Episode 6.
In Which Alice Runs Away With Pete and Ends up in the Sack!

Alice had not been missed at school as early as she had thought, thanks to her friends in her form. After she had run off from Miss Jenkins. Pam had gone to look for her and had found her blazer missing. She guessed what must have happened and told Carolyn. To try and keep their friend out of trouble they decided to say that she had not felt well and must have been sent home.
As often happened the afternoon register was called in a rather chaotic way and they told the mistress without any trouble that Alice was taking some books over to the Junior school. The first lesson passed uneventfully but almost at the end of the second lesson, which was with their form mistress, her absence was noticed.

"Please Miss Henley," said Pam. "She didn’t feel very well and was a bit sick. I think she must have gone home."

"Okay," replied the teacher. "Thank you for telling me. I’ll go and check up after this lesson."

Mrs Ruth, the games mistress, who also looked after the girls when they were ill did not know anything about Alice’s sickness when asked by Miss Henley.

"Oh dear!" said the teacher. "Maybe she went home of her own accord." Enquiries were made in the Staff Room but no-one could remember seeing the girl after dinner. Miss Jenkins claimed noisily that ‘she went rushing off after I had had words with her concerning her boyfriend.’ Adding sniffily "He’s not the right type at all."

"You should not have said anything against her boyfriend," said Miss Henley. "It’s none of our business. You can very easily upset a girl by running down the boy she thinks she is in love with."

"I think she was upset by it and just went off," said Mrs Ruth. "She didn’t look too good this morning I thought. We’d better send someone to her house to see if she’s there."

"I hope she is," said Miss Henley in a worried voice.

She wasn’t of course. Her mother was shocked to hear what had happened. Slowly the whole story untangled. Alice had had a furious row with her mother the night before and had been forbidden to ever see her boyfriend again. She had left the house without any breakfast, been told off by Miss Jenkins and had been so upset she had left school before lunch. She had not returned home and no-one knew where she was.

"She’s bound to come home soon," comforted Mrs Ruth. "She’ll be starving. She has probably just gone off for a long walk to think about things. After all she couldn’t run away. She had no money on her and school uniform would be too conspicuous."

The time ticked quickly on. Lizzie came home from school; her father home from work but still Alice had not returned. Frantic with worry Mrs Greenway went to the phone box and contacted the police. She gave all the particulars and described Alice as tall, blond and wearing the Grammar School uniform. She couldn’t have got far, she told them, as she had no money. The police were not very worried, it was too early yet to begin to get anxious.
At about 10.30 that night Mrs Greenway went up to Alice’s room to fetch a photo to give to the police. As she went out of the door she felt something was missing. She went back into the room to check – Alice’s leather had gone from behind the door. Her hands trembling she pulled open the wardrobe door – some of her clothes were missing; her shoes were gone and her handbag was not there. There was no doubt now. Alice had run away from home!

Going to the phone again she tried to keep the fear from her voice as she phoned the police. This time they began to take things more seriously although they were not that worried. It was obvious that the girl would go to her boyfriend’s house. They would likely have her home again within the hour.
Pete’s mother opened the door to the policeman.

"Is an Alice Greenway here?" she was asked.

"Alice? No. Why, what’s happened. They have gone to the Blue Moon Club."

"We have reason to believe she has run away from home," replied the policeman. "Has she been here?"

"No," replied the woman, "I came home and found this note, look – I’ll show it to you."
The policeman read the untidy scrawl with difficulty.

"Thank you. If your son returns home, with or without Alice would you please let us know?"

"Of course," she replied rather worriedly. "He probably won’t be back until way past midnight. He isn’t usually when he goes to the Blue Moon."

"We’ll go there and try and find them," said the large blue policeman. "Goodnight, and thank you."

"Goodnight," she replied, shutting the heavy door. She leant against it, a frown on her face. Alice, run away from home? Surely not? She knew she was happy at home and Pete said that her parents were pleasant. Whatever could have happened to make do a thing like that. She began to wonder about the authenticity of Pete’s note. Maybe Alice had come here and they had gone off together – maybe they had eloped! A thousand possibilities came flooding into her confused mind. She went to tell her husband the news, feeling more than a little worried.

***

The police car pulled up sharply outside The Blue Moon Club, amidst a throng of scooters. They got out of the car and were stared at resentfully by the Mods who were standing around the small entrance. They entered the door and climbed up the three long flights of stairs, often being pressed against the wall, whilst groups of boys or girls went laughing down to the street, their laughs changing into a deep, meaningful silence as they passed the police. At last they reached the top of the stairs and walked into the pulsating room, filled with darkness, warmth and flashing strobe lights. The atmosphere changed within seconds of the police entrance. From being warm, free and easy it became cold, uneasy and repelling. The boys gathered in silent groups, the girls just stood around watching and waiting. Used to this kind of reception the police found the manager and asked him to stop the music and put a message over the loudspeaker. A few moments later the Mods heard the Manager’s voice.

"If either Pete Gardner or Alice Greenway are here or anyone who knows anything about them, would they please come to my office."
Glances were exchanged. Most of them knew the couple and wondered what had happened. They had all thought it was a drugs raid and it was a relief to find it wasn’t. A few people went to see the police but they all said the same thing. Pete and Alice weren’t there, hadn’t been there and they had no idea of their whereabouts. The atmosphere relaxed again as the police left. They seemed to have come to a dead end.

Part 7

Party Time for Pete and Alice.....

The party was a good one, held in a large, old house on the outskirts of Bristol. By eleven o’ clock it was really wild, record player blaring, drink flowing like water, girl’s wandering aimlessly around clutching bottles – often half undressed. The house belonged to a wealthy businessman and his wife who had gone away for the week, leaving the place in the care of their son. It stood in a large garden surrounded by a high wall and so it was the ideal position for an all night party.

Alice sat on the floor, propped against a wall. Pete lay with his head in her lap, looking up at her. Her eyes were bright and her face slightly flushed. He slid his hand under her shirt and ran it lightly over her back. She closed her eyes in delight and put her head back against the wall.

"Letsh go," she murmured. He got slightly unsteadily to his feet and dragged her to hers. They left the room and with his arm around her waist, supporting her, made their way upstairs.

The first two rooms they tried were already locked and occupied. They climbed slowly and waveringly up the second flight of stairs and at last found a room. Pete put the light on and drew the curtains. It was quite large and carpeted wall to wall with a deep blue carpet. The curtains were blue, as was the bed cover. The walls were white but one was papered with blue and white paper.

"Fabulous room," commented Pete, turning off the light. Alice had fallen onto the large, soft bed. She lay there feeling happy and scared at the same time. The drink had relaxed her body and made her want Peter terribly much – and this time she could have him. Her bemused mind vaguely wondered what would happen after tonight, where could she hide, how could she get money – then Pete’s arms were around her.

"I love you," he said softly. "I’ll look after you."

"I love you," she whispered back as she held him to her.
The night was soft and warm, sensuous and enveloping. It was made for young lovers. It was theirs and it enclosed them, whispering and creeping.

***

Sorry - it is asterisk time ........while I die of embarrassment!

Pete lit a cigarette. His arm encircled Alice’s naked shoulders. They lay quietly, no words needed to express their feelings. She had been good, he thought. Nervous at first and then a mixture of sweetness and hotness. He loved her even more now, now that she really belonged to him. He felt responsible for her and wanted to look after her. The cigarette tasted good and bitter. He felt completely satiated and happy.

Alice watched the glowing tip of his cigarette in the darkness. She felt so full of joy that she wanted to cry. No-one could take her away from him now; she was his. He had been so gentle, and then so strong, with her and made her love him so much more than she had done before. She would follow him anywhere, do anything for him now.

After a few minutes Pete spoke about the subject that was foremost in their minds.

"We had better begin to think about where we can hide you. Perhaps you could stay here for the rest of the week as the parents are away. I’ll have to ask Colin." This was the boy who lived in the house.

"That would be alright," she agreed. "They would never think of looking for me here. But what about you? If you go back to Gloucester the police will soon be on to you. They’ve probably checked at The Moon and found we weren’t there so they’ll know we’re together and they’ll question you."

"I hadn’t thought of that," he replied worriedly "but if I don’t go back we won’t have any money."

"I’ve got about five pounds fifteen shillings," she said. "How about you?"

"About sixteen pounds. I didn’t spend much over the weekend and I had about five pounds at home I was saving."

"Almost twenty two pounds," she exclaimed. "We can live on that till you get a job. We’ll have to live in a cave or something."

Pete laughed.
"We’re probably alright until Saturday till his parents come home. Then we’ll have to move out. Perhaps we could find a weekend party to stay at. Something will turn up." He was optimistic and so was Alice. They were together and in love, that was the main thing. It was exhilarating to be in danger and have to plan carefully together. It made their love all the more precious to know that one small slip and it would be taken away from them.
He finished his cigarette and then decided he’d better go in search of a bathroom. Alice wanted to go too and so they got out of bed.

"We’d better find some clothes," said Pete. "We might meet someone."

"I was going to. You don’t think I was going to wander around naked in a house full of people?" However she did not end up much better than naked, as she just put her leather on and buttoned it up. Pete slipped into his trousers, and scantily clad they opened the door and tried to find the bathroom. Music still drifted up to them from downstairs mingled with the occasional loud shouts of happy drunken people.

"Party still seems to be going sound," said Mike. "Ah, success at last," as he pushed open about the tenth door they had tried. Alice waited outside for him in the semi-darkness, listening to the sounds of the party. Then she heard the sound of people approaching. It was two boys, both in the same kind of drunken state as she had been. Most of it had worn off now and she just felt happy and talkative.

"Hello darling!" they drooled, hanging over her, "How’s about a kissh then?"
"No thanks," she replied, "I’m already booked." One of the boys slid silently down the wall and sat crumpled on the floor where he suddenly tried to put his hand up her leg.

"Hey! You haven’t got much on."

"And neither has he!" said Alice, retiring quickly into the safety of the bathroom.

By the time she came out Pete and the boys were on quite friendly terms.
"Have fun!" they called after the couple as they went back to the bedroom.

"It’s a good job you came out when you did," said Alice. "They were beginning to get a little insistent and I was wondering how I could hold them off – after all there were two of them!"

"I would have killed them if they’d gone too far," said Mike possessively. "Your mine now and nobody else’s."
"I don’t want to be anybody else’s," she told him.

They got back to the bedroom and Pete locked the door. He caught Alice round the waist and said softly and seriously,

"Was it all right Alice? I didn’t hurt you? You weren’t scared or hating it or anything?"

"Pete," she replied solemnly, "it was – was" - she searched for the right word, "it was beautiful – almost sort of – holy, if you know what I mean?"
Her last words were a little hurried and anxious for she felt he might laugh at her.

"I’m glad," he said, but with such meaning in those two words, that she knew he understood. He had slept with a great many girls and it was just a bit of fun, something to do but with Alice it had been very different. As she said, it had almost been holy. Maybe it was because he loved her and she loved him. He bent and kissed her, she responded eagerly and the desire began to mount in him again. She undid the stiff, green buttons of her leather and it slipped to the floor. He swung her legs off the ground and, kissing her neck and shoulders, carried her to the bed. The night closed in around them, warm and gentle.

                                                                  Asterisk time again *******

Jennie lay on her stomach, one arm draped over Pete’s chest. Her body rose and fell with the deep, slow breath of sleep. Pete lay awake thinking vague thoughts as sleep began to drift over him. He could not remember a time when it had been so good. She learned fast and well. He loved her for giving herself to him; it meant a lot to her and she had never given it to any other boy. Maybe she would never give it to anyone else – if he married her. The question had been worrying him for a long time. He loved her, she loved him but getting married was a serious thing and she was so young. He was nineteen now and had been around a bit so was pretty sure that Alice was the girl for him; but she was only sixteen and could yet still change her mind. If he asked her he knew she would say yes, but in a few years’ time she might wish she hadn’t. But she had loved him for over a year now, and had just shown him how very much. He wanted to marry her, even though marriage was a rather frightening thought! It was a way he could show her that he would love her forever. Clouds of sleep beckoned to him.

"In the morning," he thought as he was enveloped by sleep, "I’ll ask her – ask her to –ask to…." He slept as the night began to make way for morning.

***

.

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.

Touch of Bitter Taste of Honey.
Part 4.

In which Alice's Mother and Miss Jenkins Upset Alice.

On Sunday night Mary decided to talk to her daughter about Pete and about her plans to leave school at the end of the week. She hardly ever saw her daughter anymore. Friday evenings, Saturdays and most of Sundays were spent at parties, dances or coffee bars. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings were spent hurriedly doing her homework and getting ready in case Pete came up, which he often did. Alice was growing into a stranger.
After Pete had gone on Sunday evening Alice was listening to Luxembourg and idly sketching some Mod fashions in her sketch pad.

"Alice," said her mother. "I want to talk to you about leaving at the end of term. I think you would benefit a great deal from at least a year in the Sixth Form, and then, if you still wanted to go to Art College, you could go then."

"Me, in the Sixth Form. Don’t be daft," said Alice shortly. "I’m leaving this term with Rosie and Caroline so we can all be at Art College together – and anyway, if I go straight away I’ll have a grant for the two year course until I’m eighteen. What’s the point of wasting another year at school?"

"You wouldn’t be wasting it," replied her mother angrily. "You’d be more educated. Why do you dislike school so much? You never used to, not until -."

"Why do I hate school?" Alice broke in. "Because it’s a boring, out-of-date dump. The staff are nearly all old and bitchy, the building is decrepit and the lessons are so dull and endless that they just go on and on without anything exciting happening. I don’t want to spend another year rotting away in that hole, thank you very much!"

"It’s a very good school," shouted her mother. "You used to enjoy it until you started this ‘Mod’ craze," the word was pronounced with sour sarcasm "and until you met your precious Pete."

Alice slammed her hand down on the table.
"Don’t you bring Pete into this," she cried. "And what’s wrong with Mods? Better than being a greasy rocker. It’s a bit late now to suddenly decide you don’t like Mods or Pete. I love them both!"

"Love?" repeated Mary with a short laugh. "What do you know about love? You with your wonderful, glorified layabout – that’s all he is – a layabout. You and your short sixteen years of living, you don’t even know what the word means. And he doesn’t love you, he’s just playing games with you, don’t you realise that?"

With a sob of rage Alice turned towards the woman.
"I love Pete more than anyone else in the world, more than you, more than Dad – even more than Mods. I’d do anything for him, anything at all – and he loves me too, yes he does. He is NOT a layabout, he’s mine and I love him. What do you know that is so much more than I do about love? Is love going to bed with cream on your face and curlers in your frizzy hair? Is love slopping around in slippers. Is love arguing with the man you married? No! I love Pete just as much as you used to love Dad. And I am going to let him know it."

"You – how dare you say such things. Go to your room at once. And I forbid you to see Pete again – ever. Do you understand?"
Alice’s body went rigid with shock. Her face was sucked of all blood and she swayed on her feet.

"I understand," she said numbly. "You’re scared because you know I do love him, you’re scared because you’ve forgotten how to love. I hate you." She walked out of the room like a robot. Mechanically she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. There she locked the door and sat stiffly on her bed.

Never see Pete again? That was impossible. It couldn’t be true. No-one would do a thing that cruel to her, no-one and surely not her own mother. She was so shocked that the tears would not come. She sat there still as a statue for many hours. People came and knocked on her door; her sisters, her father and the woman who had taken Pete away, but she refused to come out.

Eventually, in the early hours of the morning she fell into a tortured sleep. Her dreams were vivid and frightening. She woke early wondering why she felt so strange, until the memory of it all came flooding over her. Now she would have to go downstairs and face her family, she would have to go to school for another dreary, boring day. She dressed slowly and went downstairs. Her father was eating his cornflakes, engrossed in the morning paper; her mother was in the kitchen – and she was singing. Alice felt sick at the thought of food. How could she eat when that woman was happily singing? She who had broken her daughter’s heart?

"Good morning," said her father.
"Morning," she replied.
"Oh, hello. You up?" greeted her mother. "What would you like for breakfast?"
Alice did not answer.
"I said what do you want for breakfast?" repeated her mother rather testily. "Surely you’re not still sulking over our little argument. I forgot it long ago. Mind you, I meant what I said about Pete – I don’t ever want you to see him again."

Alice walked out of the room into the hall and put her school blazer on. She didn’t bother with her hat. They were so unfashionable! She picked up her satchel and dinner money and went back into the dining room.

"Where do you think you’re going?" asked her father.
"School," she replied.
"Come back at once, you’ve had no breakfast," he ordered, getting up from his chair. She hurried through the kitchen, opened the door and ran as fast as she could. She heard her parents shouting behind her, but they did not follow. They probably thought she would come back for her breakfast but they were wrong.

She walked down to school in the rapidly rising sun, which was quickly warming the earth. She didn’t think about anything, her mind was a kind of blank. She reached school after about twenty-five minutes. It was early as yet and no girls had arrived except herself. The cleaners were there however so she let herself into her form room where she sat at her desk with her head in her hands. She just could not believe this had happened to her. She had to get to see Pete before he turned up at her house and her parents sent him away. The school clock ticked loudly in her ears and the room smelled of polish and chalk. Soon the school began to fill up. Someone walked into the form room. Alice looked up. It was Penelope.

"Hello Alice. You’re here early," then she stopped. "You do look ill. Are you alright?"
"Yes, I’m okay. It’s just – oh, nothing." How would Penelope understand, simple innocent Penelope who had never kissed a boy in her life?

"I saw your Pete on Friday," chattered the girl gaily. "Marilyn showed me who he was. He does look rather nice. She said…."

Alice could hold back the tears no longer. Like a great wave they swept over her, choking her and racking her with huge sobs.

"Alice," cried Penelope worriedly. "Oh I say, do stop crying. What is it?"

Alice was incapable of speaking; she could hardly breathe. She tried unsuccessfully to stop the flow of tears and then gave herself up to her misery and put her head down on the old wooden desk trying to cry some of the pain away. Distantly she heard Penelope talking to someone.

"Oh Pam, thank goodness you’re here. She won’t stop crying. I don’t know what’s wrong. She won’t tell me."

Then she felt a firm, reassuring hand on her shoulders.

"Go on Alice. Cry it all out of you and you’ll feel better. Don’t try and talk."
Eventually her sobs became a little less frenzied and she was able to speak. Briefly she told her friend the story, breaking out into fresh sobs as she did so. By now the room was filling up and everyone tried, in their own way, to comfort her but it was useless. She felt like a cold stone with no feelings or ability to help herself.

The day dragged endlessly on, each lesson merging into the one just gone like an endless stream. The last lesson of the morning was history. Alice did not hear a word of it; Miss Jenkins droned on, this lesson exactly the same as a million other chalky history lessons. As she talked about Charles V and the Schmalkadic League the teacher looked over her class. They all sat there staring into space, their minds miles away. A few were apparently taking notes but she knew from past experience that they would be writing letters to their various boyfriends or sketching clothes in their rough books. Not one of them would be listening to her, except perhaps Penelope.

She looked hopefully at the girl and was not disappointed; her eyes were bright behind her glasses and she was watching her teacher attentively. As Miss Jenkins watched her she turned round in her seat and looked across the room to the back. Miss Jenkins followed her gaze, she was looking at Alice Greenway. Several times during the lesson the same thing happened, but the teacher could not see that Alice was doing anything to catch Penelope’s attention. In fact the girl was unusually quiet today, she had not spoken a word to her neighbour but just sat there woodenly in her seat, staring straight ahead. The girl almost looked as though she were going to faint. Miss Jenkins was reminded of her resolution to speak sternly to her about what happened on Friday afternoon. The sharp ring of the bell interrupted her thoughts. It was at last the end of the lesson and the end of the morning. The girls came to life and started moving around, talking loudly. Alice still sat, immobile in her seat.

"Alice," called Miss Jenkins loudly. "I would like to talk to you for a moment." The girl slowly looked up. She dragged herself from her desk and walked up to the squat little woman, where she stood looking rebelliously at her.
"I saw you leave school on Friday," the teacher told her. "I don’t think that is a very suitable way to travel home. What is more you did not have your hat on."

"The wind would have blown it off," stated Alice mechanically.

"What you do in your own time is none of my business," said Miss Jenkins pompously, "but I will not have you flying around like that in the uniform of this school. I also did not approve of the young man you were with. He was nothing but a common hooligan. I think you should make your friends amongst a higher class of people."

The girl trembled all over, fiercely she spoke to the schoolmistress.

"I love him and he loves me. Why doesn’t everyone just leave us alone?" She turned and ran from the room leaving Miss Jenkins staring after her. The girls left in the classroom were drinking in the little scene. Miss Jenkins gathered up her books with dignity.
"Insolent young girl!" she muttered under her breath. "Love indeed!" Then she remembered a time when she had been young and a boy had told her with eager eyes that he loved her. For some reason she had refused him and gone on her own prim way. She sighed suddenly. Who was she to speak of love, she knew nothing at all about the subject?