Chapter 5

Disneyland and home.

George picked me and dad up at 9:30 for the trip to Disneyland. He had his daughter with him, a cute fourteen year old blonde named Millicent.

“Just call me Millie, everybody does,” she said as we were introduced, “except the ‘rents.”

“And everybody calls me David, including the ‘rents,” I answered.

She smiled at my little joke, and she had one of those smiles that light up wherever she is. Whether that was due to her natural disposition or a tribute to American Dentistry I didn’t know, but she certainly was a very pretty girl.

She got out of the front seat of the car to let my Dad sit up there, and climbed into the back with me.

“So, have you got anything specific you want to go on at Disneyland?” she asked me.

“I don’t know, I’ve never been. I’d like to do the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but apart from that I don’t really know.”

“Well then, you’ll just have to let me show you a good time. You have a VIP pass right?”

“Yes.”

“Good we won’t have to join any lines.”

As we arrived at the car park, we spotted James and his two girls, who had arrived about 10 minutes before us. The two girls were aged 7 and 11, and were, as the Americans say, cute as buttons. Melissa was the 7 year old, Marta was 11.

Before we set off James told us that he’d opened a US bank account and deposited the cheque, had dad sign the specimen signature form, and gave him a second form for mum to sign.

We had parked the car, paid the twenty dollar fee and we headed for the gates. There was a special gate for VIP pass holders and we went through that, were given our wristbands and walked into the park. At the end of the Main street, now called Buena Vista Street was the most famous sight in Disneyland, the fairy castle, allegedly modelled on Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. Our first ride, as decided by Millie was the Disneyland Railroad, and 18 minute ride that gave us the chance to see the whole park (well, nearly the whole park).

The whole day went well, Millie and I just did our own thing, meeting up with the rest periodically just to check in. We did get to go on the Pirates ride, and Millie grabbed my hand as we went into the dark tunnel, as she had on the roller coaster earlier.

When George dropped us off that evening, Millie kissed me on the cheek.

“You could ask me out while you’re here,” she whispered.

“We’re going home tomorrow,” I replied.

“But you’re coming out in the summer for filming right?”

“Yes.”

“So how about then?”

“Millie, I like you, but I have a girlfriend at home. And I’d feel I was cheating on her.”

“Well can we at least be friends then?”

“I’d like that, I really would.”

“OK, call me when you get back.”

We said our goodbyes, and George reminded us that James would pick us up at 8:30 the following morning to take us to the airport, and went into the hotel.

“Dinner in the hotel restaurant and an early night?” Dad suggested.

“Yes, I never realised that having fun was so tiring.”

“You should try working 10 hours a day,” he replied.

We had dinner, and then went up to our room and watched TV for a couple of hours before I showered and went to bed.

James joined us for breakfast the following morning, and we checked out and set off for the airport. We checked in, got our boarding passes and then went off for a final coffee before saying goodbye at the security gate.

The flight was 14 hours of boredom, with very little in the way of entertainment I was interested in so I just got out my kindle and either read or slept the whole way.

It was 6pm and drizzling in Manchester as we landed. I wondered if it was true, and it did always rain in Manchester.

Mum had come alone to meet us, since she’d had to set off before the rest of the family had got home from school, she greeted us both with a hug and a kiss, and asked how LA had been.

“A lot warmer and drier than here,” I informed her.

On the way home we told her all about the trip.

“So how many American teenagers have you left behind pining for you?” Mum asked.

“None,” I replied, “I have Cal. There was one who asked if I’d take her out when I was there, but I explained why I couldn’t, and she asked if we could be friends.”

“Just friends?” she asked.

“Of course just friends,” I retorted.

“Is that just friends as in just friends, or just friends like you and Cal?”

“Just friends.”

Everybody was waiting when we got home. I exchanged hugs with Andy and Pip, the hugged Aunt Mary. I saved my best greeting for Cal, a long deep soul searing kiss that had her sagging in my arms.

“Get a room you two,” Andy suggested.

“Get me a bucket of water,” Aunt Mary demanded.

We broke the kiss and I stood back.

“Well, that answers that question,” I said, breathlessly.

“What question?” Cal asked.

“Did you miss me?”

“What?” she said, querulously, “Have you been away somewhere?”

Everybody else found this uproariously funny. I just stood there with my hands on my hips glaring.

Cal stuck her tongue out at me, then kissed me again.

“Does that answer your question?” she asked innocently.

“I’m not sure, could we try the answer again?”

She swatted my shoulder and leaned in close.

“No,” she whispered, “I’d need to change my undies.”

“TMI,” I whispered back, “TMI.”

“So did you meet any cute girls in California?”

“A few,” I replied archly.

“And?”

“Well there was Melissa and Marta, and of course there was Millie.”

There was drama in the way I mentioned Millie, well, I am going to be an actor.

“Oh yes, do I need to be worried?”

“Well, Melissa’s seven, Marta’s 11 and Millie is fourteen. She did ask if I’d like to go out with her while I was in LA.”

“And did you?”

“Of course not, she didn’t ask until the last night I was there.”

“Oh so you would have if she’d asked earlier?”

“When she asked I told her that I couldn’t, because I had a girlfriend back home and I wouldn’t cheat on her.”

“Oh! And what did she say to that?”

“She asked if we could be friends. I said OK to that, but if you don’t want me to...”

“No that’s OK, you’ll need to make some friends out there, but please, if it becomes more than just friends, I’d like you to tell me.”

“It never will.”

“Nevertheless, tell me, OK? If we’re going to be together forever, we need to communicate.”

“No secrets?”

“No secrets, everything out in the open.”

“Deal,” she said, and stuck out her hand, we shook.

“David, I have to tell you something.”

“What?” I asked, suddenly nervous.

“I sort of went out with someone on Friday.”

“Sort of went out with?”

“Well, the guys were going to see a film on Friday night as usual, and asked if I was coming along, but I said no, you were away and I didn’t have anyone to go with, so Solly said he’d come too.”

“So a group of you went to the pictures, and Solly was amongst them. That’s hardly going out with him. Is that it?” I asked, smiling at her.

“He kept trying to put his arm round me, and I had to keep taking it off my shoulder. In the end I got up and walked out.”

“Then you did what you should have. Well done.”

“You’re not mad at me for letting him sit next to me in the first place?”

“No, but I do think that next time, you should not go if he’s going and I’m not there.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t trust him. Just make sure you’re never alone with him.”

School the next day was a drag, I was suffering from Jet lag, and nothing any of the teachers said sank in. I just went home, ate then went to bed to sleep the jet lag off.

The following day, Thursday, I was up early, got myself a couple of Weetabix, poured cold milk on them and decided to go out for a run. After I finished the Weetabix, and a glass of Orange, I tidied up my breakfast things and then I did a steady five miles, got back took a shower and got dressed for school.

“Feeling better?” mum asked me as she came down.

“Yes. Well rested, I’ve even been out for a run.”

“Good, you were starting to look like you were getting too much food and not enough exercise.”

The rest of the family came down, had their breakfasts and first dad went off to work, then Pip and I set off for school, picking Cal up on the way past her house.

Because of the way the school is laid out, the girls’ entrance is much closer to our form room than the boys’. By the time I reached our room, Cal was already there, sat in her usual seat. Sat next to her, where I normally sat was Solly.

“Er, Solly,” I said as I stood in front of the seat, “you appear to be sitting in my place.”

“There’s plenty of others.”

I looked at Cal and winked.

“True,” I said, “looks like I’ve lost my place to a better man, I’ll just sit at the back.”

There was an air of tension in the room as I walked to the back and took a seat on the back row.

Solly turned round, a smug expression on his face and extended his arm to place it round Cal’s shoulders.

It was a strange thing, but Mr. Tomlinson kept old fashioned inkwells in the desks in his room, and he kept them filled with ink. Anybody who tried to write with a ballpoint pen in his English lessons, was presented with an old fashioned, dip in the inkwell type pen to use for the duration.

Cal’s right hand reached out, picked the inkwell out of its recess turned to Solly and tipped the contents over his head. She then stood up and walked to the back of the room and sat beside me.

Mr. Tomlinson chose that moment to walk into the room. He looked at Solly.

“Anyone care to relate the story?”

Geoff obliged.

“Well sir, it’s like this. We were all sat here waiting for you to come and do the register, when John picked up the inkwell and poured it over himself. I think it was meant as a joke.”

Mr. T looked around the room and everybody nodded in agreement.

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