“You haven't got training or stuff tomorrow?” Brid enquired as we tucked into lunch.

“First thing, why?”

“Er nothing, so what time can you get to Con's?”

“Nine?”

“No earlier?” Pia interjected.

There goes my long relaxing shower.

“I suppose I could manage half eight.”

“Kewl!” Nena chirped.

“What are you guys up to? Its nothing weird is it?”

“Well-ll.” Stef grinned.

“Oh yeah, don't wash your hair.” Brid interjected.

“Huh?”

“Yeah, I never thought of that.” Con mentioned.

“Whatever.”

Anything for a quiet life.

“So have you heard when your friend will be coming?” Anna deftly changed the subject.

“Not yet, Mum thinks it will be about two weeks.”

“Will she come to school with us?” Pia asked the question I asked Mum last night.

“Maybe, she might go to Bonn with Jules instead as her German isn't very good.”

“We'd help.” Bridget enthused.

“Yeah, like I said it depends.”

That reminds me, I've gotta help Dad clear out the guest room, it's become a bit of a dump it site since Gran was here at Chrimbo! Still it shouldn't take long; we can do it after I've been on the turbo tonight. With any luck I can still catch Hausmeister and the rest of comedy night on RTL. It's not exactly Blackadder or Summer Wine but it's the best available here.

“What do you think Drew?”

“Huh?”

“Pay attention girl, Tom Cruise, is he gay?” Nena supplied.

“How should I know? I thought he was married?”

“And your point?” Brid asked.

I guess that doesn't really mean anything, they're even talking of same sex marriage at home in England.

“Nothing I guess.”

I was saved any further thought on the matter by the afternoon bell.

“See you in the morning!”

“Eight thirty remember.” Con reminded me.

“Eight thirty.” I sighed, “night.”

I left Con and headed back home through the dark streets of Dernau. Sounds dramatic buts its no distance really so I was home in another five minutes even on the lumpy Schauff with my school books.

“I'm home.”

“We were wondering who was parking their bike in the garage.” Dad replied.

“Funny. What's for tea?”

“Thought we might order pizza later.” Mum supplied.

“Okay.”

“Cheryl Rose rang earlier.”

“Huh?” I really will have to stop that; I must sound like a right thicko.

“It's all sorted, Bernie'll come over next week.”

“Next week!”

“Keep your hair on. Yes next week.” Mum confirmed.

“So you and me have our work cut out kiddo.” Dad advised, “as soon as you've finished on the turbo we'll crack on shifting the stuff out of the spare room.”

“I said I would.”

“Best crack on then.” Mum advised.

Its all right for her, she gets to train in the day.

I prefer rollers to the turbo but some stuff you can't really do that easily on them. Like tonight's session, it's only an hour, that includes ten minutes warm up and five minutes cool down. The bit in the middle'll be sheer purgatory though, three sets of Fartlek, each at a higher resistance level than the one before. It's all kinda computerised so all I have to do is ride and do what it says on the screen. Dad'll download the data later to check I haven't been slacking. Bluh!

My bike was already on the torture machine so I set the CD player going, a compilation of tunes mostly with a strong rhythm. Fan on, engage pedals, check everything is running and press ‘GO'. One thing that you get on both rollers and the turbo is the noise – a lot of noise, at least until you get to about 40kph when the volume drops. It's a good effort indicator but it does mean you need to use earphones!

I was soon spinning away comfortably and by the end of the warm up, even with the fan set to ‘gale' I steady trickle of sweat was running into and out of my bra. It used to be worse before I got these with a sort of pocket to slip your HRM into, then the heart rate monitor band was a further discomfort! The bra really is essential these days, not just because it keeps my chest under control but it stops the sweats dripping off my nips!

The first session was really just a continuation of the warm up, increase the effort for a minute, rest for thirty and repeat five times then the level goes up but the rest drops to twenty, then its like all out with ten second recovery. After that it starts all over again at a higher resistance – twice! I watched the readout with eyes popping out and sweat pouring down my near naked torso, forty five, six, seven – keep it going, fifty one, two, three – yes! It's tempting to just stop pedalling but its better to keep the legs rotating.

The high-pitched whine lowered in tone to a steady roar as I gasped lungs full of air before hanging my head in exhaustion. After about a minute I was recovered enough to sit up grab a towel and the drink bottle and start the after ride rehydration routine.

“What peeza you want Drew?” Jules enquired, “I'm gonna fetch them from Adolf's.”

‘Dolf's is our local pizza shop here in Dernau, they are only open three nights a week and if you turn up on spec you can sometimes wait an hour! The thing I hate though is the German's haven't heard of deep pan so it can be a bit like eating cheese on cardboard.

“American please with extra olives.”

“Okay.”

My sister is being unusually pleasant lately.

“Lets crack on then Kiddo.” Dad suggested.

Most of the stuff we had to move could either go straight in the bins or like the Christmas decorations, go via my bedroom into the attic space. The biggest job was to move the table tennis table down to the garage, it was a bit of a pain but we managed it with remarkably little damage to the house, garden and ourselves!

The food arrived on the back of Goth Gurl's Mofa just as we completed that tricky manoeuvre so we took a break.

“Where'll Bern go to school?”

“I spoke to Frau Boxberg earlier, she said she could go with you but she was concerned about Bern's lack of German.”

“We'll help.” I stated.

“I know you will but it might be best if she goes to Bonn with your sister, they teach the same curriculum as in Warsop.” Mum told us.

“Maybe Bernadette should have a say?” Dad suggested.

“Well I've laid the foundations at the Gymnasium and the School.” Mum mentioned. “So what have you two got left to move?”

“Chrimbo stuff to the attic and that's about it, then its all yours my love.”

Get a room Dad!

“When'll she come?” I enquired.

“Cheryl'll ring tomorrow with the travel arrangements.”

“Okay.”

“So what are you up to tomorrow young man?” Dad asked.

“I'm out with the girls.”

“Oh your birthday surprise.” Mum interjected.

“Yeah, no idea what we're doing, I don't suppose?”

“No good asking me, your friends are hardly likely to confide in me are they?”

“Dad?”

“That goes double for me.”

“Well I had to ask.”

“Come on then, let's finish moving stuff then you can get a shower.”

Well I thought it would be better to leave doing that till after all the humping of stuff round the house. The down side to that was that I'm probably a bit whiffy by now!

It was nearly eleven when I turned out the bedside light. I missed Hausmeister , but I did manage to tape it so maybe I'll watch it tomorrow night. I never expected Bern to be coming so quickly – I'll have to mail her tomozz. Wonder what the girls have got planned for tomorrow? I haven't got a clue; it's a bit weird about not washing my hair though. That's well weird. Those olives are repeating a bit!

700km and two hours earlier.

“So when do you go?” Helen asked around a particularly large chip.

Mad had fetched the food from the Hygenic Fisheries on her way over to Bern's; they'd needed warming up by the time she arrived.

“Some time this week, Mum's booking it tomorrow.”

“You lucky cow, staying with Drew, wish I was going.” Mad sighed.

“Its not like it's a holiday.” Ally pointed out.

“Hardly, I still have to go to school.”

“School?” Mad queried.

“Like what you do between nine and four?” Ally mentioned.

“Du-uh! I just never thought about Bern going to school in Germany.”

“We went in America.” Bernie added.

“And they do have schools in Germany so I hear.” Helen tittered.

“Alright already!” Mad huffed.

“So how long are you staying for? Don't you have to go to court or something?” Ally asked her mate.

“Yeah but not like for ages, April sometime. So I guess I might be away for a few weeks.”

To tell the truth she wasn't that sure about going at all, the Bond's offer had come out of the blue and after the last few weeks, well months, she grabbed it with both hands. But now, well now she wasn't so sure. Her mum was pretty keen on the idea, probably to get Bern out of her hair for a bit after all having your teenage daughter in the house 24/7 for several weeks is enough to stretch any parents patience. She'd go, at least for a couple of weeks, for her mum's sake. It was sort of like she was running away though and she'd resolved not to run away from things when Drew was in Warsop the other week. Staying wouldn't solve anything either so what did it really matter where she was?

“So you won't be coming back to school then?” Helen queried.

“I doubt it, least not till the autumn.”

“What about your exams?” Ally enquired.

“I suppose I'll get some home schooling or something. Anyway I might be too busy with junior.”

“When's it due?”

“August Mad, around Mums birthday.”

“Anyone want some more chips, I'm stuffed.” Helen stated.

Maddy Bell 29.12.08 © 2008

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