The Start of it All

[sarah]

Hello,

I thought I'd try a new story, exploring the "friendship" between Steph and Shelly in the early years. It's more of an alternative history, as I'm sure we'll learn more about what really happened as time goes on.
Please let me know what you think of the first section.
Sarah

* * * * * *

March 1969

It was the first day of the Easter holidays and 16 year old Shelly Williams was at the house of her best friend, Steph Turner. They were up in Steph's room, getting ready for the school disco that was being held to mark the end of the second term. Shelly was glad to be here, anything to get away from her own boring house where nothing ever happened. Steph lived close to the school and they could walk up when they were ready. Best of all, she was staying over afterwards.

"You're not wearing that top" Steph told her, "You wore it to the last disco. Never wear the same thing twice, that's my motto, for nights out anyway. Here, borrow one of mine". She pulled a selection out of her wardrobe. "You can have this one. It's old, so it won't matter if you spill something on it, like last time." Shelly still felt bad about that. But before she could say anything, Steph continued, "If you're stuck for clothes we could go shopping you know. Have to get you looking decent" "That would be great" Shelly replied, "Fancy a trip to town tomorrow?" "Yeah, all right" Steph replied nonchantly.

It was great having a friend like Steph, Shelly thought to herself. She always knew what clothes to wear and how to do your hair nicely. I wouldn't have a clue on my own.

"What about your hair? I fancy trying out my new hair curlers on you. Hmm, what would that be like for your hair.." She lifted up sections of it. "Yes, definitely the hair curlers. And then some make up. Boots were doing a special offer on some nice stuff" "But I don't really wear.." Shelly protested feebly. "You will tonight" her friend replied firmly, "You don't want to go out looking like you normally do, do you?" "No, I suppose not" Shelly always let her experiment on her, Steph thought, it was kind of funny. There was that time she's accidentally dyed her friend's hair pink instead of red, but why dwell on that? She wouldn't have been able to dye it by herself, that was for sure.

As Steph worked her magic, Shelly relaxed and though back over the last 2 years, ever since she had moved to London with her parents. She'd missed Helstone, the small Yorkshire town where she had grown up. It was a traditional old town, in the heart of the Pennines and surrounded by beautiful countryside, which they used to drive around on a Sunday. The houses were built form from local sandstone, blackened by years of industry, but it had a special beauty for her. She'd missed her neighbours and the little shops and the local "characters". London was huge and alienating, full of huge buildings and noise. Nobody seemed to know anybody else and even the quiet suburban street where they lived seemed like a concrete jungle.

"Helstone's not the town it used to be" her mother had told her, "The mining's nearly all gone, and there's mills and factories closing all the time. It's not like when I was growing up" She was right, but that hadn't helped. Her father had been made redundant and had found a good office job in London, so they moved south.

The hardest part was starting her new school, a week late. It was huge, nothing like her old school, where she's known everyone. Her thick Yorkshire accent made her stick out like a sore thumb and all the other girls looked thinner and prettier than her. She was sure everyone was talking about her.

"Hold still" Steph told her, bringing her back to reality. "Sorry" she replied vaguely. While Steph was out of the room, she began her daydream again.

She's been at the school for a week and nobody had spoken to her. She was standing on her own in a corner of the yard as usual when she heard a voice behind her. "Here, you dropped this" Steph told her casually, holding out a hairclip. "Oh, thanks, I hadn't noticed"

"You're Shelly, aren't you?" Steph had asked. "Yes, that's right" "I'm Stephanie. Well, Mary Stephanie but I like my middle name better. This school's a bit of a dump isn't it?" And they'd talked for ages. Steph had asked her about Helstone and her old school, and then she'd introduced her to loads of people. It was great being Steph Turner's friend, it was like a badge of honour. She was so funny and confident, nobody ever hassled her or gave her a hard time.
And now they were off out together. She was really looking forward to it.

More to follow...

[irishgal]

nice one!! looking forward to the next bit!

irishgal

[sarah]

"It's really good of you to lend me stuff like this", Shelly told Steph. "No problem. Now, where's my hairbrush? Oh, here. Hope they have some decent music at this thing" Steph got herself ready while Shelly thought about the evening ahead.

"Pity we have that geography homework to do. Typical of Bradshaw, the old bat. She should have retired about 20 years ago" "I started it in my study period today," Shelly replied, "but question 3 was really hard". "I'll copy yours tomorrow, then you can copy the rest of it off me" Steph said with a shrug. "Thanks!" "It's all right. Where would you be without me?" Shelly didn't answer as she honestly didn't know.

"Nearly finished at that dump anyway. Not long to go now. We'll be working soon!" Shelly thought about that. She was going to find it hard enough to get through her 0 levels and had no intention staying on at school. But Steph went on: "I'm thinking of doing hairdressing. The salons in town are always looking for trainees" "You'd be really good at it" Shelly replied, looking at her new hairstyle in the mirror. She liked hair too, and the different styles you could arrange it into. And if Steph was doing it, it might be fun. "I think I'll apply too" she announced after a pause. "Great, we'll have loads of fun! Have to get through the stupid exams first, though. Oh well."

"We'll grab something to eat and then go" Steph announced, getting up. They went down into the kitchen where Steph's mother was doing the washing up. Her very annoying 9 year old brother Terence was watching TV in the sitting room. "How do we look?" she asked her mother. "Very nice" Mrs Turner replied, without looking. "Like the two Ugly Sisters!" Terence shouted, running into the kitchen, "No, it's an alien invasion!" "Oh shut up you little pillock, I didn't ask you" Steph sneered, pulling his ear and twisting it. "Ow! Mum, look what Mary's doing!" he squealed. "Stop it, both of you", her mother sighed, "I don't want you fighting when your dad gets in. If he gets in". The last part was muttered to herself.

"Go and get ready to go to Joe's" Steph told her brother, who was getting in her way as she made 2 sandwiches. "I am ready" he told her, "I can't wait, we're going to stay up really late and eat loads of sweets and then-" He was interrupted by the sound of a key in the door.

"It's only Dad" Steph said grumpily. "He'll probably start making loads of phone calls now, pretending he's important. Let's eat this inside"

But her dad came straight into the kitchen. "Jill!" he called to his wife, "Where have you put my dinner? I have a meeting tonight, I can't stay long." "In the oven, bottom shelf, as usual" she sighed, "Can't you stay in for once?" she asked him,as the two girls went into the sitting room, "Terence is staying over at Joe's and Mary's going to the school disco. I thought we could-" "School disco? First I've heard of it. Mary, where are you?" He opened the sitting room door, which led from the kitchen.
Steph got up. "What?" she snapped.
"Oh there you are. You're not going out looking like that".
"Like what? And my name's not Mary!"

She stormed back out to the kitchen. "Mum, tell him!" "Alan, she looks fine! Just let it go this once!" Her mother sounded like she was used to these arguments. Shelly finished her sandwich but stayed where she was. She wasn't getting involved in a family row.

A few minutes later, Terence had gone down the road to his friend's house and the two girls were about to set off. Out in the hallway, Steph's dad was on the phone, shouting at somebody. "What do you mean, cancelled? I was just about to leave the house!" Her mother walked out past them. "Hold on, Bill," he said, "Where are you going?"he asked his wife. "To Joan's. I'm not sitting in with you in that mood". With that, she walked out to the car.

After hanging up, he looked Steph up and down again. "You'll do, I suppose. Don't be late. Oh, hello, er... Shelly, isn't it? Didn't see you there" He disappeared into the sitting room with the newspaper.

"Enjoy your evening in. Pity you'll have no-one to boss about!" Steph shouted as they left. Shelly was shocked, why was Steph always so rude to her dad? "Bye Mr Turner!" she called, and they both headed off.

[sarah]

They set off down the road at a relaxed pace. "Can't wait to move out", Steph grumbled as they walked along, "My parents are always nagging me, especially Dad. He only ever notices me when he wants to give out about something. And that little creep Terence... He's always trying to get me into trouble, him and his stupid friend Joe. They play my LP's, I've seen them. And I caught them using them as frisbees the other day. Somebody should give him a good slap."

"Wish I had brothers or sisters" Shelly replied wistfully. "Not like Terence, you don't" Steph retorted. Maybe not like Terence, she thought to herself, but it would have been nice to have had someone to play with when she was younger. Her parents had already been in their 30's when they got married, "because of the war" as her mother said and they'd waited 8 years and endured 2 miscarriages before she had been born. They were old then, and they were older now, old before their time. They never did anything, just ate and watched TV and talked about the weather or any other boring subject you could think of. No wonder Steph seemed so much more interesting. Her parents were young too, and the house seemed livelier. A bit too lively at times.

Steph interrupted her. "Have you got the tickets?" Shelly stopped dead in her tracks and fumbled in her handbag. "Oh no, I've left them in your bedroom!" she gasped. "Good thing I put them into my bag then, isn't it?" she grinned, holding them up, "See, where would you be without me? You've got a head like a sieve!"

Shelly was relieved that her friend could remember all these practical things. "I wonder if Greg Taylor will be there?" she asked. Steph grinned knowingly. "Bet you'd like him to be" she teased. Her friend went red. "He was definitely looking at me at break time today" she continued, trying to regain her composure. "You need him to do more than look!" Steph laughed, "Well, here we are. There's a good crowd anyway" They were standing outside the school, as other pupils milled through the gate, all done up.

One of them, Clare Ferguson passed them by. "Look at Fat Shelly, dressed up to the nines! Don't let her near the tuck shop, there'll be nothing left!" Her gang laughed and walked on.
Shelly loked perturbed. "I hate when they call me that" she said, in a hurt tone. "Oh you worry too much! It's just a friendly nickname, like people calling me Steph instead of Stephanie. Oh look, there's Greg!" She said the last bit loudly and Shelly was too embarrassed to look.

They left their coats in the makeshift cloakroom and went into the gym, where the disco was being held. Everybody was looking at Shelly, and whispering. "Are you hanging out with Fat Shelly then?" a boy from their class asked. "Yeah, got a problem with that?" Steph snapped back. "No, no, just asking" he answered quickly and disappeared into the crowd.

[sarah]

Things went a bit better for the next half hour. They were dancing with a group of friends and the music was good, all the stuff they liked. Greg never looked Shelly's way but she wasn't sure what she would have done anyway. He was gorgeous though. She wondered if she would be able to go over to him.

When Steph went off to the Ladies, she sat down for a bit. She always felt a bit more vulnerable without Steph. Why couldn't she be more like her, more confident, more outgoing? And thinner.. She had always been "big" and it was something she hated about herself. Everybody calling her Fat Shelly didn't help either. Another name they'd come up with was Yorkshire Pudding, which was just as hurtful. She hadn't even wanted to leave Yorkshire in the first place.

Steph didn't come back so she hovered at the edge of the dance floor for a while, looking like a loner, before a group of mutual friends of theirs invited her back up to dance. But she began to wonder where Steph was.

"Lost your friend, have you?" Claire sneered as she passed by, leaning close to her ear. Shelly excused herself and left the room to take a breath of fresh air.

Steph was nowhere to be found. Outside, it was much quieter and less stuffy. She stolled over to the far corner of the building, intending to turn around and go back in, when she saw a sight that shocked her. Steph and Greg were right in front of her, enjoying what looked like the world's longest snog!

At that moment, her world collapsed. The one person she trusted, the one person who looked after her and spent time with her. Greg looked up, then Steph, to see the stunned look on Shelly's face. She stood there, unable to speak for a moment. "What's up? Don't tell me you fancy me too? This is great!" Greg's voice was cocky and smug. "How could you? I can't believe you could- You knew I .." She choked on her words, distraught.

Steph stepped towards her. "Yeah, I knew you liked him." Her voice was hard and uncaring. "I also knew you'd do nothing about it, except blush and stammer and run the other way when you see him coming. You think he's been looking at you? It's me he's been looking at, Fat Shelly. I'm not going to turn him down just so you can carry on dreaming about him. Now, we're going back inside. You can stay out here and cry if you like." Just then a teacher's voice sounded from the door: "Mary and Gregory, get back in here now!"

Shelly dived around the corner, out of sight. She leaned against the wall and cried. Just then, Clare and her gang came outside. "Did you hear Greg? Fat Shelly fancies him! Christ, imagine going out with her!"

Shelly's heart sank even further. Everyone would know, if Clare knew. It would be round her Year by the end of the night. Well, she wasn't going to stay here and be laughed at. She strode back inside to retrieve her jacket. One of Steph's friends was standing nearby. "Tell Steph I've gone home!" she shouted "and that the message is from her ex best friend!"

[sarah]

Anybody enjoying this? I know the last chapter was a bit contrived but it gets better, I promise!

[demigod]

Its good, but I have one request, could you space it out a bit when you type it, reading it is a bit hard. otherwise good stuff!

[sarah]

Sorry about that. Hope this is a bit better!

[sarah]

She raced out of the gym and through the grounds, trying to get away as quickly as possible, her one sure foundation in the school now gone. The buildings looked scary by night, with their shadows spread out. She could never be accepted, she knew that.
She ran out the gate but had to pause for breathe. "Can't even run" she thought to herself angrily, "Too fat for that too" Walking quickly instead of running, she thought things through.
Her overnight stuff was back at Steph's house and that was where her parents knew she was staying, so they hadn't given her a key. And there was no way she was going back into the school to ask Steph for advice. Dejectedly, she headed back to Steph's house. She would collect her stuff and maybe head home, to wake up her parents...
Shelly walked along, tears falling freely now. She could no longer hold them back. Her mother had never liked Steph, even though she'd only met her once. "She's a bad influence" she would say, "A cocky young madam, used to getting her own way. She'll drag you down with her" And on and on. Why were mothers always right?
Shelly kicked a stone on the pavement in temper. Maybe she would stay at Steph's after all. It would be better than a row anyway. She made her way towards the house.
The car was not there. Mrs Turner must still be at her friend's house. Having a better time than me, probably, she thought bitterly. The road was quiet, once she left the main road, which was a relief.
Approaching the front door, she remembered that Steph's dad was home. Just when she thought the evening couldn't get any worse. He'll probably hit the roof, she thought. Her heart sank even lower.
Fresh tears were brimming in her eyes as she thought of what Steph had done and the reason why she was standing here in the dark.

[sarah]

The door opened and Steph's dad stood there. "Shelley?" he asked, after a moment's hesitation. "What are you doing back so soon?" He looked around, wondering where his daughter was. "Where's Mary?" he asked in a dark tone. "I'm really sorry to disturb you, Mr Turner, she's still at the disco.." Shelley replied nervously. "Still there and you're here? What on earth happened?"
"I just couldn't stay there any longer.." She felt like crying again and could hardly look up at him.
"Are you all right?" he asked, seeing Shelley's visible distress, "Oh you'd better come in, excuse me". She stepped inside. "Go through into the sitting room and sit down" he told her, but he did not sound angry, thankfully.

"I'm sorry for all this" she whispered softly, once inside the warm room. "It's no trouble, I was just watching TV and doing some paperwork, but it's not important." He handed her a tissue from a box on the sideboard. "Are you staying over?" he asked. "Yes, I'm not sure if Steph, I mean Mary told you or not" "No, but it'll be fine. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked, in a gentler tone than Shelley had ever heard him use.

More composed now, she poared out her whole sorry tale, right up until the moment she arrived on the doorstep. At the end, she didn't start crying again. In fact, she felt a bit stupid, telling a grown adult about an incident like that. There was a long silence and neither of them said anything. Alan had a glass of wine on the coffee table, which he was staring into and sipping from occasionally.

Eventually Shelley spoke. "I feel stupid now." She sighed. "Boys would never look at me anyway, not with Steph around."

"Now I'm sure that's not true" Alan told her firmly. He put his glass down. "And there's no need to feel stupid about it either. What happened to you must have been awful. It's no good me telling you that you'll look back on this in a few years and laugh, although it's true. But to be honest, I think you've had a lucky escape from this young fellow. Greg wasn't it?" "Yes" she replied meekly.

"Think about it" he went on, in that same calm, gentle tone. "Would you really want to go out with a boy who laughs at you simply for fancying him? Not only that, but he tells everyone, including that group of girls who sound like nasty pieces of work themselves, so that they can laugh at you too. In other words, a very immature young man. Something like myself, when I was younger" he added, looking as if he had remembered something uncomfortable. "Really?" "Yes, a lot of boys are like that, not that it makes it any more acceptable or right. Most grow out of it. I don't think I have, unfortunately."
His voice sounded regretful.

"Yes, boys can be a nasty lot and I should know, I was one once!" He looked over at Shelley. "Don't go through life worrying about fellows like us" he told her. "And as for the others, they'll find something else to talk about next week. I'm only sorry that Mary was involved. That must have been awful for you. But don't worry, you leave her to me." He looked down at his empty wine glass and lifted a bottle from a cabinet at the wall. "You're only 16 aren't you, same as Mary? Pity, you won't be able to enjoy this lovely wine. Still, I'll make you a cup of tea." He got up.

"Thanks, Mr Turner, that's very kind of you." "Kind? Now that's a word that doesn't get ascribed to me very often! And by the way, my name's Alan!"

While he was out of the room, Shelley reflected on the evening's events. Things didn't seem so bad now. She hadn't realised how nice Steph's dad could be. Somehow Steph always saw his bad side. He seemed different to his usual aloof, bad tempered persona and not nearly as intimidating. Not bad looking either, for an older bloke.

[demigod]

I think you have captured the relationship between Steph and Shelly very well.

Its interesting to see how these sorts of actions molded Shelly into the doormat she became in the show. Very apt indeed.

[sarah]

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it.