|
"Laura's Dream" |
| Copyright Francis Blow, 1986. |
| CHAPTER 11 |
| Laura was the last one to get to the end of the pool. It was Doug who reached a hand down to help her out, and he held her longer than was necessary. |
| "I bet you were over the moon when you were second in your selection yesterday." Doug smiled at her. |
| Laura's face glowed with remembered joy and pride. "I don't know how it happened." |
| Jem was standing close by, and interrupted them. "I heard one of the girls you beat tell another one that she saw the expression on your face when you were told to get on your marks. She said you looked like you were going to explode. Maybe you put her off. I don't know, but I do know you were half a second ahead of your fastest time." |
| Laura could not stop smiling at the memory. As soon as she had rocketed off the starting block, everything had vanished from her consciousness, except for the goal of breaking her own personal best. And she had done it, only because she had made it her only reason for existing, for those few seconds. |
| "Food's on!" Carla called from the doorway, where a table had been set up on the lawn. Plates of sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken pieces and salads were there for the teenagers to feast on. Laura was surrounded by her friends, with their laughter and bright conversation. |
| She could not help but feel a little apart, however. Why did she feel different to normal kids? Even Doug and Suzie, who were the oldest ones there, seemed to fit in better than she did. Laura knew she was growing fonder of Doug; he was always considerate and eager to be with her. When they were together, Doug always found reason to touch her hand or to put his arm around her, and when they kissed he was gentle and brought a pleasant warmth to her middle. |
| Laura glanced at the tall boy who stood at her side, so close that their bodies touched if either of them moved, which was often. Doug made a witty comment about something at school, and the people around them laughed. He was very handsome, hard muscled and had the cutest bum Laura had ever seen in a tight swimsuit. He was always affectionate, but never went too far. He really was a gentleman. |
| Yet there was something missing from him that was missing from everyone else except Laura. |
| "Doug," She put her fingers on his arm. "Can I talk to you for a few minutes?" |
| "Sure. You're the reason I'm here." He followed Laura up to her bedroom, and out onto the verandah, where no one could see or hear them. She made him sit on the sun lounge, then sat herself on his knee. |
| "What's wrong with me, Doug? Why am I different to other people? Why do I feel as if I'm outside, looking in through a window and the door is locked?" Laura burst into tears, surprising herself as much as Doug. |
| After a moment, he cuddled her against his chest and held her tight. |
| "You are a very special girl, Laura," he whispered. "You have the power to walk to the edge of the cliff where we are all standing. And then you step off, knowing that somehow you will either find an invisible bridge, or you will learn how to fly. None of us has the courage to do that. We all want it, but we're afraid to have it. I guess it's because once you have that kind of courage, you constantly push yourself into positions that try you even more. Nobody thought you had a hope in Hell of making the team. Nobody, except for you. Somehow, you found a way. You always find a way." |
| "Is that wrong?" Laura's voice was muffled by his chest. |
| "Wrong? It's the most right thing you can be! You tell us you want to be an astronaut and fly to Mars... I've been thinking about that a lot. How can any one person think that all they have to do is believe that and it will happen?" |
| "But..." Laura turned her head. |
| "Nobody thinks that, except for the ones who are doing it. People thought that John Kennedy was crazy to promise he would put a man on the Moon. Sure, he was killed, but Armstrong took that first small step for mankind." |
| "Then we stopped a few years later," she said. "The space programme is not exactly progressing in leaps and bounds, is it?" |
| "You tell me, Laura. How can you get to Mars?" |
| They stared into each others eyes, so close their lips were almost touching. Then they were together, and there was nothing gentle or giving about their kiss. |
| Laura felt as if she was fevered, and still wanted more. |
| "Break in the clinch, you two." Carla said loudly from the door to Laura's room. "I did call you." |
| "Uh, Mum." Laura flushed to her toes. |
| "I'm sorry, Mrs. Shell." Doug sounded very embarrassed. |
| "Don't be sorry. But from the way you both look, I think you would both have had a lot to be sorry for, if I hadn't found you when I did. Kissing is not wrong, so don't misunderstand me. Anything more than that is dangerous." |
| "We weren't going to do..." |
| "Laura! Listen to me. You too, Doug. Look at yourselves. You are dressed like that, alone. What were you thinking just before I came? Don't bother answering, because I could see from the way you were then, and the way you are now. You weren't thinking at all. You were just reacting. I know! I've been where you are, and further, but that's with my husband, while you're not married." Carla tried to explain. "Both of you know Helen Drewson. She's fifteen, and four months pregnant. By her sixteenth birthday she'll be a mother. What kind of girl was she? Tell me. You both knew her." |
| Laura slid off Doug's knees and sat beside him. "She was a nice girl, Mum. She wasn't... You know." |
| "So how did it happen? Do you think it was planned? Or did it start with a little kiss, maybe when she needed comforting?" Carla prompted them. "Doug, I'm not blaming you, because a boy of your age has even less control of his body than a girl. What I'm saying is, keep yourselves out of any situation where you might lose control." |
| Doug blushed and stared at the floor. |
| "Laura. Doug. Don't feel bad. I'm sure it was fun while it lasted. Put it behind you and let your friendship develop with your hearts, not your hormones. Now get downstairs, before your friends start wondering what you're up to." |
| |
| Laura went down, though Doug needed a few minutes to compose himself. |
| "Laura! What have you done to Doug?" Jem teased her. "How was it?" |
| "Jem! We didn't do anything." Laura fibbed. "Well, just a kiss." |
| The others cheered and whistled. Laura blushed once more and became angry with herself for going red; it made her seem childish to blush so much, and she could not stop herself. Her mother said she should not put herself in a position where she could lose control, and Laura was ashamed of herself for not controlling her own body. |
| When Doug rejoined the party, and the cat-calls and crude comments began again, Laura was ready, so her face stayed the same shade of light tan it normally was. There was some perverse satisfaction in seeing her man go crimson. |
| |
| By the time all the boys had gone, Laura was as cheerful as usual. She helped her mother shepherd the other girls through her bathroom and her parents ensuite. There was only one incident, when Joey went to brush his teeth while Simone was showering. A female shriek sent the little boy racing to the safety of his father, while high, girlish laughter followed him down the stairs. |
| "Joey," John said. "It doesn't worry your family, we're used to it, but you can't walk into a room without knocking. That young lady is very upset now, and so are you. Try to remember some people like privacy, especially in the bathroom." |
| "I didn't mean to, Daddy. Laura never says anything." |
| "Maybe not. And maybe it's time you gave her some privacy, too," the boy's father suggested, then said to himself. "Especially after what Carla told me about what Doug was up to." |
| "What, Daddy?" |
| "Never mind. Just grown up stuff." |
| "I bet she sticks her tongue in his mouth." |
| "Joey! Where did you learn that?" John exclaimed. |
| "At school... On TV, lots of places." |
| "Humph... Go to bed. You can go without brushing your teeth for one night. I'll come up and kiss you later." |
| "Oh, do I have to, Daddy? Laura gets to stay up late all the time!" |
| "She's fourteen, you're eight. Now get." |
| The boy started to walk away, then turned to say. "Laura's boobies are bigger than that other girl's." |
| "Joey! That's no way for you to talk about any girl." John's voice was stern, yet he had to force himself to keep a straight face. When he was alone for a moment, John muttered "They ought to blow up people who write that stuff for kids' shows." |
| Laura came in with three of her girlfriends, all in frilly nighties, pastel coloured and pretty. He stood up. "I'll leave you, ladies, and see you in the morning. Good night." |
| "You don't have to go, Daddy." Laura told him. |
| "Yes I do. When women get together to talk, the words are English, but the meaning is in another language. See you for breakfast." John left, to kiss his son good night, and saw one of the other girls come out of the boy's room; she was dressed modestly in pink pajamas, and smiled shyly. |
| "Good night, Mr. Shell." |
| "Sleep tight, miss." John returned her smile. She was petite and looked very vulnerable. He watched her skip around to the stairs and down, before he entered Joey's room. "Who's your friend, Joey?" |
| "That's Simone. She's the girl who scared me in the bathroom." The boy explained. |
| "Uh. Right. What was she doing here?" |
| "Came to say sorry for screaming. She's nice." |
| "Glad to hear it. Did you say sorry for not knocking?" |
| "Forgot." |
| "Oh, Joey... Never mind. Try and remember next time." John shrugged, then leaned over and kissed the boy; the bear was cuddled under Joey's chin. "If you get up early, don't bother the girls. They'll be sleeping in the lounge room." |
| |
| Laura and her friends were watching videos, eating potato crisps and drinking milk shakes. There were air mattresses and sheets everywhere, and all the girls were enjoying themselves. Simone squeezed in next to Laura where she sat on a mattress. |
| "Laura, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" |
| When they were alone, Simone spoke self consciously. "I heard that you and Doug are going together now?" |
| Laura smiled at her, realising what the smaller girl was trying to say. "Sim, I know you and Josh like each other. You're both my friends, and I want you to be happy. How about a hug, and then we'll go join the others?" |
| The look of gratitude in Simone's eyes made Laura feel glad for her friend. |
| "What happened in the shower?" Laura asked. |
| Simone giggled and put her hands to her face. "Your little brother walked in on me while I was undressed. He didn't mean to. I think I frightened him more than he did me!" |
| Laura shook her head. "He does that to me all the time, then turns the cold water tap on, or he flushes the toilet, and I boil under the shower. I guess having a brother makes you a bit blasé about stuff like that." |
| "Carol, my sister, does it all the time too. But boys are different." |
| Laura shrugged. "At eight years old, there's not a lot different, apart from one obvious little detail. They make the same noises, play much the same games and only care about themselves. Sometimes they surprise you by giving you a big kiss and cuddle out of the blue. I guess, in another year or two, he'll get to the obnoxious brat stage." |
| "What do you mean? Carol's ten, and we get on well." |
| "Doesn't she annoy you about boyfriends, or try to butt in when you're on the phone?" |
| "Not really. We're pretty good mates." |
| "You're lucky. Hey, I've got an idea. Like some ice cream?" |
| "Ooh, yum!" |
| Laura took a tub of vanilla out of the freezer, while Simone found spoons. Laura cleared a space on the kitchen bench, climbed up and folded her legs beneath her. The ice cream was in front of her, and Laura told Simone to sit opposite her. |
| "This feels weird, Laura." |
| "You can let your hair down, Sim. The only people who can see us are the other girls. Dig in!" |
| A few minutes later, Jem came searching for Laura, and in seconds, there were five girls crammed onto the bench, each trying to convey a spoon from the container of vanilla to her mouth, while giggling with unrestrained delight. |
| When the last spoonful of melted ice cream had been scooped up, there were sounds of dismay, until Suzie suggested a game of charades. The girls were soon laughing so much, that they had to hold their aching sides, and tears rolled down their cheeks. |
| Jem managed to look at the clock. "Hey! It's nearly twelve and it's still hot. Who wants a midnight swim?" |
| The reply was unanimous, until some girls remembered they had no swimming costumes. Jem suggested underwear was good enough in the dark. |
| Simone was worried about Laura's parents so Laura reminded them to stay quiet. "They're pretty cool, Sim. If we don't bother anyone, they'll leave us alone." |
| Jem led them to the pool and they slipped into the water. The five girls soon forgot themselves and began splashing noisily under the full moon. None of them noticed that Laura's parents watched them for several minutes from their bedroom window. The two adults went back to bed. |
| By one o'clock, all of the girls were dry and in their makeshift beds; some of them were asleep. Laura drifted off, more relaxed than she had been in weeks. |
| |
| Sunday morning, and Laura discovered she was not alone on her air mattress. A small body in blue pajamas and cuddling a bear was pressed against her. Joey had joined his sister earlier that morning and fallen asleep beside her. Her arm drew him closer. |
| "Oh, how cute," Jem said sleepily, from a nearby mattress. "How did you develop a growth like that?" |
| "Quite easily. Joey's my mate, aren't you?" |
| The boy mumbled and squeezed his bear tighter. Laura got up and went to the kitchen to check the damage, but Carla had already cleared up the mess, having taken wet clothing out of plastic bags and hung them on the clothes line. |
| "Hi, baby. Sleep well?" |
| "Like a rock. Gosh! It's nearly ten o'clock!" |
| "I'm not surprised you all slept so soundly, after your swim." |
| "Oh, did you hear us?" |
| "We saw you." |
| "Sorry, Mum." |
| "Stop saying sorry, if you don't mean it. We didn't mind too much, but don't make a habit of it, the pool is for costumes, not undies." |
| Laura was relieved; Carla was very understanding, but then again, her mother had confessed to being wilder when she had been young. "What are you cooking? Bacon and eggs?" |
| "With sausages. We've all eaten; Joey too. It might be a good time to rouse the girls." |
| Laura enlisted Jem and Joey to help wake the others. Simone woke to the sound of growling, and a teddy bear was attacking her shoulder. Laura had to try and break up the wrestling match that developed between Simone and Joey, for possession of the bear. |
| |
| The day continued, more quietly, when the girls were collected by mothers or fathers. Laura spent most of the time in her room, going over her homework. When her eyes began to get tired, she went for a run on her own. Not trying for any special performance, it was more to make sure she stayed in the habit of training. |
| As she crested a steep hill, Laura heard sirens. Three police cars sped past her and disappeared around a corner. The incident was unusual, because there were three cars and they did not seem to be chasing anybody. Laura wondered if a robbery had taken place. When she speculated further, she thought it might have been another kidnapping. She continued her run, and arrived home, breathless. |
| "Hey, Mum. I saw... What's wrong?" |
| "One of your friends. That small, pretty girl..." Carla could not continue. |
| "Sim? What happened to Simone? Tell me! Please?" |
