Straight to You Page 0,20

happened, is that a huge wave of energy has been issued from the sun and it was this wave spreading out across the solar system which caused the unusual atmospheric conditions which were so very evident earlier.'

As the presenter spoke, he moved his hand across the diagram from the sun and out towards cold Pluto to illustrate the direction which the energy waves had taken.

'It is logical to assume, therefore,' he continued, 'that it is some undefined activity within the sun itself which has caused these events to happen. It would seem that this activity would also be the cause of the extraordinarily high temperatures which we have all endured over the last three weeks.'

I looked across at Mark who stared unblinkingly into the television screen. His drunkenness seemed to have worn completely away and he watched the old man with a genuine interest.

'While we have seen events similar to this in the past,' the presenter explained, 'they have never been encountered with such force and magnitude before.'

'It's frightening, isn't, it?' I said to Mark and he turned to look at me. He shrugged his shoulders.

'I don't know,' he replied. 'I mean, he's just said that this has happened before. All right, it was nowhere near as intense then, but it stopped, didn't it? The world hasn't ended yet, has it?'

'I can't argue with that,' I said before returning my attention to the television screen. The old man still rambled on.

'Our understanding of the sun's internal mechanisms are still primitive and so we are unable to predict with any real accuracy what might happen in the immediate future. We hope, however, that as before, the activity will be short-lived and that normality will soon be restored.'

'I hope so too,' Mark said. 'I'll ask around at work tomorrow and see if anyone knows what's really going on. I get the feeling that this bloke's only being allowed to tell half the story.'

'Do you really think so?' I asked. He nodded.

'No question. He wouldn't be allowed to spread doom and gloom over the airwaves; he had to end on an optimistic note. You'd have everybody panicking, wouldn't you?'

I finished my coffee, stood up and stretched as the television programme ended.

'I'd better be off, I've got a lot to do tomorrow.'

A familiar, wicked smile spread quickly across Mark's face.

'I know you have!' he said, grinning. 'It's half past one you're meeting her, isn't it?'

'To tell you the truth, I can't bloody wait!' I nodded.

'I bet you can't, I hope everything goes all right. It's about time you got yourself sorted out.'

'Everything'll be fine,' I replied. 'Just as long as the world doesn't end before I get there.'

'That'd be just your luck,' Mark joked. 'You finally meet someone decent and you cop it before you can have any fun! Typical!'

We laughed together as we walked towards the front door. I did not dare say anything to my friend, but I had a nagging fear growing in the pit of my stomach which told me that all was not going to be well and it was becoming difficult to keep my feelings hidden. I was quietly sure, however, that I was not the only one who was worried.

'I expect a phone call tomorrow night,' Mark said. 'As soon as you get back, I want every single juicy detail of your lunch. Leave nothing to the imagination.'

'Mark,' I replied with a tone of false disapproval in my voice, 'you are a very sick young man.'

He pushed me out of the door.

'And you're a letch,' I added as I stumbled out into the street. 'I'll call you tomorrow!'

I unlocked the door and got inside the car. As I drove away, I waved to Mark, who stood in the light of his doorway, and I hoped that if I did call him he would be able to give me some reassuring news from his friends at work. It had to be good news, I thought, my life looked like it was finally about to sort itself out and I was determined not to let anything get in my way now.

I drove quickly home in silence and I was, all things considered, quite relaxed and happy. Although there had been nothing but gloom and bad news on the radio and television all night, I cared little. All I needed to do was picture Samantha's face in my mind and all of my fears and worries evaporated away into nothing. She filled me with a happiness that I had not