Episode 5.

In Which Alice Runs Away and Makes a Big Decision!

Alice ran from the room, down the endless corridors and into the comparative quiet of the cloakroom. She found her blazer and put it on. Where she was going she wasn’t quite sure but to stay at school a minute longer would be unbearable. She sat still trying to think; slowly an idea crept into her head. She would go home now and hide until she saw her mother leave the house to go shopping, as she always did on a Monday afternoon. Then she would get into the house, take money and clothes, hitch to Gloucester and find Pete. Now her plan was decided upon she began to work fast.

Getting out of school was simple as many girls left at dinner-time to go home for lunch. It was where to hide at home until her mother went out that was worrying her. She would meet that problem when she came to it. She walked out of school with an ‘I know where I’m going’ look about her. No one ever stopped you if you had this look, she knew this well by now. The long cold breaks she had spent with her friend, in the Junior School, just walking around the school with this look on their faces. No-one ever sent them out into the cold frostiness outside, but took it for granted that they had some important job to do for a member of staff.

She was in luck and caught a bus with minutes to spare. The bus ground slowly up the long, steep hill, every second seeming like an hour to the girl. At last they reached the end of the journey and Alice descended from the bus like a criminal, looking carefully around her to make sure her mother was nowhere in the vicinity. She crept home, and crouched under the wall. Her mother and little sister were having their dinner, she could hear them talking. She crept round the house, a new plan forming. She had meant to hide outside the house, but now she realised that it would be possible to hide inside, then there would not be the danger of perhaps being locked out when her mother went to the shops. The question was, how to get in without being seen? The side door was ruled out for she would have to pass through the living room to reach her bedroom. The front door was also impossible for it was stiff and would make too much noise when opened. The only alternatives were the back door or a window.

She moved silently round to the back of the house, ducking when she passed the living room window. Cautiously she tried the back door and to her relief it opened. She slipped inside the hall, shutting the door silently behind her. To ensure complete silence she bent down and removed her shoes. She then slid silently up the stairs, avoiding the creaking boards on the landing. Another few seconds and she was in her own room. It would be necessary to hide somewhere until her mother left, although it was unlikely that she would come into her room, she would somehow have to squeeze under the bed. The bed was a low divan and there was very little room underneath. Alice was very slim however and by wriggling and sliding she managed to succeed doing the almost impossible.

Now came the difficult and tedious job of waiting. Her mother would have to finish lunch, wash up, give Debbie a small rest and then get the little girl changed and ready before they could go out. That meant over an hour’s wait. And in an hour school would begin again for the afternoon and she would be missed. Maybe someone would come to her home to try and find her, raising the alarm. It was this that made Alice decide to try and get away now, before it was too late.

She emerged from under the bed, slightly dishevelled and dusty. She had to make a list of all the things she would need. Alice sat on the floor, listening carefully in case anyone should come upstairs, whilst she wrote on a piece of paper.

1. Money 2. Clothes 3.Shoes 4. Diary 5. Make-up
6. Pete’s letters 7. Toothbrush, flannel etc 8. Duffle bag.

She surveyed the list critically, that was about everything she needed. Now all she had to do was to get all these things. Most were easy because they were in her own room but she would have to leave it’s safety to get her stuff from the bathroom.

She quickly took off her hated school uniform and put on a short hipster skirt with a big buckle, and a checked shirt. From her wardrobe she began to take out the clothes she would need. This was a very difficult task as she adored clothes and wanted to take as many as possible. At length she settled for two more skirts, two skinny rib jumpers, a shirt, a pair of check trousers, some white jeans and two pairs of stockings, three of which were thick and coloured with unusual designs on them. She also took the necessary underwear.

Shoes were not such a difficult decision as she had only three pairs and finally decided to take them all. With much trouble she managed to get the bulk of this into her duffle bag and the rest was squashed into her extra large handbag, as large bags were fashionable at that moment. Pete’s letters and her diary did not take up much room and her make-up back would go in the pocket of her leather. Now she was almost ready except for the things from the bathroom. She opened the door quietly and listened. Sounds of washing up drifted from downstairs; now seemed as good a time as any. Slipping out of her room she went into the bathroom which was next door where she hastily collected her toothbrush, flannel and a new bar of soap from the cabinet. Safely back in her room once more she packed these things into the few spare corners in her bag. Now all she had to do was get her purse and leave the house safely. She had one pound four and sixpence. Opening the small wooden box in which she kept her savings there was four pounds fifteen shillings which she put carefully into her purse.

Checking that she had everything she looked affectionately at her little room, which had been her haven for over five years, the walls covered in op-art designs and pictures. The dressing table, covered with bottles, tins, perfume and a million other feminine belongings. She hastily gathered a few of these objects; talcum powder, deodorant, hand cream and a pot of cold cream. Opening a drawer she took out a pile of handkerchiefs, which she put in the pocket of her leather. Now she was really ready.

She glided silently down the corridor and crept down the stairs. A minute later she was out of the door and ducking once more past the windows. It had all been so easy, she was amazed. Here she was, free and independent.
She began to feel better as she walked in the sunlight. Now she was going to see her Pete her terror of never being able to love him again turned to anger against her mother and Miss Jenkins – especially against the teacher. Her mother was entitled to disclose her feelings on the subject whereas Miss Jenkins was a fat, dowdy stranger who met Alice but four times a week and even then barely spoke to her. How dare she call Pete a hooligan after only seeing him for a brief second, flashing past on his scooter. How could she have the audacity to tell the girl to ‘mix with a higher class of people.’ Alice had tried to occasionally but she hated them. The boys were so terribly, terribly polite that it was sickening. They acted like pansies, sometimes daringly attempting to kiss her. And what terrible kisses! Mouths hard and tightly closed, laboured breathing through their pointed noses. They revolted her with their clammy hands and boring talk of exams or Prime Ministers. Give her a normal red-blooded boy any day. Pete with his crazy jokes, his soft, whispered words, his awakening hands and lips and all his loveable Mod madness.

She had now reached the ‘main’ road of the village. If she went down the hill she would be going towards school and it was just possible that a mistress might have been sent to find her. If she went up the hill it would be more difficult to get a lift as it was further to the main city road, but she would not run the risk of running into a teacher. She turned and began to walk up the long, slow hill. It was no use starting to hitch yet as she might easily be seen, or picked up, by one of her mother’s friends. She walked on through the bursts of birdsong from the trees, the sun glinting on her hair.

Now that she was out of danger she began to worry about what would happen to her. She realised that she was jeopardising her whole future, running away from school like this. But she had taken her O’ levels so even if they expelled her they could not take her results away. She was sixteen and could live away from home but only with her parent’s permission. She would not be able to afford a flat or even a room with the grant from the Art College. Then she remembered her two friends who were also going to Art College. It was strange but she had been imagining herself miles from home, alone and penniless because she was running away. In reality she would be but 12 miles from her home, still with the same friends and more important the same boy, her Pete. She and her friends could afford a place between them and they could get a job on Saturdays to earn an extra pound or so. Everything would work out all right.

She was now in a suitable place to hitch. Within ten minutes she had a lift with a man of about forty. He was in a blue Consul and pulled up a few yards ahead of her, leaning over and opening the door with a friendly smile.
"Gloucester?" she asked, running up to the car.

"Yes," he replied. "Jump in." The car was comfortable and cool, with a radio playing.

"No work today?" he asked her.

"I’m just going in now," she lied glibly. "I didn’t feel very well this morning but I felt better after lunch, so I thought I might as well go in and not lose the money."

"Where do you work then?" he enquired, offering her a cigarette which she accepted although she didn’t often smoke, but wanted to try and live up to her story and most working girls smoked.

"I do window dressing in Gloucester," she replied. "It’s very interesting."

Turning the subject quickly she asked him about himself. The rest of the journey passed quickly without any awkward questions being asked and soon she was getting out of the car and waving goodbye to him.

She felt rather lonely as he drove away realising, maybe for the first time, what a great responsibility running away was. Glancing at her watch, she saw she had another three hours to wait until Pete came out of work. She decided to look around the shops to fill in time. An enjoyable hour was spent trying on clothes she had no intention of buying, jumpers, shirts, trousers and dresses in the big stores or small fascinating boutiques. After a while she ran out of shops to visit and sample, and the salesgirls were beginning to get rather irate so she began wandering aimlessly around the streets, waiting for the time to pass.

Beginning to feel very hungry she tried to ignore it. The more she tried not to think about it the hungrier she grew. Alice had had nothing to eat since about six o’ clock the night before and she had not felt like anything until now. She could eat at Pete’s house but that was another hour and a half away. She decided that she would have to spend some of her precious money on food. She went up to the top of the Bon Marché to the large and noisy café there. Hungrily but thriftily she eyed the tempting array of food. Trying to ignore the enticing odour of chips, meat and other full meals she walked resolutely past the cream cakes, jellies and fruit and put onto her lonely blue china plate two plain rolls with butter, and a slightly strong cup of tea. The total sum was one and sevenpence. In a dignified manner she walked over to a corner table where she ravenously ate her slender meal. The rolls tasted wonderfully soft and spread with thick, creamy butter. The tea tasted equally good although she usually drank it a shade or two lighter!

With the sharp edge of her hunger blunted, she sat for a while watching the people around her. At the next table was a rather flustered middle aged woman, trying to clean up her two small daughters from a foamy sea of cream that had somehow spread itself from their meringues to their faces. She was surrounded by bulging, overweight shopping baskets filled with all manner of odd shapes draped in paper bags. They were obviously on a rare shopping spree.
Opposite Alice sat an elderly man, daintily sipping a cup of coffee, his hair thick and white, his shoes black and gleaming. He read with great interest a very uninteresting looking newspaper and glanced occasionally at the large gold watch on his wrist. The café was mainly filled with mothers and children or elderly people; all the younger ones were at school or at work. She soon began to tire of just sitting there and left the café feeling a little less hungry than she had been when she entered it.

There was just over an hour to wait and she walked slowly to the large, sunny park, which lay almost next door to Pete’s home. Alice sat on the warm, dry grass near the hedge that shut off the busy, bustling road from the quiet trees and flowers. The park was filled with children, home from school, enjoying the sun kissing their lithe brown arms and legs. Their shouts and cries floated through the trees. The dogs yelped and chased imaginary cats across the wide green lawns.

Alice slipped out of her leather and lay back on the soft grass. The sky stretched blue and endless above her in an arc of never ending sapphire. She closed her eyes and the sun beat down warm and yellow on her eyelids. She was cut off in a world of lazy heat. A million tiny insects rustled amongst the spiky green blades of grass and birds sang from their quivering wings high in the sky. She could not allow herself much of this blissful laziness however as the time was drawing near to 5.30. Turning over onto her stomach Alice propped herself on her elbows, watching the road through the thin hedge. She did not have to wait for long, almost before she saw it, she heard the whine of his Vespa. She jumped to her feet and saw the blue scooter approaching quickly down the street, Pete sitting on it, his blue eyes carefully watching the road.

"Pete!" she called. "Pete…." He looked up in surprise trying to place the call. Then he caught sight of Alice waving to him. She turned and began to run along to the park gates. He travelled the hundred yards or so to his house where he parked and then walked back along the road to meet her. He wondered why she was in Gloucester. Maybe she had skivved school, though this was not like her, or maybe they had unexpectedly had the day off. And why did she have her duffle bag with her?

She hurried up to him as fast as she possibly could. During the afternoon she had almost forgotten the danger of never seeing him again but now it all flooded over her. They would NOT take her away from him. She did love him and it was not just infatuation. But how could she stand up against her parents and teachers? Hopelessness began to fill her. Pete was a few yards away, smiling at her. The street was quiet and almost empty. She reached him and held him close.

"Pete, oh Pete. The most terrible thing has happened. I had to see you, they’ll be looking for me soon – and oh – I’m so hungry." The words poured from her trembling lips.

"What’s happened love?" he asked, bewildered. "Let’s go inside, no-one will be home except me." He had noticed the urgency in her voice and he wondered what on earth could have happened. They reached the house and he unlocked the large red door. It was cool inside. They went into the sitting room.

"Now then," he said, sitting her down. "What’s the matter? Tell me."

"Last night," she said quietly "I had a row with Mum. She said she didn’t want me to leave school yet and we both got a bit mad – and then she said I hadn’t worked since I turned Mod and met you." She stopped and raised her eyes to his amazed face. "Oh Pete, - I – she said that I wasn’t ever to see you again."
She swallowed strongly and her eyes filled with warm, salty tears as she remembered the awful scene. As for Pete, he was astounded. He had thought her mother had liked him, she had always given the impression that she had. Never see Alice again? But that was impossible, he loved her. Alice began to talk again in a choked voice.

"She said I was too young to be in love, laughed at me – at us and being Mod and everything. I went upstairs and locked myself in my bedroom. This morning she was horrible again, she means it Pete. I walked out and went to school and then, just before lunch Miss Jenkins – the one we overtook on Friday, she said she didn’t approve of my choice of friends and went on at me. I couldn’t bear it any more and I just went home. I got all my money and stuff without Mum knowing, and then I hitched over. What shall I do Pete? They can’t break us up – they can’t. I love you too much." She began to cry quietly.

"Don’t cry sweetie, please don’t cry," he begged, feeling pretty close to it himself. "We’ll work something out. They can’t stop us loving each other – and they won’t. Did you say you were hungry love? You’ll feel better after you’ve eaten something. And then we’ll try and think."

"I’m so hungry it hurts," she told him, trying to cheer up. "I haven’t eaten since six o’ clock yesterday, except two sixpenny rolls and a cup of tea about an hour ago."

"You poor kid," Pete said looking at her rather worriedly. "You might have fainted or something. We’ve got beans and eggs and spaghetti and stuff. I’ll have some too."

"Sounds delicious," said Alice with rather a watery smile. "Even tripe, followed by tapioca would be welcome now!"

"Well, you can have that if you’d rather," laughed Pete going out into the kitchen.

***

After a huge helping of toast, beans and eggs followed by pineapple and cream, washed down with copious cups of tea they both felt more cheerful. Alice washed up whilst Pete went to change out of his work clothes. As she scrubbed fiercely at the egg, which had stuck onto the big white plates she made a decision. They thought she didn’t love Pete but she would show them and prove how much she loved him.

She would sleep with him tonight. She would give him everything she possible could, her virginity. She wanted him to love her so that she really did belong to him. Then, whatever they did, it could not alter the fact that she was Pete’s and he was hers. How could her mother scorn her love for Pete? She loved him as much as Juliet had loved Romeo, as Cher loved Sonny. And now she would let him know, he need never worry that perhaps she did not love him completely.

Another of her mother’s theories were proved wrong. Pete did love her. He had not sent her back home or said he couldn’t help her. She needed him now and she could depend on him. He would know what to do; he would know how they could stay together. They would fight everyone in the world if they had to, to keep their love together.
She put the last dish away and then she heard Pete clattering down the stairs.

"Alice, I’ve had an idea," he told her. "There’s an all-night party tonight, over in Bristol. Miff told me about it. We could go there for tonight and take tomorrow as it comes." He looked at her, mistaking the look in her eyes. "If it’s sleeping arrangements you’re worried about, then don’t. I won’t take advantage of you just because you are in this situation."
She caught hold of his hands.

"I’m not worrying about that at all," she said softly. "You’re all that matters to me now and I so want to belong to you. I want you to know how much I do love you."
His eyes filled with surprise and then flooded with love and gladness.

"Alice," he said, looking deeply into the blue wells of her eyes. "Thank-you."
They held each other close for a moment, no words needed to express their feelings.

"Now," said Pete, "we’d better leave quickly before anyone comes home. I’ll write a note saying that I’ve gone to pick you up and that were going to the ‘Blue Moon’, then she won’t wonder where I am, and if the police do come they won’t know where we are."

"Brilliant!" said Alice. "You’re quite a criminal."

"I’ll take all my money too, in case anything drastic happens – and another shirt. You’ve got all your things?"

"Yes, in this battered old duffle bag and handbag. We’d better hurry, it’s getting late." Alice called after him as he raced upstairs again.
In ten minutes time they had left the house, fixed everything onto the rack at the back of the Vespa and started up the scooter.

"Right," said Pete, "here we go!"
They left as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Not long after, Mrs Gardner returned home and saw her son’s hasty note. She smiled quietly, she hardly ever saw Pete now, he was always over at Alice’s house. It seemed to be getting quite serious between them. She was pleased, she liked Alice and Pete had been much less of a tearaway since he had met her. He hadn’t been in trouble for over nine months now. She began to prepare the evening meal.