. I knew I would because I'd had crushes on Carolines before. The girls on thecorridor seemed to hang on to her every word, and the corridor was crammed fullwith loads of girls, it was overwhelming, I could see why I'd never come herebefore. I told Dinky that I had seen Caroline previously but thought she was ateacher, she seemed so very grown up and was obviously bossy. I could imaginelooking up at her on the screen at the Odeon though.Stop looking at Caroline Fred, she'll notice us! That’s why we are here, I whispered backBut we cant get noticed, they'll scratch us.Oh OK! Where's Sara then? We'd better go and look at her too.Can’t see her, oh hang on she's down there back the way we came. Looklike you've just remembered something you've forgotten and turn round!Executing Dinky's command as instructed, good patrol leader Dinky, I turned myback on Caroline and headed back with him. I hadnt been surrounded by so manygirls since my Mum had taken me to a Ladies toilet in an emergency in Doncasterseveral years earlier. I was starting to get flustered in this slightly suffocating no-mans land.Look there, she's the tall blond with the short hair, opening her locker
.
Sara was willowy and athletic looking with naturally rosy cheeks. She wasnt asstunningly good looking as her film star elder sister but she was just asnoticeable.We had to push up against the outside corridor wall in order to ease past herlocker and her things. She was talking with a friend. They both had tennisracquets.Oh yah, that's great! Yeah I really like I like it too
 And I like the way you tickle my chin And I like the way you let me come inWhen your mamma ain't there
 
She sang the lines with her friend and they squealed together softly
.
Oh it's a really good party record isnt it. We'll have to buy it this weekend,how does the next bit go?
Do that againYou're driving me insaneKiss me once moreThat's another thing I like you for 
 That’s another thing I like parties for! They giggled at the thought, then Sara noticed us squeezing bySorry, didnt mean to spoil your song. I like it too...She cast a somewhat reserved glance at me. I smiled weakly as we tried to scrapeby without a scratch. She liked Gerry and the Pacemakers then. She must like PopMusic. She was Mandy Rice-Davies' perfect twin. I knew who I preferred, or asthey say at Grammar School, whom I preferred.
I like it, I like it I like the funny feeling being here with you
Gerry was right, I liked the funny feeling on the girls corridor.Come on Fred, whispered Dinky! Lets get out of here. You've looked enough. You've got to make up your mind.I have done, I whispered Yes I know, said Dinky, Sara Yes Sara, obviously, I agreed
 And I like it more with every day  And I like it always hearing you say You're likin' it tooYou're likin' it too
Sara liked it too, that was obvious.
I'm askin' youWhat do you wanna do?
Michael, I asked, who do you like best?Christine Keeler. And before you ask Caroline.How did you know I was going to ask that?People talk of nothing else, it’s easier to have an answer ready. What aboutyou? What do you tell them?I dont know. I like looking at Christine Keeler and Caroline as they look likefilm stars, but Mandy looks more fun and Sara likes Pop Music.Pop Music you two. Do you take all your decisions based on Pop Music?Of course!
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