The Neighbour

Bit of a slag."

My anger came from nowhere and I did something out of character, launching myself at Shelia. I pushed her back with force.

"Don't you ever say that. At least she wasn't the school bike."

Shelia tottered on her heels looking shocked as Craig stepped between us, his fist coming at me.

"Wow. Guys."

Lloyd shouted.

I deflected Craig's strike partly due to Lloyd pushing us apart and shook myself down. Craig was giving me verbal none of which I heard. My anger stayed on his stunned bird.

"How many notches you got on your bedpost Shelia? Because I tell you this much. It's a lot more than Elaine. So who's the slag?"

For a moment I wanted to tell Craig Shelia had flashed me in his bedroom. To let him know I was another one who'd seen his precious girlfriend's tits. I held back. It wasn't his fault and he didn't deserve that. We'd get over this in a few days. Just not now.

"Fuck this.

I'm going."

'It'll be Lonely this Christmas' echoed after me as I found my coat in the hall under a pile of others.

"Too bloody right." I muttered slamming the door behind me.

The walk home didn't help my mood. Every other house had a tree in the window reminding me of happy families gathered around the TV to watch The Seventies Stop Here just before Big Ben chimed a new year and a new decade in. Children would be playing with their new toys while mum and dad ate the last of the mince pies.

One house thought it was in America with greenery wrapped over every surface and a huge garland hanging on the door. I didn't see that taking off here. We were too reserved for that.

I shivered in the cold and walked faster to be in the warm. There was going to be a frost. Damp hung heavy in the air and I could feel it on my face like icy needles.

I sighed as I turned into my road. The lights were on in my house and I could see the coloured glow of our tree. No happy families there. It'd been like waiting on death row for us all holiday. Mum had tried her best. Even Dad had made an effort on Christmas Day. I'd just remained sullen. And the reason sat in darkness next door.

That first week in the New Year I became even more despondent as I saw a finality arrive in the shape of a For Sale sign. It was there when I came home from my first shift back at work. A big wooded pole hammered into the grass I'd cut so many times all summer. I must have stood there for ages staring at it. I didn't shed any tears but inside I was crying. I felt as though my heart had been torn out.

I didn't snap out of it until I saw the net curtain twitching. Mum lifted it away and beckoned me to come in. I guess she'd been watching me for a while and now she'd had enough of me just standing there. I didn't want to but I walked up the drive just grateful Dad was at work.

"Perhaps it's for the best." She said meaning to sound caring.

I glared.

"No. It's not. It's really not."

There was venom in my voice.

"I loved her."

Mum looked horrified.

"How can you say you love her? She's old enough to be your mother.

Looks fade you know. She won't always look like that."

"I don't care. I love her and that's it."

"Well ..."

I think she almost burst into tears.

"It doesn't matter now. She's gone.

And very soon you'll meet a nice girl your own age. Like Craig. With his girlfriend. She's a nice girl. What's her name?"

"Shelia.

She's a slut. She shagged at least six people while we were still at school.

First time she did it with Craig was up an Alley in town. Bent over grunting like a dog. I know coz I was there with Lloyd keeping lookout. That what you want for me is it?

Even flashed her tits at me."

That shut her up. A look of total shock. I could see her lower lip trembling.

A week passed and I left work for another Friday evening. An empty one with nothing to look forward to apart from more brooding silence from Dad and Mum fussing around pretending everything was normal.

I was halfway home when the distinctive sound of a Volkswagen Beetle invaded the quiet estate road. It followed slowly behind me, breaking through my malaise. I glanced back to see the orange car. It was clean and shiny. Not brand new. A couple of years old. It was on an R plate but looked like it'd just come out of the showroom. It was just crawling along right behind me.

I turned forward and carried on walking expecting it to speed up and pass me. It didn't. I could still hear it chugging, coming almost alongside me and it started to be annoying. Everything annoyed me nowadays. Why was it following me?

I stopped and turned, looking to challenge the driver.

"Need a lift?"

My jaw fell. A near heart attack gripped my chest as recognition hit me. Elaine was sitting in the driver's seat with the window down. Her face was bright and smiling. Just as beautiful with the same blue eye shadow and pink lipstick.

"What the ..."

"Come on. Get in.

We need to talk.

That's if ..."

I didn't wait to answer as I saw her smile dissipating with fear I had turned against her. I ran to the passenger side and leapt in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked excitedly.

She looked at me for a moment. That same longing in her eyes.

"This."

She came across the car and put her arms around me, kissing me with a hunger. I returned it just as eagerly. It was a moment when time stopped and only our passion existed.

But it did end and Elaine sat back in her seat becoming more serious as I waited with a racing brain trying to anticipate every way this could pan out.

"How has it been? With your Dad, and Mum?"

I sighed. What was there to say?

"Not good. Mum tries to...

Me and Dad just don't speak."

"I'm sorry.

I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I tried so hard just to ... remain friends."

She looked ... apologetic. I worried this was a justification. And an end.

"I just couldn't help it. I fell in love with you Kevin."

My heart raced as she looked up at me. They were words I wanted to hear.

"I loved you from the very first moment." I said.

"I know.

I knew straight away. I just thought it was an infatuation that'd pass. A silly crush. I was flattered. I liked the feeling after being on my own. After a husband that didn't want me."

She stared forward down the road to where some children were playing. Three pre-teen girls with a skipping rope and a boy on a Raleigh Chopper looking on. Their life was so simple. I almost wished I was back at their age.

"What a mess."

She gave a long sigh.

"Where have you been?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. I could tell she was struggling with an inner turmoil.

"I stayed at my brother's for a few weeks. I've got a flat now. Just a rent. I moved in yesterday. It's nice. It's just for the time being. Until the house is sold."

The house. I saw the For Sale sign in my head and the reality returned.

"You're coming back aren't you?"

"No." That was said with a harsh finality.

"I've got a new job. Another solicitor's. A modern practice. And I've started looking for a new house. Prices are a little cheaper so should be able to find something decent. Maybe better than the one ..."

I felt myself deflating. For a moment everything had looked bright and promising. Now it was all fading away again.

"So ... what? Did you just come back to say goodbye?"

Elaine looked down into the footwell as though discovering the pedals for the first time. I saw her feet shuffling around, flicking the brake pedal with her toe. Her hand was on the gearshift, almost stoking it with all the connotations that carried.

"Not necessarily."

She looked up at me.

"That depends on you."

"What do you mean?"

"Come with me, Kevin."

"You mean that?"

"Yes."

I still wasn't believing what she was asking.

"You mean as ..."

She laughed.

"Yes. Cohabiting, shacking up, my boyfriend, lover, living in sin. Whatever you want to call it.

Just ... be with me."

Those last words were delivered with feeling. Hope and a little fear. I was in a state of shock. But my face beamed with delight.

"Somewhere new where no one knows us." She went on.

"Fuck the age difference. Let people think what they want. I don't give a toss."

I was shaking. Not with fear. It was excitement. Shock. I pulled myself together.

"Yes." My voice broke into a laugh of happiness.

"Of course, I'll come with you.

When?"

"Right now. Leave everything and we just drive now."

I laughed again.

"I didn't even know you could drive."

"I learnt when I was married. The dork wanted a chauffeur to pick him up from the pub. Just didn't need the expense of a car when I was on my own.

Don't laugh at me. I'm not very good."

"Don't care so long as you can steer away from this town."

She leaned over to me and we kissed. A long, passionate embrace without a care who walked past and saw us.

When she sat she cleared her throat and prepared for the future.

"Okay. Let's go. You can ring your Mum when we get there. There's a phone box on the corner."

"Not looking forward to that."

"See won't like it. You can do what you want now. But she has to know you're safe.

And I'll be there with you."

She crunched the gears.

"Oops. Not usually that bad. Honest."

In the space of a few minutes, my whole world had turned around. Yes. Elaine did bear a striking similarity to Linda Carter. And for me, she really was my Wonder Woman, riding in to rescue me at the last moment. But above all, she wasn't a fantasy. She was real. And she was mine. I loved her no matter what my Dad or anyone else thought about it. It was just another change he'd have to accept.

The End