Chapter 4: Too young to be a Mum

In 1979 a ska band called The Specials released a song called Too Much Too Young. The opening lines go

You’ve done too much, Much too young, Now you’re married with a kid, When you could be having fun with me.

Those lines were in every girl’s head and they became like a clarion call when one of the girls in my year became pregnant at just under 15. Suddenly the supply of pussy for the boys dried up as most of us closed our legs while we worried about what might happen. Even the magic condom wouldn’t persuade most girls as it was rumoured that with the girl who got pregnant in our year, the boy was wearing one. Whether that was true or not I never knew but it made a lot of us very afraid.

I remember talking to Claire at the stables where I kept Spike as I couldn’t talk to my parents about it.

“Claire, have you heard about Kirsty getting pregnant at our school?”

“Yes,” she said, “Silly girl should have taken precautions.”

Then she looked at me intently, “Do you take precautions Julie?”

She never asked me if I was having sex, I guess she just assumed or maybe she had heard the boys shouting, “Oi Martini,” as they walked past.

I looked around guiltily, scared that someone might hear and tell my parents, before I lowered my voice, “The boy should always bring a condom.”

“And do they?” Claire said studying my face.

I must have gone bright red as I mumbled, “Not always.”

“So what do you do then?” She said with a wry smile on her lips.

What do you say to someone who is so much older than you about sex? How much do you tell them? I say older but in reality, she was only ten years older than me but in my head that almost made her my parent’s generation.

“I make them pull out before they ... you know,” I said in a rush wondering in my head whether I should tell her that as an alternative I often gave blow jobs.

Deciding to keep quiet for the moment I waited until she said softly, “Does that always work?”

Remembering the night with Billy a few weeks before I shook my head then hung it in shame waiting for her to tell me off.

“Oh Julie you daft thing why aren’t you on the pill?”

I stammered about my Mum finding out, and even worse my Dad.

She thought for a moment then said, “Go to the doctor and tell him that your periods are both erratic and vary in flow. Tell him that the nurse at school recommended that you go on a contraceptive pill until they regularise.”

I went to protest as my periods were as regular as clockwork and had been since I was 14 but she held her hand up.

“Ask him for six months supply then when that expires just ask for a repeat prescription. They aren’t allowed to tell your parents due to confidentiality laws.”

I could not believe her brilliance and when I saw her a few days later at the weekend I gave her a huge hug. Things had worked out perfectly as when I mentioned contraception pills to the doctor old enough to be my grandfather he couldn’t get me out of the door fast enough. I caught a bus into town and got the prescription filled by one of the large chemists, as I didn’t want the local chemist knowing what was going on, or chance bumping into anyone.

Claire smiled as I told her and then delving into her bag produced a small box.

“Even though you are on the pill still ask for a condom ... and as a just in case always have your own supply.”

Looking down I saw she had given me a packet of three condoms which I slipped into my handbag.

The following weekend when I saw her she winked at me and whispered, “How’s the supply lasting?”

I opened my bag and giggled as I showed her the unopened box, “Just in case.” What I didn’t tell her was that it was a new box that I had replaced earlier in the week.

“Claire, can I ask you a question please?” I said looking around nervously.

“Of course you can,” she replied.

“Can you get pregnant from sucking a boy?”

She looked at me, stunned for a moment, then said, “No you can’t.”

“Even if you swallow all their goo?”

Claire laughed lightly, “Julie pet, you can suck as many cocks as you want without fear of a bairn in your belly.” She must have seen the relieved look on my face as she laughed again.