Lots of Love, Mike x, chapter 1
1982, London, England
"OK Class, settle down please" shouted Miss Flood. She always sat me at the front of the class and I hated it as her breath always smelt of coffee and she always spat when she spoke and it inevitably landed on my work. Yuk.
"Remember last week when we decided to go ahead with the project of pen pals and you stated what countries you wanted a pen pal in? Miss Flood said. "Well some of you have been lucky to get to write to someone from the country you requested and some not. Stuart it has proved impossible to get anyone from the North Pole to write to you I'm afraid" everyone laughed. "So Stuart you have a pen pal from France instead" she said handing Stuart a letter. "Who else wanted to write to someone in France?" Miss Flood spitted.
I think I'll bring an umbrella in to the next lesson if she keeps on spitting like that I thought.
Ten children put their hands up and she handed them all a letter
"Who wanted to write to someone from Spain?" she asked. Three hands went up this time and they were all given a letter too. More letters were given out from Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico and finally she asked "who was it for an American pen friend?"
That would be me I thought sticking up my hand, oh and also that stuck up cow Isabel Medley, she wanted an American pen pal too.
Miss Flood gave Isabel and myself an envelope each. I hope it's a girl pen pal, I thought to myself. I really hated boys at the moment.
Isabel opened her letter up. "Great! I've got a girl called Marcia and she's from New York," she shrieked so that everyone could hear. "Wow I am so pleased" and she hurriedly read her letter.
I didn't really want to open my letter in front of everyone, I wanted to wait until I got home but everyone was waiting for me to open it up so I thought I'd better. When I opened the letter it showed really neat handwriting and initially I thought it had to be a girl and that the name at the bottom of the letter looked like Michelle but it wasn't. The name actually read Michael Ryan Pritchard. Shit. It was a boy.
Isabel snatched the letter away from me "look everyone, Stella's got a boy pen pal. He's from California. Good luck writing to him, I bet you have absolutely nothing in common" she shrieked. "I'm going to have loads to say to Marcia, it looks like she likes ballet and horse riding too" and she went and sat down in her seat in her usual smug way.
I put the letter away in my school bag without reading it then we continued with the rest of the lesson.
As usual I had to let myself into the house. Mum and Dad worked so hard. Mum was a secretary in a Bank and Dad a policeman. Depending on the shifts Dad did depended on whether or not I had to let myself in.
I went and grabbed something to eat and drink from the fridge and then turned on the TV. An American accent coming from the TV reminded me of something, the letter! I suppose I had better read it then I can send a reply back just to be polite.
Dear English person I read
My name is Michael Ryan Pritchard and I am 10 years old. I have never really written a letter to anyone before so excuse me if there are loads of spelling mistakes.
I live with my adopted mum and step-dad and I've got a brother and sister but they're not my real brother and sister. I've just changed schools and I am starting to make new friends. There is this one boy called Billie Joe who has become my best friend. We share the same interests. We both love playing instruments and we love punk and rock music. One day we are hoping to form a band and become real famous. My favourite instrument is the guitar. Billie plays guitar too and he does a bit of singing. He also writes songs but we don't sing them yet, we mainly sing songs by the Clash.
I live in California where it is really hot and sunny. I hear it's not so hot and sunny in England.
I hope you reply to my letter. If you do could you enclose a photograph of yourself and then I'll send you one of me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
From
Michael Ryan Pritchard (but I like to be called Mike)
I read the letter three times then decided that this Michael Ryan Pritchard seemed quite cool and that I would write him a letter back immediately. I liked the fact that he played an instrument, especially the guitar, that seemed so cool. He also liked punk and rock music, which I absolutely loved, but not many of my friends agreed with me. He also seemed quite polite not like the boys in my class who spent most of the day picking their noses and sticking their bogies under the desks or flicking them at the girls.
I switched off the Television and went upstairs to get my paper and pen to write back to Michael.
California, 4 days later...
"Hey Mike, what's that you're reading?"" said Billie Joe
Mike looked up from the letter "It's a letter from a girl in England"
"What girl in England?" said Billie Joe coming over to have a look.
"Just a pen pal thing that I got into"
"Fuck off" said Billie Joe "what do you want to go writing to girls for and why one from England?"
"Don't know" said Mike going back to the letter "but she sounds real cool though"
"Can I read it?" said Billie Joe
"If you like," said Mike handing the letter over but keeping the photograph aside.
Dear Michael read Billie. "Michael!" He started laughing. "Shut up Billie" said Mike.
Thank you very much for your letter. I was so pleased to receive it. My name is Stella and I am 10 years old and live with my parents. My dad is a policeman and mum works in a bank. I don't have any brothers and sisters although sometimes I wish I did have. I've got this dog called Fatso but I don't know why he's called Fatso as he's really thin.
I think its cool that you play the guitar. I wish I could play an instrument. I wouldn't mind being able to play the keyboard and I might ask if I can have lessons soon. I really hope you do get to form your band. I like punk and rock music too. Do you like the Sex Pistols? My mum and dad were really into them when they were young and they got to go and see them. They've got loads of their original punk clothes in our attic. Looking at my mum and dad you wouldn't believe that they were punks. Dad had a ginger mohican and used to wear these tartan trousers with chains. Mum had a skinhead hair cut and she used to wear black tights with holes in.. Now if I go out of the house with a hole in my tights she goes mad!
Sorry for chatting on too much and boring you a bit.
Please find enclosed a photograph of me. It was taken about one month ago. My hair has grown a little since then.
Bye
From
Stella x
"Fucking hell. The Sex Pistols" said Billie Joe. "That's real cool. Her parents sound real cool too. I'd love to get to see some of the punk gear in their attic," he said. "Where's her photograph?" said Billie Joe. "Let me take a look?"
Mike reluctantly handed over the photograph to Billie Joe, knowing how he'd react.
"OK Class, settle down please" shouted Miss Flood. She always sat me at the front of the class and I hated it as her breath always smelt of coffee and she always spat when she spoke and it inevitably landed on my work. Yuk.
"Remember last week when we decided to go ahead with the project of pen pals and you stated what countries you wanted a pen pal in? Miss Flood said. "Well some of you have been lucky to get to write to someone from the country you requested and some not. Stuart it has proved impossible to get anyone from the North Pole to write to you I'm afraid" everyone laughed. "So Stuart you have a pen pal from France instead" she said handing Stuart a letter. "Who else wanted to write to someone in France?" Miss Flood spitted.
I think I'll bring an umbrella in to the next lesson if she keeps on spitting like that I thought.
Ten children put their hands up and she handed them all a letter
"Who wanted to write to someone from Spain?" she asked. Three hands went up this time and they were all given a letter too. More letters were given out from Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico and finally she asked "who was it for an American pen friend?"
That would be me I thought sticking up my hand, oh and also that stuck up cow Isabel Medley, she wanted an American pen pal too.
Miss Flood gave Isabel and myself an envelope each. I hope it's a girl pen pal, I thought to myself. I really hated boys at the moment.
Isabel opened her letter up. "Great! I've got a girl called Marcia and she's from New York," she shrieked so that everyone could hear. "Wow I am so pleased" and she hurriedly read her letter.
I didn't really want to open my letter in front of everyone, I wanted to wait until I got home but everyone was waiting for me to open it up so I thought I'd better. When I opened the letter it showed really neat handwriting and initially I thought it had to be a girl and that the name at the bottom of the letter looked like Michelle but it wasn't. The name actually read Michael Ryan Pritchard. Shit. It was a boy.
Isabel snatched the letter away from me "look everyone, Stella's got a boy pen pal. He's from California. Good luck writing to him, I bet you have absolutely nothing in common" she shrieked. "I'm going to have loads to say to Marcia, it looks like she likes ballet and horse riding too" and she went and sat down in her seat in her usual smug way.
I put the letter away in my school bag without reading it then we continued with the rest of the lesson.
As usual I had to let myself into the house. Mum and Dad worked so hard. Mum was a secretary in a Bank and Dad a policeman. Depending on the shifts Dad did depended on whether or not I had to let myself in.
I went and grabbed something to eat and drink from the fridge and then turned on the TV. An American accent coming from the TV reminded me of something, the letter! I suppose I had better read it then I can send a reply back just to be polite.
Dear English person I read
My name is Michael Ryan Pritchard and I am 10 years old. I have never really written a letter to anyone before so excuse me if there are loads of spelling mistakes.
I live with my adopted mum and step-dad and I've got a brother and sister but they're not my real brother and sister. I've just changed schools and I am starting to make new friends. There is this one boy called Billie Joe who has become my best friend. We share the same interests. We both love playing instruments and we love punk and rock music. One day we are hoping to form a band and become real famous. My favourite instrument is the guitar. Billie plays guitar too and he does a bit of singing. He also writes songs but we don't sing them yet, we mainly sing songs by the Clash.
I live in California where it is really hot and sunny. I hear it's not so hot and sunny in England.
I hope you reply to my letter. If you do could you enclose a photograph of yourself and then I'll send you one of me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
From
Michael Ryan Pritchard (but I like to be called Mike)
I read the letter three times then decided that this Michael Ryan Pritchard seemed quite cool and that I would write him a letter back immediately. I liked the fact that he played an instrument, especially the guitar, that seemed so cool. He also liked punk and rock music, which I absolutely loved, but not many of my friends agreed with me. He also seemed quite polite not like the boys in my class who spent most of the day picking their noses and sticking their bogies under the desks or flicking them at the girls.
I switched off the Television and went upstairs to get my paper and pen to write back to Michael.
California, 4 days later...
"Hey Mike, what's that you're reading?"" said Billie Joe
Mike looked up from the letter "It's a letter from a girl in England"
"What girl in England?" said Billie Joe coming over to have a look.
"Just a pen pal thing that I got into"
"Fuck off" said Billie Joe "what do you want to go writing to girls for and why one from England?"
"Don't know" said Mike going back to the letter "but she sounds real cool though"
"Can I read it?" said Billie Joe
"If you like," said Mike handing the letter over but keeping the photograph aside.
Dear Michael read Billie. "Michael!" He started laughing. "Shut up Billie" said Mike.
Thank you very much for your letter. I was so pleased to receive it. My name is Stella and I am 10 years old and live with my parents. My dad is a policeman and mum works in a bank. I don't have any brothers and sisters although sometimes I wish I did have. I've got this dog called Fatso but I don't know why he's called Fatso as he's really thin.
I think its cool that you play the guitar. I wish I could play an instrument. I wouldn't mind being able to play the keyboard and I might ask if I can have lessons soon. I really hope you do get to form your band. I like punk and rock music too. Do you like the Sex Pistols? My mum and dad were really into them when they were young and they got to go and see them. They've got loads of their original punk clothes in our attic. Looking at my mum and dad you wouldn't believe that they were punks. Dad had a ginger mohican and used to wear these tartan trousers with chains. Mum had a skinhead hair cut and she used to wear black tights with holes in.. Now if I go out of the house with a hole in my tights she goes mad!
Sorry for chatting on too much and boring you a bit.
Please find enclosed a photograph of me. It was taken about one month ago. My hair has grown a little since then.
Bye
From
Stella x
"Fucking hell. The Sex Pistols" said Billie Joe. "That's real cool. Her parents sound real cool too. I'd love to get to see some of the punk gear in their attic," he said. "Where's her photograph?" said Billie Joe. "Let me take a look?"
Mike reluctantly handed over the photograph to Billie Joe, knowing how he'd react.
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