Captain Miniature and the Red Moll Conundrum

Rules of Parallel Dating

Jenny was already there, along with some early arrivals from the regular members. Jenny introduced him to a few boys, and then said, "These are the Chelmsford Girls. They all live in my street: Chelmsford Road Turramurra. Megan Murphett lives over the road from me. Next to her are the twins Bronwyn and Marjorie Proude. One house further down is Joanna Coote. These boys and girls are all around your age, but you'll meet everyone as the night goes on."

Joanna was tall, even by the size scale of Earth Double girls. She was slightly more than twice his height. As the night went on, nobody said anything about his size, but he felt sure that Joanna looked down on him with nothing but contempt. Megan was friendlier, but seemed distantly preoccupied with some secret of her own. He doubted that she knew of Earth Single. If she had, then she would have shown much more eagerness to talk to him. The twins' reaction to the newcomer was the hardest for him to gauge. They showed neither contempt nor friendliness. He was able to tell them apart, as something about Marjorie's face appealed to him more than Bronwyn's.

For the next few Friday nights, he concentrated his attentions on making friends with Marjorie. He wondered how he could see her outside of youth group time. He had let one opportunity get lost to circumstance with Lynda on his own Earth. With the chance of seeing Marjorie every week, and possibly more often, he might have more success with her. Then he remembered his first visit to Earth Double, and the hasty return to Swain Gardens Double. His railway pass was the key to it. Given his proportionately smaller size, the ticket inspectors hadn't at a glance, noticed the proportionately smaller size of the railway pass. If that ruse continued, he would be able to catch trains in the after school peak hour on Earth Double.

In the course of conversations, he learned which school in which suburb the Proude girls went to school, which was Roseville. He knew that they would be travelling from Roseville to Turramurra. Somehow he had to get to Roseville Station Double by 3:00 pm. Yet it was hard enough to get to Roseville Station Single by 3:00 pm.

A week and a half later, he got his chance. His own school had a pupil free afternoon. He hurriedly caught a train to Killara, ran to Swain Gardens, soon ran from Swain Gardens double to Turramurra Station Double, caught a train to Roseville Double, and waited on the Station until he saw Bronwyn Proude arrive with her friends. She waited on the station with them, planning to talk a while and then catch a later train. In the mean time, Marjorie Proude turned up, and caught the very next train with him.

"I didn't know that Roseville was your station," said Marjorie.

"I got off at Roseville. I like the shops in Roseville," he said truthfully.

At least it was true of the Roseville near his own Lindfield.

They got off at Turramurra, and he walked with her.

"Aren't you going out of your way?" she asked, wondering where exactly he lived.

"It won't be for me now," he said, "I like going to Swain Gardens after school sometimes."

"Wouldn't it still be quicker for you to go straight along towards Brentwood Avenue?" she asked.

"I can get there later. It's just nice to talk to you," he said.

"Well Lewis, you don't need to walk ME home!" she shouted down at him.

The eruption of her angry outburst had been so loud and unexpected, that it left him stunned, crushed and disappointed.

On the Friday night, he arrived early, told Jenny about it and asked what he'd done wrong.

"I don't think you did anything wrong," said Jenny, "She just didn't appreciate your company. There'll be other people here who will."