Read Online Puberty Blues by Gabrielle Carey - Free Book Online

tried playing real mothers and fathers. Not that it ever worked all that well. Everyone sat around cuddling, kissing and cracking on to each other.
    Sue and I were desperate romantics. We were always trying to get the boys to say what they said on Number 96…
    â€˜It’s you! You’re the one!’
    â€˜Kiss me … Kiss me, darling.’ (heavy passionate breathing)
    â€˜ And when we get older, there’ll be just you and me. Forever … Together.’
    The most we ever got out of Danny and Garry was an occasional grunt and a friendship ring.
    To encourage them a little, I put on our favourite single, ‘Tickle Me’, by Pat Boone. Everyone else left the room. We were with our boyfriends … alone.
    With the help of half a dozen cans of beer, Sue and I induced them to tickle us on the floor.
    â€˜Oh! Danny! Don’t!’
    â€˜Stop it Garry!’ Giggle, giggle, giggle.
    We writhed and squirmed in delight on the shaggy carpet.
    Danny leant down and whispered in Susan’s ear. ‘Comin’ upstairs?’
    â€˜Whadaya want?’
    â€˜A root.’
    â€˜I’ll think about it.’
    So she thought about it. She rolled over next to the speaker and with Deep Purple blaring down her earhole, she thought about it.
    â€˜Comin’?’ He led her by the hand up the stairs and into Garry’s bedroom.
    He undid her black cords. He unbuckled his belt. He lay on top of her, and snorted. She tensed as his hand slid under the elastic of her best underpants. The room was silent. Danny knew two things about making love. Tits here. Cunt there. You make a grab at one, then a dive for the other.
    Suddenly it was all too much for her. She collected all her morals and movie lines.
    â€˜Is that all you want?’ She jumped up, zipping her fly. ‘Huh? … Ar … Na.’
    I had been lurking around outside in the corridor. ‘What happened?’ I asked as Sue rushed by.
    â€˜Nuthin’.’
    â€˜Tell me.’
    â€˜I’ll tell ya later.’
    Garry led me into his room. He turned off the light and we lay on the already dishevelled bed.
    â€˜Can I?’
    â€˜No. I’m on m’ rags.’
    I wasn’t, but it was a good excuse.
    I met Sue in the TV room.
    â€˜What happened? asked Sue.
    â€˜Nuthin’.’
    â€˜Tell me.’
    â€˜Nuthin’.’ I replied.
    â€˜Well, didja?’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Didja let him?’
    â€˜Did you ?’ I retorted.
    â€˜Na. He only wants me for one thing. He’s a user.’
    â€˜Oh, he is not. What about the ring?’
    â€˜What about your ring?’
    â€˜Oh look, he roolly loves you. He’s stoked in ya. No bull. Kim was tellin’ Cheryl the other day that Danny told Dave that he’s gettin’ ya an engraved bracelet.’
    â€˜Oh, deadset?’
    â€˜Yeah, deadset.’
    â€˜I’d better make up,’ Sue softened.
    â€˜Yeah. He’s rapt in ya.’
    â€˜Yeah?’
    â€˜Ya gonna let him now?’
    â€˜I dunno. I’m sick of it. What if I get pregnant?’
    â€˜Ya won’t . Ya can only get pregnant on the days yagot ya rags. Trace told me.’
    We never thought much about getting pregnant. We didn’t know anything about it. We didn’t do sex in science till third form. It was too heavy to really think about. It just made good gossip when a girl disappeared from school for a few days. ‘Don’t tell anyone, but Tracey …’ It was okay if a top surfie chick had an abortion. She handled it and never talked about it. That made her even cooler. But if a moll had one everybody knew and she was always crying. That made her even slacker.

11
gee, they must really like me
    ALL our attempts at romance failed miserably and the only time we ever got close to our boyfriends was when they were on top of us panting. It was hopeless from the beginning, but we kept trying. We lived for those boys. Up