Yulia PuchkovaChapter 5
NICK'S LOVE STORY
This happened when I was nine years old. There is a girl in my class, she is called Helen. She is very pretty. You know, slim with dark hair and blue-green eyes.
Four years ago I fell in love with her. But it was half of the problem. The other half was Peter because he also fell in love with
Helen.
Every day after school we went after her to the bus stop, got on the bus and travelled to her house.
There we got off and walked af- ter her to her door. After that we fought with Peter, and then went home together.
It continued all the autumn and all the winter. But one day our teacher Miss Eleanor May Lee (we called her 'e-mail') saw us on the bus. We didn't see her. She got off with us and went after us to Helen's house. When we started fighting, she ran up to us and shouted:
''Stop fighting or I'll tell you parents!'
Of course, we didn't stop, and she kept her promise - she phoned our parents.
That evening I had a serious talk with Dad.
'Now I know why you come home with a black eye or a bump every day,' he said.
I didn't say a word.
'So, you lied to us. You didn't fall in the street and nobody drop- ped oranges on your head from the balcony.'
I was silent.
So Dad looked into my eyes and asked: 'Do you really love her?'
I looked down and nodded silently.
'And does Pete?'
I nodded again.
'But why don't you ask Helen which of you she loves?'
Then I looked at Dad and said:
'Helen isn't a good pupil. She usually gets bad marks.'
'Does it matter to you?' asked
Dad in surprise.
'Of course not, but we aren't sure that she will give us the right answer. At the lesson she never does.'
I didn't understand why, but
Dad started laughing very loudly.
I don't remember how we feel out of love. But after we did, Peter and I became best friends, and we always went home together.
Exercises
Explain why:
1) Nick and Peter went after
Helen after the lessons.
2) they fought.
3) they went home together.
4) Miss Eleanor went after the boys.
5) she phoned the boys' parents.
6) Nick came home with a bump or a black eye every day.
7) the boys didn't ask Helen which of them she loved.