Damsel in Distress by Young Dave

I wanted to hold her hand, to reach for it.

Feelings of euphoria which had come after making her laugh in wood tech, the last lesson of the day, swiftly evaporated as we passed the roundabout on our way to smuggler's ditch. She'd gone quiet and a small gap formed as we walked, as if she was trying to put physical distance between us.

I knew the reason, Timbo.

It was only a few weeks since he'd "Houdineed," so there was anxiety around, especially at school, and I was annoyed about the attention she was giving him. Yeah me and him had been closer but I knew they shared classes and the way she pined over his absence was sending me mind to pessimistic places. No, she didn't like him like that, she couldn't...

We skirted the ditch, heading for the steep bank called the muddies.

I kept stealing glances, slyly admiring her body; sleek, black hair, soft clean skin, and big, white, perfectly straight teeth. She'd catch me every now and then and I remember thinking that her eyes, same colour as her hair, shone with innocence. I knew I'd fallen, denial was pointless, but I still hoped she hadn't guessed, not about my feelings just the strength of them. It would be twenty years until I heard the term limerence but I already had a good understanding of it. And it was shit.

She wanted to go to the fort, to where she said, she thought he might have gone. I tried hard to smile, keep the nervous grimace off me face. He'd been heading there when I left him but I'd kept my part out of it and so no one knew about our bust up. It was only then I remembered he'd mentioned Anita's name before I shoved him.

My recollects were interrupted by an unwelcome wheezing sound and I knew who it was before we both turned to see fat Alec.

There was a chance he could've fancied Anita, it was impossible for me to believe anyone didn't, but he was after me not her, and though I'd played down me own part in Timbo's vanishing act, I'd been only too quick to tell the head master, Mr Barker, that I'd seen John and Alec that afternoon and that they regularly picked on Tim. Since then I'd spent a fair amount of time successfully avoiding them. We'd learned they were questioned by old Bill after Mr Barker passed on me account, and I was sure, as they'd seen me that day, they would easily put two and two together. I shivered when I realised they'd have given my name to the police as well.

"Come on, he can't get up the muddies," I said.

She looked at me with a dead expression and stayed put. Any illusion she was a damsel in need of a knight's protection was gone and I felt suddenly less than macho.

Alec had lost his usual snidey sneer and I knew that was bad. Luckily I couldn't see big John.

"Alright you sneaky prick, what did you say to the police," he lunged for me.

Before I had a chance to say anything Anita had stepped between us teeth bared, she pulled a foot back and kicked him square in the peanuts.

He fell to his knees.

Alec mumbled some French pleasantries but Anita only turned and began climbing the hill. I stared dumb-faced at Alec as he struggled to his feet before I followed.

Slipping more than once, (I found the climb hard going,) and clinging from saplings inbetween desperate scrambles for each new resting spot, crumbling mud and dirt giving way beneath me, I was amazed at how effortless Anita appeared by comparison.

We reached the top and as I'd thought Alec, being a fat lad, didn't follow us.

"Slag!" He cried, "We'll have both of you,"

Wanting to appear hard and with a childish sense of defending her honour, I shouted, "Fuck you, you fat prick!"

Anita shouted something similar, picked up a clump of mud and hurled it at him.

He couldn't believe it, his face went red and I could see he held back tears. I couldn't believe it either but joined her as she rained more dirt and stones down on him. Eventually Alec fled, tears running his ruddy cheeks.

"Always hated that fat bastard," she said.

Sensing a moment between us I grabbed her hand but didn't really know how to back it up. She pulled her hand away and caught me with those dark eyes which had suddenly lost most of their innocence.

"You didn't tell me you spoke to the police," she said.

"I didn't."

"He thinks you did?"

I shrugged.

She didn't say anything else, just turned for Tangle woods. I followed at a respectful distance wondering what, if anything, to tell her about that day...