The Chain (A Catherine Diary) - Stamfield. Complete

Chapter 2

2

Back to my hot summers day in October. Our hockey team had just lost to another college from somewhere up North, apparently near Northampton, they were supposedly top of our league and it showed. The score was an embracing 19-2, Gemma had scored both our goals and if I was honest, she was our only player who could have stood a chance at being part of their team.

We reluctantly clapped them off the pitch, it was obvious by their demeanor that they had expected to win and although we knew we would lose, our demeanor didn't reflect that.

As we staggered off behind them to a less than complimentary vocal from our coach, who lectured us about all the things we did wrong, we were greeted by the sight of the boys football team exiting the changing room building. I made a conscious decision to slow my pace, wanting to avoid coming face to face with Aiden, who was a regular member of the team. Gemma and Carla noticed my apprehension and slowed with me.

'He's an ass, anyway', Gemma said.

'Bloody slut, if you ask me', Gemma and I looked at each other, then at Carla. 'What?, boys can't be called sluts too? They're quick enough to label us with that when we sleep around, but when they sleep around, they're studs'. She sucked her teeth.

Carla was black and proud and had a reputation of treating her boyfriends with scorn, which didn't really work in her favor. As attractive as she was, boys were scared to go out with her and if, by some miracle, they did ask her out, she would make them feel they were way out of her league, or as she put it, "only in their dreams would they get any of this", referring to her body.

We both laughed.

'I'm just saying, that boy needs to be dating someone from the gum clinic', she said flapping her hand around.

'The what clinic?', Gemma asked and I have to admit I was none the wiser either.

'The gum', Carla reiterated. 'Are you two serious? God, you can tell the two of you are virgins'

I laughed, I loved Carla's abruptness, I found it amusing. Gemma on the other hand, was embarrassed. I couldn't help thinking it ironic, how Carla, who scared boys away from her, was the only one of us, who had had sex and although she never shoved it in our faces, I got the feeling it was more regular than she let on.

She was also right, Gemma and I were virgins, at least I had been out with two boys since joining college. Not unless Gemma kept things well hidden, she hadn't dated anyone since I started hanging around her.

'The gum, girls, the gum', as if that explained everything. 'Genitourinary medicine, God knows what the U stands for, but it's the sexual health clinic. When you two decide to get your giggy on', she said rotating her hips, 'you remember gum. Get yourselves checked out, cause dem boys be dipping it in everyting'.

The boys had passed, I avoided looking in their direction and wasn't sure if Aiden had passed by. It was a clear passage to the changing block, so I relaxed as I increased my pace to a casual stroll.