Drew Goes South Chapter 21 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

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(title picture Andrea Piacquadio)

Drew managed to drag himself away from the mirror, at times he looked more like Maddy, than ... Maddy, and as she always looked like Maddy, probably because she was Maddy, it took some doing. Well, he understood what was going around in his head, not. He felt very confused about himself, or who he was, or had been or would be. Damn! Things were complicated.

He stopped and talked to the Maddy he could see in the mirror, who just happened to be wearing the same clothes as he was, and whose mouth moved when his did, some coincidence.

“Look here, Mad, “ he began, “I'm a boy, not a girl. So I'm not kissing anyone except you, or other girls. There, I've said it, like.” Having rehearsed it he felt more confident in saying it to the real thing, his cousin. He felt nervous, but why? He didn't know. He did know she would have some smart-ass reply which would put him on his back foot again, after which, she would run further rings about him.

He caught up with her in the hallway. “Look Mad ….” The doorbell rang and she turned to answer it. They both knew who it would be. They were both correct.

“Hello Harry,” said Maddy, pecking him on the cheek, Drew felt his stomach winding up like a clockwork spring, which then unwound more rapidly, flipping over as it went. He would have been pleased to assure you this was not a girl's anticipation of a kiss from her loved one, but dread of a boy about to be kissed by another boy.

“Hello, Gaby, “ said Harry, producing a bunch of flowers and shoving them in Drew's hands.

“Thank you, Harry,” replied a shy Drew, looking at the floor and blushing brighter than a fire engine.

“Well aren't you going to give him a proper thank you?” quipped Maddy, smirking. Thoughts of murder briefly ran through Drew's mind.

Drew, holding the flowers as a barrier between them, sort of stood on his toes and leaning over the flowers, pecked Harry on the cheek. “Thank you, Harry.”

At this point Maddy approached and snatched the flowers from his hands, “Here, give me those. I'll go and put them in water while you give him a proper kiss.” She walked out to the kitchen with difficulty, as her body convulsed with silent laughter. She loved Drew, but sometimes the sitting duck was irresistible.

She placed the flowers in a bucket with some water, “Gabs, I've just put them in a bucket of water. I know how much you enjoy arranging them.”

Drew's mouth gaped as she said this. “I do?” Then as his brain caught up with his mouth he said, “ I do. Thanks, Mad, I'll look forward to that when we get home.”

“Did she give you a proper kiss this time?” asked Maddy of Harry. He shook his head. “Gaby Bond, you cheapskate. Give him a proper kiss, this minute.” When Drew closed his eyes as if about to perform some unpleasant task, Maddy continued, “Kiss him like you've been practising on ‘Bunny'.”

Murder was not going to be enough, he was going to kill her, then resuscitate her and do it again. After all, he could only be convicted of the one offence.

He puckered his lips and suddenly felt strong arms grab him and lips pressed against his own. He was momentarily paralysed with shock, by which time Carol had entered and Harry released him.

“Sorry to interrupt kids. Gaby, go and straighten your lip gloss. Maddy stop sniggering. Have you got your bags, girls? Come on, let's get a move on.”

They eventually set off down the road, with Harry protectively holding a subdued Drew, around the waist. Maddy walked behind with her mother, trying not to giggle. Carol engaged her in superficial conversation, but both were watching the pair in front.

Carol had interrupted Gaby and Harry tongue wrestling, both seemed to be enjoying it. Was Drew gay? Or was he simply so rapt in his Gaby role, that he couldn't help himself? Either way, it was a little worrying. She looked at Maddy, well aware that her daughter was quite capable of setting Drew up. She loved Maddy with all her heart, but she was under no illusions about teenage girls. Although it was few years ago, she could still remember how she and her friends had roamed in packs picking on defenceless boys and humiliating them.

Like Maddy, some of her friends were beautiful, but that beauty disguised the ruthless efficiency of an assassin. At the same time, the thought struck her,'that Gaby and Harry, looked like a well-matched young couple, given they were only thirteen and fourteen, respectively.'

Was she going crazy? The young couple were two boys, but without a full body examination, no one would ever know it. She looked hard at Maddy, just to make sure it was Gaby who was in front and Maddy at her side.

A moment of panic crossed her mind, could she actually tell who was who? They looked so similar at times. To make sure, she stopped Maddy and pretended to take a thread off her skirt. She felt relieved. Drew had a small scar on his knees where he fell off his bike, it wasn't there. Maddy was definitely Maddy.

Sadly, this simply confirmed her concerns about Drew, as part of the courting couple ahead of them. He was acting so like a girl, giggling at whatever Harry was saying as they walked in unison. It was frightening. She would have to talk to Jenny when they had a chance to get together.

As Harry led the way into the Bugler's driveway, the smell of a barbecue assailed their nostrils. “Hi Maddy, Gaby, Harry, Mrs Peters,” called William as they approached the door, “Come on round to the back garden, Dad's doing some cremating.”

“You cheeky young whippersnapper,” accused his father, “Hello, Carol, girls, Harry. Glad you could come or I'm going to be eating this stuff for the rest of the summer.”

“Hello Carol,” said Joyce Bugler as the two women touched cheeks and air-kissed. Drew was fascinated, he watched Maddy do the same, then it was his turn. Like a zombie in a deep trance, he touched his cheek against Joyce's, gently embracing her and made a kissing noise. It was so civilised compared to Harry trying to suck his tonsils out.

Perhaps it wasn't as civilised as two men shaking hands, or better still as they did these days, just raise a hand or even a nod as each said, ' ‘right mate?' Now that was civilised and hygienic. When he'd been sent to tidy up his makeup he cleaned his teeth and scrubbed his lips, just in case. Well, who knows where Harry had had his mouth. He could have been doing CPR on a sheep for all he knew. These country types were capable of anything. Then he realised he lived in a village about the same size as this one, oops.

“Gaby,” he was jolted back from his reverie, “do you want a burger or a hot dog?” Harry was holding out both to him.

“I don't mind, which do you want?” he replied.

“I don't mind either, you have which you want.”

'This could go on all night,' thought Drew, “Okay, I'll have the burger.” He rationalised it was thinner than the sausage and more likely cooked thoroughly. He didn't want food poisoning, and especially before this race on Sunday. He needed to be at full strength for it.

He munched on the burger in a sesame seed topped roll. To his pleasant surprise, it was actually quite tasty, better than the ones they'd had at a school barbeque, they were dire.

“These are very nice Mr Bugler,” he said to William's dad.

“Don't look so surprised young woman, they are Marks & Spencers'. We don't have rubbish at our barbies.”

“Oh right, that explains it then,” replied Drew, deciding he'd definitely be having a second.

“Hello Margaret, Simon.” Called Geoff Bugler to two new arrivals, “Harry's over here with the love of his life.” Drew momentarily shuddered as he heard this.

“Look out, it's my mum and dad,” Harry whispered to Drew. Then pulling him towards his parents he said, “Mum, Dad, this is Gaby. Isn't she a cracker?”

“Pleased to meet you,” they both said and shook hands.

Simon Palmer, went off to talk with Geoff, and get them drinks, while Margaret stayed to talk with Drew. “So at last I get to meet the wonder girl,” said Margaret, making Drew want to run away.

“I've heard so much about you. Something of a champion on a bicycle?”

Drew was trying to clear his throat of the piece of burger bun which had lodged there. Seeing the problem, William appeared with a drink, which Drew gratefully accepted.

“Oh Mum, you're embarrassing her. Come and see her on Sunday, then you'll understand what I've been saying. She is absolutely brill in a bike.”

“Is there a race or something on Sunday?” asked his mother innocently.

“Get with it Mum, I've been telling you about it for days. This is the one they tried to kill at Radipole.”

“Oh, so you're the one who's been leading my son astray, “ she said winking at William.

“I … no,” spluttered, Drew.

“Only joking, my dear,” laughed Margaret, and Drew decided she'd be number two on his list after Maddy. He would need to dig two holes.

Harry took his mother to one side, “Mum, I'm serious. The Meadows tried to kill us; well, Gaby, along Radipole Park Drive. They drove us off the road, which was why I got soaking wet that day.”

“Seriously? I thought you were just larking about dear,” said Margaret, her expression changing.

“M…u…u…m!” exclaimed an exasperated Harry, “Do I normally come home with tales of people trying to kill me?”

“No dear, come to think of it you don't.”

Harry stood shaking his head at her. Obviously, this news didn't fit her plan of the universe, it would take some assimilation.

“Gaby, tell her it's true, that Meadows tried to kill you,” urged Harry.

“We think it was the Meadows who tried to run us off the bike path by the lake.”

“Did you complain to the police?” asked Margaret, still assimilating this alien concept. Fairies at the bottom of her garden were more likely in her world than ruffians and attempted murder.

“Yeah, for all it was worth, but PC Martin did tell us he accused them of it, so they withdrew the charges for my paint job,” said Drew blithely.

“Paint job? Did you do a painting then, young lady?”

“Sort of,” Gaby blushed, realising it wasn't the wisest disclosure of the week.

“You must show it to me. I used to teach art at the local college,” said Margaret beaming at them.

Realising his mother would not approve of graffiti, especially the malicious type, Harry steered the conversation towards calmer waters. “Dad said, I could have a new bike for Christmas. I want a road racer and I'm going to join a club.”

“Good idea,” agreed Drew, feeling the relief as Margaret's expression turned to one of polite disinterest.

“Lovely dear,” she said, then looking for rescue she spotted Joyce, and called to her, “Joyce, my dear, your garden is looking simply splendid,” she then moved towards her next quarry.

As soon as she was beyond earshot, Maddy asked, “Harry, is your mother for, like, real?”

“'Fraid so, don't you know, old bean?” he said lightly mocking her. She can't help it, she went to Sherborne Girl's School, and Cheltenham Ladies College.”

“Is that, like a posh school?” asked Drew, almost feeling sorry for his would-be suitor.

“Isn't it just. Only Roedean is probably dearer as girl's public schools go,” replied Harry.

“Why do they call ‘em public schools?” asked a bemused Drew, “Most of the public couldn't afford to go to ‘em if they wanted to.”

“It goes back hundreds of years,” said William, “we did it in history. It's something to do with some of the earliest schools either being run by the church and later by the professional guilds. So only the children of influential people got to go to school. The rest were made to work up chimneys or down mines, or on the land. Most people were illiterate, in those days. The public schools were open to the public if they could pay the fees, so you didn't have to be in one of the guilds or be in the church.”

“Wow,” said Drew, “Just think, if we'd been born a couple of hundred years ago, we wouldn't have to go to school.”

“No, they'd have stuck you up someone's chimney,” laughed Maddy. “Just pray you didn't meet Father Christmas coming down.”

“It would've saved him time delivering his prezzies,” quipped Drew.

“Apparently, lots of kids died from the toxic chemicals in the soot, plus they would fall. Nasty employers would light fires underneath to hurry them up.”

“I don't think anyone could get up our chimney,” said Maddy, it used to puzzle me how Father Christmas used to get down it…”

“Especially when you had a gas fire fitted,” interrupted Drew, noisily.

“It was Lord Shaftesbury who stopped it all,” contributed Harry.

“What, like Shaftesbury, up the road?” Asked Drew.

“Yeah, the Ashley-Coopers, are the Earls of Shaftesbury, and the first one helped to stop the exploitation of children.”

“Gosh,” said an impressed Drew, “You seem to have lots of important historical people round here.”

“Yeah, we do. Shaftesbury was an abolitionist too,” said William.

“What do you mean, getting rid of unborn babies?” asked Drew.

“No that's abortion, abolitionists supported the abolition of slavery.”

“Did they have slaves here too then?” asked an astonished Drew, “I mean years ago, like.”

“Course they did, Weymouth and Bristol did a lot of trade in African slaves, but in those days, Bristol was the second largest city in England.”

“What, bigger than Manchester or Sheffield?” queried Drew.

“Yes, it was known as England's, Second City.”

“Cor,” said Drew, “and you didn't go to public school, either.”

“No, but years ago, Hardye's School was a fee-paying one.”

“What, like you had to pay to go there?” said Drew.

“Yeah. It used to have boarders too.”

“What like fences and things?”

“No, silly, like board and lodgings.”

“I never understood the board bit,” confessed Drew, he was on a steep learning curve.

“It meant table, as in food. You know like when you go on holiday, you get full or half board,” explained William to his group of ‘students'.

“We usually go camping,” replied Drew, “an' the board then is one of the beds in our camper. It's like sleeping on a concrete floor,” he winced as he said it.

“I hope the beds in the cottage are better than that,” chipped in Harry, feeling that William had dominated the conversation long enough.

“They're fine,” added Maddy, feeling similarly excluded, and plotting how she could wind Drew up some more. “In fact, Gaby's and mine are big enough for two.” She watched the boys' eyes light up, and Drew took a deep breath of discomfort, “Isn't that right Gabs? You could sleep Harry in it as well as you?”

Drew shifted both his feet and his gaze uncomfortably, he was going to need some nice soft ground to dig those holes. “Like Aunty Carol would allow it,” he replied indignantly.

“I'm sure she'd consider it if you were to ask her nicely,” said Maddy sweetly.

“Yeah well, I'm not, she'd like, kill me," snapped back Drew.

“Who would kill you?” asked Carol, looking bemused.

“Oh, hi Aunty Carol,” said Drew feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Who would kill you ?” Carol repeated.

“Oh nobody, Aunt Carol, it's some girl in school, in the cheer team. It's nothing.” Drew blushed, and looking around guiltily saw Maddy blushing and smirking as she fidgeted uncomfortably.

“I hope you girls are behaving yourselves,” said Carol, firmly.

“Yes, Mum,” said Maddy quietly.

“Carol, come and try this peach and apple wine,” called Joyce, “Margaret are you coming too?” With that, the three women disappeared into the house.

“Phew,” sighed Maddy, “that was close.”

They all laughed embarrassedly. “Want another burger, Gaby?” said Harry, breaking the mood.

“Um, yeah okay,” replied Drew, “can I 'ave some mustard this time?”

Harry went off towards where the two men were talking and cooking at the barbecue, followed by William who was waiting on Maddy, she looked at Drew, and mimed, “Sorry.”

“I should think so, too,” he hissed back. Then after they exchanged a further furtive glance, they both began to giggle and were practically helpless when the boys returned with their snacks.

The evening continued in this vein, and a rather tiddly Carol, escorted by Drew, Maddy and Harry eventually walked back to their cottage.

“Itsh been a wuvverly evening, hashn't it girlsh?” slurred Carol, chuckling to herself.

“Mother, you are drunk,” exclaimed Maddy in mock disgust. Drew and Harry had to look away or would have collapsed with laughter.

“Madel … Mad … oh never mind, maybe I am jusht a bit. Oops, ha ha ha,” responded Carol as best she could, stumbling over the threshold. Harry waited while Maddy and Drew dragged and pulled Carol up the stairs and dumped her into her room. Then Drew made a tactical withdrawal while Maddy undressed her mother and tucked her into bed.

When she had finished, Drew and Harry were standing at the door talking. “Hi, guys,” she said as she approached them. “Well, I hate to break up a beautiful relationship, but I think it's bedtime unless you do want to find out if Gaby's bed is big enough…?”

“I think I'd better go, perhaps another night,” before Drew knew what was happening, Harry had grabbed him and kissed him quickly on the mouth. Once again, he was paralysed with shock and the feelings of disgust, helplessness and something else he couldn't identify, but it was a strange feeling somewhere in his tummy. The strange thing was, it wasn't entirely unpleasant. He felt even more confused.

He waved as Harry walked down the path.

“Well, girl, you nearly pulled there,” quipped Maddy, chuckling wickedly but staying just out of range of a quick slap.

“If you set me up again Maddy Peters, so help me, I'll….” he said as he chased her up the stairs until she shut herself in the bathroom.

He strolled into his own bedroom, and looking at himself in the mirror, he posed with his hands on his hips making what he considered ‘smouldering' or sexy expressions to the mirror. He stopped as if thunderstruck, when he heard Maddy giggle,

“Practicing strutting your stuff; eh girl?”

He stood feeling ashamed and very silly, as the mocking laughter tailed off from the direction of Maddy's room.