Maximilian von flippin’ Strechau didn’t come to the kiosk, not at twelve, not at five past, not at one even so I reluctantly ate my pie on my own. Not that I was that bothered, why would I be? although a quick snog would be – well quite acceptable. I guess I'll live.

"So what’re you wearing Saturday?” Con enquired in a quiet spell – yeah it’s been another busy day.
"Saturday?”
“Kӧln, AniCon?” she hinted.
"Sugar, I forgot all about it,” I admitted.
"You need to get a grip, Gabs.”
"I have,” I pouted.
"Really? So you haven’t been mooning over a certain lad all day then?”
"I've not, Kris; I've not have I?”
"Er.”
"I arrest my case!” Con stated.
"Huh! So what’re you wearing?”
"Generic schoolgirl, I've got that short plaid skirt and the red jacket.”
"Thought we were doing Loli?”
"I look a right narna in cutesie stuff.”
I mentally went through her wardrobe, we’re BF’s after all, and put the outfit together, "Over knee socks,” I suggested.
"Nah, too warm, I've got some black knee highs.”
"That’ll work too.”
"You two are weird,” Kris opined.

 
"Gab, what are you up to?” Mand called up.
"Stuff.”
"We are supposed to be going training.”
"Yeah, yeah.”
A minute later she appeared in the doorway, "What on earth are you doing?”
"Looking for a costume for Saturday,” I advised inspecting the next thing on the pile of clothing.
"Can’t it wait?”
"I need to sort it.”
"What’s happening to you, Gab? First you start going gaga over a boy and now looking for a frock is more important than going training, that’s not the Gabrielle Bond I know.”
"Okay, okay, I'm coming,” I huffed.

 
"What do you reckon to this training camp thing?” Mand asked as we made our way along to Adenau – we’re doing the Ring loop this afternoon.
"Won’t really affect us will it?”
"Course it will, won’t be just the two of us training will it?”
"How do you work that?”
"Well we’ll be riding with Tali and that.”
"You might be, I've got a job if you remember.”
"I'm sure your dad’s thought of that.”
"Hmmph, might of,” I allowed.
"There’ll be more bods in the races too.”
“More competition too,” I observed, yeah I need to be racing against Cav every week like a hole in the head.
"Competition is good,” Mand stated.

Up to a point, I mused. Oh I'm sure I'll still be there for the girls’ prizes but repeats of Sunday’s podium are less likely, the BC lot won’t want to be racing for me, they’ll have their own targets. So a double edged sword for me.

"You losing interest?” Mand posed.
"In what?”
"Riding, you’ve been a bit distracted the last few weeks.”
"There’s been lots going on,” I supplied.
"You’ve never let it interfere before.”
"I've not missed any training.”
"But you’ve not been so enthusiastic, once upon a time you’d’ve been giving me a hard time all the way round.”
"You’ve got better.”
"Not that much, Gab.”

Have I really lost interest? Am I just freewheeling, using accumulated fitness and experience to get by? Maybe I do need to focus a bit more, I suppose I do have a fair bit on my plate what with one thing and another. Cheer, Garde, the kiosk oh and working at the Stube although that's only once a fortnight, racing’s still my main thing mind.

"Sign!”

I snapped my attention back to the now, Mand however was already lengths clear, with a sigh I just followed behind.

 
Well it ticked all the boxes, Loli, it fits, doesn’t need more than a quick iron and I've not worn it to a con here in Germany. It doesn’t stop it being saccharin sweet and something I'm not wearing on the train up to Kӧln. You might remember it, Mad made it for me to wear to that DonCon thing last summer, almost exactly a year ago in fact as it was just before the BC training camp in Manchester.

Of course I left it in Warsop but someone posted the whole kit and caboodle to Dernau while I was away. I never thought I'd wear it again – or the frilly bloomers and underskirt that go with it but never say never eh? Decision made I searched out suitable shoes – Mad hadn’t been that generous, before returning the pile of costumes to the back of my wardrobe.

Sorting the costume was just a temporary distraction, my thoughts quickly returned to a certain kissing partner and his absence from my presence today. Am I making too much of it, I've been quick in the past to mock others mooning over boys and here I am doing the self same thing. Maybe Max isn’t as enthused as me, after all I'm forever playing our ‘relationship’ down, denying in fact that there is one.

But here I am, bemoaning his absence on the strength of what? Three make out sessions last week. I turned the light off and lay back on the bed, the faint sounds of the TV the only thing breaking the silence. Should I ring Max? No get a grip, Gab, get a grip.

 
"So you sorted your costume,” Con asked as we unstacked the garden furniture.
"Yeah, a Loli outfit my cousin made me, Momo from some weird Manga , I won when I wore it before.”
"We aren’t competing Saturday are we?”
"Hadn’t thought about it, it’s not compulsory.”
"I guess not,” she allowed.
"So how are the figures this week?”
"Consistent last week, this week looks better so far.”
"Certainly seems busier,” I noted.

 
For Grockles, Wednesday is the pretty much the peak day, certainly for weekly visitors and so it proved today. The continuing good weather helps of course but it seems that we fulfil a need for the coach parties, an alternative to the more expensive restaurants nearby. Not sure if we’ve stolen customers or gained extra but whichever, it’s keeping us busy.

Last week at this time I was dressed to the nines at Sara’s wedding, a week later I'm back to short order cook, expertly frying Pommes and ladling Curry sauce over Bockwürst. Not much different eh?

“Frik with Pommes, Gab,” Con requested.

Yeah, not in the same room, let alone league.

 
"That smells good,” Dad suggested retrieving a beer from the crate by the back door.
"Thought I'd do Lasagne,” I replied stirring the stock into the pan of mince and ‘shrooms.
"I'd best clear the table then,” he opened his bottle of Krombacher and took a mouthful.
"It’ll be about half an hour,” I mentioned.
"Okay.”

He was replaced by de Vreen.

"Anything I can do?”
"Garlic bread,” I suggested, "There’s a couple of batons in the bread bin.”
“’Kay,” she allowed, "About yesterday, I didn’t mean to have a go at you.”
"Didn’t realise you had,” I fibbed.
"Look, Gab, it’s none of my business.”
Too right.
"But you’ve changed the last few weeks, this stuff with Max, well to be honest I'm a bit jealous.”
"Eh?”

I wasn’t expecting that.

"Well it all just happens for you, job – here run this for us, racing – just sit in we’ll do all the work, boyfriend – of course your highness. Er that supposed to be smoking?”
"Sugar,” a quick stir and a bit more stock rescued the situation.
"I don’t mean to be bitter or anything, it’s just, well this training camp is quite a big thing and like you were sort of putting it down.”
"I didn’t mean to.”
"Er where do you want this?”
“Just on the side there,” I waved my wooden spoon vaguely towards the worktop.
"Anyhow,” Mand pressed on, "I just wanted to clear the air and, well I won’t go on about Max any more. Friends?”
"Never weren’t,” I replied joining her in a hug, "Ooo.”
"Soz, your shoulder?”
"It’s still quite sore,” I admitted, "Best get this finished.”

 
In the end we had dinner on the back – well what could be finer than pasta served al fresco – Dad even broke out a bottle of the Sebenschuh’s finest. Jules made an appearance – she never seems to be at home much these days – not that I am either. Just sitting there on the patio, relaxing to the power of ten – and I don’t have to do the washing up!

 
"Still got the nose then,” Jules commented when I brought in the coffee stuff to add to the plates she was stacking in the dishwasher.
"Sorry?”
"Stud? Nose?”
"Oh,” I squinted down my nose, the tiny crystal sparkling back, "Er yeah.”
"Thought you’d’ve lost it by now.”
"Sort of forgot about it until you just said.”
"Yeah well I'm sorry, I should’ve asked before doing it.”
"Ancient history.”
"You ever tried a ring or something else in it?”
"Like I said, I forgot about it.”
"You should, it’d be so cute.”
"You do it then.”

I knew it was the wrong thing to say pretty much as soon as the words left my lips.

 
"It’s enormous.”
"No it’s not,” Jules insisted.
"Sure looks it to me.”

I looked along my nostril again, the ‘tiny’ gold hoop kept attracting my eye in a way the stud never has. Maybe it’s just that I'm more aware of it, I'm not convinced it’s really me mind. Mind you I thought the same about the stud when sister mine put it in.

 
Maddy Bell © 08.04.17