Read The Bellwether Revivals for Free Online Page B

her waist—she didn’t tell him to stop. The skin on her shoulders was moist with sweat, and he was almost out of breath. He wanted to kiss her, there at the base of her neck.
    After four or five tracks, Iris was finally tired. ‘Oh, I haven’t danced in ages,’ she said. ‘I need a clove like you wouldn’t believe. Wait there.’ She smiled and walked off, scouting for a cigarette. He watched her move into the hall, out of sight, and the breadth of the room began to widen. His chest heaved and settled, and he was suddenly remembering himself
—early shift tomorrow, can’t stay too late
. The night was beginning to creep over him like tidewater.
    ‘You guys seem to be getting along okay,’ came a deep voice from behind him. An American accent, or possibly Canadian; it was difficult to tell. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen Iggy dance with a guy before. Wish I knew your secret.’ A broad-bodied Chinese man was standing there, beer in hand, one thumb hooked in his belt-loop. ‘You want a drink?’
    ‘No thanks, I’m fine.’
    ‘Suit yourself.’ The man sniffed. His face was wide as a dinner plate. ‘I’m Yin,’ he said. ‘I take it you’re Oscar.’
    ‘Yeah. How did you know?’
    ‘I was just talking with Marcus and Eden.’
    ‘Oh.’
    ‘They say you work at some nursing home.’
    ‘Why does everyone keep mentioning that?’
    ‘Hey, I was just making conversation.’
    Oscar went to sit down on the chesterfield, feeling a sudden ache in his feet. Yin followed, taking a seat right up beside him. His aftershave was the same as Mr Antrim’s in Room 15, a foreign, citrus fragrance that smelled too sharp in the flatness of autumn. ‘Okay look,’ Yin said, ‘I admit we were talking about you, but not in a gossipy way. I guess we’re all so institutionalised that it’s kind of a thrill when we get to meet someone normal. If we could get by without leaving our colleges every day, we would.’
    ‘You’re not in your colleges now.’
    ‘Not technically.’
    ‘Not
actually
.’
    ‘No, man, believe me, it’s not as black and white as all that. It’s like—’ Yin cleared his throat gently. ‘It’s like Eden and Iggy—they’re allowed to live outside college grounds. They’re the only undergrads I know who
are
. Apparently, it distracts us all from studying if we live off campus, like we’d never read so much as a cereal box if we lived among the bright lights. But the only people Eden knows are college people anyway. So coming here isn’t really any different. This place is like Bellwether Hall or something.’
    ‘How come they get to live off campus and nobody else does?’
    Yin flexed his eyebrows at the thought. ‘Let’s just say their family has plenty of sway around here.’ He rubbed his fingers together. ‘Buildings have been paid for. Donations have been made. You know what I mean. My parents do fine by anyone’s standards, but I’m still sharing a bathroom over at St John’s. That’s how it goes.’ He let out a weary laugh, clutching his forehead as ifthe zing of his aftershave had given him a headache. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t usually talk this much. I guess I’m a little drunk.’
    Oscar shifted right. The closeness of Yin’s wide body had started to bother him. He searched the room for Iris but couldn’t find her. Eden was nowhere to be seen. The party was now just a gathering of backs turned towards him, strange faces making polite conversation. Marcus was talking to a brunette by the drinks table; a studious couple were standing timidly near the doorway, making eyes at each other. Nobody was dancing any more but the music was still fizzing in the speakers.
    Yin leaned forward, elbows on knees, and said: ‘I don’t even know most of the people here tonight. They must be Iggy’s classmates or something. We don’t throw parties that often—you can probably tell.’
    ‘Do you know where she went?’
    ‘She’ll be back, man. Relax. Have a beer with