Wendi's Story
"Mum's at it again, asking me what time I'll be home."
"Why doesn't your dad stop it?"
"Toby, you know my mum was a pro."
"Yeah but then she settled down and had you. Well okay she didn't settle down, but surely your dad could stop it."
I sit in the grass making a daisy chain.
"I think they made some sort of pact. You've seen the car my dad drives, he can't afford one of those on the money he gets working at your dad's import company. So I reckon they made this pact, she carries on as a pro, as long as she stops before he gets home from work."
"You do okay out of it. Hey, does that make your dad her pimp?"
"Fucking hell Toby," I growl at him.
"I'm only trying to lighten things up. It must be pretty shit though. My dad fucks anything he can, so I know what you mean."
"Does that make me her pimp taking pocket money?" I ask.
He looks at me and his smile drops.
"Christ Wendi, are you getting bothered about it now?"
"I've always been bothered about it. You don't know what it's like when we sit at the dinner table, and they start talking about their day like we are a normal fucking family. Hell, you know about the headmaster and me too. All three of us sit there watching some crap on the telly like normal families do, pretending it is all cool. I guess we are as bad as each other."
"So what are you going to do?"
"I could tell my mum I know, and if any of her so called, insurance men, fancy a younger version of her without the saggy tits, I'll be waiting in the bedroom next door."
He stares at me in silence for a few moments.
"Look I reckon you should tell them you've had enough of it. They must know you know what's going on, don't they?"
"I'm going to leave home next year when I've finished my exams. I'll get a flat somewhere out of Tarton, away from it all."
"Yeah I can see that happening. Come on let's get back in school. That new fucking teacher is right prick. We did something to his door, you'll love this."
We watch Mr Fording put the key in the classroom door, which he locks lunchtimes. His face twist as the key won't turn. He pulls the key out and a string of chew gum is stuck to the end of the key. He curses under his breath as we giggle.
"Who did this!" he shouts.
"Did what Sir?" Toby asks all innocently.
Mr Fording holds up the key with white and pink gum stuck to the end.
We wait in the corridor, as the janitor has to take the door lock apart. Toby and a few others have been marched to the headmaster's office. The janitor turns round and looks at us shaking his head. Then I realise I've seen him coming from my house a few months ago. I can't get away from what my mother does, even when I'm in fucking school!
Sylvia's Story
I answer the door to Jason. He thrust out a bunch of flowers without saying anything. I ignore the slight tremor of the flowers, due to his shaking hand.
"Oh, these are for you," he says after a few moments.
I smile and think about teasing him, and then I do, "Oh Jason, I never knew you cared."
His face drops as my words circle round his head, "God no, I mean they are for you, for well letting me stay the night the other day."
"Oh that's a shame; I thought you were going to ask me out."
A word gets stuck in his throat. His mouth makes strange movements, but nothing comes out.
"Oh Jason sorry, I'm teasing you."
He smiles with relief and laughs a little nervously.
I give him a drink and he sits at the kitchen table, as I cut the ends of the stems and arrange them in a vase. I talk about getting some plants for the garden. He tells me, enthusiastically, which ones would look good, and in what part of the garden. After a few minutes I have to stop his babble.
"Jason, I just want plants that grow when I water them, and stop telling me the botanical names. I'd like a Rose plant and some Geraniums, and anything else you think would grow out there, I like Bamboo too."
"Bamboo will spread over the whole garden if you don't get a root barrier."
"Well forget the bamboo then."
"I could come with you to the garden centre if you like, after school?"
I'm standing next to my car outside the school gate, watching all the kids come out, and a rather fit looking teacher. I've come here straight from tennis with May. I'm all in white with a tight top, and a short white pleated skirt. My dark hair is up in a white ribbon and I guess I'm stirring a few pulses. I spot Jason in his school blazer. His head is down and he is reading from a text book.
"Hi Jason," I say.
He stops dead in his tracks, and looks up, and almost does a double take.
The girl behind him bumps into him, and Jason drops his books.
"You fucking dork," she mumbles, and others around her giggle.
"Sorry Vanessa," he replies.
"Hey, is that your mum?" a girl calls out.
"Hello Mrs Williams, I didn't realise your son had such a fit mum," a rather cute boy says.
The group giggle as Jason blushes.