Good Lil Girl

Chapter 3

"How was your first day at school honey?" My mother chimed as she tucked a brown curl behind her ear with one hand and stirred a large wooden spoon around inside a tin pot viciously with the other.
I shrugged. "It was okay, really."
"Just okay? Did you make any friends? Are the teachers nice? Are the lessons interesting? Did you learn anything?"
"Like I said, it was okay..." I repeated, ignoring my mother's typical manner of bombarding me with questions. "I made some friends. The girls there are really nice."
"Oh, great news!" She answered with vigour, running to the pantry to fetch some salt and some gravy stock. "Better than your last school then. After all of that happened last year me and your father thought you were going to be a loner forever."
"Mum." I squirmed in my seat.
"What? I'm just telling the truth, darling. Anyway, what are these girls like? Are they as beautiful as my little munchkin?" She cood, reaching out and squidging my cheek with her warm grip.
"Get off." I replied, swatting at her hand, but I was smiling a little. "They're really nice ma, and ever so pretty, and they act pretty old for their age. Tina already has a boyfriend, and they all must spend so long on their hair..."
"Boyfriend? Oh heavens, as if you'd want to get started on men at that age. I'm not too keen on mine now..."
I giggled. "Mum!"
"I'm only kidding, Elouise. Have... You seen any boys that tickle your fancy?"
My mother was such a stirrer. She would act all normal with her questions, as if she was merely wondering about it, but then if she actually found out that I had even the slightest crush on a boy she would be up in flames.
"No mum. I don't like boys and you know that. I'm focusing entirely on my school work just as usual."
She smiled to herself as she opened a cupboard and messed with the carelessly laid contents. "That's good to hear. But I definitely do want to know if there is a boy on the scene, alright? I promise I won't be mad, Elouise."
What a liar. I knew for a fact that I would be instantly interrogated and then probably forced to cease any more contact with the said boy.
"I'm going upstairs anyway, I have algebra work to finish."
"Wait, darling, we're out of milk and you know how annoyed your father gets when he doesn't have a cup of tea ready waiting for him. Would you run down to the shop and get us some?"
I sighed. "But mum, I have no idea where anything is around here."
"Oh stop whining, it'll give you a chance to get some fresh air anyway. I think there are a few shops if you carry on walking towards the school and then turn into the town. Just don't be too long."
"Fine, mother." I replied, annoyed, as I took the money she was holding out towards me and headed for the door.
*****
I had arrived by the school in record time, clutching my satchel to my side as I walked with haste. But I had not the faintest idea where to turn now. What did she mean by turn into town? I couldn't see any inclination of a town anywhere.
I quickly decided to turn down a very narrow street near the school that looked like it could be the right way. After all, it was the only street that happened to follow in another direction as opposed to carrying on down the school pathway. The houses were stacked near enough on top of one another, with the slightest inch of 'garden' and barely enough road space to park a car. Many of the houses along the old cobbled street were made of ill-coloured bricks and the paint that coated the window ledges and porch doors was peeling. I smiled. Even though the place looked rather rough, it had personality. I could imagine the different sorts of people who lived in these rooms, getting on with their everyday chores and habits, while I was simply walking to the shop. Well, I wouldn't say I knew where I was going, but it was an attempt of walking to the shop at least.

Coming out of the street, I realised that my suspicions were right and it did indeed look like I had arrived at the town centre. There were kids on bikes and old ladies window shopping and a man trying to sell newspapers and... John Lennon?
Oh for goodness sake. John was standing right outside the corner shop, the shop I needed to enter.
How was I going to do this? I couldn't just walk straight past him. He was sure to see me, and then the ridicule would begin. Were there any other shops around here that sold milk?
After minutes of dilly dallying I decided to just go for it. What harm could John do anyway? All I needed to do was ignore him and walk straight into the shop, run for the milk, and dash out. Simple. I began to make my way towards the shop, focussing entirely on the glass door and the red painted letters 'open'. This was easy. Just walk in and it'll be fine, yeah. I diverted my gaze to John and I saw now that he had been joined by another tall lad dressed in leather and they both had cigarettes draping out of their thin lips, the smoke filling the air rapidly. No. I couldn't do this, who am I kidding? John will see me and then I'll be sucked in to another conversation in hell. I'll just tell mum that the shop was closed. I spun on my heels and went to take a step back in the original direction.
"Elouise?"
I jolted to a stop. That was John. He had noticed me, he had noticed me and now he was going to bully me to no end. Why had I stopped? Walk faster Elouise!
"Woah lass where're goin'?" I heard him call as footsteps grew closer and closer until he was by my side, with a grin on his silly face.
"Oh John, I've got no time to chat, I've got to get home."
"Oh yeah? I'll walk yer home, lil girl."
I bit my lip and tried to walk faster. "No that's okay, I can walk by myself."
"Well I'm walking this way anyway, might as well walk with yer." He answered, drawing another smoke of his cigarette.
"What about your mate... I'm sure you were just with him."
He smiled. "Oh so you did see me before you dashed away then, ey?"
I decided to not say anything to him in reply, hoping he would just leave. I did have to admit though, he hasn't said anything horrible to me... Yet.
"Alright so where d'ya live then, girl?" He asked, blowing smoke into the air again.
I wafted the smoke out of my face and turned away. "Around here somewhere."
"What's wrong, yer don't like a lil smoke girl?"
"No I don't John. And my name isn't girl, its Elouise."
He laughed. "Well I am sorry, princess over here really wants me to use her name. Wonder why that is. Do ya fancy me, El?"
El? What the hell is El? My name is Elouise is it so hard to say? "Of course I don't."
"Are you sure about that? I know I'm pretty handsome." He threw his arm around my shoulder, gripping me tight. "You want a smoke?"
I was shaking. My shoulder was pressed into the soft leather of his jacket, I was too close to him. I could smell his rugged scent, his breathe on my neck, yes he was good looking. But of course I was scared of John. I didn't know what he could do. "N-no, I really don't, thanks."
"Oh go on, it's nice, honest. Just open your little lips.."
"John get off me! I don't want a cigarette. Leave me alone."
"Ooh, miss prissypants doesn't want a cig! She doesn't want to ruin her good reputation! Oh give in would yer, or are you so scared your parents are gonna find out?" He urged, rolling his eyes as he took the cigarette away from me and had a smoke himself.
"No I'm not!" I retaliated, snatching it from his hand and shakily holding it up to my own lips. I tried to, as casually as I could, inhale the dense smoke. I coughed a little but then blew it out immediately before breathing in fast. It tasted a little odd, but it was better than I thought it would be. "There. Are you happy?"
He was smirking at me, his eyes tracing my face. "Yeah, I am. I'm corrupting yer, good girl Elouise."
"No you're not. It was only one cigarette."
"Only one? So you'd do it again then, ey?"
I folded my arms. "Maybe i would, what's it to you?"
"Well if you think about it, Elouise, we both shared that cigarette. It was like we kissed." He muttered, getting closer to my face.
My heart started beating fast as I tried to back away. "No.. It wasn't."
"So I guess we could kiss now right? It'd be the same." His face started getting closer and closer to mine and my breath was shaky as I closed my eyes, ready to feel his lips on mine.
Instead I heard his loud laughter. "I'm joking, El. I wouldn't ever kiss you, yer ugly."
And with that he walked away with a smirk, and all I could do was follow him with my eyes. My mum was going to be so annoyed I didn't buy any milk.