’ His face changed. ‘Good,’ he said, lifting a hand to her chin. ‘And you had better be ready to humour me, Ming. I think that would be a good...idea!’ With that he planted a soft kiss on her cheek and nodded at her. As he walked away, they both knew what he meant. She turned and retraced her steps back inside. Parker had a sneer on his face as she approached him. ‘Fucking hell, Parker, this has to stop!’ she insisted, her fingernails digging into his arm. ‘What does?’ he asked, as if nothing had. That’s when it happened.“Val, are you still a virgin?” She asked.I just had to avoid the topic for another minute or so until the lunch bell rang.“I…uh…um…” I stuttered. Man I was sweating bullets and nervous as hell.“It’s ok if you are, I’m just curious.” Then the bell rang.Phew dodged that bullet. I started to get up and walk to the lunch room when she tugged at my shirt urging me to stay seated. After everyone had left the room, teacher included, she asked me again“So are you a virgin?”I. ” How the hell did she know about that – how did anyone come to that. Unless ... Joanna. Hmm... “But do you want me? What is it, put off by the black skin? Doesn’t Massa wanna shag the li’l black girl?”There was more in this vein, gradually pissing me off more and more. I don’t have a colour prejudiced bone in my body, and I mean, if she was that keen all she had to do was ask, that’s all Nettie had done.I grabbed hold of her and stood her up, pushing her along the corridor.“Do you know what is. With Diane dragging Jerry and I at the front, Ted and Rex took up the rear with Sofia and Ben in tow. The front of the stage was elbow to elbow by the time we were all present and accounted for. Truth be told, the band was nothing to write home about. They looked like a bunch of middle-aged, middle class dads and uncles playing the tunes they’d been grinding out in someone’s garage. But it didn’t matter, this was undoubtedly the largest gig they’d ever had, and they played a rousing set of.