“Hey, Dad, how come we didn’t ride that Dam race this year?” I enquired after spotting a sign for the Möhne Dam.
“The Möhne Grand Prix? You lot were otherwise engaged in Switzerland I think.”
“I enjoyed that,” I noted.
“You didn’t get gored by Eber,” Ron mentioned.
I guess I’d sort of forgotten about that.
“Translation, Gab?” Mand asked.
“Soz, we did a race near here last year, Ron was attacked by a wild boar.”
“Wild boar?”
“I’ve got an interesting scar,” Ron supplied.
“It was my first win in Germany,” I added.
“But not the last,” Mand mused.
Well duh, course not; I just won today didn’t I?
It didn’t seem to take so long on the return trip and soon we were on familiar roads taking us into Mettmann.
“You guys having coffee?” Angela asked as we turned into the estate.
What a daft question, no way are we missing her torte!
“We can’t stop long, Ang, need to get this pair home at a reasonable time.” Dad stated.
“Only one slice of cake then,” I moped.
“I’ll have to mark the day in my diary,” Ron chortled.
Of course, without thinking about it, we were rattling on in German, Manda was looking a bit lost.
“Sorry, Mand, “ I started in English, “we keep using German.”
“We are in Germany,” she pointed out.
Dad stopped our steed by the Grönberg domicile and we all clambered out.
“I’ll get the coffee on,” Angela mentioned leaving the rest of us to collect Ron’s bike and kit.
It’s almost like it’s written in stone, the ‘girls’ head for Roni’s room whilst the adults talk downstairs.
“Sorry for the mess,” Ron offered to Mand.
I’ve been up here enough times to know she’s less tidy than me. I spotted the shorts she bought on that shopping trip before the summer.
“We should go shopping again sometime,” I suggested.
“Yeah, you in Amanda? We need to get you Landeskostum.”
“Shopping? Sure.”
“Have to be after Japan and we’ll go somewhere with real shops, not that Hilden place,” I pronounced.
“Not even for models?”
“That’s different.”
“Models?” Mand queried.
“Gabs collects these tiny model cars,” Ron advised her.
“They’re not that small,” I noted.
“Small enough,” Ron mentioned.
“Never took you for being into stuff like that, Gab.”
“I don’t just do bikes,” I pointed out.
“What’s Landy costume?” I thought she’d missed that.
“You know, the dirndl, blouse and stuff, like Gabs wore in Switzerland, you’ll need one for sure.”
“You could borrow one of mine but I’m not sure they’d fit,” I offered, just about keeping a straight face.
“You said they were expensive, Gab, I’m not sure I’ve got that much money,” Mand stated with a little worry in her voice.
“You can get some nice ones in C & A, bout a hundred I think.”
“That’s a couple of weeks allowance.”
“I guess I could lend you some.”
“Um.”
“Stop teasing her, Gab,” Ron couldn’t contain herself any longer, “we were just winding you Mand, it’s not common to wear that stuff in en are vey (NRW) – maybe more in the south.”
“Why you!” Mand batted at me.
“Soz, your face though.”
“You had me well going there.”
“We could do Köln, Ron, there’re some cool stores there.”
“I bow to your experience as a fashion guru, Gab.”
“Fashion guru?” Mand interjected.
“She not told you?”
“Ro-onn,” I whined.
“Girls!” Angela called up.
“Ooh, bun time!” I enthused.
“I think I need to go on a diet,” Mand allowed as we started out for Dernau.
“You only had one slice,” I noted.
“Unlike miss cake eater.”
I only had two bits; even Ron’s Dad had two slices.
“Can’t let it go to waste.”
“Hmmph!” Dad offered from the front.
“What?” I demanded.
“Nothing, kiddo.”
“Busy on here.”
“Think Fortuna were playing Leverkusen.” Dad supplied.
“Busy?” Mand queried looking out at the traffic.
“There’s not usually this much on here,” I told her.
“Not exactly the M25 is it?”
It was a little after nine when we arrived at Schloss Bond; it’s been a long day what with all the traveling.
“Your phone’s been going potty, Gab,” Goth Gurl noted when I reached the lounge.
“I thought I’d forgotten something.”
Right on cue it set off anew from where I left it this morning on the end table.
“Bond.”
“Where’ve you been? I’ve been ringing all afternoon,” Con got out all in one breath.
“Racing, I told you yesterday,” I stated as I moved through to the relative privacy of the kitchen.
“Until now? Why didn’t you answer the phone?”
“I left it at home, it was a right race, I won by yonks, so what’s up?”
“The Fischer’s are back.”
“Oh.”
Claudia. Nena.
“We’re going up after school, Herr Sebenschuh’s taking us in his bus.”
“What time till?”
“Dunno, as long as it is,” she supplied.
“I have to be at cheer practice for seven.”
“Just for once, Gab, lose the timetable,” Con huffed.
“I was only asking.”
“It’s always about you, me, me, me, tell you what, don’t bother, go to your stupid cheering!” and with that she slammed the phone down.
What’d I do?
“That sounded a bit heated?” Dad suggested.
“Connie, she was right off.”
“You weren’t down to work today or something?”
“Nothing like that, everyone’s going to the Fischer’s tomorrow to see Nena.”
“I sense a but coming up,” Dad opined.
“I just asked what time we’ll be done, you know, so I can sort out stuff for cheering,” I advised him, slumping into my usual seat. “Then she like flew off the handle, accused me of being selfish and slammed down the phone. I’m gonna ring her back.”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”
“Sounded like it to me.”
“She’s probably just upset,” Dad offered.
“Coulda fooled me!” I pretty much spat as I searched for my Handy again.
“Calm down kiddo, I’m sure you can sort it out in the morning.”
“Hmmph! I guess, where’s Mand’s?” I asked finally noticing that Dad and I were alone.
“She’s gone up with your sister.”
“Oh,” I deflated, my ire at least temporarily eased.
“Might be an idea for you to get an early night, it’s been a long day.” he suggested.
I couldn’t argue with that and I must admit to feeling less than awake.
“’Kay,” I agreed with a sigh, perhaps it’s best not to ring Con and start a slanging match, Dad’s probably right, she’ll be upset.
“Off with you then, I’ll be up myself in a few minutes.”
Of course, he’s been on the go all day too, he’s probably as knackered as me.
Jules door was shut, mumbled voices suggested they’d be talking for a while, I decided to just go on up to my nest in the rafters. Of course, once in bed with the light out I couldn’t get to sleep, the conversation with Connie playing on my mind. Do I really go on about me all the time? Don’t be daft, girl; she’s just wound up.
I tried thinking of positive things, today’s race, yeah, that was pretty cool. It was a bit rude of the organisers to put that climb in at the finish, but hah, I laugh at them and their petty plots! Mand did okay considering she was like thrown in at the deep end.
I’m sure I don’t go on about my racing all the time, do I?
Maddy Bell © 20.12.2014
Comments
Regarding Gaby books discussion
I am posting here as I don't know where else I would be able to get information.
As it seems that www.maddybell.com/ site is down (I keep getting unable to connect). I don't know what other place I can go to find discussions on Gaby Books.
Is there such a palace? A forum, a subredit, something like that where people discuss the books?
Yea there is this comment section, but obviously it's dead in that regard.
discussion
Hi
there used to be a forum but it was killed by trolls and other attempts to resurrect it have unfortunately failed. Not sure what the issue with the site is, was working Sunday okay and on that subject, I will hopefully start updates there again this autumn/winter, I've not had time and there have been uploading issues which I think are now sorted.
In the meantime you can either pm me directly here, comment on chapters as they are posted or go onto the revitalised BC chat.
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Is Drew self centered?
Con doesn't understand Drew's ethics when it comes to commitments. If she makes a promise she follows through with that promise.
Is Con angry at Drew because Drew has a commitment and needs to leave at a certain time, or because she's upset over Claudia's death and feels nothing else is important at the moment?
Is Drew self centered? The answer is in the way Drew gets conned, tricked, and generally givens in to the desires of others. And how Drew tries to stay in the background unless she's on two wheels. That doesn't sound like a self centered person.
Others have feelings too.