Chapter 1: The first sight

The day Bernie joined my school, joined my class, was the day my world started changing. She took my breath away. Almost literally. The first impression of me, if she noticed me at all, was the fourteen year old girl choking over the other side of the room. It's not that she was beautiful in the classic Miss World sense, and only a few of the boys were checking her out with any enthusiasm.

There was just something about her that sent a big WOW exploding in my brain. I hadn't a clue why that happened. I had never been attracted to a girl before, never to a boy either coming to think of it! At fourteen, I wasn't in any hurry to start dating, and for once I agreed with my mum that there would be plenty of time for all that when I passed my exams at sixteen. In any case I hadn't met a boy that stirred any longings in me.

But this girl! She was sweet looking, slightly too large lips that smiled a little with nerves as she looked round the faces in the room all looking at her. Her hair was thick, black and wavy and had a tendency to fall over her face so that she kept pushing it back with her hand. She waited patiently for Mr Hinds to look up from his books which he did when the sounds of chairs sliding, people sitting and getting books out and the mumbles of conversations went quiet. Then he noticed the girl by the blackboard.

"Yes?" he asked in his usual brusque manner.

"Bernadette Love sir," she stated and the inevitable ripples of sniggering started. "I'm new here."

"Shut up!" he shouted, not at her but at the class in general, "Next moron to laugh is in detention!" Then, in a softer voice to her, "OK, Bernadette you're already in the register so welcome to the school. There's a spare desk by Lynda, the fair haired girl over there; go and sit down and share her text book for now. See me at the end of the lesson and I'll find a book for you."

The one next to mine was the only spare desk in the class so there wasn't a choice. I was painfully shy and didn't make friends easily, so I was usually on my own and that's how I liked it. The desks were arranged in pairs and if there was a spare desk it was usually next to me. I suppose they saw me as the class loner, and so someone best left alone.

"Thank you sir." She came over towards me and for some reason my heart seemed to be beating faster and louder than usual. She flicked her thick black hair away from her face and her eyes seemed to be black too. As she got close I could see they were dark brown like pools of plain chocolate. I smiled and she smiled back. Mr Hinds brought over an exercise book.

"Here you are Bernadette; you can use this to take notes. Use it as a general note book for now and no doubt all the teachers will give you homework books etc."

The first lesson was English Literature with our class teacher, Mr Hinds, so after taking the register he went straight into the lesson. Bernadette opened her exercise book and wrote in the margin 'Hi, Bernie' and pushed the book to the edge of the desk nearest to me. The Twelfth Night book was in the middle of us anyway so that we could both see it.

While the teacher was turned towards the board writing, I wrote beneath her name 'hi, Lyn' and then to show I was friendly, 'nice eyes!'

She beamed and took her pencil and wrote beneath that, 'thanks, nice tits!' I couldn't believe what I read and turned to her with my mouth open and eyes wide in mock shock. She rubbed it out again straight away and wrote 'oops sorry' instead. Mr Hinds turned round then and the silent conversation ended. I waited at the end of the lesson while she got the book and showed her the way to the physics lab way behind everybody else.

"Nice tits?" I asked, smiling, while we walked along the empty corridor.

"Sorry", she laughed, "it was the first thing I noticed. No offence?"

"No, just a surprise. Quite flattering really, no-one's ever said that before. They're too small of course."

"No, I meant it, they're cute. What are they? B cup?"

"Bernie! You're terrible!"

"What? You don't need to be shy. We're both girls. Hey I'm sorry."

"No sorry, it's me. I AM a bit shy."

"OK I won't mention your boobs again. Can you lend me your timetable and I'll copy it out at lunchtime?"

I led her to the lessons all morning and we sat together on a bench after dinner while she copied out the timetable. I liked being with her. The more I saw her the more I felt some strange desires in me. I felt a definite attraction to her and time after time my eyes were drawn down to her boobs which were much bigger than mine. I was embarrassed at getting these feelings and I hoped she wouldn't notice. But she did.

"Lyn, can I ask you something?" she said as she gave me back the timetable.

"Yes, of course."

"I know you don't want me to mention your boobs again, even though I think they're lovely. But I've seen you looking at mine a few times. I don't mind that at all, but what are you thinking when you look?"

I must have turned bright red. "I- I- I'm so s-sorry," I stammered. "I really don't mean to. I just can't help it for some reason."

"Hey, I said I don't mind. It's only fair after I admitted looking at yours. I just wondered what you were thinking about. Are you thinking you'd like to see them, or touch them or are you just admiring from afar?"

"Oh god. I wasn't coming on to you or anything. I'm not like that. They do look nice though."

"Shit! I've embarrassed you again. In my house we're very open about sex and stuff and I sometimes assume everyone is like that. You must think I'm a terrible person. I can see that you won't want me as a friend. That's a shame 'coz I really like you."

"Oh, I do want to be your friend, Bernie. I really do. Please give me a chance."

"As I said, I like you Lyn. I'd like to be good friends with you if you'll let me. Would you like that?"

"Yes that would be great. I don't really have any friends."

"Oh well, in that case I can be your BEST friend then, can't I?" Her dark eyes were shining and her smile was wide. I had a wild desire to kiss those lips but managed to control myself. During the afternoon we stole glances and smiles at one another like I had often seen other girls doing. For me this was all new though.

During the afternoon break, after the French lesson, she asked if I would come over to her house or her to mine so that she could compare coursework in each lesson so she could catch up if necessary. I suggested it would be easier for her to come to me to save me carrying all the books to her.

When I got home and told Mum a friend was coming over she almost fell over with shock. She was always on at me to make a friend but despaired of ever me having one. When Bernie arrived Mum was too gushing, tried too hard, offering her eats and drinks and to save embarrassment I quickly suggested we go to my room to sort out the coursework.

In my room Bernie said, "Is your mum always like that? I felt like a royal visitor or something."