2. Janet and John Go to the Park

Janet and John go to the park. Eric and Mary go to the park.
They all go to the park. John has the bread and the sausages.
Janet has the cigarettes and the alcopop. Eric and Mary do not have anything.
Eric and Mary are little freeloaders.

John says, “Let’s go on the swings”
“I like swings” he says. Janet looks at him.
She gives him a pitying look. Janet doesn’t think her brother is very bright.
Janet has a point.

“Let’s have the fags and the booze first.” says Eric.
“Yes” says Mary. “Let’s have them first” she says.
Janet looks at Mary. “Get your own,” she says.

“Oh go on Janet” says John. “Let Mary have some booze and some fags.”
“Yes” says Eric. “John is right,” he says. “Let Mary have some booze and some fags.”
Janet looks at Mary. Mary is holding John’s hand. John is smiling.
John has not noticed that Mary is holding Eric’s hand too.

Janet shrugs her shoulders. “Let’s go into the bushes,” she says.
They go into the bushes. Janet gets out the cigarettes and the alcopop.
Mary looks at the cigarettes. They are Benson and Hedges.
“I prefer Rothmans,” says Mary. Janet looks at Mary. Janet counts to ten.
“Beggars can’t be bloody choosers,” says Janet.
They each take a cigarette. Janet is a clever girl.
She has remembered to bring her mum’s lighter.
Janet looks at John. She sighs. “You put the brown end in your mouth John,”
she says. Eric smans. Janet looks at Eric. Eric pretends he was coughing not smaning.

They all have a swig of alcopop. They all light their cigarettes.
They all have another swig of alcopop. They all puff their cigarettes.
Eric starts to cough. John starts to cough. Janet does not cough. Mary does not cough. Mary belches.

“Better out than in!” says Mary.

“I bet you say that to all the boys,” says Janet.

There is a crashing in the bushes. It is Darren. Darren is a big boy. Darren is the school bully. He has big boots. He has very short hair.

“What’s this then?” Says Darren.

“What does it look like?” says Janet. Janet looks up at Darren. Compared to Darren, Janet thinks, John is a genius.

“Give me a fag or I’ll belt you one.” Says Darren.

John says, “Sod off you big bully.”

Janet shakes her head. John is brighter than Darren, but that is still not very bright.

Eric is not saying anything. Eric is picking his nose. Eric always picks his nose when he is nervous.

Mary says “Hello Darren.”

Darren goes red. “Oh, hello Mary” he says. “I did not see you there,” says Darren

Mary smiles at Darren. “If you hit us,” she says, “I’ll tell your mum that you asked to see my knickers.”

“You wouldn’t.” says Darren

Janet looks at Mary. “Yes she would Darren,” she says.

“I have to go now,” says Darren. Darren goes away.

Janet looks at Mary. Mary smiles at Janet. Janet smiles at Mary. They smile at each other.

“Have another drink Mary” says Janet.