Chapter 12

Mum had given Abi and myself the day off completely and on Saturday morning I walked to Abi's house with my overnight bag and £100 in my pocket from Mum as well as a similar amount from my work at the club; I also had my cash card with me but I thought £200 should cover most of what I needed. I knew Abi would not take any money from me, so I resolved myself to having to pay for things when she would let me. In turn, Mum had told me to take the cash as she thought it was a good thing that Abi was trying to reconcile with her family and eventually confessed that she was much happier knowing that she was going, and that she wasn't going alone.

Abi had only just got dressed when I arrived and ate breakfast in silence while I loaded Abi's rusting car up with our bags. She sauntered out at 9:30 looking a little stressed but a quick kiss and cuddle restored the normal, smiling Abi and we got into the car.

We sang happily along to the radio until we reached Milton Keynes when Abi needed to stop and get some fuel; it was cheaper in the city than it would be on the motorway service stations. While she was filling her tank I went inside to "buy some sweets for the journey" and paid for the half-tank of petrol while she was replacing the fuel cap. I did not think it was fair for Abi to pay for all the fuel but she got annoyed with me when I would not accept payment from her and we caused a bit of a scene on the forecourt.

Many motorists turned to look at the elegant sexy 21-year-old girl berate the teenage boy who acted every inch her boyfriend, but appeared, and indeed was, an impossible mismatch. As I got back in the car I saw a similar aged boy in the front seat of a Range Rover staring at me, and I didn't need telepathy to read his mind: "How the hell did he end up with her?" I wanted to get out and tell him it was pure luck but Abi jerked her car into life and we rejoined the motorway.

It took until we reached Stoke – ninety minutes later – for Abi to be talking fully to me again. It was a little petty but I could tell she was a little on edge – a mixture of apprehension and annoyance – and I didn't try to initiate conversation; I just watched the countryside speed past from the outside lane.

I wished I could help with the driving but I was not even old enough to have my provisional license so there was no way I could and Abi needed a rest. We stopped at the rural service station for lunch and I insisted on paying for it. Abi was too weary from our last exchange to complain too vociferously and we ate in a furious silence.

I was already almost regretting the trip and Abi huffed at me as we walked back to the car; she had spent almost all of the journey irritated with me but at least if she was angry with me then she would not be wondering about meeting her family again.

It was a silly thing to argue about and I reasoned with her that we should share the costs of the trip. Abi pointed out that sharing meant we split the costs, not that I paid for it all. We squabbled and argued about this until I said that we should add up the total cost of the trip at the end of the journey, split it 50-50 and if one of us had paid more then they could be reimbursed.

She readily agreed to this, and we were talkative until we got to the Scottish Borders when Abi went quiet. I could see she was deep in thought. "I've not been to Scotland for over a year," she admitted as we raced past the road sign that indicated we were now in Scotland. "Not since ... well they found out"

I put my hand on hers and she smiled at me. "It's not going to be easy, but you'll be fine," I told her and she shook her head. "And if they didn't want ya there, you'd not have got an invite."

"I'm not so sure this was a good idea," she admitted and turned off the motorway towards Dumfries.

"It's a bit late for second thoughts," I told her and sighed. "But we'll be fine. I've not been thrown out of a pub for days," I joked, and then had to explain exactly what had happened the last time I went to the White Lion.

We arrived at the hotel at 5pm, having driven for over seven hours. Abi was tired, and she asked to be left alone for an hour to get a bit of sleep. I had slept little bits in the car so I wandered around the grounds of the hotel and then had a coffee in the hotel bar before waking her at quarter-to-seven.

Abi's reaction – once she had fully woken up - was one of complete panic that I had let her sleep for so long. She claimed, rather angrily, that she wouldn't be able to get ready in time but she was tired and was sleeping so well that I reasoned she would enjoy the extra forty-five minutes in bed. "Well, how long does it take?" I asked in all seriousness as she squealed at the time and I took my suit from its peg. Abi jumped into shower while I relieved myself on the toilet and then leapt out a minute later leaving wet footprints all over the tiled floor. I spent a leisurely ten minutes shaving, getting in the shower and then took a whole five minutes to dry, deodorise, put my shirt, trousers and jacket on, and finally slap on some aftershave. In all this time, Abi was still naked and doing something with her nails.

"Don't we need to leave in ten minutes?" I asked her and she looked across at me with an annoyed look.

"Don't start, Andy" she warned and returned to her nails. "For future reference, giving a girl less an hour to get ready for a party puts you in seriously dangerous territory."

"Doesn't take me an hour to get ready," I mused. "Can't you just, well, hurry up a bit?". Abi flung her hairbrush in my direction and threw me a dirty look. I picked up her book (I had forgotten mine) and started reading about a Parisian Prostitute. By the time she had plucked her eyebrows (and then pointlessly filled the space left by the missing hairs with a big black crayon), done her make-up and hair, and then got dressed, it was nearly half-past and we were due at the party.

"Did we get your brother anything?" I asked as Abi pulled her dress over her hips and she nodded.

"A bottle of single malt," she replied and pulled out a wrapped box from her bag. "It's a smoked one, very distinctive."

"Ahhh, how much. We need to add it to the chart," I asked and pulled out a sheet from my trousers. I had added the meal and petrol to the sheet as I sat in the café and she just groaned. "Come on, we agreed."

"Thirty five," she snapped and grabbed my hand to pull me out of the room. Abi and I argued over the directions to the party (I had the advantage of the map and Abi had the advantage of living in the same country many years ago), and so it was 8pm by the time we nearly ran over some sheep, she looked at the map and realised she was hopelessly wrong. "That's your fault," I told her. "If only you'd listened."

Abi sneered, snatched the map from me and started down a completely different road that I was advocating. We pulled into the pub car park that was almost overflowing and parked in the only space available underneath the pub sign and almost in the bushes. I kissed her before we got out of the car to "make up" and she straightened her dress. I could tell she was nervous, but looked beautiful in her backless long, flowing green ball-gown although she ignored my attempts at telling her to smile.

"You look beautiful," I told her and she wiped her eye. "You are beautiful."

We entered through some doors of the lively pub and walked upstairs to a large and well-filled function room with a long bar at one end. In the middle there was a dance floor and a DJ was playing some up-tempo music but at the entrance to the hall it was reasonably quiet. I looked into the room with Abi and took her coat, hanging it up with my suit jacket on the last remaining peg by door.

An overweight, pudgy woman in her late-20s came up to Abi, her expression and body language cold and unwelcoming. "Yer late. We wur thinking ye weren't gaun tae come," she told my lover coldly in a deep Scottish voice.

"My fault. We got lost," I told her before Abi could reply and she squeezed my hand. "You'd think the Scots'd know to put up some bloody signs."

The woman ignored me and turned to Abi. "And who's this?"

"Andy, this is my elder sister Moira. Moira, this is my ... this is my friend, Andy," Abi told her in a hesitant voice and the hostile woman curled her nose up at me.

"Eez too young fur ye but then ye always had a weird taste in men," she replied sharply in her local drawl. "And I bet eez doin' drugs with ya an all."

"Errr," I started, angry that I was being talked about by this pugnacious and bitter woman who did not know me. Abi squeezed my hand and I sighed. I looked at my pulchritudinous lover, a complete opposite to the repulsive, dumpy woman in front of us, willing my lover telepathically to move to the bar. I could feel the hostility coming from this woman, her sister, and immediately sympathised with Abi. I was glad when Abi ended the conversation and we headed towards the corner of the room. "You OK?" I asked my lover and she nodded. Abi put the gift-wrapped present and card on the large table at the end of the bar and returned to my side.

"Moira's never liked me much," she told me eventually but calmly. "She has stayed in the village almost her entire life. We had a ... well there's history, that's all."

"But she is your sister..."

"You don't get to choose your family," Abi said curtly. "I wish I could, but I'm stuck with her."

"Like I'm stuck with Rhea. But if she was ever like that with me, they'd ... well I'd knock 'er into next week."

"You mean, she'd knock you into next week." I hummed at her assertion and saw her eyes flick around the room.

"Well if you need me to disappear for awhile just let me know, or whatever. I'll do whatever you need me to do."

Abi smiled at me but didn't respond. I surveyed the room, looking for someone like Abi, but there was no-one and it was almost as though she was an outsider. The beautiful flamboyance and natural beauty just wasn't present in anyone else at the party.

I got a beer and Abi got her sole drink for the night (as she was driving), a large glass of wine, and we sauntered to a free table in the corner. I could feel several sets of eyes watching us as we sat down and I began to see why Abi was nervous about coming; I felt like an unwelcome leper.

People were talking and muttering, fingers were being subtly pointed and we were the very centre of attention – although nobody wanted to look directly at Abi and I. It was weird and I wanted an escape route; the fire escape and the entrance were at opposite ends of the room and I subconsciously felt a little trapped.

Abi did not want to dance, and drank her wine in silence, humming along to the music. Every so often she would meet the gaze of one of the other patrons and look away but she was scanning the room for someone in particular. Moira's eyes never left our general direction; it was uncomfortable and I didn't like the foul woman. Just what had I done to draw her ire?

"Abigail!" said a deep Scottish voice from behind us. Both of us jumped and Abi spun round in her seat.

"Ma" she cried and jumped up, throwing her arms around the short woman who looked like an older version of Moira except with greying hair instead of the brown hair of Abi's sister.

"Ye look weel. Tis good tae see ye. Aye, it's bin tae long since ye came up tae see me," she told Abi, who hugged her in return.

"I know. But it's been difficult, Ma, after, you know. This is Andy."

I held my hand out and she sat down shaking it. "Ye from Birmingham?" she asked and I shook my head.

"Aylesbury. Well Stoke originally but now Aylesbury," I babbled and Abi's mum turned her attention back to her daughter.

"Whit urr ye daein' noo?" she asked Abi and Abi buried her face in her drink for a moment.

"I've left Birmingham. Living just outside London now. Working in a nightclub, sharing a flat with Angela, you remember her?"

Her mother tutted but a smile crept across her face and she hugged Abi again. "Yer nae running awa' again. Ah want yer phane 'n' yer address, lassie"

Abi smiled but her mother scrabbled around in her bag and produced a pen and paper which she gave to her elegant daughter. While Abi scribbled her details down, her mother turned to me. "'n' whit ye dae?"

"Me?" I asked, in surprise. Her mother nodded. "I'm at College" I replied and her mother shot Abi an awkward glance.

"Andy showed me 'round Aylesbury when I arrived" Abi told her, saving me from any further questions and her Mum then asked.

"Sae whit happened tae that Gavin bloke ye wur seeing? Didnae lik' 'im"

Abi tensed up and froze for a moment and then told her mother she would tell her later. Abi and her mother, Shona, spent the next ten minutes catching up. I learned that Abi's dad, Iain, was contemplating retirement from the Police force the following year as he would be 55, Abi's brother Robert, who was thirty, was trying for a second child, another brother Graeme was selected as an SNP candidate at some forthcoming council elections and her youngest brother, Jamie, had just secured a promotion. Shona's only grandchild, Andrew, was doing very well at school and was in the rugby team as he was "tall for his age and very strong."

I noticed a ten year old whizz past a few moment later with a half-full glass of cola and appreciated the comment immediately. I was six foot in height but he was only a few inches shorter than me. It was strange, but there weren't that many tall women in the room – Abi was the only exception – and her mother was barely 5ft 3in.

I stayed out of the conversation between them but half-listened. Shona was proud of her family and relished the opportunity to boast about their achievements but whenever Shona went close to asking Abi about her life, Abi steered her away from the subject. A couple of times she looked across at me when she did and I realised that it was my presence that was stopping her. I knew, or thought I knew, what Abi was going to say but she clearly she wanted a bit more privacy so I got up to give it to her. "I'm just going for some fresh air," I told the two women.

"Are you OK?" Abi asked concerned, but I just nodded.

"Fine. Just need some fresh air. We've been cooped up in a car and a hotel room all day. I'll be back in ten minutes and it'll give you time to catch up," I told her and Abi smiled gratefully. I walked around the bar and got to the doors at the top of the stairs where my jacket was hanging.

"O' coorse, he's ainlie gaun tae be eighteen" said a female voice from behind the doors and I stopped to listen in. "And a druggie as well. Ya see it'n the eyes."

"It's disgusting" said a thick Scottish male voice. "Always was trouble."

"Sheez some nerve comin' back. Ah ne'er wanted tae see her again. She's a clatty lassie. After whit she wis daein' fur a living. Brought pity on th' family she did."

"And it broke Dad's heart whin he found oot."

I stepped around the open door and saw Moira talking to a large, robust gentleman with short brown hair and facial stubble. He can't have been much more than 25 and his presence filled the corridor.

"Best not to bad-mouth someone when they are in earshot," I told Moira coldly as I walked into the foyer. Moira was clearly shocked at my brazenness and looked up at her companion.

"That filthy whore deserves everything she gets," he replied to me and then asked. "And what ya doin' 'ere?"

I shook my head. "I am here because I am invited. But who the fuck gives you the right to call someone you ain't seen for fuck knows how long a filthy whore," I yelled at them.

I threw my right arm outwards and pointed at him aggressively. I felt angry and the beer had given me an inappropriate confidence. "Ah'm her brother. She is trouble and she is a dirty slut," he spat. "She was whoring every night."

"I know what happened but you have no fuckin' idea..." I shouted at her brother and stood eyeball-to-eyeball with him.

"Ah ye'r a bairn. Ye know nuttin'. Ah she's a druggie slut and she ain't welcome..." he replied but I threw myself towards him knocking him backwards so he stumbled to the floor. My eyes flashed angrily and I stood over him shouting at him.

"Ah fuck off. Both of ya. You're family Abi can do without. The jealous, spiteful bitch of a sister and the vindictive twat of a brother," I yelled at him and clenched my fists. Both of them stared at me, and I retreated, and walked down the stairs, unaware of the handful of witnesses that had amassed behind me as I had attacked Abi's brother. I was expecting him to follow me and I wanted to hit him. Hit him hard. He was bigger and stronger than me and I might take a battering, but I had anger coursing through my veins and it needed an outlet.

Why did they think they could talk about Abi like that?

It was cool in the Beer Garden, especially without a coat or jacket, but I found the swings and with my back to the pub, swung on them looking out over valley and down into the river below. It took a few minutes when I heard a voice from behind me.

A tall thin man in his mid-twenties stood there with two pints of beer and held one out. "Can I join you?" he asked in a soft voice; I hadn't seen him earlier in the bar so had no idea who he was. His accent was unmistakably Scottish but it was not as pronounced as everyone else I had met. "Abi said you would probably be here."

"Cheers" I said, accepting the beer and he got on the swing next to mine. I wasn't swinging on it any more, just using it as a seat and he did the same.

"Jamie," he introduced himself, holding his hand out. "Abi's brother"

"Andy," I replied a little curtly. "I'm umm ... Abi's 'friend'."

"You know you've caused quite a stir. Not many people get to tell Graeme to fuck off or call him a twat and keep all their teeth," he smirked and I shrugged. "Especially not if their English."

"Well he was fuckin' asking for it," I replied, unrepentantly. "And if he wants a fight then he can have one 'cause he was havin' a go at Abi." I wished I had Rhea with me as she dealt with Jez wonderfully. She would have a field day with Graeme and Moira.

Jamie shook his head. "That's not a great idea, ya' know. Abi upset quite a lot of people last year, and Graeme and Moira, well, they don't forget easily."

"That's fair enough but they can't expect to bad mouth Abi and me, let me overhear it and expect me not to react."

Jamie smirked. "Listen kid, I would not expect Abi to be involved with anyone who couldn't stand up for themselves but don't go picking fights with her family. It will only hurt her in the end. And this is Robert's birthday party, we don't want no trouble."

I mulled these words for a few moments and squinted over the valley. Some birds were chasing each other down the river and I focused on them for a few moments until they disappeared from view. "I don't want to cause a fight or any problems with anyone but I would have thought he would have been happy to see his baby sister again." Jamie straightened his glasses and ran his hand though his short hair. "Especially as they haven't seen her for over a year."

"It is good to see her again. I did wonder if she would come even after I got her address from Angela but Moira and Abi, well they never liked each other growing up. You are asking a lot for her to suddenly be the concerned big sister now, especially after everything that had happened then and what happened last year."

"What did happen?" I asked and Jamie blew into the air.

"Well ... it's..."

"I know about the massage parlour and everyone finding out," I said quickly and Jamie nodded.

"Well it was Moira that found out at Robert's tenth wedding anniversary do. Her last boyfriend told Moira, and she confronted Abi with some very unkind language, and Abi hit Moira."

"Ahh, yes I can see why Moira isn't fond of Abi."

"I tried to stop Abi from leaving but she drove off in a panic and that was the last we saw of her. I managed to get hold of Eddie, Angela's old boyfriend, who gave me a number for her and eventually she gave me Abi's address but I am a bit surprised she came."

"She didn't want to, at first. Mum and I had to make her," I admitted and he laughed.

"Making little Abi do something she doesn't want to. You must be good," he joked and took a sip of his drink. "So tell me, how did you meet Abi," he asked.

"It's a long story. She came to see Mum and I met her there. And we sort of hit it off," I said abbreviating the last couple of months as best I could.

Jamie hummed. "So she got seduced by an eighteen year old," Jamie teased and I shook my head.

"Not really. We are not going out. And I'm not eighteen"

"Oh sorry, Moira said you were."

"I asked and Abi said no, she didn't want a relationship. And I'm sixteen not eighteen"

Jamie smirked at me. "I wouldn't tell Moira that. She ... um..."

"Might dislike me even more?" I asked and shrugged. "Don't care. She reminds me of the girlfriend of one of my friends. Nasty piece of work. And I'm sure Moira thinks bad things of me."

"Well let's say, I doubt you'll get a Christmas card this year," he joked.

Jamie and I spoke for around twenty minutes. He was a solicitor in Edinburgh and had recently been promoted, having worked on, and won, a suitably large case that generated a large amount of money for the firm. In turn, I spoke about my A Level choices and possible career options and he listened intently. I found him good company compared to the intensive atmosphere of the function room and actually quite liked him.

Once I had calmed down I got the impression that the feeling was mutual. He seemed quite easy-going anyway but there was a genuine friendliness in his voice and demeanour that made me at ease. I felt as though he was on Abi's side, and Abi desperarely needed familial allies.

"You still out here?" Abi asked from behind us and I got up to see her with Shona. Abi had been crying, her eyes were puffy and red but there was a relieved look in her face and her body language was relaxed.

"My fault," Jamie said. "You know what I am like when I get talking."

"Can we go inside, please. It's bloody cold," Abi shivered.

"Of course" I told her and got up.

Shona said as I passed, "Ah heard ye made a wee impression oan Graeme 'n' Moira. Dunnae worry yirsel' aboot 'em. Ye nae goin' tae get 'em tae like Abi sae ignore 'em" she told me and I smiled.

"I will do," I promised and put my arm around my companion.

Jamie was insistent on me trying half-a-dozen whiskies, despite the best intentions of his wife and by the time we were ready to go I was completely drunk (the buffet barely soaking up any of the alcohol). Abi had introduced me to a number of her old neighbours and extended family but I had forgotten their names or who they were immediately after I was told, the alcohol content in my system not assisting with this task.

Abi's father, Iain, a serving police officer and ex-military man, joined us for the last couple of drinks. The first whiskies were quite fiery and scorched my mouth and throat but I began to enjoy them a bit more, especially if I sipped at it. Iain and Jamie involved me in the conversation and we caught various members of the family as they came past for a few moments.

Moira and Graeme avoided Abi and the table where I sat, after we returned from the Beer Garden which suited me. I did not fancy getting into another argument with them and, it appeared, they didn't fancy exchanging further words with me.

Jamie and his wife, Wendy, kissed Abi as we were leaving. They were staying in the same hotel as Abi and myself so we agreed to meet in the breakfast room at 9am, before I stumbled down the stairs out to Abi's car.

"Not too bad?" I asked Abi as we got into the vehicle.

Abi nodded and smiled. "No. Not at all. I'm glad I came. You were right about Moira and Graeme but I don't think they liked you."

I snorted. "Should I care? I think not" I slurred and Abi tittered at me.

"I think you may have had one too many," she told me as we pulled out of the car park.

"I have not had one too many. I have had several too many" I replied and grinned at her. "Anyway what goes on in a foreign country stays there, right?"

Abi smirked, kissed me and drove to the hotel via about a dozen detours. Abi still stubbornly believed she did not need the map!

We got back at around 11:30 and Abi made me drink three glasses of water. "You'll have a hangover otherwise," she warned and I duly did drink what I was told to. "And if you have to get up to be sick, don't wake me up," she warned and got undressed.

"Abi. You know you are beautiful," I told her the naked girl and she looked at me.

"If you weren't so pissed, you'd get some fun. You'd get plenty of fun, but I do not sleep with drunks."

"I'm not that pissed, look!" I said and pulled down my trousers to reveal a semi-erect cock.

"Goodnight Andy," she said and climbed into bed. "Leave me alone while you're drunk"

I got undressed and snuggled up alongside her but she shook me off. She turned to face me, her eyes sparkling with fear and anger. "Seriously Andy, leave me alone."

I didn't notice the warning and rubbed my hands down her flanks. "Can I not even have a goodnight kiss?" I asked. "Like wherever I want?" She turned and slapped me on the cheek.

Pain and shock emanated from where she struck me. My heartbeat quickened and I stared at her face as it towered over mine. "Leave me alone. I'm going to sleep" she said fiercely and turned off the bedside light.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. What was wrong with her?

I was awoken by some movement between my legs and opened my eyes to see Abi settling down between my thighs. She was naked, the covers pushed to the other side of the bed. She blew gently on my cock and it sprang to attention. Abi's eyes warmly looked at me.

She kissed the head of my cock gently and swirled her tongue over its head before looking up at me out of the corner of her eye. I groaned as she did, and she slowly impaled her mouth on my manhood, staring into my eyes.

Abi's warm mouth slid up and down my member, her tongue flicking my head as she reached her the apex of her stroke and then going in a bit further than the previous time as her mouth glided down effortlessly.

I groaned again and felt her hand touch my testicles and then slid a finger behind them. I reached down and ran my hands through her hair and grunted. She was watching me as she did it, the warmth of her mouth and the slickness of her lips as she bobbed up and down, I knew I could do little to resist much longer.

I grunted again and she pressed hard against my perineum. My body tensed up and I had the tightness and pressure all over my loins.

"I'm gonna..." I warned Abi but she already knew I could not hold onto my climax for much longer. She began to slide up and down my shaft faster and faster. Her tongue rubbed against the underside of my dick while she brought her mouth down me and I screwed up my face.

The feeling was unbelievable and I resisted no more. With a grunt, I released and felt waves of semen travel up my loins and my cock swelled. Abi did not stop and suckled my ejaculating cock greedily as I spurted several times into her.

Abi continued to milk my cock, sending several aftershocks across my body and but then as I feel almost drained, she let my cock slip from her mouth and she peered up at me, her naked body enticingly sexy.

"What was that for?" I asked and Abi smiled up at me.

"Because I can. And because you are the best friend I have at the moment," she said with a smirk on her face. "And because I shouldn't have slapped you last night."

"You weren't wrong Abi," I replied instinctively, remembering the reasons behind the slap. "I should have left you alone so I'm sorry. You said no."

Abi smiled at me and her eyes twinkled. She was relieved. "Please, don't do it again. It frightens me when I'm with someone who is drunk and they won't take no for an answer. I know you are only sixteen but it is not OK." I nodded and apologised again, rather sheepishly. "Learn from it. Sex is not a right with me or anyone else you will meet in your life. Don't treat it like it is, although I'm sorry I hit you."

"I know. I'll behave in future," I promised and Abi smiled.

"Not behave too much, I hope," she told me and swung her legs over my body and snaked her pelvis up my chest. I looked at her presented slit and grinned. It looked gloriously inviting. I closed my eyes and kissed her lips. I tried to position her so she was sitting upright, but she wiggled her hips and slid my hands down her sides.

I ran my tongue up and down her slit, pausing to delve into her hole and glided over her perineum. She mewed as I did. Her hand wrapped itself around my erect penis and she gave a few gentle tugs of my rigid member.

It felt good as her experienced hands wrapped themselves around my inexperienced genitals and I could not help but cry out.

Abi bucked her hips as my tongue touched her clitoris; I sucked on it gently and tasted the sweet nectar of my lover. She was aroused and her musky scent filled my nostrils as I pressed my face into her soaked undercarriage.