Man & Woman

I got up at nine and sat about with growing butterflies until about half twelve, when I set off for Claire's. I walked down there deliberately slowly, trying to put my nerves into perspective.

I rang the bell and she met me in the hall. She showed me all these Man and Woman encyclopedias and talked about ideas for an assembly, and I felt slightly uneasy, and gradually it seemed as if I was going to leave. But I was reluctant to move and hung around and eventually plucked up enough courage to ask her if she fancied going for a walk.

At first she seemed to stall, and complained about her hair, but soon we were out in Burgoyne's Park, walking together through the sun. She told me all about Michael, about how they’re “finished,” about how he got depressed over the slightest thing she did, and she really was quite down on him. She wants to leave school, get a job for 6 months and do teacher training at Whincliffe College. We were going to go boating but her dog had followed us so we didn’t, and there were huge queues anyway, so once more we sauntered up a bridle path and on to Moxthorpe Common, which was incredibly busy. It was really warm and still and we talked about all sorts of things. I stayed until eight, when I felt I really ought to go; I might go tomorrow to go boating and maybe even on Monday to see a film. She was open and friendly with me and I really enjoyed myself. She walked up Moxthorpe Rd. with me and I said goodbye.

Lots of leg-pulling from Mum and Dad when I got home; they knew who I was with and where even though I’d never told them a thing. Am I so predictable?