Just one darn thing after another!

It was Chas – again!
‘Chas!’ I said. ‘Chas – this isn’t the best time to talk! I’m really sorry.’
‘That’s what you said earlier,’ said Chas, ‘so I’ve waited and waited and I don’t want to wait any longer.’
I sighed. ‘Is it a matter of life and death?’ I said, ‘Because if it isn’t, please can you tell me tomorrow? I’m so stressed out. Have you heard about Greg?’
‘What about Greg?’ There was a note of impatience in Chas’s voice that told me that he hadn’t.
I gulped. Suddenly it was really hard to speak. What do you say? He might be dying? He’s in great danger? They think he may not live? I wasn’t sure I could say any of those. Hearing the words would make it so real. I knew it was real – of course I did. But I didn’t want to hear myself talking about it. That was too much.
‘Kate?’ I still couldn’t speak. ‘Kate? Are you still there?’
I nodded, choked. I wanted Chas there beside me, holding me in his arms. However it was between us, he was still the best friend I had – he was still the person I turned to whenever I had a problem. Tears trickled down my face.
‘Chas,’ I managed to say, my voice all wobbly and reedy. ‘Chas, please will you come over? I need you.’
Chas’s voice softened. ‘I need you too, Kate,’ he said. ‘I’ll check with Mum, OK?’
‘OK,’ I whispered and put the phone down.
I blew my nose then went to the loo and washed my face. I made a good job of it, listening while Mum insisted it was time for Suzie to go home and for Ben to go and do something useful like homework. Much as I love them all, I just needed a bit of space. I hoped Mum was going to be OK about Chas coming over.
Thankfully, she was. ‘Kate, do whatever is going to help you feel better,’ she said. ‘I trust you to be sensible. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to tackle the ironing and watch a trashy DVD – I need something to take my mind off things too!’
I smiled. ‘Bet it’s ‘Dirty Dancing’,’ I said.
‘With gorgeous Patrick Swayze dying of cancer?’ she said. ‘No way. I need to be cheered up. If I watched that, I’d be slitting my wrists – and don’t mention ‘A Knight’s Tale’ either, OK?’
I knew it would take Chas about half an hour to cycle over so I went and had a baking hot shower. My head had begun to ache with all the stress and bottled up tears. It was bliss to let the steaming water pound down on my head and cry and cry without anyone able to hear or notice. I was left with that lovely, dozy relaxed feeling you get after a good sob and, to be honest, I’d probably have been fine to snuggle down in my PJs and go to sleep. But there was clearly something Chas had to talk about so I wrapped myself up very respectably in my bath robe and went downstairs just in time to get the door when Chas knocked quietly. I took him into the kitchen seeing as Mum was in the sitting room.
‘Want a drink?’ I said.
He nodded, a pre-occupied look on his face. He didn’t sit down – he paced.
‘Want to tell me about it?’ I asked.
‘Yeh – yeh, I do,’ he said. ‘But the trouble is, I’m not sure I should.’
I raised my eyebrows. ‘It’s a secret?’ I said.
‘Yes – well, yes it is – but it may not be for long – and, oh Kate, I don’t know what to do – it’s too big a thing.’
My mind was boggling, I can tell you. What on earth could it be? The thing that sprang immediately to mind just didn’t seem possible.
‘Can I hug you?’ said Chas, suddenly.
For reply, I just held out my arms. I so needed someone to hold onto after the evening I’d had and Chas looked like he felt exactly the same. I snuggled in close.
‘If it’s someone else’s secret, you’d better not tell me,’ I said.
I felt Chas tense up. ‘I know,’ he said, ‘but I really need someone’s advice.’
‘My mum?’ I suggested. ‘She’s used to keeping people’s secrets.’
Chas shook his head. ‘I couldn’t,’ he said. ‘She might feel she had to tell this person’s parents.’
‘It’s not that they’ve done something illegal, is it?’ I said.
Chas didn’t speak for a moment. ‘We..ell,’ he said slowly. ‘Well, yes, actually – well, in a way. Or at least someone has, anyway – but not my friend. Not really.’
Are you putting two and two together? I was – but I didn’t want to say anything in case I was being completely over the top.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Chas. ‘You can do without me dithering like this after the night you’ve had.’
‘Too right,’ I said, into his chest. ‘But I don’t actually mind right now; it’s so nice to be hugged.’ I smiled up at him.
‘Oh Kate,’ he said. ‘Now I want to kiss you. But I guess that’s not a very good idea.’
I shook my head. ‘No,’ I said. ‘Not tonight. I can’t cope with getting confused about you right now!’
‘Maybe I should stop hugging you,’ said Chas.
‘Maybe you should just tell me what’s on your mind!’ I said. ‘You don’t have to say who it’s about.’
Chas’s face lightened. ‘That’s a point,’ he said. ‘OK, I’ll try that.’
‘I’ll make some tea,’ I said. I let go of him reluctantly. Now don’t get me wrong – it wasn’t like I wanted get together with Chas all over again. But you must know how comforting it is to be hugged by someone who cares about you when you’re feeling really rubbish. People should hug more. The British are far too hung up about it.
A few minutes later, we were sitting facing each other at the kitchen table.
‘Go on then,’ I said. ‘Spit it out.’
Chas sighed deeply. ‘It’s one of my friends on Facebook,’ he said. ‘She’s got pregnant.’
I gasped. It was what I’d been expecting – and yet not expecting. It fitted what he’d said – but I just couldn’t imagine it really happening to someone I might know.
‘Is she under age?’ I asked.
Chas nodded. ‘She wants to know what I think she should do. She hasn’t told her parents yet – she’s in a complete flap to be honest. She doesn’t know whether to have an abortion or to keep the baby, she doesn’t know who to tell – her boyfriend, her parents, her other friends. She’s really embarrassed – which is why she was chatting to me rather than asking her girlfriends. She feels like a complete idiot – and she’s scared stiff of what her parents will say.’
‘And you don’t know what she should do either?’
‘No – of course I don’t! If it all comes out, her boyfriend could be prosecuted – because he’s over sixteen and she isn’t – so she’s dead worried about that.’
‘Is she still with him?’
‘Yes – but that doesn’t mean she wants to be with him for life – or even get him involved with the baby – if she keeps it.’
Crikey! It was so hard to know what to say! There was so much to think about! I could quite see why Chas had no idea what to advise. And I felt quite cross with this girl for burdening him with it. I mean, it’s not exactly the sort of thing a sixteen year old boy feels very qualified to advise about – even if some of them darn well should, given the way they behave.
‘Look,’ I said. ‘Let’s be organised about this – let’s make a list of the different options she’s got. Then maybe it’ll become clear what you should say.’
Chas nodded. ‘Obvious really,’ he said. ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
‘Because you’re stressed,’ I said. ‘Now come on – first off has to be she tells her mum…’