Girls' Fun - Part Nine
[I'm transcribing edited highlights of a diary I kept when I was 15 / 16 years old, in 1985. Index here.]
[For a summary of what’s happened so far, see here]
Mon 18th Feb 1985 (Clare is 15 years old)
[half term holidays]
Stupid woman in mini knocked me off bike! Turned left in front of me. Bike went right under wheel of car. Miraculously undamaged. She very apologetic. I said it didn’t matter. Hurt my arm. Got £7 for babysitting!
Posted letter to Matthew. Beginning to wish I hadn’t.
Tue 19th Feb 1985
Matthew should have got letter this morning so kept expecting phone call before he went to school, but didn’t get one. Went to John’s after b-sitting. Chris and Stephen had been there all day and got pissed and Stephen had just puked up.
Stephen asked me out! Sat on his knee but stressed was only friendly and said No, but only cos of M’s phone call. But now severely regret letter to M and apparently he nearly asked another girl out on Sunday!
Then went to singing lesson and to Philip’s house (Philip a bit offhand) and by that time, M still hadn’t rung so assumed (with relief) that he wasn’t interested and went back to John’s house for evening and cycled back home at 10ish with S and C and said Yes to S.
SO I AM NOW GOING OUT WITH STEPHEN!
Don’t things move fast? To tell the truth, I’m still pining over M, but I’ll survive.
Wed 20th Feb 1985
Went to Chris’s and watched a video. Me and Stephen got v. cosy. Apparently he’s fancied me ages! Even since Chris asked me out for him in ’84!
Then went into town and met Kirsty, and then Heather. Heather was depressed cos she was boyless and I wasn’t. Kirsty is probably going to pack Mac!
Felt v. happy and rang Sally and had happy conversation. Really like Stephen and think he likes me, too, at least more than Matthew did.
Thur 21st Feb 1985
Had nothing arranged all day so could’ve done some work, but didn’t. Spent ages mucking around working out costume for my part in play then watched loads of films. Rang Sally, Chris and John and Stephen and arranged to meet them all on Saturday before rehearsal. Am looking forward to seeing Stephen.
Fri 22nd Feb 1985
I really like Stephen (Love? Well........)
Should’ve done some work today, but didn’t. Just lased around all day thinking about Stephen, and wondering what Matthew would be like at drama tomorrow. I wonder if he’ll tell the others I asked him out again. He probably will: it’ll please his ego.
I’m determined to be so gushingly friendly he won’t be able to freeze me out: he’ll have to be friendly back.
John reminded me the other day that Matthew owes me about £3; I’ll never get it back, though. Did I mention I had engraved ‘SE’ into my fingernails and filled it with ink? Well I have. Am looking forward to tomorrow.
Sat 23rd Feb 1985
Met Sally, Chris, Stephen and John outside Woolly’s and Nick was there selling Socialist papers! Stephen thinks socialists are all hippies. Oh dear. Nick invited me to an all-night party tonight.
Met Kirsty and Heather, who ignored Chris etc. Stephen didn’t like Kirsty at all. Kirsty was embarrassed to be seen at all with John. All very disastrous.
Met Debbie Tilsley who acted a wally and embarrassed Stephen (hee hee!) and put her foot in it by asking about Matthew. Lost Kirsty as soon as poss, went round minster, got moved on by a priest, went to drama.
Found out Patrick fancies me and was going to ask me out but then Stephen did!
Didn’t go to party. Bought some cider and got told off by man in the street (!) for being underage.
Sun 24th Feb 1985
OOOOOOH! Play soon! Love it! All my best persons will be there too! And Stephen, and everyone! Ooooooh!
Got to dress rehearsal at 7.00 and met Stephen etc, who had already drunk a bottle of martini. Dress rehearsal didn’t go too bad at all. Stephen groped me at every available moment backstage. Matthew’s got glandula fever! So he didn’t come to rehearsal yesterday but managed to come today. Disappeared into loo when he arrived and others spoke to him and told him I was going out with Stephen and he agreed to talk to me and not ignore me and said he couldn’t care less about me and Stephen.
Drank bottle of cider and got a bit drunk but everyone went home so me and John were left sitting outside on the windowsill waiting for John’s mum.
[For a summary of what’s happened so far, see here]
Mon 18th Feb 1985 (Clare is 15 years old)
[half term holidays]
Stupid woman in mini knocked me off bike! Turned left in front of me. Bike went right under wheel of car. Miraculously undamaged. She very apologetic. I said it didn’t matter. Hurt my arm. Got £7 for babysitting!
Posted letter to Matthew. Beginning to wish I hadn’t.
Tue 19th Feb 1985
Matthew should have got letter this morning so kept expecting phone call before he went to school, but didn’t get one. Went to John’s after b-sitting. Chris and Stephen had been there all day and got pissed and Stephen had just puked up.
Stephen asked me out! Sat on his knee but stressed was only friendly and said No, but only cos of M’s phone call. But now severely regret letter to M and apparently he nearly asked another girl out on Sunday!
Then went to singing lesson and to Philip’s house (Philip a bit offhand) and by that time, M still hadn’t rung so assumed (with relief) that he wasn’t interested and went back to John’s house for evening and cycled back home at 10ish with S and C and said Yes to S.
SO I AM NOW GOING OUT WITH STEPHEN!
Don’t things move fast? To tell the truth, I’m still pining over M, but I’ll survive.
Wed 20th Feb 1985
Went to Chris’s and watched a video. Me and Stephen got v. cosy. Apparently he’s fancied me ages! Even since Chris asked me out for him in ’84!
Then went into town and met Kirsty, and then Heather. Heather was depressed cos she was boyless and I wasn’t. Kirsty is probably going to pack Mac!
Felt v. happy and rang Sally and had happy conversation. Really like Stephen and think he likes me, too, at least more than Matthew did.
Thur 21st Feb 1985
Had nothing arranged all day so could’ve done some work, but didn’t. Spent ages mucking around working out costume for my part in play then watched loads of films. Rang Sally, Chris and John and Stephen and arranged to meet them all on Saturday before rehearsal. Am looking forward to seeing Stephen.
Fri 22nd Feb 1985
I really like Stephen (Love? Well........)
Should’ve done some work today, but didn’t. Just lased around all day thinking about Stephen, and wondering what Matthew would be like at drama tomorrow. I wonder if he’ll tell the others I asked him out again. He probably will: it’ll please his ego.
I’m determined to be so gushingly friendly he won’t be able to freeze me out: he’ll have to be friendly back.
John reminded me the other day that Matthew owes me about £3; I’ll never get it back, though. Did I mention I had engraved ‘SE’ into my fingernails and filled it with ink? Well I have. Am looking forward to tomorrow.
Sat 23rd Feb 1985
Met Sally, Chris, Stephen and John outside Woolly’s and Nick was there selling Socialist papers! Stephen thinks socialists are all hippies. Oh dear. Nick invited me to an all-night party tonight.
Met Kirsty and Heather, who ignored Chris etc. Stephen didn’t like Kirsty at all. Kirsty was embarrassed to be seen at all with John. All very disastrous.
Met Debbie Tilsley who acted a wally and embarrassed Stephen (hee hee!) and put her foot in it by asking about Matthew. Lost Kirsty as soon as poss, went round minster, got moved on by a priest, went to drama.
Found out Patrick fancies me and was going to ask me out but then Stephen did!
Didn’t go to party. Bought some cider and got told off by man in the street (!) for being underage.
Sun 24th Feb 1985
OOOOOOH! Play soon! Love it! All my best persons will be there too! And Stephen, and everyone! Ooooooh!
Got to dress rehearsal at 7.00 and met Stephen etc, who had already drunk a bottle of martini. Dress rehearsal didn’t go too bad at all. Stephen groped me at every available moment backstage. Matthew’s got glandula fever! So he didn’t come to rehearsal yesterday but managed to come today. Disappeared into loo when he arrived and others spoke to him and told him I was going out with Stephen and he agreed to talk to me and not ignore me and said he couldn’t care less about me and Stephen.
Drank bottle of cider and got a bit drunk but everyone went home so me and John were left sitting outside on the windowsill waiting for John’s mum.
Labels: Girls' Fun
8 Comments:
This is so funny Clare. If it had been written by an adult from the eyes of a fifteen year old, people would might it was far fetched......... but I can remember being just like this, and just as nutty, enthusiastic about life and at the same time completely potty in a teenagery way. It's so good that you kept it all.
Sally
p.s. After reading this I just happened to go onto the DOOCE (http://www.dooce.com/website), and there is someone looking fro submissions of teenage diaries and stuff. See today's entry!!
sALLY
This is great. Especially:
"Apparently he’s fancied me ages! Even since Chris asked me out for him in ’84!"
thank you, thank you, thank you.
i was feeling sad.
now i'm feeling much less sad.
Beth, that's what I call a result.
Something really comforting and likeable about this. Thanks, Clare x
Ha! Wait until you see the next entry. Young Clare gets a bit less likable...
Lol
Post a Comment
<< Home