Chapter 12

I woke up early on Wednesday morning and had a shower before getting dressed. As it was careers day, we did not have to wear our school uniform. I checked out my face in the mirror, most of the bruises had faded.

I went down to the kitchen and made some toast. I could hear Mom moving around upstairs. I made a pot of tea and got myself a bowl of cornflakes.

I had nearly finished when Mom came down. She kissed the top of my head as she passed me.

“Morning Son, how did you sleep?” she asked as she poured herself a cup of tea.

“Really well thanks, Mom!” I replied. “How about you?”

“Yes, like a log thanks,” she said with a smile and buttered some toast.

“What time do we need to meet up?” she asked as I packed my school bag.

“Oh, one clock outside the school gate Mom,” I told her.

“Okay I will see you there,” she said. It was a nice morning, so I walked to school. I did not see Siobhan at the school’s gate, so I went into the canteen. I got a glass of water and sat down ready to get stuck into some homework.

There were still little groups of kids talking and looking around. It was obvious what they were talking about. I started to read up on some stuff for history. The headmaster Mr Simons came in and looked around, when he saw me, he called me over and asked me to follow into his office.

The two police officers, but not the ones that had been in the park, were in his office drinking coffee. He told me to sit down, and he took his place behind the huge desk.

“So, Zak, there was an altercation in the park last night,” Mr Simons said and nodded at the police officers, “these officers need to take a statement from you.”

“Yes Sir,” I said this was back in the day when teachers and police officers commended respect.

So, the officers asked me to tell them what had happened, from the end of school to when the police officers had intervened. I told them what had happened, and why I had stepped in. They asked me if I knew the guys. I was honest and told them I had no idea who they were.

One of the police officers told me I had done the right thing by stepping in. They wrote my statement down asked me to sign it and then Mr Simons led me from the office.

“You did the right thing, Zak, you are a brave lad, not everyone would have done what you did!” he said, and then he shook my hand.

I had never had much to do with Mr Simons, but the praise from him made me leave his office feeling ten feet tall.

As I was walking to my form class I saw Siobhan, she was being taken to see the headmaster. I winked as we passed each other, and she blushed. I did not see Keren in registration, and I did not get to talk to Siobhan until we were both walking out of school at lunchtime.

“Hey, you!” she said and kissed me.

I was getting worried about how open she was now about our relationship. If Laura saw what was happening, I was not sure how she would feel about it, then again Laura was leaving so I guess it did not matter.

“Hi Siobhan, how was the interview with the cops,” I asked as we walked around the corner toward the gates.

“I was nervous, but I just told them the truth and they said it was the same story you had given!” She smiled. I saw my mom and she was chatting with Siobhan’s mom, Anna. Her dad was not around which surprised us both as he had said he would be.

We all exchanged hellos. We told our parents about the police interviews. We all chatted about it and all agreed that we had done the right thing talking to the police.

“Well, Guys time we headed off,” My mom said as she glanced at her watch. Then she smiled at Siobhan and then at me,” Or we will miss our bus!”

“Where are you off to?” Anna asked.

When Mom told her she said why not jump in with them, they could drop us off on the way to the hospital where the NHS road show was being held. Mom thought about it for a few seconds before agreeing that it would be nice.

Anna led us over to the car, she drove a big four-by-four, Siobhan got in the back with me, and my mom sat up front with Anna.

Anna drove us to the Royal Navy Centre, Siobhan was being cheeky, she ran her hand up my leg and stroked my dick through my jeans. I was so worried that either one of our moms might see her and we would both get into trouble.

Siobhan thought it was so funny...

Anna dropped us off on the high street and I told Siobhan that I would see her tomorrow. Mom and I thanked Anna and waved as she drove off.

We walked down to the Royal Navy office. There were two guys in there, one of whom had been at the careers event at school. I was happy that he remembered me. I introduced my mom to the guys.

They both flirted with her and told her she did not look old enough to have a son of my age, Mom loved it and it made me blush...

We were offered drinks and then were shown a film all about life in the Royal Navy. Once the film was over, we talked about what the Navy could offer me. The Navy life seemed ideal. The one guy who was there, Dave, had been at sea for twenty years and had been to over twenty countries. He told me he had made friends for life and had had some great adventures.

They talked about sports, courses, wages, and the food.

They gave me brochures about jobs and what exams I would need for each one. They also talked about the fitness levels I would need to achieve. I was pretty fit, but I decided that I would start to do more exercise to get myself in tip-top condition.

They told us that if I wanted to enrol, I would have to have forms signed by one of my parents, I would have to sit a medical and also go to a week’s training course in Plymouth, if I made the grade, I then had to wait for an intake date.

I was still eager to join up. I asked the lads what a Sailor needed to be successful in the Navy. They looked at each other and laughed.

“You need to learn how to iron,” Dave said looking at Andy and he nodded his agreement.

“You need a sense of humour!” his mate, Andy said.

“You need to be able to swim?” Dave said that was an easy one I was a great swimmer. My dad had taken me to the baths and I had done well at it.

“You need to be able to get on with people of all types as you might end up on a ship with all sorts,” Andy nodded.

They gave me a bag with a load of brochures and more reading material!!

We walked out an hour and a half later. As we walked to the bus stops, I thought about the exams I would need and that worried me.

The bus was just pulling into the stop when we got to it. We got on and sat down.

“So, Zak, you don’t seem so happy?” she said, “You were on top of the world before we went it.”

“I guess I didn’t think about the exams I would need, and I am not that academic,” I told her.

“When we get home, we will work out where you need to concentrate to get into the Navy,” she told me and took my hand in hers, “We will work hard to get you into the Nacy son!”

The bus got us home an hour later and I made coffee and Mom got the brochure out that showed the job roles and the exams needed. We worked out that if I worked harder in maths, English and one other subject I would make the grade. I decided that history would be the other subject. I was good at history.

Mom promised to come in and see my form teacher to see if I could drop the subjects I did not need and concentrate on the core subjects. RE and Geography could be dropped, I did not need to work on those.

Then she looked at her watch

“I better get going I am meeting Laura Elliot in town in an hour” she smiled, “do you want some money for fish and chips?”

“Cheers Mom,” I said, “and thanks for coming with me today.”

“Hey, it’s what I am here for, we will do our best to get you into the Royal Navy if that’s what you want,” she said and hugged me.

She went upstairs to touch up her makeup and I started my homework. When I had my English essay written I headed down to the chip shop. I got cod and chips and a can of shandy bass and headed home.

I ate my tea in front of the Television and then reread my essay and did a bit of editing. Then I got my maths homework out and worked through it. Mom came back around ten o’clock. I was sitting watching a film about a gangster in the USA.

She made tea and told me all about her meal with Laura Elliot. Laura had told Mom about leaving a few weeks back but asked her not to tell me in case I mentioned it at school. The school had let her go earlier than expected so she would be leaving on Friday.

As she said it, I did not realise just how much that would affect me...

I slept well that night and woke early the next morning and did some exercises in the backyard. The Navy guys had given me a workout brochure. It told me the exercises I needed to do, and how to do them.

It also gave me a week-by-week workout chart with goals to meet.

I started by doing sit-ups, star jumps and squat thrusts. I then had a shower and made a pot of tea and had some cereal.

Mom came down dressed for work and she had a cup of tea before leaving for work. She was getting more and more shifts and she seemed to be enjoying the job and as she had said the money came in handy.

I walked into school, but I kept to the roads rather than cutting through the park. Siobhan and Keren were sitting in the canteen, I joined them Siobhan was buzzing about the NHS roadshow, she was so excited about the fact that she might become a nurse it was infectious (no pun intended, 😊)

Then she asked me about the Navy, and I filled her in about the visit to the career’s office. I was honest and told her I was worried about my grades.

Keren was quiet, she had been to the VD clinic in town and would not get her results back for five days. It would be a long five days for her that was obvious.

We all walked down to our form room. Our form teacher called the register and at least ten people were missing, including Sara.

After the register and school notices had been read the teacher dismissed us. I waited until the room was empty before talking to him about my trip to the Navy office and how I wanted to concentrate on core subjects to make sure I got my grades.

He was very helpful and said he would talk to the career’s officer and also to the headmaster. I hoped my recent meeting with Mr Simons would stand me in good stead.

I had English, Maths and Woodwork that morning and I made the decision to up my game. At lunchtime, I ate with Siobhan. I opted for Shepard’s Pie and Veg. It was a nice sunny day so after we had eaten, we went and sat on a bench in the playground.

“I am so worried about Sara and Keren,” Siobhan said, “they have been used by those guys and now they have to pay the price and the lads will get off scot-free!”

I sensed the anger in her voice and to be honest, I was angry as well. Neither Keren nor Sara were really mates of mine, but I still did not want to see them being used like that.

These days they would have called it grooming because to be fair the older lads in the park plied the girls with fags and alcohol and then used them for sex, passing them around the group, and that is grooming.

“I am glad I saved myself for you!” Siobhan said with a smile, and she kissed me. Some of the younger kids around us took the piss. some of the girls started singing that silly kissing song.

Siobhan and Zak sitting in a tree K I S S I N G...

We laughed it off, and the bell to bring the lunch break to an end sounded. I had Geography and Siobhan had home economics or cooking as we called it. Then we both had double PE.

We headed off and said we would meet at the school gate and walk home together. I knew that Siobhan and the team would be practising for the netball tournament.

Geography was okay, PE was better the teacher told us we were doing a cross-country run. Great I thought it would help with my fitness levels. Our PE teacher was, as you can imagine, ultra-fit, and he ran us into the ground. We ran up and down a local hill three times, then through a wood and around the park.

I was in the leading pack when we got back to the changing rooms, and I was happy with that. I know I did not win but I knew that a few morning runs would get my fitness levels up.

I showered and then dressed before leaving the gym block and walking toward the school gates. Siobhan was already there with Keren, so we walked home together.

Again, we kept to the roads rather than walk through the park if the police had not dealt with those two lads they might have been hanging around and it was not worth the risk.

Siobhan and I walked Keren home and then I walked Siobhan home. Her dad was loading stock out of their garage and into their transit van. He said hello as we walked to the drive and he asked Siobhan to put the kettle on. He drank tea like it was going out of fashion.

We went into the kitchen and Siobhan made a pot of tea. We sat at the table and chatted about Siobhan’s upcoming netball tournament. Then when her dad Terry came in, he asked us about our day at school, and then he asked me about the Royal Navy meeting.

I told him about the exams I would need and the stuff that the guys at the recruitment office had told me about learning to iron and stuff like that.

He told me he had been in the army for ten years and it had opened his eyes and taught him some good life lessons. He said it was good to see the world and even better if you were getting paid to do it.

Siobhan’s Mom came in half an hour later and asked if I wanted to stay to eat but I had promised to cook as mom was finishing late that evening.

I walked home and cooked up eggs, chips, and beans just in time for Mom getting home. We talked about school and her work as we ate. I then washed up and got down to my homework.

Mom went to bed early and I was not far behind her. I had set my alarm for an hour earlier than normal.

I woke five minutes before the alarm and put my gym kit on, I went into the back garden did a few warm-up exercises and then ran for forty minutes. When I got back mom was making a pot of tea. She was not working that day, so she took her tea back to bed.

I had breakfast, my favourite rice crispies, and then I showered and got dressed before walking into school. It was Friday the best day of the week. It was the last day of school and the start of the weekend.

When I got to school, I saw Siobhan getting her overnight bag out of the back of her mom’s car. Siobhan and her mom turned and smiled at me.

“Morning Siobhan, Morning Anna,” I said, it still felt funny calling her mom Anna, but she told me off if I did not.

They both bid me good morning.

Siobhan and her mom hugged and kissed, and I carried her bag into school. The team were leaving at lunchtime, so she was missing lessons later on. But she was a clever girl, and she would make up the time.

We found Keren in the canteen, she was still down, waiting for the results of her test was obviously taking its toll on her. She looked tired, I guessed she was not sleeping so well, and nor would I be with that axe hovering over my head.

There was no sign of Sara and that worried the other Keren and Siobhan, Keren said she would ring her over the weekend.

We chatted until the bell for registration rang. Our form room was still short of a few kids, the registration was called and then school notices were read out.

Our form team then gave us yet another talk on the dangers of unprotected sex and also warned us that smoking and drinking in the park was not a good idea.

The bell rang and we all left the form room. Outside Siobhan and I hugged, and she told me she would see me the following week. I was happy that she had made the first team as I knew that netball was important to her, but I was pissed off that I would not get to continue my education of her and also to practice my sexual technique.

I had double maths and then English that morning, I got my head down and made sure I took in as much as I could. The teachers were giving us lots of homework. It would not be long before we did our mock exams, the warm-up to the real thing.

I went into the canteen and had the chicken salad and a glass of water. As Siobhan was not around, I decided to go to the library and make a start on my homework.

I saw Miss Elliot talking to a few other kids, she worked away around the room. It took her twenty minutes to get to the table where I was working. She stopped and asked what I was working on, I showed her my English essay, and she read the first few pages and told me it looked good.

She looked around to make sure that she could not be heard. She smiled.

“Are you free this Sunday?” she asked.

“I am, what time is good for you?” I asked. I tried to hide my excitement.

“Let’s say one o’clock?” she said shooting me a cheeky wink.

My cock stirred in my boxers just thinking about the fun we would have.

She glanced at a table where some lads were talking a little bit too loudly. She tutted, smiled at me, and walked off to sort out the lads.

That afternoon I had history, geography, and woodwork. As the end of school bell went, I walked out into the sun and walked home. I had looked around for Keren but she was nowhere to be seen.

I got home, Mom was ironing in the living room.