Teddy Girls (Completed)

Part Three: Twist And Shout

November 1963

     Her cat hated me. Well, hate is a strong word. The most he did was become slightly disgruntled when I tried to pet him. Turns out his name was Oliver and he only did one thing all day: nap. Right now he was purring quietly on Veronica's couch.

Veronica's apartment was quaint but cute. It was open. A small, full-sized, canopy bed was pushed into one corner. Tapestries adorned her windows in place of curtains. Her kitchen consisted of one stovetop oven, a refrigerator, a sink, and an island that doubled as a bookshelf. Records were piled haphazardly onto her coffee table where two couches sat facing it.

     Beyond the livingroom, double doors opened up to a small balcony. I spied little plants living there. They probably weren't getting very much sun on such a gloomy day, though. November wasn't really prime planting time anyway.

After I took off my shoes by the door I made my way into her living room. My stockings felt silky against my legs when I walked onto her rug. I took immediate notice to the orange cat lounging on the sofa. He looked so peaceful. However, when I tried to pet him, he grumbled and meowed angrily at me.

     "Be nice, Oliver." Veronica scolded. She was standing in the kitchen behind the island. She had shrugged off her leather jacket at the door. Her bare forearms revealed a tattoo on her wrist. I couldn't make out what it was of from a distance. She was taking a teapot out of a small cabinet by her stove. "Want some?" She asked, holding the container up.

"Uh, y-yeah." I stammered through my response then giggled. God, why was I acting so awkward? I guess she was just...intimidating? Maybe it was the jeans, or the leather. Maybe it was the way she talked to me. I don't know. She didn't seem very intimidating right now, though. She hummed while she boiled the tea water.

I sat down on her couch and added Please Please Me to the record pile on her coffee table. Her decor consisted of posters of bands mounted on the wall. Few pictures of family. Many pictures of girls. I recognized Gladys and another woman in a picture together. Maybe it was the Daisy Veronica had mentioned. I spied a guitar on the bed. I couldn't imagine her being a musician. It didn't seem like her personality at all. I turned to her. "You play?" I asked.

    Veronica was now pouring hot water into our cups. "Not really. I just know a few chords. It's nothing." She was talking faster than her usual cool self. I pressed further. "I'm sure it's amazing! You should show me sometime." I was going to say more when I felt a small stab on my calf.

     Oliver was clawing at my pantyhose, and at the hem of my pink skirt. He had put three big runs in the former. "Oliver!" Veronica exclaimed. She sat our tea on the table and carried Oliver into the bathroom adjoining her kitchen. She shut the door behind her.

     "You didn't have to put him up. These pair were on their last leg anyway." I explained. "I suppose you wouldn't have an extra pair, huh?" I finished, laughing. I stood up and hiked up my skirt to take them off. No use in keeping them on. I couldn't present myself in public with them looking like this. My mother would have a cow.

     Veronica suddenly found her cup of tea very interesting. Why wasn't she talking? We were both girls after all. Girls changed in front of eachother all the time, right? Was I being rude? I grabbed the lip of the stockings and slid them off over my calves. Veronica now was eyeing them intently. She probably thought she was being a bad host for ruining them.

     I wanted to find a way to make her feel less bad so I asked, "How long have you lived here? Do you go to school close or..?" I still had no idea how old she was, but she looked early 20's. I picked up my tea cup. It was still warm.

     Veronica cleared her throat. She took Please Please Me from the table and carried it across the room to a record player. "No I...I'm out of high school. My parents kicked me out when I was seventeen. I'm twenty now. This complex has always been a safe space," she paused, searching for words. Safe space from what? I wondered.

     "I was welcomed here immediately by Gladys and everyone. I pay the bills by playing at small clubs and bars. I don't have much, but I'm working on it." She started playing the record on side two.

     I cleared my throat. "Why did your parents kick you out?" By the look on her face, I had asked the wrong question. "It's a long story." Was the only reply I got. Strange. I decided it was best not to delve deeper.

     She stared at me when I gulped the rest of my tea down quickly. I got up and brushed my skirt off. Then I curtsied and started twirling across the room which made her laugh. The song was catchy. I assumed the name was "Love Me Do" since that was basically the only lyric sung. I spun over to her and took her hand.

She shook her head playfully and raised her arm. I took the opportunity to twirl under it. I let go and she crossed her arms against the wall she was leaning on. "You're a great dancer." She said facetiously. I shoved her shoulder a bit. "Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a fantastic dancer." I said.

She raised her eyebrows. "Where'd you learn to dance? A circus, from the looks of it." She shot back. "Yeah, well, the circus that I dance for is missing a clown." I winked. Her mouth was frozen in a shocked "O" but soon turned into a mischievous smile. She got up from the wall and I knew where this was going.

I shot away from her and ran around the couch. She jumped over it. I darted around the coffee table and scrambled into the kitchen. I practically threw myself behind the island. She hopped over the coffee table and stopped at the kitchen counter. Now we were at a stalemate. Me on one side, her on the other.

I leaned to run right and and leaned to run left. I tried to fake her out by darting left and right, but she anticipated this. Eventually, we started circling eachother around the island. When I finally got back to where she had originally been standing, I turned and ran through the livingroom to the canopy bed.

She must've had a sudden burst of energy because she was right behind me. She threw her arms around me and tackled me onto the bed. She were face to face now, laughing our heads off. But then she stopped laughing and looked me in the eyes.

Veronica brushed my hair out of my face and we just laid there breathing for I don't know how long. The record was on Twist and Shout. "You're a very beautiful girl, Rachel." She whispered before pushing herself off me. I sat up, and noticed the sky outside. "What time is it?" I asked. My parents were going to kill me.

I suppose I could just lie and say that I was out at the library and lost track of time. It's happened before so they'd believe me.

Veronica glanced at her watch. "4 o'clock." She responded. Where had the time gone? I had to get home. My mom always started supper at 4:30, and she'd definitely notice if I was wasn't there to help. Veronica must've seen the worry in my eyes because she took the record off the player. It was finished playing now, anyway.

      She carried it over to me and tried to place it into my hands. I shook my head. "I can't take it. My family doesn't even own a turntable. I'd have to use my friends' or the neighbors' if I wanted to listen to it." She was still hesitant with letting me leave without it, so I added, "If you take it I won't have an excuse to come back here." That was all the convincing she needed.

•••

      The ride back was as chaotic as the ride there. I swear we almost crashed thrice. I had told her to drop me off at Marilou's Pastry Shoppe because that was where my bicycle was parked. Once we arrived, we made plans to meet at the same time tomorrow.

     When I slid off her bike she handed me a crumpled piece of paper. Her phone number. "I had a nice time tonight, Rachel." She said.

     I blushed. Why was she talking like this was a date? I never got the chance to ask her that night. She revved her motorcycle and rode off out of the bustling square.