"You guys spoken to Anna this week?” Bridg asked.
"Not for weeks,” I admitted.
"Same,” Con agreed.
"She said she'd ring everyone when I saw her,” Bridget mentioned.
"Another girls night?” Nen queried.
"Not quite.”
"Well don't keep us in suspense,” I prompted.
"Okay, so how do you guys feel about tents?”
"Tents?” Nena confirmed, “like camping?”
"What else?”
"What do you mean, feel?” I asked.
"Well like staying in one.”
"In a tent?” Con mentioned with some incredulity.
Nena followed with “like actually camp?”
"Of course 'actually camp'.” Bridg stated with a roll of her seeing things.
"Why'd we want to do that?”
"Because Princess, we've been invited to go on summer camp with Anna and her college friends.”
"We have?” I enquired.
"No I just made it up,” B huffed, "Two weeks time, no parents, hot boys, swimming.”
"And just where is this nirvana?” Nena asked.
"Bad Durckheim.”
"Where?” Nen, Con and me chorused.
"Its in the Pfalz, I think she said we get a train from Mainz?”

She didn't sound a hundred percent sure of that but its pretty irrelevant anyhow.

"We can't take time off,” Con sighed, "This place.”

I let things run through my head, next week is Bavaria, then I don't have any major racing until we go to Spain. Maybe not the whole fortnight but a few days away, no bikes, no rents would be pretty cool, I might be able to swing the rents if we can cover the kiosk.

"We could ask,” I proposed.
"You want to spend time in a tent?” Nen quested.
I shrugged, "Not had a better offer.”
"I guess,” she admitted.
"What are you all plotting?” Max asked joining us around the kiosk window.
"Just talking about holidays,” Con advised my boy friend.
"So where are you off to?”
"Nowhere,” Nen sighed.
"The Pfalz,” Bridg put in.
"Nice, I think we're going to Rechsville again,” Max sighed.
"Ah, poor Maxxie,” I told him, “come here so I can kiss you better.”
"Get a room you two!” Con suggested as I moved in for a quick smooch.

 
"We wouldn't be on our own,” I told my mother over dinner, Dad and Mand being down with BC again.
"And what happens with the kiosk? You can't just abandon it, the Thesings and indeed your father have all invested a lot into it.”
"I know, I've sort of got that covered.”
“Hmm”
"So what do you think?”
"And this is on a proper campsite?”
"Yeah, 'course. Its got a restaurant and a lake and...”
”And you don't have to sell it to me.”
“really?”
"I'll speak to your father,” she advised.
"I am sixteen.”
"And don't we know it!”

Now we just need to sort the kiosk.

"Well?” I pressed Con as soon as she arrived at the kiosk Friday morning.
"Yes!” she beamed before we started a jiggly hug fest.
"There must be a but?” I asked once she'd calmed down.
"Well,” she started before hopping onto the side, "Only fora week, they'll fill in with the girls at the bakery.”
"Best get Max on board,” I mentioned.
"What about you?”
"I've got races the first weekend and last weekends but I can go anytime between.”
"I reckon we could go Monday to Monday then,” Con proposed.
"We'd miss the busy trains that way.”
"That's settled then, you sort out Max and I'll square it with Papa.”
"I'll let the others know.”

 
"So,” I mentioned twirling a few locks of hair, “how's the schnitzel?”
Max finished chewing what was in his maw before replying, "Pretty good, you make the Jagger sauce?”
"Might have,” I allowed. So okay, its reheated from a batch I made at home a few weeks ago.
“'s pretty good.”
"You're just saying that,” I teased.
"Straight up, its better than dad's.”
now I know he's fibbing, I've had Wilhelm's sauce and its superb, mine's adequate but not brilliant.
"So how do you fancy doing me, us a big favour?”
"It doesn't involve wearing hose does it? I mean it was bad enough for the wedding but it was damn cold at the market.”
"Now you know what we have to put up with.”
"But at least they look good on you,” he countered.

Actually Max, you looked pretty hot in that whole getup – especially those legs!

"No hose this time – well unless you really want to wear it.”
"Don't think so, so what's this favour?”

 
“He go for it?” Con asked after I finished buttering up the focus of my lust and he'd departed to tend Gloria's nag.
"Think so, it'll no doubt cost but it'll be worth it.”
"Neat, I rang dad, they're okay with Monday to Monday.”
"This is so cool!”
"Our own Demosthenes,” Con allowed.

 
We did a slow left wheel, my shoulder aching a bit from being held at er shoulder height for several minutes. Tonight we're all in full Garde uniform, peruke, the lot except the make up ready for Sunday's appearance at the Adenau family festival. I'm not in the cheer squad so as a couple of the others are in both Garde and cheer Han sort of twisted my arm into making up the numbers of toy soldiers.

"Aaand,” Han waited a moment, "Double spin to finish.”

We spun our wooden 'guns' and completed the routine.

"Urgh, tell me again why I'm doing this?”
"Because Pia, Kris and Lise are in your cheerleading squad,” Hannah advised passing me a towel.
"Oh yeah,” I allowed.
"You're looking happier today.”
“had a lot on my mind Monday.”
"I could tell.”
"But me and the girls are going camping in a couple of weeks.”
"Ah, the camping trip,” Hans expression changed to one of mellow remembrance.
"You've done it?”
"Several times, the sun, the boys, the beach. So where are you going?”
"Not quite sure,” I admitted, "Some place in the Pfälz, Bad something, where did you go?”
"The last time all the way up to the coast, but we were all at university then with cars and motorrad, we spent a whole month there.”
"We're only going for a week,” I sighed, a month, now that's quite a trip.
"Week, month, its all the same with less sunburn.”
"Don't, I burn quite easily.”
"Best stock up on sun cream,” Han chuckled, "A week in a bikini, you'll be like a traffic light otherwise!”

Maybe I should do some pre trip tanning?

"When can you ride again?” Lor asked as I slotted a couple of bidons into her holders.
"I've been using the turbo all week, back on the road Monday hopefully.”
"No rest eh?”
"Well it is the champs next weekend.”
"Mand said you're doing the German one.”
"Yeah, Dad thinks it'll be easier than the British.”
"Don't let Greta or Thalia hear you say that,” she replied with a chuckle.
"Seriously though, next year I qualify to ride for Germany internationally and I have a German licence already so it sort of makes sense.”
“Even though you're English?”
"So Dad says.”
"Gab, can you give these to Josh,” Dad called over.
"Duty calls, have a good ride.”
“Cheers Gab.”

Yeah, here I am, team goffer at the Frankfurt Junge Grand Prix, the last of the front season League events. Its a bummer not being able to ride today but I've got enough points in the pot that missing this still leaves me as series leader, I think Josh and Innerthausen are tied for second but like twenty points adrift of me. Unlike the Three Countries last week the League are quite happy for girls to go head to head with the lads.

 
"You alright spud?” Dad asked as we waited for the race to start.
"Prefer to be riding.”
"Think of it as a rest before the Nationals.”
"I guess.”
"Its only one race kiddo, you'll come out firing on all cylinders next week in Bavaria.”
"Are Tal and Gret riding?”
"Of course, we want to fill the podium, we only got the bottom step last year.”

Paaaarrrp!

We turned back to the course and cheered the race away for its first loop out towards Homberg.

"There you are,” Mum observed joining us.

If you remember from last time they have a women's event as well as the junior one here.

“Heya.”
"All ready love?” Dad queried.
"Yeah, bit nervous,” she waved her strapped wrist.
"Just be careful eh?” Dad posited.
"Go for it Mum,” I added.
"Guess I should go warm up.”

 
Maddy Bell © 16.07.17