Jennifer's Place - Part 1

Jennifer giggled and span round, mouth open, head back. A raindrop landed on her tongue and she closed her mouth and looked back at her best friend Amy. Amy giggled too, and they both ran out into the centre of the park from their shelter in the bandstand, and holding hands crossed over each other, span around laughing and catching raindrops on their tongues. It was a midsummer shower, breaking up 2 weeks of non stop sun and it was blissful in the rain. Jennifer was dressed in a black tshirt and denim shorts with black skater shoes, and the shoes made a scuffing noise as she span around. The pair of them fell over in a heap, while the rain poured down, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

Amy wiped her eyes, trying not to cry again. It seemed to be all she did. Not that anyone really expected anything less from her. It was such a horrific thing to happen. She shook her head as yet another person offered her a cup of tea, and clutched the sodden tissue in her hand a bit tighter. The officer looked at her, and she knew he was going to ask more questions soon. She also knew what she was telling them was vitally important, and she didn't want to miss a single detail if it was going to help Jennifer, but the tears spilled over again and she spoke, her voice breaking as she started.

It was a Friday night, and it began the same as the Friday nights had every week for as long as I could remember. It started in Jennifer's bedroom, Wannabe by the Spice Girls was blaring out and Jennifer and I was in one of those wild moods you only get with your best friend, when absolutely everything is hilariously funny. A bottle of vodka, and one of coke, were sitting open and half drunk on top of Jennifer's dresser. We were falling about laughing, shouting "girl power!" and singing along at the top of our voices. Michael, Jennifer's older brother, had just turned 18 and had bored the two of us stupid with going on and on about how we should be careful with how much they drink and that not everyone was out for fun blah blah blah........I had giggled as Jennifer had made a mouth with her hand and opened and closed it as he droned on, pulling faces as she did, and Michael had given me a filthy look, which had only made me laugh even more. Michael had turned round and left and Jennifer had jumped onto her bed next to me and told me I was "a terribly disrespectful youth!" and we were off in hysterics again.
"Let's go out loser" Jennifer had poked me in the ribs as she spoke
"Where? I am skintio" I had replied
"Just out, I'm sure we can find some charming young men to buy us a drink"

The two of them were very striking to look at, Jennifer with her long silky straight blonde hair, big blue eyes and a perfect 10 figure. Amy was a different colouring altogether, brunette but with almond shaped bright green eyes, slightly taller and thinner than Jennifer, but neither were short of admirers.

I had smiled, I knew it was true, and we switched off the stereo, bouncing out the door. Michael met us on the stairs and opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Jennifer yelling "See you later!"

We had giggled our way down the front path and towards town. Halfway there we spied a few people we knew from school.

We had left school 4 weeks ago, and were awaiting our exam results. I'm sure that's half the reason we were in such a mad mood most of the time, after all the stress of the exams it was nice to finally let it go, and there was so much excitement about college and the whole rite of passage that was finishing your school years." I explained, dabbing at my leaking eyes

Ever the outgoing one, Jennifer ran up to them, whooping. They whooped back, and, smiling, they all made their way to Jokers, the biggest club in town. On the walk, Jennifer got talking to David. He was one of the quietest lads in the year, usually keeping himself to himself and I was sure she had never seen him out with the rest of them before. David was talking to Jennifer, and he seemed to be trying to inititate something with her. Probably because of the drink we had had in her room, she kissed him back and they walked hand in hand to the club. Once in the club, the group split and myself and Jennifer were scouting around for likely suitors. "Oh my god, that is the most gorgeous man i have ever seen in my life!" Jennifer had squeaked, gripping my arm. He looked over and she smiled at him and then looked back at me. "Talk to me!" she said frantically and I started waffling on about what to drink, trying not to laugh. She kept catching the guys eye and smiling, and soon he came over. At the same time as the two began kissing, David came back to Jennifer with a drink. His face had darkened, and he had stormed out of the club. I had laughed, then.

Amy stopped there, and as fresh tears followed the course of mascara down her cheeks, she wondered for the hundredth time if she could have done something, if she could have stopped him, said something to change it.