Chapter 5

Moira opened the door and walked over to a table clicking her fingers and calling for her sister. Abigail scowled as she came over. "What d'ya want?"

"Ah ya cannae talk tae customers like t'at?" Moira shouted, and Abigail glanced over towards Pauline. "Ah'll have a pot of tea and a slice of cake.

Abigail picked up her pad and walked over to the till, ringing through the cost and printing out the receipt. Pauline snapped at her for talking to Moira like she did and Abigail poured hot water into a teapot containing teabags, added a piece of the heavy cake to the tray along with a small pot of milk and an empty cup.

"Where's me sugar?" Moira asked loudly.

"Yer don't 'ave sugar," Abigail replied, just as loudly.

"Ah wan' sugar," Moira snapped and Abigail scowled and walked to the front of the café to get a small bowl of sugar and put it down with a bang on the table. Moira, holding a cup of tea, bashed it into Abigail's hand as she leant over, then cried out as the hot tea went over her, her cake and Abigail. "Yer clumsy fool! Look what you've done," she spat and Pauline strode down the café with a tea towel.

"So sorry Moira," Pauline apologised and clicked her fingers towards Moira's sister. "Abigail do it again."

"Aye, she's so clumsy," Moira told her. "She always doin' at 'ome."

"It's you," Abigail shouted from the counter. "You threw it into me." Abigail wiped her apron down, and Pauline strode back towards her.

"Yer donnae talk to customers like that," she barked and Abigail glared at her.

"She's causing trouble."

"Go home," Pauline barked. "Yer no good like this."

Abigail took a deep breath and puffed up her chest, throwing her apron onto the work counter and grabbing her coat, before striding out into the sunshine.

"Abigail," the flustered face of Alistair cried as he ran up to her in the park. She looked at her friend walking alongside her, who just shrugged. "Abigail."

The teenage girl spun around to face him. "What?"

"Ah'm needin' to speak to you" he told her, panting furiously. "Ah'm..."

"What?" Abigail cried and he looked at Lisa, standing next to his ex-partner. "What d'ya want Alistair? I'm having a shit day, what is it?"

"Ah'm sorry," he told her and looked down at her. "Ah want'd to say 'bout us."

"There is no 'us'," Abigail shouted. "We ain't together."

A tear formed in his eye. "But Abigail, please. You're a bonnie lass, and ye make me go all funny. Ah cannae control me-self and..."

Abigail cocked her head and sighed, shaking it as she spoke. "Yer just..."

"Ah know," Alistair muttered with despondency in his voice. "But ah need practice," he cried. "Abigail..."

She sniffed. "I ain't being a sex teacher for ya," she spat. "I want someone who can do it. I got needs too."

Alistair sniffed and bit his lip. A couple more tears formed in his eyes, and he looked at the two girls. "But ... but ... Abigail. Ah love ye. Yer lovely gal and ah wanna marry you."

Abigail spluttered and looked at her friend. "What?"

"Ahh love ye. Please Abigail. Donnae dump me."

She took a deep breath, and he stared at her. "Yer can'nae love me," she muttered.

"But..."

"We ain't," she said a little more forcefully. "It's over, Alistair. Quickly. Like yer."

"But yer stripped for me. I love..."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, staring at him. "Ah only stripped for you at Lisa's 'cause I 'ad a bet to make you spunk in your keks." She bit her lip and he glared at her, wiping his eyes. "I don't love you," she told him. "Yer nuttin'."

"But..."

"It's over," she said firmly and turned to leave.

Alistair grabbed hold of her hand and sank to knees. "Abigail. Please gimme one more chance. Yer amazin' and..."

"Alistair, no," Abigail cried and shook her hand free. "Yer makin' a fool of yourself."

He didn't reply and she shook her head, striding away from him. Abigail deliberately didn't cast a glance back towards him as the two girls walked up the hill. "Ah cannae believe him," Abigail cried. "Four dates, a few wee dances and a shit fuck and 'e thinks Ah'm going tae love him."

Lisa hummed. "Was mean though," she muttered and Abigail turned around at the top of the park to see Alistair trooping slowly back towards the road, his head stooped.

"Yeah," Abigail agreed. "Was bored. And he ain't no stud, should be 'appy for all the attention he gets."