‘I’ll have spaghetti,’ Angela said.
About to tell her mother she wanted neither beans nor spaghetti, the phone rang and Stephanie darted towards it. Angela grinned as an excited Stephanie answered it and then her voice deflated like a burst balloon. Angela had told her friend Chloe to ring at exactly this time and was thrilled she had remembered to do so.
‘Can’t you call her back? You know I’m waiting for Barry to ring,’ Steph said, handing the phone to her sister.
‘No, I can’t,’ Angela replied, snatching the phone out of her sister’s hand.
Steph paced up and down the hallway listening to her sister waffling on about a load of old rubbish. It was five to nine now and she was so afraid that she would miss Barry’s call. Frustrated beyond belief, she started to cry. ‘Please, Mum, tell her to get off the phone,’ she begged.
Clocking her daughter’s distressed manner, Pam marched into the hallway with the spatula in her hand. ‘End the call now and tell Chloe you’ll ring her back after you’ve eaten your breakfast,’ she ordered Angela.
‘No, why should I? You’re only saying that ’cause she wants to use the phone,’ Angela replied, nodding towards Stephanie.
Pam lifted the spatula above her head as if to hit her youngest daughter. ‘Put the phone down now, else you’re grounded all weekend.’
Angela did as she was told, with so much force that the phone very nearly broke in two. ‘I hate you. You always stick up for her,’ she screamed, as she ran up the stairs.
Seconds later, the phone rang again and Stephanie grabbed it. ‘Barry, is that you?’ she croaked emotionally.
‘Of course it’s me, babe. How you doing? Did you have a good birthday? I’ve sent you a card.’
‘No. I had a rubbish birthday and I’ve missed you so much,’ Stephanie said, tears rolling down her cheeks at the sound of his cockney voice.
‘I’ve missed you an’ all. I hate it out here, Steph. There’s so much work to be done in the bar and all me muvver and Jake do is sit on their arses drinking and larging it. I’ve lost about half a stone in weight ’cos I don’t stop grafting. It’s awful.’
Relieved that Barry wasn’t having a good time, Steph stopped crying. ‘Is it hot out there? Have you seen loads of pretty girls in their bikinis yet?’ she asked, remembering what her sister had told her earlier.
‘You’re having a laugh. The birds are pig ugly, it’s bleedin’ freezing, and it certainly ain’t bikini weather. Have you got my letters yet? I sent the first one to you on Wednesday.’
‘No, but me mum said they take ages to come. As soon as I get it, I’ll write straight back to you.’
‘Listen, the pips are going and me money’s gonna run out soon. Just remember I love you. If you’re missing me, look at that heart and remember what I told you.’
‘I will, I love you too, Barry,’ Steph replied tearfully, before the line went dead.
Angela, who had been earwigging at the top of the stairs, couldn’t help but laugh. Her sister was such an unclued-up sap. ‘Love you too, Barry,’ she mimicked.
Tammy Andrews was in a world of her own as she walked towards Stephanie’s house. She had a major crush on Wayne Jackman, was so looking forward to seeing him tonight, and even though she had a feeling that with her ginger hair and freckles, she didn’t have a cat in hell’s chance, she couldn’t help the way she felt about him.
Tammy walked into a newsagent’s, bought a can of Tizer and sat down on a nearby bench. When they had first got involved with Wayne Jackman, Tammy had thought he was the biggest dickhead ever to walk the earth. How wrong was I? Tammy mused, as she sipped her drink. Wayne was kind, thoughtful, funny, and with his ravishing good looks, possessed every quality Tammy wanted in a boyfriend. Debating whether or not to tell Steph about her crush on him, Tammy quickly decided against it. Not only would it be embarrassing if Steph mentioned it to Wayne and he was repulsed, but with Barry leaving as well, it just didn’t seem like appropriate timing. Pleased with her sensible decision, Tammy threw her empty can under the park bench and ran the rest of the way to her friend’s house.
‘Barry rang. He hates it out there, Tam, says it’s real boring, the girls are ugly, and all he does is work,’ Stephanie exclaimed, as she opened the front door with a smile on her face.
‘See, I told you so. What else did he say?’ Tammy asked excitedly.
Stephanie led her friend into the lounge and repeated the conversation virtually word for word until she was interrupted by her little sister.
‘He said I love you, Steph; then she said, I love you too, Bal,’ Angela mocked.
‘Go away. This is a private conversation,’ Steph yelled.
‘She is such a bitch that girl. If she was my sister I’d have throttled her by now,’ Tammy said as Angie slammed the living-room door.
Stephanie shrugged. She had spent years sticking up for Angela, but just lately, even she felt that she was running out of excuses for her sister. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with her, Tam. I mean, this morning her mate Chloe rang up just as Barry was meant to ring. I begged her to get off the phone, but she wouldn’t, not till me mum stepped in and sorted it.’
‘I bet she told Chloe to ring her at that time on purpose,’ Tammy said, knowingly.
‘Nah, I don’t think she’d do something as evil as that, but she can be a bitch at times. I don’t understand why, though. She used to be so sweet and loving. I reckon she’ll grow out of it when she’s older, don’t you? I mean, who’s to say people never said the same about me and you when we were thirteen.’
Tammy gave a sarcastic smile, but said nothing. In her eyes, Angela was a vile piece of work and would never be any different, but she didn’t want to upset her friend by saying so. They were sisters, after all.
Wayne Jackman sauntered out of Dagenham Heathway Station with a real spring in his step. West Ham had just won and he was in the mood for getting drunk to celebrate the rather rare occurrence of his team playing so well.
‘All right Jacko? You look cool. Is that a new tracksuit?’ Steph asked, punching his arm playfully.
‘Yeah. Me mate’s chored it in Holland for me,’ Wayne replied, dusting the top of his new red Fila tracksuit down in case it had picked up any nasty bugs on the filthy District Line train he’d just got off.
‘So, are we still gonna get some drink and go round yours?’ Tammy asked, unable to look the object of her affection straight in the eyes.
‘Yep, that’s the plan. Or shall we really push the boat out and have a couple in the Church Elm first?’ Wayne suggested, cheekily.
‘Me and Tam couldn’t get served in there last time we tried and we’ve only got our pocket money on us, Jacko. How much is half a cider in there?’ Stephanie asked, opening her purse and counting the change she had.
Wayne grinned, put one arm around Steph, the other around Tammy, and led them down Heathway Hill. ‘I can easily get served in there and I’ve got plenty of dosh on me.’
Half an hour later, Tammy and Steph were sitting in the corner of the pub, on their second half of cider, listening to the music pumping out of the jukebox. Both girls felt extremely grown-up and were enjoying themselves immensely.
‘So what did Bazza have to say then?’ Wayne asked Stephanie.
Stephanie repeated the conversation she’d had with her boyfriend and then showed Wayne her present. ‘It’s half a gold heart split down the middle with a jagged edge. Barry’s wearing the other half and he says when he comes home, our hearts will fit together perfectly, forever.’
Wayne chuckled. ‘He was always one for words and gestures,