Chapter 1: The Bus Stop

North Manchester Suburbs: Late Summer, Early Autumn 1969.

It’s the middle of the second week of the new school year and Wendy had dropped back into her routine of the previous year as if the six weeks of the school summer holidays had never happened, apart from the fantastic tan she’d got while holidaying for two weeks in Spain that is.

There he was, the same boy who had ridden past the bus stop she was waiting at every day at lunchtime at the end of the last term was doing the same again this year. She knew from the direction he was going in, and from his school uniform that he went to Heys Road Secondary School for Boys. The equivalent to Hope Park School for Girls that Wendy attended.

Wendy never saw him going past in the mornings, so they must time their journeys to school differently, she surmised. She had a suspicion that he was interested in her because if the traffic lights were on green for him, his frantic peddling and high speed would slow down as he passed the bus stop and he’d look across at her as he rode past. If they were on red, he never seemed to pull away as quickly as it appeared he could do from the way he rode his racing-style bike. Never once did he stop to talk. Every day, Wendy sent up a silent prayer that he would at least stop and talk, but he never did. Today was different, however, as her prayers were finally answered; the boy pulled into the bus stop and looked down at his bike chain. Even Wendy could tell there was nothing wrong with it; it was just an excuse to stop and talk. Well, she hoped he would talk to her and not one of the other girls who were also waiting there. A couple of them who were in the year below her were clearly interested in the dishy boy who rode past every day at lunchtime. Wendy had heard them talking about him and speculating just who he was.

As he approached the bus stop, James was once again torn with indecision. There was that cute-looking girl who was always waiting for the bus when he rode past on his way back to school after lunch. He knew he would like to talk to her, maybe even ask her out. She was exactly his type; not that he had ever had a girlfriend to have a type, but she looked perfect to him. Not too skinny, like Twiggy and all the models nowadays, but not too heavy either.

She looked slim and toned but her boobs looked to be just the right size, not too big, not too small. She had a figure, he could see that. God, and endlessly long legs. What he wouldn’t do to get those legs wrapped around him was one of his constant dreams. If only he could get to meet her properly. There was one problem though, she was never alone. There were always a couple of other girls waiting for the bus, although as far as James could see they weren’t friends of hers. However, they were still there, and James had never asked a girl out in his life, he didn’t know what to do, and he was certain he would die of shame and embarrassment if she turned him down.

James knew he had to act as she was so pretty there must be a few boys that would want her as a girlfriend. She might already have a boyfriend and that would be even more of an embarrassment. There was only one way to find out, he had to act. Gathering up all of his courage as he slowed his bike he knew this was going to be one of the hardest things he would ever do in his life. As he came to a stop and looked down at his bike chain as if something were wrong with it his legs were trembling uncontrollably, and it wasn’t from the speed he had been riding his bike. Normally quite confident, James was terrified as he pulled to a halt.

Taking a deep breath as he looked up James said, “Hi, I keep seeing you here as I ride past.”

“So. Obviously I’m here, I’m waiting for the bus back to school.”

“I can see that. I ... I just wanted to say hello,” he said sheepishly.

God, why was she being a bitch Wendy thought, and playing things so coldly towards him. She’d wanted him to stop and talk to her for ages and now he was. He seemed kinda cool and groovy.

Wendy smiled at the boy before replying, “Hi, sorry for being a cow just then. I hadn’t expected that you’d ever stop and talk.”

That boosted James’ confidence, the girl had obviously noticed him as he rode past.

“My name’s James.”

“Wendy.”

“Oh, like in the song, Bus stop Wendy.”

“You what?”

“The Hollies song, Bus Stop. It’s the first line. ‘Bus stop, Wendy.’”

“No, it’s not, you idiot,” Wendy laughed. “The first line is, ‘Bus stop, wet day,’” although she could understand his mistake, Allan Clarke’s vocals weren’t that distinct on that track.

“It isn’t, is it?”

“Yep,” Wendy laughed as she nodded her head. The ice was already broken between them, and by a silly mistake over a song lyric.

“Oh God, I feel such a pillock.”

“It’s okay, it was kinda cool that you thought it was like that. So you go to Heys, obviously. What year?”

“Sixth.”

“Cool, same as me,” Wendy replied. That would make James sixteen at the moment, the same age as her.

Wendy noticed that James was craftily eyeing her up, especially her legs. Well, there was a lot of leg to look at, and they were good, long, slim and toned. The lightweight summer dress of her school uniform was as short as she could get away with and still be decent, and more importantly not get her a detention.

“Nice tan you’ve got. Been away?” James said with a bit more confidence than he felt, but Wendy hadn’t ignored him and the thing about the song had made her laugh, but seemingly not at him.

“Benidorm, for two weeks, with my mum and dad. One of those package tours, we only got back the Saturday before school started again. It’s been manic getting everything ready.” Wendy blushed as she replied.

“Have a good time?”

“Fab, really groovy, apart from the bloody Spanish waiters, and boys. They wouldn’t leave me alone, proper bloody pest they were.”

“Well, I can understand why.” Then James realised what he had said as he blushed even deeper and stammered, “Sorry.”

“I think you should move, and quickly,” Wendy suddenly said in a sharp voice.

“Why? Have I upset you?”

“No, because my bus has just arrived and you’re gonna get squashed if you don’t.”

James looked behind him and saw the bus approaching, so he quickly moved out of the way. As Wendy got on the bus and took her seat she gave him a little finger wiggle and a smile. “Tomorrow,” she mouthed at him as the bus pulled away.