Chapter 4
Tas’s Story
"I told my parents we were seeing a movie then sleeping at your house."
"I'm nervous and excited to meet Eric. I hope he's a nice guy. So glad you're here, Jamie."
"I wouldn’t let you meet him alone."
Jamie and I stepped through the doors into the front carriage where Eric said he would meet us. This was my first “real date” with Eric after a few weeks of us chatting online.
"Hey Tas?"
"It’s me, Eric!"
"This is Billy."
"Hey."
"You look hot."
I sat down next to him and was relieved that he looked just like the pictures he had sent me.
Jamie sat in the seat behind and took out earphones.
When the train started up, three more boys came into the carriage and sat down across from me, Eric and his friend Billy.
Eric said these were some of his other mates.
...laughing and wrestling with each other in the seats.
Eric put his arm around me and pulled me towards him.
"Can you guys be quiet."
"Hey Tas’s friend come sit with us."
"Here, put your legs on my lap."
"Nice, isn’t that better."
The other guys had spread their legs out so that I had no room to move.
Billy said he would move behind us so we had more room. He sat next to Jamie.
He started talking to Jamie, but when I turned around, I noticed she had moved closer to the window.
I asked Eric what movie we were seeing, and he laughed and told me there had been a “change of plans”. There was a party happening. He thought that would be more fun.
Eric had his arm around my shoulder, and his hand had moved down to my breast. He was gently rubbing his hand back and forth. I wasn’t sure if I felt OK but I couldn’t move.
His friends had shut up and were staring at us.
I moved my head deeper into Eric’s neck, so I didn’t have to look at them.
Eric gently kissed my cheek and told me not to worry about them. He said to me, “I’ve got you”.
Eric’s friends were standing up and harassing Jamie, telling her to move back next to Billy.
The train started to slow down. I squirmed and pulled away.
"You’ve got to keep your promise, Tas."
"Remember you have sent me a lot of photos. You don’t want that to get out, and all the stuff you said to me about Jamie."
My heart was pounding as I looked up to see a girl with bright red hair.
She gave a small wave and a nod of her head. But her face seemed to be saying:
"Are you OK?"
What was she seeing that made her look so worried?
I shifted my body slightly away from Eric before he pulled my head back onto his shoulder. I looked up as Jamie was walking to the door.
She looked at me one more time...
"Nice to meet you Tas’s friend."
"Pity you’ll miss all the fun."
...and screwed her face up in the way that means “let’s go”.
Eric’s friends laughed at Jamie and made sounds at her that were meant to make her feel her bad. But Jamie kept her head up and did not look back at them.
"Oooh hooo... where ya going?!"
"Baaabe Jay Jay Jameowwww meow!!!"
The woman with the red hair also stood up and looked down at me quickly. Her face seemed to say:
For only the briefest of moments, everything slowed down.
"It’s OK. I’ve got you. And we’ve got a party to get to."