Crushed

Scene set: 1994, Loughborough High School car park. After school. Summer term. A fourteen year-old Laura waits for her lift home. Her Big Crush is also there, waiting for his bus. Normally she is totally tongue-tied around him. Today, however, there is a sparkle in the air and conversation begins to flow.

Big Crush (BC): Hey Laura. How are you doing?

Laura: I'm good thanks. Good. How are you?

BC: Not too bad. Looking forward to the weekend.

Laura: Me too. Do you have anything nice planned?

BC: Not really. I'm going go-karting with a friend on Sunday, but other than that, just coursework. You?

(Oh God, this is it. We're actually having a proper conversation. Soon he will ask me out and we will live happily ever after. Probably too soon to plan a summer wedding this year, as it's already May... and also I'm still fourteen.)

Laura: Yeah, I know what you mean. I've got stacks of English essays to do this weekend.

(I omitted the fact that I was probably quite pleased.)

BC: I hate Wednesdays. My afternoon ends with triple Physics!

Laura: Triple?! Wow. We don't get triple lessons. The most we get is doubles. But then again...

(Pause for dramatic effect, make eye contact)

Laura: Then again... How long are your periods?

BC tries not to laugh, fails. I then laugh too and turn bright red. Brilliantly at that moment, a gust of wind blows my summer uniform up in the air and I expose my knickers to the entire car park.

We never did hook up.