Whatever Next? Chapter 12 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

(title picture Andrea Piacquadio)

The next morning Drew was lying awake staring at the clock, wondering why he was awake. It was nearly time to get up if you were an adult or school kid in attendance at school, but he wasn’t either. He had a few more days left before he started his new school.

His mum had phoned to say that everything was okay, she had arrived safely and she had also heard from the school in Dorchester. All three would be attending Dorchester Middle, with Jules in the senior class there. According to Jenny, they were doing similar syllabi to those back in Worksop, so all three were hoping they’d be able to come up to speed quite quickly.

Harry had offered to share his work with Gaby until ‘she could go solo’, and he generously invited Maddy to share his offer. As he lay there thinking about Harry, he got that funny feeling back in his tummy, a sort of tingling warmth and his face produced a beaming smile, although he was unaware of the latter.

He rose quietly and went to the toilet. He sat weeing when he suddenly realised that ‘Mr Happy’ had been rather quiescent lately, not doing the flagpole bit in the morning, even when he wasn’t wearing the dreaded gaff thingie. In some ways it saved a little embarrassment, but what were the longer-term implications? He tried not to think about those, besides who could he talk to? Hardly his parents, he nearly caught fire when he talked to his mum about his breast growth, and well Maddy and Jules. I mean how could you talk to a couple of teenage girls about not getting a morning woodie? They’d drown in their own tears – of laughter! Nah, one of these days he’d see a doctor and get them to sort it all out, and then, bye bye Gaby!

He smiled at himself in the mirror as he washed his paws, yes that was what he’d do. He’d get rid of Gaby when he saw the quack. Somehow the face in the mirror didn’t look as if it agreed with him and he almost felt as if ‘she’ the Gaby in the mirror, was planning on getting rid of Drew, so she could have Harry all to herself.

Drew stared hard at the mirror and the face in the mirror stared back just as hard. “What the hell has Harry got to do with me not getting a you know, in the mornings?” he muttered.

The face seemed to say back to him, ‘I’m the real one you know, you’re just a figment of my imagination,’.

“Oh yeah,” said Drew, “so how about I just smash you and see what happens,” he raised his hand at the mirror.

“You’ll be stuck as me for seven more years if you do!” Drew was just about to hit the mirror as hard as he could, when he paused. He was sure he heard a cackle. A cold shiver ran down his spine and he felt himself sweating. He was sure he was cursed or bewitched or whatever it was you got when you pissed off one of those hag thingies they had in Macbeth. He wished Harry was there to help him. He began to cry and the cackle grew louder.

“Gabs, wake up, it’s only a dream girl.” Jules' voice seemed to penetrate eventually and he managed to open his eyes to see his sister standing alongside him.

“Wassgoinon?” he mumbled.

“You tell me Sis, you were crying in yer sleep. Bad dreams?”

He sat up, “Erm, I dunno,” he shook his head, “dunno, can’t remember.” He rubbed his eyes and his face was all wet. “I was crying was I?”

“Yeah, big sobs, sounded like someone was gonna hit you. Wasn’t Harry I hope?”

“I dunno, doubt it.” He blushed some more as his head felt very strange. If someone was going to hit him, was he the face in the mirror and who was Drew? And… He felt quite sick and rushed off to the bathroom.

Once in there, he realised he was in the place of his bad dream and he rushed out again and down the stairs. Inside the cloakroom, he sat and weed, realising he didn’t have… He felt the tears run down his face again, was there no escape from this dream?

He dried himself and fled the toilet refusing to look in the mirror or to wash his hands because he would see in the mirror, and he didn’t want to see anything in the mirror. He ran back up the stairs and to his bed, to find Jules was combing her hair in front of the mirror in the bedroom. He rushed in, saw the mirror and screamed, then dived under the covers on the bed.

At first, Jules thought it was Drew back up to his old tricks, screaming when you see your sister looking in a mirror, but he wasn’t laughing. In fact the sound which, albeit muffled, was emanating from under the covers was sobbing, not laughing. What was going on?

“Gabs?” she shook a lump presumably an arm or leg, “Gabs, what are you doing?”

“Keep them away from me!” called a voice.

“Keep who, away from you?” Jules now felt a little worried. She sat on the edge of the bed. “Who is after you?” The response was whimpering noises. “Talk to me Gabs, I can’t help you otherwise.” She lifted the clothes off the teen’s face.

“Now take a deep breath and tell me what is happening?”

Eventually, Drew managed to tell her what had happened. She shook her head. “I expect you were half asleep, that’s the problem. Just a dream. Just look at yourself in the mirror.”

Drew shook his head, “No I can’t.”

“Why? All you’re gonna see is the usual blonde bimbo, only with red eyes.” She dragged him off the bed and forced him to look. “See, no one strange except you and me, is there?”

He looked and nodded, “No, just you and me.”

“Well girl, dry your eyes and get yourself showered ‘cos laughing boy will be here soon, I ‘spect.”

“I dunno if I can go in the bathroom,” he looked quite tearful again.

“Come on, where’s the big bad Gaby who’s gonna catch that weasel Meadows?” She pushed him into the bathroom and made him look into the mirror. “Alright?”

“Yes, sorry. I feel kinda stupid now.”

“No change there then,” Jules smiled back at him.

“No, I s’pose not.”

“Gi’s a hug Sis,” she opened her arms and he fell into them.

“I’m sorry for being so stupid,” tears dripped onto Jules night dress.

“It’s okay, come on, let’s get yer spruced up and ready for Prince Charming.” She pushed him towards the shower, keeping his back to her he stepped into the shower and pulled the curtains, the warm water seemed to wash away his mood and he thought again of Harry and once more felt the warm tingle in his tummy.

At about eleven the doorbell rang and Harry presented himself, in full cycling kit. Drew looked at his legs, they certainly had more muscle than when previously seen. In fact, his whole body seemed leaner and meaner, whereas Drew’s in comparison, seemed to have got softer and slightly rounder.

“Wow, you’re keen,” said Drew.

“It’s gonna be a nice day,” beamed Harry, “Wanna do a quick ride?”

“I’ll need to put the front wheel back on, Uncle John borrowed his friend’s roof rack and the front forks fix to it.”

“Won’t you like need to change as well?” asked Harry, looking at his love wearing a skimpy top and skirt.

Drew stopped and looked down at himself, “Oh yeah, forgot.” He blushed, put his hand over his mouth, giggled, “Silly me,” and turned to go back indoors when Harry grabbed a wrist and spun her back to him.

“Gimme a kiss first,” so saying pulling the object of his affections into his arms and planting his lips on hers. He felt her wilt in his arms and she sighed, and he knew he’d have to watch just who saw him for the next few moments in his lycra shorts.

He busied himself with fitting the wheel and checking the brakes worked and the size of his embarrassment reduced. He wasn’t sure if he was pleased if Gaby saw or felt it, other than she would know he was genuinely pleased to see her.

He heard the clopping of cycle shoes and turned around, it was Maddy. His heart sank a little. “Can you stick the wheel on the Bianchi, too?”

“Yeah, no probs. You coming too?”

“Yep, only way they’ll let Gabs come if there’s three of us.”

Harry nodded and walked to the second bike. “This yours then?”

“I wish,” said Maddy, although it wasn’t a statement of fact. “Nah, it’s Jenny’s, she loaned it to me to use while we’re down here.”

“Nice bike,” Harry picked up the front wheel, “More bloody Campag, cost yer a fortune if you bash these.”

“I’ll try not to,” promised Maddy.

There was more clomping and Drew eventually walked into the garage, “Oh good, you found everything then?”

As there were only two bikes and two wheels, Harry felt a little bemused. Almost wanting to do a Homer, he restrained himself and smiled instead. “Yeah course.” He wanted to kiss her again, she tasted so good to him but the prospect of sitting on a race saddle with a bulge in one's shorts seemed a trifle unlikely to be comfortable, so he forwent the kiss.

“Where we going?” asked Maddy, feeling a bit gooseberryish.

“How about I buy you both an ice cream in Abbotsbury,?” Beamed the lovesick teen.

“Sounds good to me,” said Drew.

“How far is that?” asked Maddy feeling less sure, “I mean I don’t cycle as much as you two.”

“About eight miles, you’ve done most of it before.”

“Have I?” asked Maddy.

“Yeah c’mon, I won’t make you ride too hard.” He smiled, wondering if Gaby still had the edge on him, he had been training like mad.

They fitted water bottles and Harry led them out through the village and towards Weymouth.

Weymouth is a traffic bottleneck, unless you go to Portland, there is nowhere else to go in a southerly direction save getting your feet wet. However, on a bike and with a little local knowledge, it is possible to bypass most of the traffic on cycle paths and bridleways. In the weeks since last seeing his favourite cycle nut, he’d decided he wanted to discover how to get about the town more safely and found there were quite a few paths and lanes he could use. He’d also been in touch with his local cycle club and the Sustrans group, both of whom promoted cycle paths. Of course, William had avoided him quoting the old joke,’ that he wasn’t going out with a cycle path!’ Harry had taken it in good heart just picking up the axe and…

“Is that the sea wall?” called Maddy as they rode along the Preston beach path.

“Yeah, about a mile long and a million bricks or something, can’t remember now.”

“Is it to keep the sea out?” she continued, not sounding too convinced.

“Think so, but also to stop the beach being pushed over the flats and houses.”

“Oh!” said Maddy.

“Yeah a few years ago, the beach ended up on the road, they had to move tons of sand. Hasn’t happened since.”

“Glad to hear it,” called Drew as he flew past Harry, “Race you to the end.”

It was something of a non-contest, the wunderkind was first by a long mark, then Harry who’d seen it coming too late, and finally Maddy who was simply too slow.

“Sorry about that, I’d just nicely warmed up and needed a sprint.”

“Can you warn me next time?” gasped Maddy looking very red.

The rest of the ride through Weymouth was more sedate and they eventually found themselves on the west side of the town. “Isn’t this near Matt’s shop?” asked Drew.

“Yeah a mile or two down that way,” pointed Harry down Chickerell Road.

“Well, we can do a bit of undulating paths and quiet roads or go up the main road, which do you ladies fancy?”

“Which is the faster?” asked Drew.

“The main road, but it’s got a fair bit of traffic, you’ve done it before.”

“Is this the one with that big hill?” said Drew gleefully.

“You can turn off to it, but we’re going straight on.”

“It’s got quite enough bits of hill for me, Gaby,” protested Maddy.

“If you really want a hill challenge, there’s always Abbotsbury Hill, which is a real pig.”

“You’ll have to introduce me, I like pork chops,” smirked Drew.

“I almost feel like sitting this out,” sighed Maddy.

“Look, let’s get to Abbotsbury, and if Miss Smartie Pants wants to have a go at Abbotsbury Hill, I’ll go with her and you can wait for us at the bottom.”

“’Kay,” said a relieved Maddy, knowing when she had reached her limits.

They cycled on the undulating road, which at times produces some quite sharp rises and downs, ‘lumpy’, is the description cyclists use. Maddy held the two others back at times, being weaker on the climbs. Drew decided he was going to save his energy for this big hill that Harry dreaded, so was quite happy to have a five or six-mile spin. They were doing a bit under the twenty, but it was the first good ride for Drew for a few days, so he was content.

At Abbotsbury, Harry honoured his promise and coughed up the required amount for three icecreams, Drew winced when he heard the price and was learning that there were advantages to being the girl in a relationship, although it was still something of a steep learning curve, which was a bit like a greasy pole.

They walked around pushing the bikes and eating their ice creams. Then they rode down to the Swannery and the Tithe barn. They had enough money to buy a snack at the Swannery tea shop and watched the world go by for a short while. However, both Harry and Maddy knew that Drew was itching to get stuck into the hill.

“So how bad is this hill then?” asked Drew when he considered his roll had ‘gone down’ far enough not to weigh on his stomach.

“According to Matt, in the seventies, the Milk Race came through here and they had over-geared the bikes.”

“What do you mean?” asked Maddy.

“The gears are set each day for the type of terrain, so if it’s flat they have high gears, in the mountains, they’re lower geared.”

“Oh, I see, so what happened.”

“Sounds like someone didn’t do his homework,” quipped Drew, wanting to get at the hill even more.

“Absolutely, so most of the riders had to get off and walk.” Smirked Harry.

“What professional riders?” gasped Maddy.

“Yep, and they’d have been on all sorts of drugs an’ thin’s then, ‘cos it wasn’t illegal.”

“Wowee, and you’re gonna like try and do this hill, Gaby Bond?”

“Yeah, course!” beamed the wunderkind.

Maddy shook her head, maybe there was still something of the Drewbie in that gorgeous body, yes there was, the heart. The heart of a lion!

They mounted their steeds and set off gently through the village, feeling the road rise slightly. Then past the Sub-tropical Gardens, the road bears round to the right and the hill proper begins, but it’s a feint because half a mile of leg-aching ride later, it rises sharply and swings to the left for another half a mile and then climbs some more after that.

Deciding she’d better at least have a go, Maddy kept at the back of the three as gears were rapidly dropped to meet the rising road. She did manage to get to the first big rise before her legs turned to jelly and she stopped, admiring the view from a lay-by.

Drew was in the lead, and beginning to sweat although his lead was increasing slowly as Harry fought to keep his legs turning. As they approached the steeper rise, Drew gulped. Harry had warned him, but talk and action are different. He dug in and clicked down to his final gear, now it was a question of strength and stamina and sheer bloody-mindedness. Drew had plenty of each and his lighter body began to pull away from the struggling Harry.

“Just (puff) keep (puff) bloody (puff) going!” Harry exhorted his legs as they turned to jelly.

A hundred yards ahead, Drew was in his groove, his focus entirely on his bike almost in a trance, a form of self-hypnosis, allowing his body to do what it did without any thought or direction. He felt no pain and thought of nothing except to keep focused.

A quarter of an hour later he was stood at the top, gulping down the water he’d refilled his bottle with from the Swannery. He was dripping with sweat and his legs knew he’d had a hard ride. Harry was lying on the grass verge unable to believe he had ‘done’ Abbotsbury Hill, he was gasping and groaning and had also thrown up the small lunch he’d eaten, but he’d done it.

Eventually, Maddy arrived in walking gear, “God these shoes are like, horrible for walking.” She was puffing and blowing from her exertions. “Well?” she demanded.

“Yeah, we both did it,” smirked Drew.

“What Harry as well?” she sounded surprised.

“Course,” beamed Drew.

“Oh wow, like well done Harry,” said Maddy excitedly.

“I think I need an ambulance,” said Harry still lying on the verge, and they all laughed.