Fallen From Grace

Without Consent

After some back and forth conversation I realised that this was no longer their number and it was this guy's number. Adam, his name was and though even more messaging he invited me on a date up our town centre. I was excited to be going on a date, but I was also thinking I couldn't tell my parents it was a boy I was seeing as they'd never have dropped me off - I met him, as planned, by our post office. The guy came. He didn't stand me up and mess me around and kept to his commitment. Then, we moved around town talking to each other. He looked older than I expected. I thought he'd be like eighteen or nineteen because if he was with someone who I went to school with, it made sense to me I'd be with someone who was my age. I would say Adam was around six foot, he could have been several inches taller than that but I just remember looking up to him a lot and then we sat on a little bench together as we talked but I felt awkward and embarrassed to be seen by Adam. I didn't feel empowered or excited to be around him any more probably because he was a man not even a colleague graduate. I understood he worked at the Dogs and he had his own place.

"How about spending the rest of the day in Birmingham?"

I had only ever been once at this point with Kerry and so because I had some idea of where different places were and what to expect from going to Birmingham I reluctantly said yes, because I felt just for a second if I said anything other than I couldn't and needed parental permission he'd just see me as a child. Plus, I told myself he'd been so he'd also be my guide so that was it. I can't remember if he paid for my ticket now but he paid for my food and drink. I had a really nice time because I was out of Bromsgrove and I felt a bit like an adult seeing the outside world.

Unfortunately there were complications on the way back. There had to be complications it couldn't be plain sailing and without my parents knowing any thing about it.
I was travelling along with Andy to my right, so I was by the window which as it turned out I felt a little better for because there were other people back here one of which Adam said smelled of weed and Adam was more of a stocky broad shoulder build so I was sure he could protect me if it came to it. Then, the train kept stopping and starting, stopping and then the train broke down!

Now it was around the time Dad was expecting me home and he sent me a message first.

Pick you up in 20mins

Twenty minutes! I was no way near the Bromsgrove station. All I could think of was what my Dad would say knowing I wasn't in the town. My date knew I was worried stiff because he made some joke...

"Yes it's your fault," he started sarasically. "And that it's your fault the train broke down."

It wasn't much longer before Dad was actually phoning as I saw his number flash up on my screen as my phone thankfully was on silent so Adam wouldn't have known I was avoiding calls. I - was bricking it. I couldn't answer him, he'd hear it in my voice something was wrong, I couldn't hide things from him but I should answer. I knew I should. I also knew better than to not answer a call from him. I was right to be worried about him meeting Adam and rightly so about my Dad's reaction. Anyway the train director wouldn't send a train back to where I needed to go when we needed to evacuate the train. So when I left I knew I had to make this call to my Dad to get home. Bricking it this time but with a steady voice I phoned Dad.

"Where are you?"

I wanted to come clean quickly because it would be better for me but I didn't want Adam to hear me lie. I don't know why but lying came easily to me as I was from a family who monitored my whereabouts and what I was doing.

"Well..."

Adam was in my ear as he was saying, "Tell him where you are."

"We decided to go to Birmingham."