The Way Things Happen{Highlight to read} Part 8
By Jennifer Christine

Continueing the Jenny Holland Story

The next few days felt like travelling through a tunnel, both more and less sensational. If one sense was flooded another was diminished. Not enough energy to go round.

I wasn’t really sure how someone like me could get PMS or any other menses related syndrome, but the fact of the matter was that I had fallen into the rhythm my friends had established long ago, like a duck to water.

When we started to pull out of it a few days later it felt like the sun coming out after a storm. The road steaming and everything bright and focussed.

The weekend had passed and I hadn’t even stirred from the house the whole time. Mum hadn’t worked out what was wrong until about 11.30 on Saturday when all I wanted for lunch was a cup of Cocoa. “Hello, what on Earth is wrong with you? Get out of bed on the wrong side?”

“Apparently I’m suffering from a link with Carol and Wendy’s biological rhythm” I offered unenthusiastically.

The look on mum’s face was a picture as it went from a questioning frown to one of immense mirth, until she cracked and guffawed. I looked at her stricken with self pity.

“You’re not nice to me,” My bottom lip went out like a baseball catcher’s mitt.

Mum stifled the grin and came over and hugged me better. “Well I never thought I’d see the day….” She kissed the top of my head. “There, there, pet.”

I retired hurt back to my room, mollified but otherwise unchanged.

“Well thank God that is over for another month,” Wendy slumped next to me as we cornered the last two seats on the bus.

“I suppose we need to resurrect ourselves from this moribund state.” Wendy was on a roll.

“You sound like Pit the Elder or Churchill or something.” I grinned at her pomposity and nudged her, “give over. We need to resurrect ourselves from School if you really want to devise something useful.”

“Well there is the visit to the Planetarium on Wednesday — nice train up to the ‘Pool, day out in the City.”

“Oh yes, I forgot about that, I’m really looking forward to it, I used to love looking up at the sky when I was delivering papers.” I looked at Wendy with a jaundiced eye.” In my previous life, you know. I reckon I saw a UFO one morning.” Suddenly I came awake with blood flowing to my senses, I’d not thought about that for ages.

“What sort of UFO?” Wendy looked at me like I was being daft.

“Well — one that turned a right angle without slowing down, really high up — a little red point of light is all it was but it was undeniably not following anything Newton had devised in the way of Scientific rules.” I added my interest suddenly rekindled. “I’m going to ask the guys at the planetarium when I get there.”

“You’re weird.” Wendy noticed for the first time.

“No, just curious.” I ventured.

Since our recovery, school seemed much nicer but boys hadn’t altered their appeal one bit for me but had for Carol and Wendy.

“It’s no good , I’m going to have to say it,” we were sat at lunch and I was feeling the need to tell my friends how I felt. “Truth time, I’m afraid.”

My four friends looked at me each with their own expression of quizzical and foreboding. “Wha?” I looked from one to the next. “What have I said now?”

“It’s sounds like you’re going to declare yourself a lesbian or something.” Joanne scowled at me.

“No, no — nothing like that. It’s just that I’ve made a decision to avoid the male of the species for a while, so if you want to re-sort yourselves into a different hunting pack situation, I’m ok with it.” I tried to make it sound light, but it came across as trite and lacking in grace.

“I’m sure you’ll change your mind soon, but I for one understand where you’re coming from and won’t press you to accompany us on our sallies into enemy territory.” Wendy picked up the direction and helped me with the consolidation of my intentions.

“I know you’re having growing pains at the moment and we’ve put a lot of pressure on you up to now. You’ve done really well and we’re proud of you. We also appreciate,” she added with a grin, “that you are no longer going to be competition so we can dismiss you out of hand.” She flicked her hair and showed me her snout in the air pose..

“That’s a neat way of putting it, thanks Wendy, you’re absolutely right. I think it is growing pains and I’ll be back in it with you soon as — but in the meantime I’m stepping back from the firing line. It’s too hard to come to grips with at the moment.” I grinned sheepishly at them and they each in turn hugged me as we got up and filed back in for the afternoon’s delights of Maths and Chemistry–

Seldom had I felt so wonderful—expectations of me were considerably lowered and I could concentrate on evaluating the dimensions of a molecule by measuring an oil slick on the surface of a beaker full of water… peer pressure really is a stress factor.

Having reaped the delights of Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic substances and made a little cutout of an oil slick I decided that Physics could be really boring if your mind isn’t focussed. I decided to put foolish things aside for the moment and concentrate on my school work. Taking a deep breath, I opened my text book and started reading the next chapter.

“Miss Holland?”

I looked up a little astonished when the teacher—Miss Price-gained my attention.

“What exactly are you reading?”

I held up the text book so she could see.

“Oh - I’ve seldom seen anyone so engrossed in that book before. I have to admit I thought your mind was in other places, I apologise for being suspicious.” There was that respect thing again. Apologising for being doubtful of my motives. In boys’ school the teacher would have snuck up behind me to try to catch me out.

After the class Miss Price stopped me and apologised again.

“Are you really interested in Physics?”

“Yes Miss.”

“Well we have an exhibition coming up soon for the open day, would you like to submit a demonstration of something?”

“What kind of thing?” I was intrigued but had no idea what she was thinking about.

“Well it’s up to you really, have a think about it and get back to me—I can pair you up with someone if you want to assist someone else. Rather than have your own exhibition.”

I gave her a huge smile and said, “I’d really like that Miss, I’ll have a think about it tonight and get back to you tomorrow if that’s okay?

“Certainly, well run along now, Chemistry awaits; young enquiring minds–”

I smiled at her and did just that — I was nearly late.

Wendy looked at me with one eyebrow raised, “what was all that about?”

“Miss Price wants me to do an exhibition for open day — that’s what you get for reading the text book in class… you get to be teacher’s pet.” I rolled my eyes and gave her a grin hoping she wouldn’t take it the wrong way.

“Ooh that’s great, what are you going to do?”

“I’ve no idea, but I reckon I’m going to need a hand — fancy giving me one?”

She smiled and shrugged, “depends what you want to do, I don’t want to spend every evening for the next month making up circuit boards or something.”

“Nah, it’ll mean we can stay in during lunch hour instead of having to get cold outside.”

“Oh, now you’re talking,” she gave me a thumbs up and we got down to measuring the amount of oxygen in a bell jar… no one said Chemistry had to be interesting as well — yawn.

On the way out of class Mr Richards the Chemistry master handed out copies of New Scientist, “this issue is free, the next one costs a shilling. Or you can get a year’s subscription for 10 shillings.” That was the first time in my life I’d been subjected to hard sell.

The point was I suppose that if you didn’t buy a copy, you were suspect as to your dedication to the subject. It felt a little like protection money!

“D’you reckon he’ll mark us down if we share a copy?”
“No, I don’t think so, he always has a few free copies anyway, he is just so gung-ho about Chemistry and Physics. I don’t think he even realises that he’s inferring anything.”

When I got home I was thumbing through the magazine and spotted an article on photoelectric cells. A seed germinated in my head and I smiled as I realised that I’d found my exhibition.

Wednesday was one of those days that you wish could have been last week sometime so you can forget it.
I looked out of my window at the blustery rain that slashed at the windows and stotted off the road. The trees weren’t going brown yet but the leaves were being whipped off and throw into the gutter to block the drains. The windows were almost rattling out of their frames.

“Can you give me a lift to school Daddy?” I asked plaintively. We’ve got a coach trip into Liverpool and the last thing I want is to be damp all day while I’m at the planetarium.” Dad smiled at me over his paper and nodded ok

“Put some dry socks into your satchel Jenny and take a small towel from the airing cupboard in case you get drenched.” Mum fussed about like a mother hen doing her thing.

“I was going to wear tights actually mum,” I wanted to seem a bit more grown up and they were allowed on excursions.

“Not very practical on a day like today pet, stick with the socks — there’s only going to be your classmates to see.” She admonished. I soon found out how wrong she could be.

“Right girls those two coaches are for us,” The whole of the year was gathered in the shelter milling about trying to avoid getting alternatively drenched and chilled by the swirling wind.
It was a major logistics exercise for the teachers to count heads as we rushed over to the coaches and climbed aboard. Trying to avoid the blast of rain as we traversed the gap meant we all arrived at the coach in a mob — anyway we were soon on board Wendy and Carol had managed to find a double seat together with one in front of them for me and Joanne. Helen was absent, she had a cold so we didn’t need to save an odd seat for her.

We quickly got warm so we shed our coats and chatted as the bus pulled out and headed for the city. Mr Richards stood and gained our attention.

“Right, ladies, sit down and keep quiet while I let you know the routine for today.

“When we get to the planetarium, we’ll check you off and you may go for a wander into the astronomy museum for a short while until 11am when you will all check with Miss Price and collect your place tickets — first in best dressed — the best seats are in the centre and they are very comfy and recline fully. Anyone caught napping will be on detention this weekend — it gives a bad impression of the school, so don’t do it.”

We grinned but said nothing.

“Please do not fraternise with the boys from the fifth form of King Edwards — they may be very nice, but it’s a school outing, not a social one. There’s going to be a lot of people about and we don’t want to lose even one of you”

Wendy looked at me as I slowly went white, a look of horror when I realised that my previous whole class–no, the whole YEAR–was going to be mixing with us all day. I started to tremble as I realised my goose was well and truly cooked. Joanne put her arm round me as I sank into the corner.

“It’s okay, no one will recognise you.” Carol placed her hand on my leg and gave it a squeeze, “you don’t look anything like you did last year.” She added quietly.

“Quiet please, I haven’t finished. Lunch will be provided in the cafeteria. There’s plenty of room and plenty of time so there’s no rush. Though you will need to be finished by 1pm and report back to Miss Price for the afternoon lecture on the ‘Race for the Moon’ which will be very interesting for those with a scientific bent.
In fact,” he smiled at his own joke, “it WILL be rocket science”

Everyone groaned except me — I was starting to hyperventilate a bit.

“Alright Jenny, snap out of it, you’re panicking and you don’t need to-no matter what happens, we’ll be there.” Wendy had grabbed my shoulders and was looking into my eyes with that concerned and slightly hard look that brooks no denial.

“Everything alright here?” Miss Price looked over the seat at me. I sort of gave her a pasty faced smile and said, “Travelsick a bit miss,” I ventured.

“Alright, sing out if we need to stop — there’s nothing worse than the smell of sick in a bus to start everyone off.” She added peremptorily, unable to give much in the way of succour. She gave me a vague sympathetic smile and moved down the bus.

“What can I do?” I was frowning so hard that my eyebrows were mating. “I’m bound to end up being chatted up and I’m really scared — I know everyone that’s going to be there - I’ve known them all for years. And what’s more they’ve all known me for years too.”

“Just stick by us, we’ll keep you out of their way.” Carol smiled at me and put her hand on my cheek, “OK?”

“I placed my hand on hers and said, Thanks, you’re really good friends.”

The bus ground into the forecourt of the Planetarium alongside several others.
The boys’ buses were already there and as we alighted to the blustery pavement, whistles and cheers set up from the boys who were queued up at the Museum door.

I looked over and there were at least 30 faces I recognised immediately. As I looked I realised that if I was to stay sane, I had to get over the trauma of seeing the people I had known as Jerry. I resolved suddenly that as far as I was concerned, I was just Jenny and any resemblance to the previous incarnation was just coincidence and I would pass it off as such.

I pulled my shoulders back and smiled. Wendy looked at me. “Are you okay? — you look like someone who just dropped a fiver and found a tenner.”

“Yes, Wendy, I am — really, really okay — I just found my feet I think. I’ve decided to stop worrying about the past and move on.”

“Well thank the Lord for that, I’m all in favour of a quiet life and less hiding as if I was an escaped convict.” She smiled at me and looped her arm into mine and began to walk — giving me no option but to comply and move with her.

We walked arm in arm into the museum section and began to wander along the aisle.

There were some pictures of Herchels telescope in Ireland and even a replica of the Telescopes used by Galileo with some explanations of how they differed from the modern ones — it was pretty plain to see as they looked more like small didgeridoos than telescopes. The pictures taken through the lens were abominable. Distorted and vignetted. — progress is a wonderful thing

As we turned at the end of the aisle, I looked up and coming down the next aisle were a couple of lads from my old school.
I could feel my face redden as they nudged each other and ogled the pair of us.

I stopped and pretended to look into a glass case with mirrors from the bottom of telescopes in it. They weren’t reflective as they were blanks — so I was able to avoid eye contact.

“So much for moving forward,” Wendy giggled at my obvious recalcitrance.

“You really don’t want to go out with either of them, I know them as inveterate wankers. I don’t think I could hold their hand, knowing what they’ve done with them.” I explained quietly as they passed behind us.

“Good morning, ladies,” one of them offered. I studiously ignored the greeting.

“Hi,” Wendy returned, but it was a closed caption and did more to put them off than ignoring them.

“I’m not sure I want to know about their habits thanks,” Wendy shuddered.

“I wish I didn’t either.”

Eventually we were ushered into the planetarium and found ourselves well down the front on the recliners — Wendy ending up next to one of the boys we hadn’t met, and me on the other side. He offered a smile and a “Hi” which Wendy returned.

I leaned forward a bit to see if I knew him and looked straight into his face as he did the same. “Hi to you too,” he said.

I flushed slightly almost in panic as I looked into his eyes, I did know him quite well — we’d spent more than five years in the same classrooms.

“Oh hello, are you from the grammar school?” I asked inanely — knowing full well that he was — he was wearing the uniform for pity’s sake!

“Yes, I’m Paul,” he offered his hand across Wendy’s prostrate body.

“Oh.. yes… Jenny.” I smiled and shook his warm dry hand — and my whole body flipped into three different dimensions. Whoaaaa! Not a reaction I expected.

I saw Wendy suddenly grin out of the corner of my eye. Paul had relaxed back into the reclined seat and was no longer facing me — thankfully.

I was almost hyperventilating. What on Earth was that reaction about?

“What are you grinning about?” I whispered a bit vexed with her.

“Well, I think you just moved forward.” She giggled and put her hand over her mouth to cover her amusement.

“You’ll keep,” I grumped at her as the lights dimmed.