Free Rev Girl by Leigh Hutton Page A

still in place. She fell back against the strange, flat pillow and closed her eyes. Her head was in the process of birthing an alien.
    â€˜Clover?’
    She froze.
    â€˜You here?’
    She looked over, slowly, keeping her eyes half-shut so she could close them quickly if she didn’t like what she saw.
    Dallas was rubbing his eyes.
    She watched him for a moment.
    He rolled over, his arm smacking her in the face. She pushed it off and sat up, grabbing her courage with both hands. Once she asked the question, there would be no going back. She had to find out what she’d done.
    Her voice was shaky, ‘What did we do?’
    But before he could reply, she remembered her parents. Her curfew. She was gripped by a sickening fear and the realisation that her new punishment was going to make two months being grounded seem like a slap on the wrist. ‘No forget it. No time!’ She went into overdrive, frantically digging around in the duvet for her shirt and something to cover her bottom. She spotted her black top and pulled it on quickly.
    â€˜Clover where you goin?’ His voice was still slurred.
    â€˜Home,’ she said. ‘I was supposed to be home last night remember?’ She looked around Dallas’s room. The clock on his table said 6.41am . Just a few million hours past curfew!
    â€˜Oh, right, shit.’ Dallas groaned as he sat up and brought his feet to the floor. ‘I’ll drive you.’
    â€˜That’d be good, ’cos I certainly don’t feel like walking.’ She stumbled around the side of the bed, still in search of her pants, and her foot fell on something wet and sticky. ‘Holy SHIT! Dallas!’
    â€˜Hey, keep your voice down.’
    Clover lifted her leg slowly, staring transfixed at the long piece of limp rubber attached to the sole of her foot. She yelped and kicked and it flicked into the air, over the bed, past Dallas, and hit the back of the door with a muffled thwack .
    They both stood, motionless, watching as the condom slid down the door.
    â€˜Oh … my … God,’ she said, and fell sideways onto the bed, her head in her hands. ‘Tell me that’s left over from a jerk off session, or something?’
    He sat down beside her and crossed his legs. He was naked, too. His face was serious, but at ease. The complete opposite of her own feelings she’d never been so angry, and disappointed with herself. And full of shame, a hundred pounds of it, weighing her down. She felt as dirty as the floor of the club she’d thought she was enjoying last night.
    â€˜Answer me!’ she yelled.
    â€˜Keep it down. Let’s not wake Dad.’
    â€˜Like that matters now!’
    â€˜My memory’s not the best this morning, either, alright. But, I can assure you, I haven’t seen any other girls.’
    A tear escaped. She shook her head. ‘I didn’t want it to be like this. Not, like this . ’
    Dallas slipped an arm around her shoulders and wiped her tears away. ‘Don’t cry, there’s nothing to be upset about. You’re my girlfriend and it happened, it must have happened, but hey, we were headed this way, weren’t we?’ He smiled at her. ‘At least we know we used protection.’
    She shoved his arm off. ‘This is no joke.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ he said, blinking. ‘I know. My head’s killing me too. Now I remember why I don’t usually drink!’
    She glared at him, waiting for his brain to catch up with the gravity of the situation.
    â€˜Your first time. Clover, I’m sorry, hey.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ she said with a shake of her head. ‘So am I.’
    She got up quickly and hurried for the door, in the process kicking Dallas’s shirt aside and uncovering her pants. She struggled into them and reached for the door handle. Dallas was there before she could open the door. He grabbed her around the waist.
    â€˜Wait.’
    â€˜Why? So we can