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Eve Chapter 19

By Topsy

"Ah, that is interesting."

Understatement from a solicitor, whatever next? Mum glared at him.

"Too true it is. Mr Dixon, this may explain certain questions I've had from the beginning."

"I'll raise this with the Acting Head and Chair of Governors this afternoon. If that's all?"

"Not quite, I need the crime number for my insurance company."

"Certainly, PAR/2009/09/26/0216"

With that the four of us left, with more questions than when we had arrived. By mutual consent we headed for the Italian coffee shop for a well needed Moccha.

We were back home by four and mum was straight on the phone to the insurance company. Claire suggested I went over to her house. We headed straight up to her room. Annie was in her room but left us alone.

I'd last been in Claire's room about four years ago when we'd shared some homework but Sharon, Claire's mum, wasn't happy about two twelve year olds being out of sight. For me, I'd been embarrassed back then with the very girly atmosphere in the room, now it was different.

As we'd both had an essay on Obama over the weekend we compared other history work that we'd done. Of course I was missing some of the coursework but the essay work I had done matched Claire's. But what was Mrs Abbot's reason for speaking to Claire? If she was marking my work, as well as Claire's, then it could make sense, but was that all?. Before this morning I hadn't even considered who was marking my work.

As it was, With the latest news, we could speculate all day. As such we couldn't concentrate on anything to do with schoolwork, and made no more effort in trying. Claire decided it would be a good idea to continue my lesson in girlhood. This time we didn't try any clothes on, in case of a complaint by Sharon or my mum.

"Look, make sure your colours don't clash, unless you want to make a statement."

This was harder than it looked.

"Make sure you wear the right bra. See this dress, you need a strapless bra. Has your mum got you any yet?"

"I don't think so."

"OK girl, we'll sort that on Saturday."

We chatted for a little while longer until we were both called to eat. Claire and her mum only had a snack at lunchtime so were cooking this evening. Annie had grabbed a light lunch at school. Mum, who was now off the phone, had managed to whistle up some salmon steaks and a salad. How she'd managed that I don't know. We all sat to eat just after six.

After dinner Claire and I went back to her room but neither of us was interested in studying. Sharon found us both asleep on Claire's bed, wrapped around eachother, a few hours later.

After we were woken I went home. Sharon looked like she was going to speak to Claire. Mum was waiting for me.

"Eve, we need to talk about something. Quickly go and change into your nightie and join me in the lounge."

I was back down ten minutes later, wrapped in a gown. I hoped this was a chat about the school, but I was mistaken. At least I had some hot chocolate waiting for me.

"Eve, I should have had this chat a few years ago but couldn't work myself up."

"What mum?"

"Sex."

"Oh, that."

"Look, Eve, I don't know what you were expecting me to say. I know you've had sex education classes so I don't need to cover the basics. It's just that things have changed."

"Oh, do you mean Claire and me?"

"Yes."

"So what are you worried about?"

"Eve, there are several questions you need to be able to answer. Firstly, how much do you love Claire?"

"Very much."

"So how far can you see this going?"

"Mum, I'm only sixteen but I want to spend the rest of my life with Claire."

"Have you...?"

I finished the question, "had sex?"

"Yes."

"No mum. Firstly we're taking this slow. We both have to be ready. Secondly, I want to make love as a girl, not as a boy."

"That sounds fine but you could get carried away."

"Mum, I know you're worried but Claire and I aren't. We love each other deeply but we promised we'd be careful. There's no way I'd go against that promise. After all, it was sealed with a kiss."

Mum had a laugh at that one.

"Now Eve, this is the difficult one. Would you like to have children with Claire?"

Wow, that is a biggie. Talk about unexpected.

"Mum, please?"

"Eve, seriously, you need to consider this. If this hormone imbalance doesn't change then your doctors are worried that you won't be able to produce any sperm. Dr Fox needs to know how you feel."

"Mum, I don't know. I need to speak to Claire."

"OK, you can do that tomorrow. Now, about today?"

"Yes, I'll keep quiet."

"I know you will, that's not what I was going to say."

"Oh."

"It's going to get difficult from now."

"More difficult than it's already been mum?"

"Yes Eve. If I'm not mistaken, this will end up in court. We need to tell Dr Fox about this as well."

"Right."

"Okay, that's enough for tonight. We both have had a long day."

With that we both headed upstairs, after I'd taken my pills.

That night I had a very strange dream indeed. Claire and I were in Mr Abbot's history class but Ms Holts was teaching it. She was shouting 'Simon' at me and I was shouting 'Eve' back at her. Then I noticed I was pregnant. The rest of the sixth form then appeared and were all moving towards us.

I woke up, screaming. Mum came into my room.

"What's up dear?"

"Bad dream. The school. Frightening." I missed out the bit about being pregnant.

"It's ok now, back to sleep."

Mum sat on my bed and held me. I must have drifted back off to sleep.

Eve Chapter 20

By Topsy

Tuesday 29th October

I made it through the rest of the night and was very awake when I arrived in the kitchen shortly after seven. Mum was already there, somehow looking worse than me. I thought it best not to say anything, just in case.

We both grabbed a coffee before working out the first major decision of the day, breakfast.

"That dream I had?"

"Yes Eve?"

"Do I need to write it down?"

"No. Dr Fox doesn't want to write them down any more, just mention them to her, if you can remember them."

"Right."

We were seeing Dr Fox in two days. I doubted I'd have any memory by lunch.

By eight thirty we were back in the kitchen, washed, dressed and made up. The doorbell went.

Mum went outside to the car with the young man who had just rung the bell. He took some photos of the damaged paintwork and spoke briefly to mum.

I asked when she returned to the kitchen, "What's the verdict mum?"

"He'll speak to his office and they could be back this afternoon to collect the car. My policy covers this, they'll try to recover the costs from David Stevens."

"So we can't use the car today? I thought you needed to do some shopping?"

"That was the idea. I'll quickly do an internet order for this afternoon, if there's a delivery slot left."

Mum grabbed her laptop and sat at the kitchen table. She was able to complete the transaction in about ten minutes, that's almost an hour quicker than actually visiting the store.

She then went back to her room and I heard her going through drawers. I retreated to my room to start work on the internet tuition. As it was mostly multiple choice work, it really wasn't too difficult, but it was against the clock. When mum appeared in my doorway I was just finishing one test and had to wave her away to finish within the time allowed.

"Sorry mum, I had to finish that otherwise I lost points."

"That's alright, I just hoped you weren't upset with me."

"Why would I be?"

"Just checking!"

I logged off the website and closed my PC down. A laptop would be useful.

I joined mum in the kitchen, she had an old biscuit tin open on the table.

"What's that?"

"This is where I keep all the important documents. I needed this."

She held up a white card, about the size of a postcard.

"What's that?"

"It's your medical card. It's about the only official document you have that has your name and address on it."

"Why do I need that?"

"We're going to the bank today. The money laundering laws mean that you have to have certain documents if you're going to open an account."

"Let me see it."

Of course the name printed on it was Eve Lynn Simon Jones.

I wanted to ask mum a question but it escaped me.

We left after lunch and caught the bus into town. Mum had left the car keys with Sharon and put a note under a wiper blade.

The bank was in the old marketplace, on the edge of the pedestrian precinct. We walked in and were accosted by a young man. His name badge said he was a customer Advisor.

"Good afternoon ladies. Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to open an account for my daughter."

He pointed to a vacant service position, away from the tellers.

The next advisor, another man, rose to greet us from behind his desk.

"Good afternoon."

"Hello. I'd like to open an account for my daughter."

"A savings account?"

"No, a current account."

"Right, let me get the right form. Do you have some ID?"

Mum produced my deed poll, passport and medical card.

"He paid scant regard to the documents except to comment how nice my hair was, compared to my passport photo. He queried the deed poll as it didn't appear to change anything.

"My daughter didn't like the name Simon so removed it."

"Oh, I suppose it should have been Simone."

He said this as a statement not as a question so we let it go. I wondered if he would notice the M on the passport but he completely missed it.

Mum filled in the form and had to countersign it was I was under eighteen. I wasn't allowed an overdraft he said, nor a cheque book yet. He went away to copy the documents and handed them back. I had a question for mum, later.

"Thank you Miss Jones. You can expect a letter from us next week to confirm your bank details. Your debit card will take about two weeks."

"Thank you."

We left and walked around the shops. We went back into Marks and Spencers to look at the lingerie, I'd mentioned to mum about a strapless bra. She agreed and we picked up a few in white and black. We then looked at the lacy sets and I picked up a set in red, white and black, complete with suspender belts. I wasn't entirely sure what these were for until mum whispered in my ear. That meant we had to pick up some tights and, of course, stockings.

We were getting thirsty when mum remembered the coffee vouchers. We reached the checkout and presented the vouchers.

"This entitles you to a cake or pastry as well."

So back to the cold shelf to look at the delights. Of course, we had to consider our diets, briefly.

We'd just finished when the manager we'd met on Saturday approached us.

"Ladies? I'm so pleased we managed to return here after that nasty episode."

"Thank you. We always intended to be back, my daughter needed some more lingerie."

Without showing any embarrasment he said he hoped our coffees were good. We thanked him and were about to leave.

"I heard there was a problem in the car park after you left here on Saturday. I hope it wasn't you?"

"I'm afraid it was."

"I'm sorry Mrs?"

"Jones."

"Mrs Jones. I'm sorry that happened. I'm the current chair of the precinct users group and we all met this morning. We will be applying through the council for an ASBO* against Mr Stevens. Many of the stores have had problems but until now we hadn't a name for him."

"So what happens now?"

"We will eject him from the precinct if he's seen but once the ASBO is granted we'd be able to have him arrested if he came near here, including the car park next door."

We just made a bus and were home fifteen minutes later. Mum's car was gone and there was a receipt in the letterbox.

We had a quiet evening and there was no sign of Claire. After dinner we sat in the lounge.

"Mum?"

"Yes dear?"

"I've been thinking."

"Yes?"

"Did Dad really get my name wrong?"

"No."

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* Anti Social Behavior Order  <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbo"> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbo </a>