Clashes.

ELSIE

7yrs of age.

Elsie fell down on to her chair with a `flumph`. She sighed and shook the leaves out of her hair disdainfully. Elsie`s hair was no longer a neat and tidy brown bob, it was now camo, powdered herbs littered her roots and shreds of leaves peppered her ends. “Grandmother never lets me join in humph” She grumbled to herself, “Never, ever ever! Don’t wanna anyway, stupid HERBS and special medicines. I could so do it!”

 

11yrs of age.

Dear Diary

Today Grandmother taught me about the magical properties of herbs! I can’t wait to learn more, although I don’t believe in magic. I heard Danny from down the road saying to his friends that his Mum calls Grandmother a Witch but that he doesn’t believe it. He says there is no such thing as Witches. I jumped up and put my head over the fence and said that Grandmother was a special doctor. I knew this because everyone went to her instead of the actual doctor’s surgery! He looked at me and I smiled back but I don’t know why, he told me that I was too young to know anyway, but that he agreed! I like him.

 

 

 

 

 

DANNY

 

“Happy 18^th”! Read the banner above the kitchen table. Stereotypical pubescent boy items were dotted around in wrapping paper which was definitely meant for someone younger than him. A guitar shaped package leant against a shiny bike. This filled him with joy as his current bike was from the stone ages and the last time his feet hit the pedals and not the ground whilst on this bike, was when he was about 11! Cards were laid out on the shiny Oakwood table and an expensive looking vase of flowers he had never seen before was standing proudly. Trust his Mother he though bitterly, any excuse to buy herself something new and nice. He already knew she had brought herself a whole new outfit and makeup set for this `party`. He didn’t even want this stupid event, it was just for his Mother to make herself feel important and believe she was a vital part of the community. Glancing at the clock it was already 1:00pm.

“DANNY” His Mother’s voice screeched through his brain, “darling how are you, naughty naught boy your up so late”! Everyone will be here soon! “Mother” He signed “Its my birthday I can bloody well sleep in if I want. I was up nearly all night last night getting phone calls from some Indian call company, and that’s all because you gave my number out for nearly every survey someone asked you to fill in”!

“Now now, Danny, no swearing in front of guests when they arrive…. And yes I did give it out to every survey” Her chest swelled indignantly. “Only however if it was a pretty young female, you do need to think of your future darling” before Danny could lose his temper she ploughed on “come on darling, open your presents”! Grudgingly he leant forward and grabbed the guitar. I have never even played he thought to himself, why the hell did she buy me a guitar? As though she had read his mind his Mother proudly cawed as he slid the paper off of the instrument. “Darling, I always know what you want! Every 18 year old young man wants one of these! I saw Hexxy from around the corner, he plays guitar now you know! In a band that he made at college! He works now you know, he actually earns money from his music Danny, even if you didn’t want to work, you could maybe go ask your little friends if you could join their fun?”

“MOTHER! They are not my little friends and I don’t want to join their band” nothing his Mothers hurt face that she was so good at making he softened his tone “I mean, I need to practice lots first anyway” he finished lamely. “That’s my boy! Anyway I have invited them all over today, I have to go and get everything ready and then get myself ready! Ta ta!”

Danny sighed and placed the guitar by his side and wheeled his bike outside before pouring himself some of the cereal he hides in the boiler. Diane his Mother never let anything other than fruit or muesli in for breakfast and he wasn’t going to eat any of them! Sifting through the pile of cards he dutifully opened them one by one. Nana and Grandpa, Auntie Maisie, the cousins, the Vicar from the Local Parish, who had indecently written a little note suggesting he come and find God now he was of age.

The last one was un-name but the font inside the card was the loopy scrawling of his Mother when she tried to pretend father had written it himself. Danny, Happy Birthday, make Good use of these. Father. Easing the paper clip from the top two shiny air tickets fell to the floor.

MSN

Danny: Jake seriously I have two tickets to Peru can you believe it!                               

Jake: OMG let me come???                                        Danny: Sorry M8 there was a note attached, for you and your new girl…                

Jake: WTF, you never told me!                                   

Jake has gone offline.                

Danny: JAKE FFS. I HAVENT got a new girl!                 

 Jake is online.                                                                                                         

Jake: Sorry internet cut out…                                                                                                                                                                                

  Danny: yeah yeah whatever…            

Jake: anyway, who do they mean?!?!                        

 Danny: Well Mother left a new shirt and jeans on my bed and new trainers and deodorant and body wash and a razor and cologne that I have never heard of. AS WELL AS NEW UNDERPANTS AND SOCKS… with a little note entailed...  ”Danny dear, wear these today, want to be looking your best! We have invited only the BEST looking girlys with the BEST positions in Life to your little do today! Don’t worry we will help you pick one! My little boy will be a man soon!”  

Jake: WTF…….. M8 I am deffo coming round for this “little do” I was gunna yano pop in steal you and bring you too mine as a rescue mission, but girls!   

  Danny: You suk sometimes... Anyway better go, starts in an hour, have to shave apparently…                        Jake: You don’t hardly have a beard M8, where she expecting u to shave! LOL

Danny has gone offline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elsie

Grandmother said we HAVE to go to this pooey party! I have never even met Danny! She said it’s at his house which is the biggest house in this road. The garden is probably twice the size of ours, and ours has a swing and an apple tree and another tree and rows and rows of flowers and circles of herbs AND a bird bath! It also has a little pond and grass and a bench hidden behind a big rose bush! It has a pavement patio down the bottom where the moon shines when it is full and there is a big alter as Grandmother Calls it. We got the second biggest garden I think but our house is pretty small compared to theirs. I heard they have 10 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms and 3 kitchens! Someone else says they have a gaming room too! Got to go, Grandmother is calling!

Walking along beside her Grandmother, Elsie tried to look important and stylish, like the women she saw in the fashion magazines. Except they were long legged and big breasted blondes, with hourglass bodies and shiny hair. Elsie wasn’t. Grandmother had told her she looked splendid and as they approached the house, Danny’s Loud Mother came out and squealed “Oh don’t you look gorgeous! If only you were even 5 years older my dear! And maybe slightly less skinny, and ohh if you we did a nice little style to your hair, maybe added some hair dye to it, you would look fab, you must come over this week yes? Girl’s makeover time! Anyway have fun! Tata!”                           “I must say, that women does infuriate me sometimes Els!” Whispered her Grandmother conspiratorially. Elsie giggled but secretly she wondered if this is what Mothers were like, and maybe is she had a Mother she would be better looking. “Now go and socialize child, and don’t hide away with your books!”

Elsie hurried away and as soon as her Grandmothers back was turned she ran, ran to the bottom of the garden and back, ducking through trees and bushes but to no avail, no hiding places where there wasn’t people smoking or drinking or laughing amongst themselves. Knowing that William and his sister Kate would be here provoked here to run even faster. These were the twins in her class and she disliked them both, they would pull her plaits and laugh at her for sitting alone. Dodging an incoming cocktail sausage from somewhere Elsie ran in to the house and stopped. The kitchen was beautiful… the floor was solid wood and reflected the Sun`s rays back at her whilst the rays coming from the marble work surfaces danced in her eyes. “ELSA!” Screeched Danny’s Mother “Do me a favor yes? Good girl, make your way upstairs to Danny’s room, darling isn’t down yet!” at this point she sounded almost hysterical. “Make sure he is dressed appropriately, and if he isn’t in his bedroom look in his study room on the top floor, his room is first floor, chop chop” and with that she breezed out of the room.                 “Its Elsie” she mumbled resentfully under her breath as she plodded up the stairs. However the resentment couldn’t last long as she looked around. The stars glided like a water stream, and the rails were solid glass, windows projected light on to the first floor and if she looked up the top floor beamed down upon her. The distant sound of music rang through the air, merging with distant chatter and laughter, soft as a humming bee. Following the sound she came to a door, plastered with hazard tape and one large sign in the shape of a dinosaur eggs stating that this was Danny`s room. “Hello” she called tentively. Knocking on the door was singlehandedly one of the scariest things she had done in a while. “Come in”