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Chapter *16* Wednesday morning. What I night! I barely slept thinking about yesterday's
events.
"Morning Drew, where are you off to today"
"The guys are going to Sheffield"
"Aren't you?"
"Well I was but I don't want to as you're going away soon"
"That's really sweet Drew, but you go with your friends, we can go for a
ride and talk later when you get back yeah?"
"I guess"
"Look, you can out to see me in a few weeks and I'll be back every few weeks
anyway. So go on and enjoy your holiday"
Mum was quite persuasive when she wanted to be. I was quickly ushered out
and I was a bit breathless by the time I got to the bus stop.
"Hi Drew"
"Hi Maddy"
"How'd you get on last night?"
"Pretty good Ally, I came tenth"
"What's up?" Rhod had noticed my slight reticence.
"My mums got a contract to race professionally"
"Kewl Drew"
"Yeah, how cool is that, your mum a professional racer"
"I guess it is pretty cool but she'll be away in Germany most of the summer"
"That means you'll be going to see her then, wow that's so neat"
"I guess"
"Yeah well like you'll get to see some neat places huh? We only ever go to
Fuengerola!"
"Drew didn't you notice anything else?"
"No. Like what?"
"Eyes?"
"What about eyes?"
"Well you still had your eye make up on when you left"
"Noo! I thought I got some funny looks last night"
"Didn't you notice the mascara at least"
"Well I thought my face was very garmed up with sweat and dirt but I never
looked in the mirror. Your mother notice Mad?""
"Yeah she saw but I told her we used you to practice on during the day and
forgot, which we did in a way"
"Shit (I rarely swear), they all thought I was a girl at the race! I'll
never live it down"
"Well don't worry about that now, we've got a mall to maul!"
That bad pun at least broke my mood and we all started coming out with a
series of diabolical puns, far too bad to repeat.
It was nearly two months since we last all came to Meadowhall and under
somewhat different circumstances. At least this time I wasn't pretending to be a
girl, I could enjoy myself! The plan however was much the same, trawl the shops
for a while, get some lunch then see a film before Bernie's mum picked us all
up. She was going to Leeds and would collect us on the way back, so we had until
five o'clock.
This time at least Rhod and I got out of going into all the girl shops; we
managed to linger outside watching the traffic. Church Warsop, where we live, is
not exactly a throbbing metropolis but neither is it Hicksville, I mean we get
buses and allsorts! Come to the 'big' city and you see a different level of
living.
It being Easter break, the Mall was packed with kids just like us, what did
kids do before Mall's? I guess when we've been here before I've had other things
to think about but today I found myself checking out the mall bunnies. While we
waited for the girls, the two of us were discussing what the crowd was wearing
in a way we certainly would not have a few weeks ago!
Some of the girls must have spent ages getting dressed and stuff, just to
walk around the shops. I mean it's not like there were many lads around. It
wasn't all hanging round for Maddy and co. We did get to spend time in the games
and music stores and just like our last visit we ate in the 'Oasis' before going
for a film. Unlike last time Rhod and I could enjoy the film! What film? We got
a showing of Starwars number 1, which everyone enjoyed even though we had seen
it before, the big screen makes a big difference.
We had some time to kill after the film before the Bernie-mobile arrived so
the girls dragged us round more shops including Disney and Warner Bros., again!
We met up with Bernie's mum and we got a surprise treat on the way home, we got
fed at the Little Chuff! If you've never had the pleasure (?) of eating in one
of these places, the one thing you can say is that you get fed well even if you
do wait forever! Dad never tires of telling everyone about going in a Chuff with
mum for a coffee. I mean like two cups of coffee, go in, order, get coffee,
drink coffee, pay leave, 20 minutes max. Oh no in a Chuff you are looking at
twice that and Dad reckons it took a full hour as they had two cups each! He
might be exaggerating but we were there for an hour and a half tonight!
Thus I didn't get that ride with mum today, maybe tomorrow.
"Up young man!"
"Whaa?"
"Come on get up, it's dry and we're going for a ride"
"It's twerly"
"It's eight o'clock, now come on, breakfast is on the table"
"Okay mum"
In truth I wasn't reluctant, just tired. When I got home last night the
house was in uproar, mum was packing! It's the same every holiday, mum packing
is like preparing for D-day and then some. This time it was different, mum was
taking a lot of stuff; it was like she was leaving forever. Her wardrobe was
nearly empty and there seemed to be tons of bike stuff piled in the hall too.
"You okay with this Drew?" Mum came straight to the point as soon as we were
heading towards Thoresby.
"I guess so. But helping you pack last night, it seems sort of final, like
it won't be the same again"
"I know, it feels strange to me as well. Leaving you and Juliette is hard
and well you know what I'm like when dad's not around"
"Edgy?"
"That at least. But you know why I have to go?"
"I know you really want to race with the pro's"
"There's that but it's more than just that."
We crossed over the A1 road and toward Retford.
Mum continued, "before I had you kids, I used to race at the top level but
there was no way I could ride against the foreign teams, there was just no
support at home. Then you kids arrived and it was moot anyway."
"You still raced though!"
"I know, but with you two I couldn't afford the time or money to pursue
things. And before you blame yourself for my lack of career, don't! I wouldn't
change a thing, especially you kids."
"So now we're older and you can afford it you want to go for it"
"I guess so. I know it's a bit selfish but this sort of chance comes up
about never so I have to do it. So I know I at least tried, at my age (she's
thirty four in June) I won't get a second chance, forgive me?"
"I'll still miss you"
"Of course you will, but your dad will ring every night, so we can talk."
"It won't be the same"
"'Course not but chances are it will only be till the autumn and then it's
back to normal!"
We negotiated Retford and took the lanes towards Gainsborough.
"Now then young man, while we are on our own, watch that pothole, we need a
talk"
"What about?"
"About you"
"Like what?"
"Your Gran told me about your pierced ears"
"She said she wouldn't!"
"I asked her. Now don't get a strop on. I don't know why you had it done and
you know my thoughts on the subject. But what's done is done. All I'm going to
say is, in future talk to me before doing something like that"
I have to say it wasn't the conversation I expected.
"I'm sorry mum. It was sort of spur of the moment, I was with the girls
and.."
"I don't think I want to know all the details do I?"
I sighed as I wasn't going to have to come up with a lie.
"No mum"
We pulled up at Beckingham Café, the first time I had been on a weekday. At
weekends it's always crowded with cyclists and bikers but today it was truck and
van drivers so we got some strange looks in our cycling kit as we went up to the
counter.
"Usual Drew?"
"Yes please mum"
"Go get a seat and take my stuff"
Mum ordered and soon joined me with two-pint mugs of tea. We sat talking
about mum's new job while we waited for our food, she was infectiously
enthusiastic and it really did sound like a cycling fairy tale. We were
interrupted by the delivery of the food.
"Here we go girls, that should keep you going"
"Thanks Bill"
I was turning bright pink and spluttering while mum was starting to giggle.
"He, he, he..."
"I know, perhaps you're really Drewella"
Mum was struggling to control herself.
"But mum"
"I know Drew, don't worry about it and eat your food"
"Yes mum"
I was a bit miffed though. It wasn't like it was the first time it had
happened; the shoe shop was bad enough but here with mum and the other night at
the ten too. I really will have to get a hair cut!
After the café we crossed into Gainsborough and turned towards Lincoln. We
took it steady and mum kept up a one sided dialog about what she would be doing
this summer.
"Short way back?"
"I guess so"
So we turned onto the A57 to cross Dunham Bridge, then mum started pressing
the pace a bit. All the way through Tuxford she had me pushed close to my limits
before easing back to a steady 15mph as we dropped down to Ollerton. We were
back to talking, although I was hurting a bit from the effort and the last few
miles went swiftly by. We got home just after twelve; plenty of time to get to
Clive's to play some video games.
I felt better about mum going and as mum knew about my ears I didn't need to
fret over that either, perhaps I should get some earrings. What am I thinking!
Friday, the last day of the holiday really. We all, that's the girls, me,
Rhod, Clive and Paul with Jules and her mates, are going skating in Nottingham.
We caught the bus into Mansfield, then the connection on to Nottingham. As you
can imagine, ten of us made a bit of a din but we managed not to get thrown off
the bus!
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Gaby Book 1 - The Anime Days Chapter *16* Easter Break Part 4 by Maddy Bell Drew is just an ordinary thirteen year old. Well perhaps not that ordinary. The girls challenge him to wear an anime costume to the Easter dance, however they forgot to mention that he'd be going as a girl! Enter Gaby! First it was his friends, then it's his family — everyone seems to want Gaby around except Drew. And when perfect strangers think he's a girl, well the lad's got problems! Can he ‘kill' Gaby? Or will he get dragged ever deeper into girldom? |
Maddy Bell is selling her works in book form at Maddy Bell's Book Shop and has Gaby Character Dolls for sale.
Her Official Web Site is at MaddyBell.com Please Visit!
Chapter *16*
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