‘Oh, you are awake,’ she said, as Angela turned around to face her.
‘I’ve been awake for ages. I was just lying here thinking about stuff,’ Angela replied.
‘Look, tell me to mind my own business if you want, but I know something’s wrong, Ange. Is it Jason? Has he finished with you?’
Angela’s lip began to tremble. She shook her head, then burst into uncontrollable tears.
‘Whatever is the matter?’ Stephanie asked, as she leapt off her own bed to comfort her little sister.
‘I’ve done something really stupid,’ Angela said between sobs.
‘Just tell me what you’ve done and I’ll try to help you.’
‘You can’t help me, no one can. If I tell you, you must swear you won’t tell Mum.’
‘I promise I won’t say anything to Mum,’ Steph replied. Surely Angela hadn’t accused somebody else of raping her again? Or worse still, somebody had raped her?
Feeling terribly sorry for herself, Angela clung to her elder sister. ‘I think I’m pregnant, Steph. In fact, I know I am!’
Later that afternoon, Stephanie was sitting in Old Dagenham Park repeating the conversation she had had with her sister to Tammy.
‘Shit! What’s she gonna do? Did she say if she’d already done a test?’
‘Yeah. She said she sold some of her records to Downtown in Romford to pay for it. She reckons her period is over three weeks late and the test came up positive,’ Steph explained.
‘You’re gonna have to tell your old lady, Steph. I mean, Angie’s gonna need to be checked out by her doctor and stuff, and if you don’t tell your mum, he will. Surely, it’ll be less of a shock if it comes from you?’
Stephanie flicked her cigarette butt away and put her black woolly gloves back on. The cold December air was bitter and there was a frost on the grass which made it look white rather than green. ‘I can’t tell me mum. She will go mental. She thinks the sun shines out of Jason O’Brien’s arse because his parents go to church, and finding out he’s got Angie up the spout is enough to give her a heart attack. I didn’t know whether to tell Lin; she would probably know what to do for the best, but her and Angie don’t really get on and I can’t chance her telling me mum. I swore to Ange that I wouldn’t say anything and I can’t break my promise to her.’
About to remind Stephanie of all the times her younger sister had broken promises to her, Tammy opened her mouth then quickly shut it again. Slagging Angela off wasn’t going to help in this particular situation, so what was the point of doing so? Deep down, Tammy was quite pleased that Angela had bitten off more than she could chew for once. If anyone deserved to be up the duff and in shit street it was that horrible little slag. ‘So, has she told Jason yet?’ Tammy asked.
‘No, she ain’t told anyone apart from me. Is that Jacko walking across the field over there? It is, ain’t it?’
Tammy stood up to get a clearer view. The figure was a fair distance away, but Jacko had a distinctive swagger when he walked and there was no mistaking it was him. ‘Jacko,’ she yelled.
Stephanie also stood up. ‘We’re over here, Jacko,’ she screamed, waving her arms frantically.
Tammy watched Jacko run towards them. She still thought he was gorgeous, but had convinced herself he was only interested in Steph, which helped her immensely in suppressing her feelings towards him.
Wayne was panting as he reached the girls. ‘Jesus, I need to start playing football again, rather than just watching it. I’m so unfit. What yous two doing sitting ’ere? You been on the lash?’
‘Nah, Steph’s got a family crisis, so we’ve just been talking about that,’ Tammy replied.
Stephanie glared at her friend to warn her not to say any more.
‘What’s up? Tell me and I’ll try and help you,’ Wayne said, sitting down on the bench in between the two girls.
‘Tell him, Steph. Jacko’s our mate, he won’t say nothing.’
‘My lips are sealed, I promise,’ Wayne said, holding Stephanie’s gaze.
‘You’d better not tell anyone Jacko, ’cause I’ll never speak to you again if you do. It’s me sister; she’s got herself up the duff.’
Wayne’s face immediately turned a deathly shade of white. ‘Fucking hell, it ain’t mine, is it?’
‘No. She’s been going out with Jason O’Brien and the silly pair of buggers have been at it, but ain’t been using nothing. What am I gonna do, Jacko? I have to help her. I’m the only one that can.’
Relieved that his nan and grandad had drummed into him the importance of always using a condom, Wayne asked Steph to give him all the information she had. When she had finished, he squeezed her hand. ‘Right, first let’s go to the chemist and get another pregnancy test. You can help her do it, make sure she ain’t got it arse upwards, or she ain’t lying.’
‘She wouldn’t lie about something like that, surely?’ Steph said.
‘Jacko’s right. Look at all the lies Angie told him,’ Tammy added.
‘But, I’ve only got 50p. I spent all me pocket money on Christmas presents the other day.’
Jacko stood up. ‘I’ve got some money. Come on, let’s go to the chemist up the Heathway.’
The following morning, Angela did the test, then held Stephanie’s hand as they waited for the result together. It was a Saturday, Barry would be calling soon, so to take their minds off the test result, Stephanie told her sister to read his latest letter. ‘What do you think? Do you reckon he’s getting off with that Sally girl?’ Steph asked, when Angela handed her the letter back.
‘I don’t know, sis, but even if he ain’t, you can’t tell me Barry’s gonna go all through next year and not get off with any girls. That’s why I think you should have a bit of fun yourself while he’s away. You ain’t gotta do it with anyone, but you can still have a laugh with other boys. Eighteen months is a long while to wait for anyone. Now, let’s check this test. We’ve waited long enough, ain’t we?’
Stephanie did the honours and was horrified to find that Angela had been right and the test was positive. For once, she had hoped that her little sister had been telling one of her awful lies.
‘What am I gonna do now? I don’t wanna keep it. Will you help me, Steph?’
Stephanie hugged Angela close to her chest. ‘Of course I will help you.’
Hundreds of miles away, Barry Franklin gingerly hauled his aching body out of bed. He’d been laid up for the past four days since hurting his back whilst lifting barrels in the cellar. His mother had barely made him a cup of tea, and if it hadn’t been for his pal Sally popping in on a regular basis with food and drinks for him, he’d have probably dehydrated, then died of starvation.
‘Where are your mum and Jake?’ Sally asked, as she helped Barry shuffle along the hallway.
‘No idea. Me muvver poked her head around the door yesterday morning and I ain’t seen hide nor hair of her since.’
Sally raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. She didn’t like Marlene one little bit and thought she treated poor Barry appallingly.
‘Thanks for coming round and helping me get to the phone, and thanks for the sandwich and coffee,’ Barry said, gratefully.
‘No worries. Now, I’m gonna go and tidy up your room while you ring your Stephanie. Give me a shout when you are done and I’ll help you get back into bed.’
Thanking Sally again, Barry picked up the phone. His mother had forbidden him to call Steph on her landline but, seeing as he could barely walk, it was the only way he could now speak to his girlfriend. He would tell his mum afterwards and offer to pay for any calls he’d made.
Barry grinned as he heard his beautiful girlfriend’s voice. ‘You all right, darling? I can talk to you for longer today as I’m ringing from home. I’ve done me back in and I’ve been in absolute agony.’
‘Good, because I need to talk to you about stuff. Can you send me a picture of that Sally so I can see what she looks like for myself? Have you got a photo of her?’
Barry
was furious. Stephanie hadn’t even bothered asking him how he’d hurt his back. ‘Don’t you trust me or something? All I ever do is fucking work out here.’
‘Yeah, I do trust you, but I still wanna see a picture of her. She might look like a blond supermodel with great big boobies for all I know,’ Steph said, obstinately.
‘So, now you’re calling me a fucking liar,’ Barry screamed. ‘Do you know what, Steph, I don’t feel well and I ain’t in the mood for this today. I’m gonna hang up now before I lose my temper with you big time.’
‘I’ll save you the trouble,’ Steph yelled, slamming the receiver back on its cradle.
Barry stared at the phone in dismay. Sally’s boyfriend was coming over to Spain for a two-week holiday on Monday, and he had no designs on her – or any other bird, for that matter. He wasn’t sending Steph any photographs though. If she couldn’t trust or believe him, what was the point in their relationship?
Tammy and Wayne stood outside Broad Street Working Man’s Club waiting for Steph to arrive.
‘Well?’ Tammy asked, when her pal finally turned up twenty minutes late.
‘The test was positive, and I’ve had a row with Barry.’
Wayne put an arm around both girls’ shoulders. ‘I think we all need a drink, don’t you? Let’s go to the Elms and then we can discuss what we’re gonna do next.’
Three rounds and an hour later, the discussion was still in full swing. Angela had made it perfectly clear that she had no wish to keep the baby or involve her own doctor, so when Wayne pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket that he had torn out of the Yellow Pages, it seemed like the perfect solution.
‘Is it free?’ Stephanie asked, dumbly.
‘No, of course it ain’t free. The only time she will get a free abortion is if she goes to her own doctor and gets it done on the National Health. This is a private clinic, but it’s the only way that your mum won’t find out. I’ve already rung them and they said that she can be in and out on the same day. Most of the others I phoned said they wouldn’t do it unless she stayed in overnight.’
‘How much is it?’ Tammy asked.
‘You ain’t gotta worry about the cost. My dad left us plenty of dosh when he got banged up, so I’ll sort it,’ Wayne said, generously.
Stephanie looked at Wayne in amazement. She had no idea how much a private abortion cost, but she bet it was more than a few rounds of drinks in a pub. ‘But why would you do that for Angie? Especially after what she did to you. It don’t make sense.’
‘I’m doing it for two reasons. Number one, I’ve always felt guilty about sleeping with Angie. Obviously it weren’t my fault because she’d lied to me about her age, but it still don’t stop me feeling bad about it. And secondly, I’m doing it for you, Steph. You’re one of me best mates now, and I’d do anything for you, girl.’
As an electrifying stare was shared between Stephanie and Wayne; Tammy looked the other way. It was only a matter of time before Steph and Wayne got together now, Tammy knew that, so instead of feeling bitter, she might as well just accept the fact and deal with it.
Four days after Wayne’s generous offer, Stephanie was sitting in a posh clinic in Buckhurst Hill waiting for her sister to reappear. Because Angela was quite early into her pregnancy, the staff explained that they would be using what was referred to as ‘the vacuum technique’. They also said that Angela had to rest when she got home and must not do anything strenuous for the next couple of weeks. They said because of Angela’s young age, her body needed time to heal itself properly.
As Steph sat in the waiting room flicking through endless magazines, she thought about how kind Wayne Jackman had been. The abortion had cost two hundred pounds, and he had also given her an extra twenty-pound note so she and Angela could travel by cab rather than use public transport. He had even offered to accompany them there, but Stephanie knew that that would cause problems with her sister. Stephanie sighed as she flicked through the pages of the magazine and came face to face with the famous actor, Matt Dillon. His cheeky smile, dark brown eyes and thick dark hair had always reminded her so much of Barry. Steph threw the magazine onto the table and fingered the jagged piece of gold heart around her neck. ‘Why did you have to go away, Barry? Why?’ she whispered.
Angela Crouch felt sore and woozy as she put her feet to the floor. ‘I don’t think I can stand up yet,’ she mumbled, as she clung to the nurse for support.
‘Perhaps you should rest for another hour or so. Your sister is waiting outside. Shall I bring her in?’
Feeling dreadfully sorry for herself, Angela nodded. Because they had broken up from school for their Christmas holidays, she and Stephanie weren’t expected home until ten o’clock – there was plenty of time until their curfew reared its ugly head.
‘Are you OK? You look ever so pale,’ Stephanie remarked, as she sat beside her sister’s bed and squeezed her clammy hand.
‘I just feel really sore and wobbly. I feel a bit sick an’ all. Say Mum notices I’m ill? What we gonna say to her?’
‘I was gonna suggest you say you’d fallen over or something, especially if you’re walking a bit funny, but I’m afraid Mum might drag you straight up the hospital, and then all hell will break loose. I think you’re best to say you’ve got really bad period pains and you need to lie down. At least you can play on that for a few days. The nurse told me that you might be bleeding down below for a week or two, so we must stock up on sanitary towels.’
With tears in her eyes, Angela forced a smile. ‘Thanks for everything, Steph.’
Leaning forward, Stephanie kissed Angela on the forehead. ‘That’s what sisters are for.’
Pam and Cathy were watching their regular Wednesday night fix of Coronation Street when the girls arrived home.
‘There’s pies and pasties in the fridge if you want to warm them up. I didn’t do you a dinner ’cause you said you were having saveloy and chips,’ Pam shouted out, unable to take her eyes off the screen. Mike Baldwin was her and Cathy’s favourite character and they were always chatting about his latest antics.
‘Look, he’s gonna kiss her now,’ Cathy exclaimed, excitedly.
‘He’s such a bastard, but a good-looking one, eh, mate?’ Pam chuckled.
Stephanie helped her sister up the stairs, then ran back down and poked her head around the living-room door. ‘Angie’s got bad period pains, so I’m gonna heat a couple of pasties up and we’ll eat ’em upstairs.’
Tearing her eyes away from Mike Baldwin, Pam eyed her eldest daughter suspiciously. It was totally unheard-of for her two daughters to go out together for the day, especially for ten bloody hours. ‘Where you two been all day?’
‘Christmas shopping in Romford.’
‘Show us what you bought then?
‘I can’t. We got your presents and you can’t see ’em till Christmas day,’ Stephanie lied.
Pam gave her daughter an evil glare. Unlike Angela, who had the art of lying off to a tee, Stephanie had never been very good at it. ‘Go on then, warm your pasties up and get your arse upstairs. I know you’re lying, by the way, and if I find out that you and Miss Period Pains have been up to any mischief, I shall ground the pair of you, for good.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Christmas came and went in its usual dreary Crouch fashion. Steph found being stuck indoors with nothing to do other than eat incredibly boring, and even though her mum had let her and Angela have a small glass of Liebfraumilch with their Christmas dinner this year, the only real highlight for Steph had been watching the hour-long edition of Top of the Pops. Her festive spirit had also been dampened more than usual because she was still at loggerheads with Barry. They’d had another massive argument on the phone on Christmas morning which had ended with Barry cutting her off in temper.
Angela had now recovered from the trauma of having an abortion. She had been very weak for the first few days afterwards, but Stephanie had helped her pull the wool over their mother’s eyes and Angela now had a spring i
n her step once again.
‘I’m so excited. I’ve never been to a New Year’s Eve party before,’ Angela said, while carefully applying her mascara.
‘Will Jason’s parents be there?’ Steph asked, aware that it was Jason’s aunt’s party that her sister was attending.
‘Yeah. I ain’t met ’em yet, but Jason has told me to pretend I’m a Catholic if they ask. He said they might not like me otherwise. Jase reckons the party might be shit and he says if it is, me and him can sneak off somewhere else. Where you going tonight? You seeing Tam?’
‘Yeah, dunno what we’re doing yet though. We’ll probably just get some drink and sit over the park,’ Stephanie lied. She was actually going to a disco in the Church Elm pub and was really excited about it. She didn’t want to tell Angela, though, because Jacko was going with them and Steph knew that if she told her sister, it would only cause problems. They’d been getting along quite well lately and Stephanie didn’t want to do or say anything that might rock the boat.
Angela stood up. ‘I’m gonna shoot now. Happy New Year for later, sis.’
Stephanie grinned. ‘Yep. You too.’
Wayne Jackman felt a million dollars as he stood outside the Church Elm pub with a cigarette in his hand. His nan and grandad had given him a hundred and fifty pounds for Christmas and he’d blown virtually the whole lot on clothes. Being a casual meant keeping up appearances and Wayne always took pride in himself.
‘Wow, you look well cool,’ Stephanie said, as she and Tammy approached Wayne arm in arm.
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