“Hi Mrs Peters, its Drew”

“Hi Drew, did you have a good trip?”

“Yes thanks”

“Everyone I know watched the coverage, I didn’t realise it was such a big thing”

“It was pretty awesome”

“But you’re ringing about something else?”

“Well er, I was sort of hoping”

“Don’t worry Drew, the shop rang me about an hour ago to say that it had arrived, I was just going to fetch it when you rang. Do you want to come with me?” she offered

Well it would keep me out of trouble.

“Thanks”

“I’ll be round in ten minutes, see you then”

“Bye”

I put the phone down and realised that I would have to go as I was. I’d done it again!
 

Aunt Carol arrived and I grabbed the little handbag that now contained my wallet and when I locked the house, my keys. I checked up the street, at least no one would see me.

“Hi Gaby”

“Hi Mrs P” she gave me that look

“Sorry, Aunt carol” I corrected myself, “where are we going?”

“Sheffield, I need to get a bit of shopping too”

“Sure”

“So tell me all about it”

So I told her all about it. The flight out, the race, the reception and this mornings return occupied the drive across to Meadowhall.

“I thought the shop was in Sheffield?”

“It is but I thought we’d catch the tram, it’s cheaper than parking in the centre”
 

We were soon parked and we made our way to the bus cum train cum tram station. A City bound tram was waiting and we found a pair of seats. I like riding the tram, its acceleration is pretty cool and all the other traffic has to wait at junctions and stuff. All too soon we were getting off for the short walk to the costume shop.

“What can I do for you ladies”

“Hi, Mrs Peters, you called me earlier”

“The Jessop remover?”

“Yes”

“Won’t be a minute luv” the guy disappeared into the back and I drifted off to have a look around.

This place was something else! There were racks of fancy dress costumes, all your usual stuff in shiny and glittery materials. Further back were racks of proper theatre costumes, various period stuff dominated by several full-skirted Victorian style outfits. Wigs, makeup, it was all here in profusion. I heard Mrs P and the shopkeeper talking as I explored a display of brightly coloured wigs, hmm just right for cosplay!

“Gaby!”

“Coming!”

“There you are, we’re off now”

“Bye ladies”

“Thanks Mr Price”
 

We left the shop, but I was sure I would be back. Instead of going back up the hill we walked a couple of doors down where we entered every sweet lovers paradise, Granelli’s. My eyes boggled at the variety of loose sweets on offer, not sold by silly little 100gram bags but by the kilo!

Mrs P placed her order, several litres of ice cream, must be the same Granelli’s that have the ice cream vans. I bought some sweets for the guys and then laden with confectionery we returned to the tram stop. We returned to the car to put the ice cream in the icebox before heading into Meadowhall.

“I don’t suppose you’ve eaten since breakfast?”

My stomach rumbled in reply

“Thought not, come on let’s eat before we do the shops”

I have to admit this weekend had made me a lot less conscious of how I was dressed and appeared. No one gave me a second glance, other than a few boys who were eyeing me up! Yeagh! What a thought. Unlike our usual trips to the Mall where the fast food joints provided our sustenance, today Aunt C led the way to one of the more upmarket establishments.
 

“I have to say Drew, if I didn’t know I would never guess you weren’t a girl” Aunt Carol whispered across the table.

I blushed at the offhand compliment. I don’t want to look and act like a girl! Once I get home and get these boobs off, I am never, ever doing it again!

I had cannelloni with salad and we both had ‘death by chocolate’ for desert. Afterwards I trailed around behind my ‘aunt’ as she bought some bed linen and a new frying pan. I was taken by surprise when I realised that I was stood in the middle of that male taboo store, the lingerie shop. Mrs P asked me for my opinion on various articles of feminine underwear much to my embarrassment.

Thankfully we left soon after to return to Warsop.

“Won’t be a minute, I just need to get a paper” Mrs P informed me as we pulled up at the paper shop.

“I’ll wait here”

I checked the car clock, three thirty, school would be chucking out in ten minutes.

“Looks like your Mum’s famous” she gave me the copy of Chad.

I opened it out and there on the front cover ‘Local Hero – Warsop woman wins Tour’. Cool. I turned to look at the ‘full story page 5’ only to find my face staring back!

 

I stared aghast at the photo of Mum, Jules and me taken yesterday on the podium. The tag line was damning too ‘Tour winner Jenny Bond (35) on the podium with her daughters Juliette (14) and Gabrielle (13)’. Where did they get their information?

“You all right Drew?”

“I’m in the paper too” I informed her

“That’s nice”

“No it’s not, look” I showed her the picture which she glanced at as she drove.

“I wonder where they got that from?”

“I’m toast!” I exclaimed, “everyone will work it out, I’ll be the laughing stock”

“Calm down Drew!” Mrs P demanded, I sat back in my seat. “It’s a simple mistake, we’ll get the paper to print a correction. Hmm” she sucked her lip, “even better, your Mums home next week?”

“Yes?”

“We’ll arrange an interview with the paper, where ‘Cousin Gaby’ is dropped into story”

“Hmm” I was more than a little sceptical

“Don’t worry, we’ll sort it out.” We pulled into my driveway. “Don’t forget this” she handed me the remover as I made my exit from the car.

“Thanks Mrs Peters, I really appreciate it”

“It’s alright Drew, now go and get yourself changed”

I shut the door and waited until she’d reversed out before digging into my bag for the house keys. I breathed a sigh of relief as I collapsed on the sofa. The clock caught my eye. Three forty five. Oh shit, the guys are on their way!
 

I hit the bathroom and the additions to my chest were soon off, thank heaven! Boy did my chest feel sore though; I checked my bruises, nearly gone thankfully. A quick shower and I felt sooo much better! I spotted my earrings when I combed my hair and they soon joined the rest of Gaby in a pile on my bed.

Just in time.

“Ding, Dong,” the front door bell announced the arrival of the gang.

“Hi Drew” they greeted me

“Hi guys, come in”

Did I spot a bit of disappointment on Maddy’s face?

“When did you get back?” Ally asked

“Just before lunch, Jules went to school, I went with Mrs P to get the remover”

“What was it like?” Rhod asked

So I relived yesterday yet again.
 

“We saw you on the podium on the telly” Bernie informed me

“Cute dress” Rhod mentioned ducking my cushion blow.

“I’m in Chad too, it even says who I am” I advised them

“What? It says you’re Drew?” Mad asked

“No, it says something like ‘Jenny Bond with daughters Juliette and Gabrielle’”

“Well that’s just a typo, it was your cousin wasn’t it?” Ally suggested

“That’s what Mrs Peters said”

“Clive hasn’t stopped going on about dancing with you on Saturday” Bernie dropped into the conversation.

I groaned

“Reckons you two are an item” Rhod tittered

“Come on guys, give it a rest. And Clive will have to get himself another girlfriend!”
 

Apparently I missed Mr Wood droning on about Mum’s win and launching a ‘congratulations’ card for pupils to sign. I was so glad I wasn’t in school today.

We spent the rest of the evening, other than eating pizza, planning our summer campaign of mayhem!

 

Tuesday and just four school days left. Mr Wood announced an exchange programme meeting on Thursday evening but that was the nearest thing to excitement at school. All the gang announced that they would see me at Cuckney tonight for the ten. The ten. John. I’d forgotten about that.

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you” John greeted me

Ot oh! Now I’m in for it.

“Hi John”

“Why didn’t you put me right weeks ago?”

I must have looked puzzled because he went on.

“About not being Dee?”

I thought he’d finally worked it out.

“It just didn’t seem to matter really”

“Come on Gaby, I know I’d be pretty fed up if someone kept calling me Fred”

Nooo! It was even worse. He now thought I was Gaby! I suppose like a lot of people he’d seen the telly coverage and or Chad. Why o why o why!
 

The rest of the gang arrived shortly afterwards and I sat in a stupor as Maddy administered her pre race massage. Instead of things getting better they seemed intent on getting worse! I rode up to the start and went through my pre race preparations on autopilot.

I determined to do a good ride for Mum, so I shot off from the start and covered the first mile in just two minutes! I concentrated hard, Rhod and the girls cheered me past the impromptu car park and this lifted me a bit too. Through the tree’s, and onto the flat middle section my legs started to feel my effort, after all I hadn’t been on the bike for a few day’s.

The turn came and went I dropped the chain into top and checked the clock, 14 minutes. I could see riders in front of me on the longer straights but then disaster. I hit a pothole and I heard the tell tale pst, pst, pst that heralded a puncture. Should I stop or go on? It was the back wheel and it wasn’t going down too quickly, I decided to keep going. I kept the pace going, I reasoned that the quicker I rode the further I would get before the tyre completely deflated.

I decided to ride to the finish whatever and by the time I passed the guys on the last bend, the tyre was flat.

“Thirteen!” I gasped

I freewheeled to a halt.

“You okay Gaby?” John called out

“Fine thanks, I got a flat” I stated

“Well you’ve done 25.11”

25.11 with a flat tyre! What would it have been without, a minute quicker? At least I thought. Damn! I crossed the road and had my rear wheel out by the time the others arrived.

“I’ll do that” Rhod offered seeing what I was about

“Cheers” I surrendered the tyre levers and wheel

“What happened?” Bernie asked

“I got a puncture halfway back”

“Oh bad luck, we thought you looked uncomfortable when you went by” Ally advised

“It was pretty bumpy”

“What time did you get then?” Maddy enquired as she rubbed my legs down

“25.11”

“That’s close to your best isn’t it?” Bernie stated

“Yeah, I reckon I lost at least a minute”

“Bad luck Drew” Rhod mentioned

“Not as bad as John thinking I’m Gaby now”

Ally giggled.

“maybe this interview thing will put things right” I proposed

“Maybe” Bernie didn’t sound convinced.

 

Wednesday and Thursday were uneventful, even Mr Wood’s meeting was nothing more than an opportunity to give us each a booklet with the itinerary in. Mr Wood called Jules and I back.

“I know you both went to see your Mum on Sunday, but I didn’t see Drew in any of the pictures only his alter ego. Can I have an explanation, I don’t want to get you into any trouble inadvertently.”

“Well,“ I started, “it all started after sports day”
 

So between us we explained to the head why and how Gaby ended up in Paris and Drew didn’t. Mr Wood chuckled to himself a couple of times during the narrative and shook his head when I finished.

“Drew Bond. I know I sort of encouraged, even condoned some of this cross-dressing but I think you need to think carefully about this over the summer. If you decide to continue with being Gaby I’ll try to help. Otherwise it must stop completely. Okay?”

“I’ve already decided that this is definitely the last time” I stated

“You’ve said that before” Jules mumbled

“We’ll talk after the summer okay?”

“Yes sir”

“Now get along, enjoy the holidays and I’ll see you when the Americans arrive”
 

To encourage attendance on the last day, school colours are awarded in the final assembly and then each form has a party after lunch.

“I wish Gaby could of come” Clive said to anyone listening

I’d listened to this and other of Clive’s Gaby musings all week and I was more than fed up.

“Maddy said that Gaby was moving over the summer, Scotland or something,” I said spitefully

“Nooo! I must see her again, Drew you can find out from Maddy where she lives, please” he begged

“Give over Clive” Paul told him, “you’ve only met her three or four times”

“But I’m in lurve!” Clive whined

I made my escape and joined some other classmates for a game of Trivial Pursuit.
 

3.30pm the school bell rang announcing the end of another school year. I joined the throng of teenagers who ran for the gates. Six weeks before lessons start again! That was depressing, no six weeks of freedom, now that I can live with!
 

Maddy Bell 09.11.03