Episode 16
In Which Alice and Pete Get Down and Dirty, Jane Tells Ray he is About to be a Dad and Pete Looks Tall and Wonderful!
They were awoken by rain pattering on the windows. Alice stretched luxuriously in the big bed, yawning sleepily. Pete was raised on one elbow looking at he as she struggled to wake up.
"What are you looking at?" she asked. "Have I got a spot or something?"
"No," he smiled, "It was just so lovely to wake up with you by my side again. And you looked so sweet asleep, sort of innocent – believe it or not!"
"Innocent!" she exclaimed. "How could I possibly look innocent after last night?"
"I don’t know," he replied, brushing her hair back with his hand, and kissing her forehead softly. "But you did. And how are you going to explain away all those bites all over your neck seeing as you are supposed to have spent the night with Jane!"
Alice gasped.
"Christ, I’d forgotten about those. Whatever can I say?" She sat up and looked at herself in the dressing table mirror. "Heavens Pete, what were you doing – trying to eat me! Those down there don’t matter because they won’t be seen." Pete grinned as she said it. "But what about these all over my neck?"
"Get a long wig," Pete suggested, "Cut your head off or tell them you’re in love with Jane!"
"Thanks for being so helpful," she replied. "Actually you haven’t escaped quite unscathed either."
" I know," he laughed, "proper little vampire aren’t you?". She made her hands into claws and rolled her eyes at him, growling. He went to kiss her. The kiss started life playfully but then suddenly, to their surprise, changed into desire. They had not meant it to mean anything more than a kiss but it grew uncontrollable and left them rather bewildered.
"Christ!" said Alice. "How did that happen? Pete, kiss me again like that."
They clung to each other, their naked skin hot to the touch. A fierce unrelenting passion suddenly seized Pete, it held him in its grip, leaving him powerless to stop it. He groaned and moved his hand heavily down over her stomach.
"Pete, Pete" she murmured, "Oh God I love you. Don’t be gentle with me; fuck me, be rough with me. I don’t care, just give me everything, everything…."
The world closed around them red hot and pulsating.
"Let’s go up to Jane’s house" she said. "We’d better miss Stroud in case anyone sees us."
"Okay," he shouted back. "I’ll go up over Rodborough."
Within quarter of an hour they were pulling up outside Jane’s house. Alice had not yet told Pete that her friend was pregnant. Perhaps he would know what to do, he knew more about these things than she did.
"Ray’s here," remarked Alice as she saw the red and cream scooter already parked there. They went up the path and knocked on the door loudly. A bedroom window opened above them and Jane hung out.
"What!" exclaimed Pete in a shocked voice. "At this time in the afternoon."
"While the parents are away…." came a boy’s voice from the inside.
"Shut up!" said Jane withdrawing from the window, then she leant out and said, "Come in, the door’s open and we’ll be down in a minute." Her head vanished from view.
They opened the door and went into the living room where they were vociferously greeted by Jane’s two collie dogs.
"Steady on," said Alice firmly. "Down, get down." They sat on the settee and waited for the couple to come down. Within minutes, announced by a clatter on the stairs, Jane burst into the room followed closely by Ray.
Alice and Pete were in a rather ungainly position on the settee and they sat up hurriedly.
"You might knock," said Alice.
"It’s my house!" replied Jane. "I’ll do what I like. In fact I will remake that entrance." She and Ray went out of the room and returned a few seconds later to find Alice and Pete sitting on the settee, each reading newspapers with great interest.
"That’s better!" remarked Ray, sitting in an armchair and pulling Jane down onto his knee.
"Brilliant – you’re together again. When did you come back Pete?" asked Jane.
Pete briefly told them his story and then he and Ray began to discuss scooters so the two girls made a hurried retreat into the kitchen to make some tea. As soon as the door was shut safely behind them, Jane turned to Alice.
"I just can’t tell him" she said helplessly. "I’ve tried but I can’t. Does it show yet?"
She turned sideways and Alice scrutinised her carefully.
"No, not really," she replied after a minute or two. "If you didn’t know you wouldn’t notice. But it will start to show soon. You have to tell him. I’m sure he’ll stand by you."
"I just don’t know," she replied slowly. "That’s what I’m scared of. What if he doesn’t? And how do I tell my parents? What if they throw me out?"
"Well, then we’ll all help you as much as we can," said Alice firmly. "As soon as you’ve told Ray we can ask Pete what to do, he might be able to help."
"Not an abortion" replied Jane. "I’m not having one."
"I didn’t mean that," Alice said. "No, you mustn’t have an abortion, whatever happens. Pills or something perhaps."
"Yes" said her friend a little hesitantly. "I’d take them."
"But you must tell Ray now," urged Alice, "or else it’ll be too late to do anything."
Jane was silent for a minute and then she said slowly,
"All right then. I’ll tell him later. As soon as you’ve gone."
"Good girl," said Alice, squeezing her friend’s arm reassuringly. "I’m sure it will be all right. Now then, let’s make that tea."
"Ray, I’ve got to talk to you." So the first move was made.
"Yeah love, what’s the matter?" he looked at her enquiringly. "You’ve not got fed up with me have you?"
"No, of course not. It’s not that. It’s – it’s," Oh God how could she tell him?
"I’m, I’m – going to have a baby." There it was done. She had said it. She stared at him defiantly. He looked at her, the colour draining from his face. For a second he wanted to hit her, hurt her, force her to take those awful words back. Then compassion flooded through him. Poor kid, the poor, poor kid. No wonder she’d been acting strange recently. How scared she must have been all the time, scared of what would happen to her, scared of what her parents would do, and most of all scared that he would walk away and leave her.
"I’m not leaving," he said firmly. "I love you. It’s my fault. I suppose it was at that party?"
She was trembling with relief now.
"Yes, yes it was" she said and began to cry. She stood there shaking with sobs.
He looked at her tenderly, she was so young and he had done this to her. He moved quickly towards her and put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. She raised a tearstained face and he gently wiped the tears away.
"Ray, I’ve been so scared. I thought you’d leave me. I was so frightened you would." She clung to him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder. Although the tears still came she felt much better now that she had told him and the tears were mainly of relief.
"We’ll have to think about our future now." Ray said, gazing unseeingly out of the window. "Do you want to get married?"
"I, I don’t know," she murmured. "I love you – but college and everything. I thought perhaps those pills you can get might work – or something. And it’s not the right basis for getting married. You’d grow to hate me for tying you down so early."
"I’m glad you said that," he replied, looking down at her golden brown hair.
"I’ll try and get some pills but don’t be too hopeful will you? We’ll just go on going out with each other and then maybe in a few years, if we still feel the same, we can get married, properly because we love each other, not because we have to."
"I’m glad you understand," she said quietly, looking at him. "Alice said you wouldn’t leave me. I’m glad she was right because I love you."
"In spite of everything?" he asked seriously.
"In spite of everything," she repeated, holding him closely.
Pete and Alice parted company at the bus stop. It would be safer than him taking her home and risking being seen. They clung to each other without saying much, they needed no words to express their feelings for each other.
"I’ll see you in Stroud tomorrow at seven," Pete told her as the bus came into sight.
"I’ll be there," replied Alice. "Oh I hate leaving you like this, not knowing for sure that I’ll see you again. What if they guess and I’m not allowed out?"
"Don’t worry until you’ve got reason to," he said as the bus drew up beside them emptying out a stream of fat women clutching shopping baskets. "We’ve got each other back, that’s the main thing." He grinned at her cheekily. "And keep your neck well hidden if you want to get away with it!".
He kissed her quickly and then she was gone from him. The bell rang and the bus drew ponderously away. He gazed after it for a while and then turned in the direction of home.
Alice watched him standing there, tall and wonderful beside his Vespa. How she loved him. She wondered how much he loved her, if it was as deep as the feelings she had for him. Then the bus rounded a bend and he was gone. She began to worry about what would happen when she got home, and also wondered if Jane had told Ray yet. Life was getting very complicated she thought ruefully.
They were awoken by rain pattering on the windows. Alice stretched luxuriously in the big bed, yawning sleepily. Pete was raised on one elbow looking at he as she struggled to wake up.
"What are you looking at?" she asked. "Have I got a spot or something?"
"No," he smiled, "It was just so lovely to wake up with you by my side again. And you looked so sweet asleep, sort of innocent – believe it or not!"
"Innocent!" she exclaimed. "How could I possibly look innocent after last night?"
"I don’t know," he replied, brushing her hair back with his hand, and kissing her forehead softly. "But you did. And how are you going to explain away all those bites all over your neck seeing as you are supposed to have spent the night with Jane!"
Alice gasped.
"Christ, I’d forgotten about those. Whatever can I say?" She sat up and looked at herself in the dressing table mirror. "Heavens Pete, what were you doing – trying to eat me! Those down there don’t matter because they won’t be seen." Pete grinned as she said it. "But what about these all over my neck?"
"Get a long wig," Pete suggested, "Cut your head off or tell them you’re in love with Jane!"
"Thanks for being so helpful," she replied. "Actually you haven’t escaped quite unscathed either."
" I know," he laughed, "proper little vampire aren’t you?". She made her hands into claws and rolled her eyes at him, growling. He went to kiss her. The kiss started life playfully but then suddenly, to their surprise, changed into desire. They had not meant it to mean anything more than a kiss but it grew uncontrollable and left them rather bewildered.
"Christ!" said Alice. "How did that happen? Pete, kiss me again like that."
They clung to each other, their naked skin hot to the touch. A fierce unrelenting passion suddenly seized Pete, it held him in its grip, leaving him powerless to stop it. He groaned and moved his hand heavily down over her stomach.
"Pete, Pete" she murmured, "Oh God I love you. Don’t be gentle with me; fuck me, be rough with me. I don’t care, just give me everything, everything…."
The world closed around them red hot and pulsating.
***
A few hours later they were on the scooter heading towards Stroud. Alice was leaning against the back-rest feeling happier than she had done for a long time. Now she had Pete back again, loving her, nothing else mattered. It would not be too difficult to see him without her mother knowing, especially if she did not find out that he had returned home again. After all, she could not physically restrain her! She leaned forward and shouted to Pete."Let’s go up to Jane’s house" she said. "We’d better miss Stroud in case anyone sees us."
"Okay," he shouted back. "I’ll go up over Rodborough."
Within quarter of an hour they were pulling up outside Jane’s house. Alice had not yet told Pete that her friend was pregnant. Perhaps he would know what to do, he knew more about these things than she did.
"Ray’s here," remarked Alice as she saw the red and cream scooter already parked there. They went up the path and knocked on the door loudly. A bedroom window opened above them and Jane hung out.
"What!" exclaimed Pete in a shocked voice. "At this time in the afternoon."
"While the parents are away…." came a boy’s voice from the inside.
"Shut up!" said Jane withdrawing from the window, then she leant out and said, "Come in, the door’s open and we’ll be down in a minute." Her head vanished from view.
They opened the door and went into the living room where they were vociferously greeted by Jane’s two collie dogs.
"Steady on," said Alice firmly. "Down, get down." They sat on the settee and waited for the couple to come down. Within minutes, announced by a clatter on the stairs, Jane burst into the room followed closely by Ray.
Alice and Pete were in a rather ungainly position on the settee and they sat up hurriedly.
"You might knock," said Alice.
"It’s my house!" replied Jane. "I’ll do what I like. In fact I will remake that entrance." She and Ray went out of the room and returned a few seconds later to find Alice and Pete sitting on the settee, each reading newspapers with great interest.
"That’s better!" remarked Ray, sitting in an armchair and pulling Jane down onto his knee.
"Brilliant – you’re together again. When did you come back Pete?" asked Jane.
Pete briefly told them his story and then he and Ray began to discuss scooters so the two girls made a hurried retreat into the kitchen to make some tea. As soon as the door was shut safely behind them, Jane turned to Alice.
"I just can’t tell him" she said helplessly. "I’ve tried but I can’t. Does it show yet?"
She turned sideways and Alice scrutinised her carefully.
"No, not really," she replied after a minute or two. "If you didn’t know you wouldn’t notice. But it will start to show soon. You have to tell him. I’m sure he’ll stand by you."
"I just don’t know," she replied slowly. "That’s what I’m scared of. What if he doesn’t? And how do I tell my parents? What if they throw me out?"
"Well, then we’ll all help you as much as we can," said Alice firmly. "As soon as you’ve told Ray we can ask Pete what to do, he might be able to help."
"Not an abortion" replied Jane. "I’m not having one."
"I didn’t mean that," Alice said. "No, you mustn’t have an abortion, whatever happens. Pills or something perhaps."
"Yes" said her friend a little hesitantly. "I’d take them."
"But you must tell Ray now," urged Alice, "or else it’ll be too late to do anything."
Jane was silent for a minute and then she said slowly,
"All right then. I’ll tell him later. As soon as you’ve gone."
"Good girl," said Alice, squeezing her friend’s arm reassuringly. "I’m sure it will be all right. Now then, let’s make that tea."
***
They stood at the door waving to the scooter vanishing quickly into the distance and then they went inside together. Jane looked at Ray, his short black hair curling very gently at the tips no matter how hard he tried to stop it. She took a deep breath."Ray, I’ve got to talk to you." So the first move was made.
"Yeah love, what’s the matter?" he looked at her enquiringly. "You’ve not got fed up with me have you?"
"No, of course not. It’s not that. It’s – it’s," Oh God how could she tell him?
"I’m, I’m – going to have a baby." There it was done. She had said it. She stared at him defiantly. He looked at her, the colour draining from his face. For a second he wanted to hit her, hurt her, force her to take those awful words back. Then compassion flooded through him. Poor kid, the poor, poor kid. No wonder she’d been acting strange recently. How scared she must have been all the time, scared of what would happen to her, scared of what her parents would do, and most of all scared that he would walk away and leave her.
"I’m not leaving," he said firmly. "I love you. It’s my fault. I suppose it was at that party?"
She was trembling with relief now.
"Yes, yes it was" she said and began to cry. She stood there shaking with sobs.
He looked at her tenderly, she was so young and he had done this to her. He moved quickly towards her and put his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. She raised a tearstained face and he gently wiped the tears away.
"Ray, I’ve been so scared. I thought you’d leave me. I was so frightened you would." She clung to him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder. Although the tears still came she felt much better now that she had told him and the tears were mainly of relief.
"We’ll have to think about our future now." Ray said, gazing unseeingly out of the window. "Do you want to get married?"
"I, I don’t know," she murmured. "I love you – but college and everything. I thought perhaps those pills you can get might work – or something. And it’s not the right basis for getting married. You’d grow to hate me for tying you down so early."
"I’m glad you said that," he replied, looking down at her golden brown hair.
"I’ll try and get some pills but don’t be too hopeful will you? We’ll just go on going out with each other and then maybe in a few years, if we still feel the same, we can get married, properly because we love each other, not because we have to."
"I’m glad you understand," she said quietly, looking at him. "Alice said you wouldn’t leave me. I’m glad she was right because I love you."
"In spite of everything?" he asked seriously.
"In spite of everything," she repeated, holding him closely.
Pete and Alice parted company at the bus stop. It would be safer than him taking her home and risking being seen. They clung to each other without saying much, they needed no words to express their feelings for each other.
"I’ll see you in Stroud tomorrow at seven," Pete told her as the bus came into sight.
"I’ll be there," replied Alice. "Oh I hate leaving you like this, not knowing for sure that I’ll see you again. What if they guess and I’m not allowed out?"
"Don’t worry until you’ve got reason to," he said as the bus drew up beside them emptying out a stream of fat women clutching shopping baskets. "We’ve got each other back, that’s the main thing." He grinned at her cheekily. "And keep your neck well hidden if you want to get away with it!".
He kissed her quickly and then she was gone from him. The bell rang and the bus drew ponderously away. He gazed after it for a while and then turned in the direction of home.
Alice watched him standing there, tall and wonderful beside his Vespa. How she loved him. She wondered how much he loved her, if it was as deep as the feelings she had for him. Then the bus rounded a bend and he was gone. She began to worry about what would happen when she got home, and also wondered if Jane had told Ray yet. Life was getting very complicated she thought ruefully.
***
to be continued .........
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