Flings and Arrows by Debbie Viggiano

Author:Debbie Viggiano [Viggiano, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-01-17T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty Six

Tom watched in distress as his mother rushed out the kitchen. Tears were streaming down her face. He wanted to go and comfort her. But he was terrified about leaving his father. Dad looked so – well - awful. He was slumped over the kitchen table. Every time he pushed the bag of frozen peas against his eye, the poor man winced with pain. This was all his fault. And he didn’t know how to make things right.

‘Shall I make a cup of tea?’ asked Tom. Everybody made tea in a crisis. In Coronation Street somebody was always putting the kettle on.

‘Yes please son.’

Tom filled the kettle and found a mug. He felt so guilty. He didn’t know what to say to his father, so stood in silence as the kettle boiled. How had everything gone so terribly wrong? Up until now Tom had cruised effortlessly through school and life in general. He was clever, good looking and popular. The girls loved him. Sixth Form was over. Uni awaited. Summer stretched ahead. One hot day blended into another. Sleep late. Hang out with mates. Meet up with a girl. Bring girl home. Sleep with girl. Sleep late. Repeat. Every day had been more or less the same. Until today.

Tom knew roughly where things had started to go wrong. Unlike his mates who dated Sixth Form girls, Tom had set his cap at the Over Twenties. Women rather than girls. Females who weren’t looking for long-term love. An older woman knew Tom wasn’t remotely suitable as a long-term love interest. He was a student and would be penniless for at least another four years. Older women didn’t seek young men like Tom for permanency. They wanted security. Rocks they could lean upon. Rely upon. Whereas Tom was like a boat drifting at sea. Unanchored. However, older women who already had rocks but wanted thrills definitely sought out young men like Tom. There had been so many older women in such a short space of time. Tom had met them all over the place. In the shopping malls. In coffee shops. At concerts. In the library. Even at school! Hell, even Rachel Gardner, his drama teacher, had shown interest in him. Okay, they were co-writing a drama together for Amateur Dramatics, but Tom knew Rachel wasn’t happily married. Now he was no longer her student at school, she’d been bending his ear. Gauging his reaction. Letting him know she was available. He might have followed it up if his parents hadn’t warned Rachel off.

Tom had watched his mates hook up with sixteen year olds. Such girls drove Tom nuts, giggling about engagement rings and being teenage mums. Even the more studious seventeen and eighteen year olds who were university bound didn’t appeal. They still wanted commitment of some sort. Somebody to refer to as my boyfriend. Somebody to go shopping with. Tom had listened to his mates moaning about Saturday morning visits to Top Shop. Hanging about bored witless while their girlfriends went in and out of changing rooms.

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