T

A very long time ago now I knew a girl called T. She went to the same school in fact. Not in my usual group of friends. Not in my form. I cannot even remember now how the following happened. But it did. And in some ways I'm glad it did - all of life's experiences make you what you are after all. In another way it left a stale odour. Read on.

I was about 15, in what I call 5th year and what is now referred to as Year 12. Or something. In fact, I'm still confused by the new school year naming system even given that I have my own son who is - i think - in year 8.

Anyway.. I was out and about in my town with a friend of mine. A seaside town so I was probably hanging around at the arcades? Not a wild guess given that I spent most of my evenings down there. So, arcades it is as the backdrop. I trust you are confortable with that? I met a few girls from my school that I knew - one shared the same form as T and we had been boyfriend/girlfriend for a while in the summer between 3rd and 4th year. J - who we might just visit at a later date in my 'blog series of girls I've known' - but who must be thought of as J1 since there have been a few J's - introduced me to T. Nothing odd there. Seemed pretty nice as a person. Not really my type, certainly not particularly attractive as a 15 year old girl goes, but I wasn't fishing for anything in particular. One thing led to another and I arranged to meet her the next evening. The often repeated ritual of a boy sneaking round to her neighbours house where she was babysitting..

Jilted John comes to mind Going Steady. The lyrics include:

On Wednesday Sharon goes babysitting
For her mum's friend Mrs Higgins
I go with her to watch telly
The kids are horrible and the house is dead smelly
But it's all worth it 'cause when they've gone to bed
We start snogging on the sofa

So, there we were. Smelly house. Kids nowhere to be heard. And T makes the first move. I had been told she was a bit of a one. I discounted all the rumours as a good boy should. Fool. She was very forward for my previous experience - but I got the idea quickly enough. Big tits she had. I remember them well as they were probably the first truly big ones I'd experienced. They may have been the first I had experienced? I was nearly 15 after all.

Only thing was she had terrible BO. Now all my best friends at the time had been quick to tell me that she was a bit of a goer, bit of a sl*g some said, but nobody told me I needed to bring a fucking gas mask? She really did have a problem in the underarm area and I couldn't really get into it at all. This being the 80s and us being still kids deodorant wasn't in massive supply I guess. I remember making some lame excuse after an hour or so of holding my breath and diving into romantic embraces.

Evening over as quick as it was arranged I'm afraid.

Now the funny thing is that T and I spoke no more from that day on. Do you blame her? I can barely remember her at school to be honest. No shared lessons and certainly very few mutual friends. I didn't feel guilty. I'm sure it didn't change her life either.

What the hell is interesting about that you cry? Well, some years after I left school a friend of a friend (honest) updated me on Ts progress. Only seems this girl had bizarrely travelled the waters from England and found herself in Los Angeles - by what route I know not. San Bernadino valley to be exact. And she was now, whilst we were all toiling away in the usual range of jobs and signing on as early 20-somethings, a pretty popular (I am guessing not so pretty still? though the ugly ones at school do tend to turn out ok in the end?) porn star of some repute. Fuck me. Not just one or two bit parts either. A real life proper 'name in big font size' porn star! Retired now I suspect. And I hope still healthy for it all - of mind and body. Turns out I had a chance at a minor walk on part in a real life porn film of sorts and I let a bit of a stink come between me and my smalltown teenage fame?

But the obvious question does arise.. What the hell did she do about that BO problem in LA of all places. I've been a few times and it isn't really the sort of place you flock to if you have a problem with sweating in hot weather! Plus it's not like she chose a career where she could hide it? I've seen one or two scenes (in the interests of research.. honest..) and the blokes don't seem to be too bothered!

I will not divulge her real name - that wouldn't be on - but what a strange and bizarre life for a girl from a nondescript town in the middle of the North East-ish of the UK. My school really did turn out some freaks. And I'm clearly not the only one!

Maybe next time I go to LA I'll try and look T up.. if only to see if that smells gone?