Jack of Hearts

"Jack of Hearts"

It is still London, Ace said to herself as the bus nose dived out of
Catford.
People write songs about London, they write stories set in London, TV
dramas and films are set in London, but this part is just the butt of
jokes, centre of the world of the ordinary. No-one knows or cares about
this bit, this bit of mediocrity that will, if the driver continues to
go as fast as this, turn into wondeful Bromley very soon and that is
probably worse. At least Catford is sort of inner city, that has some
credibility, but Bromley is just suburbia.

She pushed her face closer to the window, so she could see out without
seeing herself staring back. The bus garage, bus grinding to a halt,
driver changeover. Perhaps someone could write a song about that she
thought, real speed garage and she tried to imagine a riff, a first
line. Nothing. The bus garage, sprawling out by the side of the road,
with its image of industry, 24 hour activity, the buses waiting
expectantly, ready to take people to Orpington, Peckham, Greenwich,
Holborn, Liverpool Street.

Was it because the distances are so short, the destinations so suburban
or mundane, so well known to her that she could not think of them as
possible settings for the dramas, novels or films? Were they really
romantic terminals, places where stories started, love affairs ended,
lives changed, hopes shattered, optimism rewarded?

So why was she going to Bromley if it was so shabby? Why not get off
the bus, jump on a 171 on the other side of the road? It would take her
up to town in the twinkling of an hour and a half. Or a train. Just
down the road was Bellingham station. One train an hour probably.

But she knew no-one in town and even Ace the fearless did not fancy
trailing around town on her own. In Bromley at least she had mates.
They were mainly stupid, and boring, and backward, and piss heads, but
they were her mates.
The new driver ambled across the road and slammed his way into his
driving cab. Then the bus started again, complaining about the journey
like a bad tempered old dog, snapping at the kerbs, shuddering to stop,
grinding its brakes and then jerking away again as if its lead had been
pulled. This driver wasn't in such a hurry, Peter Pan's pool slid by,
Woolies at Downham, Ace watched the shop fronts go past, take aways,
Chinese, Indian, Pizza, fish and chips, something for everyone, nothing
for anyone. Then up over the hill, past the posh hotel on one side, the
cemetery on the other and on, into Bromley.

Were all suburban journeys like this? Was all life like this?
What if there was no more to life than the 208 to Bromley?
Is there any excitement or romance on the RER to Torcy? The trains and
buses out to countless outer reaches of Berlin, New York, Sydney, Rome?
Places she could not even name?
The bus ground to a stop at the top of the hill, Ace could hear the
doors bang open and thump close. She looked up, although she had taken
no note of any of the comings and goings on the bus so far. He was
going to walk upstairs when he stopped and looked at her, a smile
spreading out over his face.

He's fit she thought, but she didn't return the smile although it was
difficult, a smile like his was worth returning.

"Allison Catherine Etherington." He said, as if pleased by his own
cleverness in knowing her name and sat down beside her.
Ace looked at him curiously. Who the hell was he?

"Jamie Andrew Carter." He said, the voice had a faint sound of
annoyance, that she had not recognised him.
"Oh shoot." Ace said "Jack, Queen, King, Ace!"
"School." One word, lots of memories.
"You've changed." she said.
"So have you, but I'd still recognise you anywhere. What you
doing?"
"Going to Bromley."
"With your life, I mean, with your life?"
"Not a lot."
"College?"
"Sixth Form college in Lewisham."
"Ditto me, Bromley."

They were looking closely at each other. He was absolutely gorgeous,
she thought, at school he'd been, well, ordinary. It had been Sean King
that had been the good-looking one in the class. And Jamie had left at
the end of the fourth year. His parents had sent him off to a private
school.

"I still see the Queen from time to time." she said "She's working in
Boots."
"And the King is at college with me."

Ace remembered the first year at school, the day when one of their
teachers had made the comment that had started the joke about their
names. Stella Moore had been acting the stuck up bitch that she tended
to be during that first year at school, and the teacher had asked her,
what was the matter with her majesty that day?

After the lesson, as they waited to go into the next one, Stella, Sean
and Allison were together in the queue. Jamie came up the corridor and
pointed each one of them out, including himself, Jack, Queen, King,
Ace, he had said. They didn't actually become best mates from then on,
but they did tend to sit together, and Stella wasn't quite so stuck up
once you got to know her.

"Meeting friends?" he was asking her.
"Yes."
"Come out with me instead?"
"Where are you going?" She wasn't going to commit herself outwardly
quite so quickly. Inwardly, she knew that she already had.
"Where I was going and where I am going now are two different things."
he said, sliding his arm across the top of the seat and leaning back.
His smile wide, his eyes bright.
"Are you always so bloody self confident?" she asked.
"Fraid so." he replied " Private school by day , council estate by
night prepares you for anything that can happen to you."
"But nothing has happened to you." she said acidly. If his life was
anything like hers, she thought, then nothing had happened.
"Ace, you never muck about, do you?" he said, removing his arm and
twisting round to look at her. She looked out of the window so as not
to have to look into his eyes, but she could see them in the reflection
in any case, her slight frown, his grin, not so wide now, but still a
grin.

"You always spoke out at school. I bet you are a real sod at
college."
"It's ok at college, they like you to have your own views."
"I missed girls when I moved school." he said "I missed you."
"I can't believe you're trying this on." Ace laughed and turned to face
those eyes. "Do you really want me to fall for this shit?"
The eyes looked hurt. He's a brilliant actor, Ace thought.
"I did miss you."
"So why didn't you look us up?" she said "You obviously stayed mates
with Sean, so why not with the Queen and me?"
"The Queen and I." he corrected her.
She could not help laughing at this.
"Jamie." she said, her voice softer.
"Jack." he replied "My friends know me as Jack. I spell it with the k,
because without the k, it looks pretentious."
She was laughing again. She hadn't remembered him like this. He was
different.
"We're here." he said and grabbed her hand and pulled her off the
bus.

There appeared to be someone he knew on the pavement, she could hear a
female voice call out his name.
Some of her mates were likely to be hanging around outside Macdonalds,
as well. She couldn't see anyone, but they were probably close
by.

He pulled her towards him and started to kiss her, she was surprised
and she knew he was doing it for effect, this was to show somebody
something, it wasn't for her. But she didn't care, she returned his
kiss, pushing her tongue just very gently, between his teeth, at the
same time putting her arms around his neck. He smelt of deodorant and
leather jacket. She felt herself spinning off somewhere, somewhere
exciting, somewhere new.

They came up for air.
She was aware of people looking at them, some comments being made, but
suddenly he was pulling her across the road, and pushing her back onto
another bus, this one going in the opposite direction.
"I need to get out of here." he said as an apology as they sat down.
"Bromley is not for us."
"So where are we going then? Beckenham?" she asked,
sarcastically.
"I don't know." He replied, putting his arm round her." Don't you know
that this bus route leads to another, and another, and another, and
before you know it you could be half way round the world!"
Ace took a deep breath. How can you life turn around in a few short
minutes? She felt her head was still spinning.
Jack was saying something else.
" But, maybe we will just stay on this bus route forever. It's very
romantic."
And he kissed her again.This time not for show.