You Really Got A Hold On Me

With A Little Help From My Friends

I started to panic. Dad and Paul were on the same street – this couldn’t be good. If Dad reached the house soon he would see Paul and then my cover would be blown. I couldn’t let this happen. Dad couldn’t find out about Paul and me. He couldn’t find out that I had been lying to him.

“Abby! It’s my Dad!” I said, panicking.

“Where?” she said, “oh god I see him.”

“What am I going to do?!”

“We’ll think of something” she answered as we started to hurry. We somehow would have to stop this from happening.

As Dad neared the house, and Paul, so did we. We had quickened our pace and were almost running by now.

Paul noticed us and waved. I was too scared to wave back. Just as Dad reached Paul we arrived a second later.

“Can I help you young man?” Dad asked, looking confused.

My insides screamed that it was all over. I desperately looked at the two, still panting from the run. This was it. The next words I would no doubt hear would be Paul’s and I know he was oblivious to my sneaking around so I suppose I could hardly blame him.

Paul opened his mouth to answer my Dad and I closed my eyes ready for what was going to happen next.

“Oh Paul?! What are you doing here?” I opened my eyes, it was Abby who had spoken up. What was she doing? This only made me even more nervous.

“It’s okay Mr Leerick it’s just Paul, he’s my boyfriend” Abby continued, ‘her boyfriend’ I thought. What was going on? But then I realised, Abby was in fact saving me. I silently prayed, thanking God that he had dropped Abby into my life all those years ago. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.

“Your boyfriend?” Dad asked, looking at the three of us. Paul seemed as startled as I was, he didn’t speak. Abby stepped forward and took Paul’s arm.

“He must have thought I was around at Michelle’s and came looking for me.”

I saw her subtly nudge Paul from behind and he subsequently nodded.

“Yes sir” he said.

“Ok then” Dad said a bit sceptically. I took this as my chance to speak.

“I’ll be in in a minute Dad” I told him and he started towards the door. He nodded and I waited for him to be safely inside and out of earshot then turned back to Abby and Paul.

“Okay, what’s going on? Explain.” Paul said.

“Not here” I said, conscious that Dad might be watching.

“Let’s go for a little walk.” Abby suggested.

The three of us started down the street and Paul still looked at me all the while with a confused look on his face. He looked so cute, bless him.

“So?” Paul said after a while.

I looked at Abby, she looked at me.

“Okay,” Abby said, “the only reason I pretended that you were my boyfriend was because Michelle’s Dad doesn’t know about you two.” She spilled the beans.

“What?” Paul stopped, “he doesn’t know?”

I shook my head.

“Why? Are you ashamed of me or something?!” He asked distraught.

“No!” I cried, “I haven’t told him because if he found out he probably wouldn’t let me see you.”

It wasn’t that Dad was the strict type like Abby’s parents but I instinctively felt that he would be a bit protective over me if he found out I was dating a teddyboy. I guessed it had just been easier to lie to him, as much as it killed me.