Our Minor Mistake

I sit underneath the broken bus shelter as water soaks through my hoody. I was beginning to think that I had chosen the worst night to leave home on. It was warm and rainy at the same time.

I honestly had no idea whether there were any buses to scarbourgh at this time of night but I was willing to risk it. I couldn’t stand living with my mother. She would do that thing she always does when I’ve done something wrong where she is very passive aggressive and mean or she’ll make me get an abortion which I have protested against with Laura tirelessly.

Don’t get me wrong. I have thought about it. I know I protested about it but I guess I just never thought I’d be in that position myself because teenage pregnancy happens to other people. It doesn’t happen to Elizabeth Ann Fenton.

After about five hours (it was probably only about half an hour but it felt ages) a bus finally chugged its way along the road. I step on. ‘’Single to scarbourgh please’’ I say. I pay the driver and take a seat near the front of the bus.

It takes about three and a half hours bus journey to get to the small, seaside town of scarbourgh. I climb off and look up at the clock tower which tells me that its almost twelve thirty at night.

I have no idea how to find where my aunt Cora lives but I am tired and hungry so I find the nearest Sainsbury’s and go in desperately in search of food and nourishment. I parade the aisles until I find some chocolate. I really haven’t thought this through. I’m now abandoned in a small town with no one I know. I could have gone to Laura’s or Nikki’s or Dan’s house but I had to come as far as possible. Then again at least now I have no chance of seeing Elle or Ben or my parents around and no one I know has to see me get fat and have a baby.

‘’Elizabeth?’’ says a curious voice from behind me. I turn to see a man with wavy honey blonde hair and broad shoulder. He’s in his late twenties but tall for his age.

‘’Tom?’’ I say grinning at my cousin. ‘’I haven’t seen you in ages. How are you?’’ I say.

‘’Never mind me, what the hell are you doing in Scarborough at this time of night?’’ he asks.

‘’I ran away and I needed somewhere to stay and all I could think of was aunt Cora and how she always liked me even after she fell out with mum’’ I say. ‘’Is that really stupid?’’ I ask him.

I always liked Tom. When we were little he used to take me to the amusement arcades and on the rides and then we’d go back to Aunt Cora’s and eat until we were full. Then when I was ten Cora and Mum fell out and I haven’t seen her since.
‘’No of course it isn’t. I’m just back from London for the weekend and I’m staying with mam’’ he says. ‘’She’ll definitely let you stay, the more the merrier remember’’ he said nudging me.

I laugh. That was always Aunt Cora’s motto. ‘’Would you like a lift?’’ he asks. I nod.

‘’Thanks’’ I say breathlessly. I lug my backpack onto my shoulder and follow him to the till. Then we get into his small car and drive off up the road to a house I instantly recognise.

It’s a small terraced house that’s painted white with pink window ledges. Well apart from one which was Tom’s old bedroom window which was painted blue because pink was girly. The garden path that led up to it was made of crooked stones and had the occasionally weed growing in between the cracks.

Tom leads me through the black metal gate and up the path. He opens the white wooden door and into the familiar hallway. The hallway had white patterned wall paper and thick cream carpets that your feet sink into. It had two doors along it and a steep, wooden staircase leading upwards. It had a chair lift going up the side. One of the doors lead to the living room, one to the study and at the end of the corridor through an archway was a big kitchen with a dining table.

‘’Finally Tom, how long does it take to fetch beers from Sainsbury’s’’ came a familiar, gruff voice from living room.
‘’Sorry dad, got slightly way-laid’’ says Tom smirking as he walks into the living room.

‘’If it was that Emma girl she’s out of your league son’’ comes the same gruff voice.

Tom pulls me through the door way and I see the living room and its occupant’s for the first time in years. The living room in small and has the same overly soft carpet as the hall. There was a small, box television on the dark wooden shelf and the wall paper is flowery. The furniture in the room is two green, fake velvet sofas and a old coffee table covered in coffee rings.

The people in the room where just as familiar, Aunt Cora sat on the sofa. Her previously sandy blonde hair was almost completely grey and her face had ages. She had got even more rounded.

Uncle Billy was the one who had been speaking. He sat on the worn old armchair. He was in his sixties and had a beer belly and tattoos up his arm. His moustache was still there of course.

A small old woman with curly white hair and wrinkled face and hands was sat on the sofa. It was nana. Nana was in her early eighties and had fallen out with mum when Cora did.

Sat in front of the sofa’s was Tom’s little sister Jenny. She was always very thin and she still is. Her soft, wavy sandy blonde hair was up in a bouncy ponytail and was hand in hand with a tall boy with thick brown hair who looked about the same age as her.

‘’Elizabeth’’ says Cora giving me a huge grin. Her brown eyes wrinkled up happily as she enveloped me in a huge hug.
‘’Alright, let the girl breath Cora’’ says Billy winking at me.

‘’What are you doing here? Please tell me you ran away? Mary would hate that’’ she said gleefully pushing my hair behind my ears.

‘’Yeah I ran away I’m pregnant’’ I say slightly ashamedly.

‘’Yes’’ squeals Cora. ‘’That’ll really rub the old bat up the wrong way. I bet she kicked off’’

I nod grinning. ‘’Yup I yelled at her, called her an old cow and then dad called me a useless slut’’ I say tears threatening.
‘’You’re not a useless slut dear, that happened to lots of girls in my day. Mary is just fussing as usual’’ said Nana getting up to hug me as well.

‘’Jennifer, show this poor girl the spare room please and make up a bed’’ Cora says to Jennifer who gets up and leads me up the stairs.

The house has three floors which each have three bedrooms and a bathroom. Jennifer leads me up to the third floor and then into a small room with wooden floors and pink wall paper. Its much fresher up here than in the rest of the house. It has a small wardrobe nestles in the corner and a few shelves on the wall. The bed is single and the window as an amazing view of the sea, well at least it would have if it was light.

Jennifer flicks the light on and runs quickly down the stairs. She comes back with a handful of bed sheets and deftly makes the bed. I help her out.

‘’Sorry it’s not more homey’’ she says smiling at me. ‘’Its so nice to see you again’’ she says hugging me. ‘’Would you like to come down the stairs honey’’ she asks.

‘’Thanks but I’ll just go to bed I think’’ I say yawning. ‘’It’s been a really long night.’’

I change into my pajamas and jump under the duvet. The room is warm and cosy. I can tell I’m going to like it here.