The Debt of Guilt [BxB]

14: before

June
1989

Exams finally came to an end, and for Danny, Jenifer, and half of their year group, it marked the end of their school careers. The end of note taking, canteen food, locker combinations, and textbooks older than their parents.

In June, the trio walked through the school gates together one last time, wearing their own clothes, laden with textbooks they were here to return. For Peter, it was a bittersweet moment, the summer stretching out before them like a promise of possibilities, though at the end, the inevitable dread of returning to this building alone, without his best friends at his side.

They dumped all their books in the library, emptied out their old lockers, and looked around the corridor sentimentally, "God, I'm happy to be done with this place." Danny laughed.

Jenifer was holding her belly, her cheeks glowing, smile warm and giddy, "Same. Fuck this place."

"Can't believe you wanna come back here, Pete." Danny slung his arm over Peter's shoulder, pulling his best friend into his side.

"I don't." Peter nudged him away, "But I gotta get my A levels if I wanna go to uni."

"And d'you?" Jenifer rose her brows, "The whole uni thing...?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded, "A degree, a masters, a doctorate, the whole lot." It was ambitious, and maybe he would fall at the very first hurdle. But he would try. That's all he had ever done; try.

"Why the fuck would you wanna do all that?" Danny asked in exasperation as they walked through the corridors together one last time, heading towards the exit.

"'Cause uncle Pete's gotta provide for his family." Jenifer said to her stomach - now six months in, even baggy jumpers wouldn't hide it anymore. "Gotta put those brains to good use, and become filthy, filthy rich."

"Hate to break it to you, Jen, but the longer I stay at uni, the broker I'm gonna get."

She frowned, "Then why the fuck would you wanna do that?" She echoed Danny.

He rolled his eyes, pushing the double doors open as they stepped into the sunshine, "It's just what I wanna do, alright? Danny's got the whole acting dream, and I have this."

Danny snorted, "I'd like to remind everyone that I don't have an 'acting dream'." He rolled his eyes.

"But if you could be an actor, you would, right?" Peter pressed.

"Well, yeah." Danny shrugged, "Of course. If I could-"

"So, it's a dream." Peter smiled, "That's your dream, and this is mine."

They breathed in the fresh summer breeze, and Jenifer threw her arms around the boys, "I love you guys." She said, all happy and airy. "I really, really love you guys."

When Peter shoved her away, Danny pulled her closer, "We love you too, Jen." He ruffled her wild ginger mane.

"I gotta run. Got a scan." She said suddenly, breaking away from Danny's grip.

"What? Now?" Peter asked, disappointed, "I thought the three of us could...y'know, spend the day together...reminisce and all that bollocks."

"I'm sorry, Pete, but y'know how it is." She said apologetically.

"Well, d'know want us to come to the scan at least?" He asked hopefully.

"Nah, my stepdad's coming with me." She replied, looking down at her shoes.

"You ever gonna tell us who the baby's Father is?" Danny asked. He asked at least once a day.

The answer was always the same; "Probably not."