Number Twelve---Sex, The Cane And Naughty Schoolgirls 12
Without Prejudice
Caro is in with a rough crowd now and I follow along. We all went to Boots after school and they all stole makeup, Max Factor pancake with the wind up bottom. I wouldn't dare and they called me a chicken, but I don't care. My Mother would scalp me alive if I ever stole something. Paula is big and fat and spotty and Caro will do anything she says, but I'm not. I don't even like her. She call me a little abo, if she calls me anything at all.
I'm not an abo, but I do get called it. I went to the fair on Saturday at the back of the Market and there was a ride run by the carnies and the music was Dave, Dee, Dozy, Mick and Titch. Paula was trying to show off to the carnies, she's older and is repeating Form 1. She looks about 15 and the men tease her, Caro and I just stay back as she is acting like a "slag". I hate that word but that's how she's acting. Caro thinks she's great and I think she's "rough". It's like she's jealous of Caro and I being friends and wants Caro all to herself..
It is freezing, raining but it's warm inside the tent of the ride. When we leave it's so dark and we race across the dark empty stall of the market. My Mother is going to kill me for being so late, it's after dark and I'm supposed to be home. My heart is racing by the time we get to the bus station at the top of The Bullring. Caro catches the bus with me and gets off at the bottom of Kirgate and I have at least another 15 minutes to get to Ossett. Of course I get told off but Mum smiles a little and she's saved me tea. Steak and Kidney pie. It's the one thing she cooks really well.
Jay is smug,
"Where have you been, chasing boys?"
I ignore him and spear the pieces of kidney with my fork and imagine jumping up and stabbing it in his eye, just once. Dad called me aside and says I am not allowed out after dark. God! As if I don't know! Bloody hell, I couldn't leave my friends, Caro's Dad doesn't care where she's been. Why can't my parents be like that?
I have to go to bed early as punishment in my smelly sooty room. I hate my life ! It's only fun when I am with my friends. I shall run away I decide, but where ? I could go to Auntie Pams. But they would find me and drag me home. I want to have a nice room with a nice smell and new clothes and boots like Paula has although they look stupid on her great big fat legs. And her skirt is too short and I hope she freezes to death. She wears so much makeup, her Mum mustn't care. I lie there twisting and turning and not sleeping and Jenny comes in and I pretend I'm asleep. She goes to bed with rollers in her hair and a scarf. Must hurt.
God! I was called an abo again. Caro, Denise and I went to the fete at the park and it was sunny and warm and I took off my shoes. Some old lady and an old man said I shouldn't be running around without shoes. But its warm and sunny! And the grass feels so nice under my feet. They also called me a little aboriginal in these posh voices but I kept my shoes off. Jesus at Southport State the kids didn't even have to wear shoes if they were poor. I can't believe how stuck up some people are here.
All afternoon people told me to put my shoes on and I wouldn't. Caro and Denise said I can do what I want but I noticed they didn't take theirs off. Just me. We had fairy floss and an ice, no money for hot chips today. We didn't go to the Mecca today as it's so good to be outside in the sun, for once. Thornes Park is blazing with the sun and people are sweating cobs and stripping off their coats and jumpers. It's not that hot! But they must think it is and there is lots of moaning about it. They should live in Queensland. I wrote an essay on it and that Miss Frobisher put hardly ! as a comment when I described the hot concrete with steam coming off it after rain. It's true and I've seen it. But she gave me an A+ so that was alright, even if she didn't believe me.
Mu and Dad has some Aussie people over on Saturday night, They belong here but had just come back and they said there had been a bad storm and half the Gold Coast beaches had been swept away. They had to put sandbags on the sea front and they are shipping in tons of sand from somewhere else. How sad. I don't want to thinkof the Gold Coast like that and I hope it's all OK, soon. The people brought us some Australian stuff, cheese Twisties, Violet Crumbles, that was so nice of them. Jay, the pig, had loads and tried not to let anyone else have them, he's such a greedy pig. He acts all lovable and charming in front of everyone but underneath he's a swine person.
One week to the holidays, six weeks off, that's so much more than Australia. I long to be back there in the hot sun but then there's lots of good things here too. I am amazed here thought that girls have boyfriends at my age. It seems too young. I am only 12 and a three quarters. It seems too grown up to have a boyfriend. Jenny wasn't allowed out with boys until she was 16 and she tells me I'm not even to think about it. But I do. I wonder what that would be like. he'd have to be older of course as boys my age and just wet and thick.
And they talk about Twangers and Fannies and stuff and I think they are disgusting. Janet Hughton was caught by them the other day and dragged into the change rooms. They tried to feel up her skirt but she screamed so loud the teachers came running. She has red hair and the boys were laughing after and said she has red fanny hair, but she said they were making it up. She crossed her legs tight and they didn't get to see anything, she said. They were just guessing. I heard Paula grabbed one of the boys and pulled his pants down for upsetting Janet. Hope she did it will serve him right.
Assembly this morning and after the hymns the Boss gave us a speech on bad behaviour by the boys. Attacking the girls and dragging them into the change rooms is not on and any boy caught, "De bagging", will get the cane. Good ! David Cuckoo Cooling has already had the cane and he said it hurts like hell. Another boy Lance Reeves put a book down the back of his trousers and The Boss didn't know he had so he bragged it didn't hurt but I think he was lying.
Caro is in with a rough crowd now and I follow along. We all went to Boots after school and they all stole makeup, Max Factor pancake with the wind up bottom. I wouldn't dare and they called me a chicken, but I don't care. My Mother would scalp me alive if I ever stole something. Paula is big and fat and spotty and Caro will do anything she says, but I'm not. I don't even like her. She call me a little abo, if she calls me anything at all.
I'm not an abo, but I do get called it. I went to the fair on Saturday at the back of the Market and there was a ride run by the carnies and the music was Dave, Dee, Dozy, Mick and Titch. Paula was trying to show off to the carnies, she's older and is repeating Form 1. She looks about 15 and the men tease her, Caro and I just stay back as she is acting like a "slag". I hate that word but that's how she's acting. Caro thinks she's great and I think she's "rough". It's like she's jealous of Caro and I being friends and wants Caro all to herself..
It is freezing, raining but it's warm inside the tent of the ride. When we leave it's so dark and we race across the dark empty stall of the market. My Mother is going to kill me for being so late, it's after dark and I'm supposed to be home. My heart is racing by the time we get to the bus station at the top of The Bullring. Caro catches the bus with me and gets off at the bottom of Kirgate and I have at least another 15 minutes to get to Ossett. Of course I get told off but Mum smiles a little and she's saved me tea. Steak and Kidney pie. It's the one thing she cooks really well.
Jay is smug,
"Where have you been, chasing boys?"
I ignore him and spear the pieces of kidney with my fork and imagine jumping up and stabbing it in his eye, just once. Dad called me aside and says I am not allowed out after dark. God! As if I don't know! Bloody hell, I couldn't leave my friends, Caro's Dad doesn't care where she's been. Why can't my parents be like that?
I have to go to bed early as punishment in my smelly sooty room. I hate my life ! It's only fun when I am with my friends. I shall run away I decide, but where ? I could go to Auntie Pams. But they would find me and drag me home. I want to have a nice room with a nice smell and new clothes and boots like Paula has although they look stupid on her great big fat legs. And her skirt is too short and I hope she freezes to death. She wears so much makeup, her Mum mustn't care. I lie there twisting and turning and not sleeping and Jenny comes in and I pretend I'm asleep. She goes to bed with rollers in her hair and a scarf. Must hurt.
God! I was called an abo again. Caro, Denise and I went to the fete at the park and it was sunny and warm and I took off my shoes. Some old lady and an old man said I shouldn't be running around without shoes. But its warm and sunny! And the grass feels so nice under my feet. They also called me a little aboriginal in these posh voices but I kept my shoes off. Jesus at Southport State the kids didn't even have to wear shoes if they were poor. I can't believe how stuck up some people are here.
All afternoon people told me to put my shoes on and I wouldn't. Caro and Denise said I can do what I want but I noticed they didn't take theirs off. Just me. We had fairy floss and an ice, no money for hot chips today. We didn't go to the Mecca today as it's so good to be outside in the sun, for once. Thornes Park is blazing with the sun and people are sweating cobs and stripping off their coats and jumpers. It's not that hot! But they must think it is and there is lots of moaning about it. They should live in Queensland. I wrote an essay on it and that Miss Frobisher put hardly ! as a comment when I described the hot concrete with steam coming off it after rain. It's true and I've seen it. But she gave me an A+ so that was alright, even if she didn't believe me.
Mu and Dad has some Aussie people over on Saturday night, They belong here but had just come back and they said there had been a bad storm and half the Gold Coast beaches had been swept away. They had to put sandbags on the sea front and they are shipping in tons of sand from somewhere else. How sad. I don't want to thinkof the Gold Coast like that and I hope it's all OK, soon. The people brought us some Australian stuff, cheese Twisties, Violet Crumbles, that was so nice of them. Jay, the pig, had loads and tried not to let anyone else have them, he's such a greedy pig. He acts all lovable and charming in front of everyone but underneath he's a swine person.
One week to the holidays, six weeks off, that's so much more than Australia. I long to be back there in the hot sun but then there's lots of good things here too. I am amazed here thought that girls have boyfriends at my age. It seems too young. I am only 12 and a three quarters. It seems too grown up to have a boyfriend. Jenny wasn't allowed out with boys until she was 16 and she tells me I'm not even to think about it. But I do. I wonder what that would be like. he'd have to be older of course as boys my age and just wet and thick.
And they talk about Twangers and Fannies and stuff and I think they are disgusting. Janet Hughton was caught by them the other day and dragged into the change rooms. They tried to feel up her skirt but she screamed so loud the teachers came running. She has red hair and the boys were laughing after and said she has red fanny hair, but she said they were making it up. She crossed her legs tight and they didn't get to see anything, she said. They were just guessing. I heard Paula grabbed one of the boys and pulled his pants down for upsetting Janet. Hope she did it will serve him right.
Assembly this morning and after the hymns the Boss gave us a speech on bad behaviour by the boys. Attacking the girls and dragging them into the change rooms is not on and any boy caught, "De bagging", will get the cane. Good ! David Cuckoo Cooling has already had the cane and he said it hurts like hell. Another boy Lance Reeves put a book down the back of his trousers and The Boss didn't know he had so he bragged it didn't hurt but I think he was lying.
