Chapter 4: Getting Confident

This chapter focuses on Victor’s reaction to his HIV results being negative and the impact it has on his behaviour both socially and academically.
It opens as Victor celebrates his twenty first birthday in Bradford before returning to London for his next term at University. Within his first week back he impesses many of his fellow students by getting a letter published in Creative Review magazine and is engaged in the latest “Diagram Design” module with much enthusiasm and scores another high mark.

The day finally arrives when he must ring the hospital for the results of the HIV test. He asks his closest friend, Dean to accompany him to the public phone box. With celebratory hugs after the good news they both decide to throw a second twenty first birthday party in London where Victor meets the caring Tanya from Essex, a friend and fellow fashion student of Katie’s. Victor and Tanya soon become a couple, as he finds the courage to finally become sexually active again.

Victor’s growing integration with the fashion students and the political significance it represents, is brought to his attention after a ‘spontanious’ befriendment by Nathan, who trades intimate details, like his Public School past, for access to this social group. The two students share a similar sense of humour and a friendship begins.

At college Victor is unhappy at the “substandards” he has identified in his course and tutors so begins to write letters to the Head of Graphic Design at his beloved Manchester Polytechnic about joining their second year.

After a week’s sabbatical in Barcelona with his fellow students, Victor turns to drugs, specifically Amphetemines and Ecstacy, for added social highs. On his return from Catalonia he seems to be able to manage his college work whilst clubbing, gigging and partying. He continues to club every week, ticking them off one by one, with fellow classmate and now close friend Carl. At a “Charlies Angels” fancy dress party he ‘accidently’ smokes Heroin, mistaking it for a joint handed to him by a complete stranger.

Peter Duffy, an old friend from school begins lodging at Victor’s bedsit, a favour which instantly becomes unbearable and lasts for over ten pressurised weeks. Over Easter, Dean invites Victor to Devon. Here Victor discovers surfing and the spiritual side of life but does not slow down. He visits Will, an old friend studying Furniture Design in Edinburgh for a hedonistic weekend, returning to London and still managing to finish the year top of the year. Nathan suggests to Victor they conspire with Carl to acquire Mauli, a rich Malasian student with an attractive, top of the range computer, to live in a four bedroom house in the second year. The plan works and a tenancy agreement is signed.
The year ends with the contents of Victor’s bedsit being emptied into a Land Rover owned by another fashion student Catherine, best friend of Tanya and now girlfriend of Nathan. The two, tightly knit couples visit the romantic Lake District and stay with Victor’s parents.