Fair Weather friends

 As a young teenager I had got to the stage in life where anything an adult suggested to you in particular your mother , was viewed with loathing or sheer boredom .
  Looking back I remember a day when I truly needed my mother and family and when they were not there for me on that day , thankfully the Angels were  an Angel called Michael .
 I had begun to really get involved with the wrong crowd ,  daredevils , kids with time on their hands , kids on the edge of low level crime .
We had begun to hang around in a kind of a gang , not the type you have these days  rather more like a clan of unruly kids than gangsters .
 "Lets go to London one of the lads said , coming Sue ?
"London , I replied that's like miles away I don't know id have to ask, how we going to get there anyway ?
 "Easy , we hitch said another  stick your thumb out sue as you are a girl, cars are  bound to stop then we all hop in ."
  Uneasily I agreed , there were  5  of us as I recall, the leader sitting in the front we shall call Tommy  for this story .
 Hitching was pretty easy    and I suggested as  long as we all stick together  we would be ok . I do  remember saying that  to them all  , this was answered with lots of giggles and yeah of  course sue .
 Hitching and climbing over the boys inside  the cars made me laugh and also feel quite special as they whooped and  chuckled and slapped my backside occasionally I was just 14 years old, half of them probably between 15 and 14, with the oldest being 16 maybe .
 I didn't feel worried at all , I knew them all , they were my mates .
Little did I know I had everything to worry about because I was about to experience a great jape , a fantastic laugh , for the boys anyway .
  As we hit Sudbury ,  at a very busy junction the boys suddenly indicated to the driver driving us to stop , he did,  we all got out .
  The boys  had decided we had done enough hitching and perhaps we all needed  to get back , I was disappointed as it was almost dark and I had thought we were heading into central London .Little did I know at the time that this had all been pre planned .
 So we all agreed , I  stood holding my thumb out as we had done it was raining , pretty hard , the boys jeered as I was showing my legs  gaining more and more confidence , I was cheered on and encouraged by the lads  who by this time were laughing really hard .
  We hit the jackpot a car pulled in and the boys got in quick as lightning , they then did the most terrible thing anyone could have done to a young 14 year old girl alone .
 They told the driver to drive on without me, he was reluctant at first but time for him as  a driver was ticking too and he wanted out .
All four of them laughing from the back seat as it sped off and Tommy  giving me the V sign  will haunt me for ever .
   I shall never forget the sinking feeling in my stomach , never forget the tears , the fear of  thinking I was alone , it was dark and I had no way of getting back on a motorway except to hitch back .
 It didn't enter my head to go to the police, or ask for help or come off the motorway .
I was in a  total daze , shock  and so I had to think quickly and carefully .
  In around 15 minutes a car pulled in ,the man inside , wound down his window and asked where are you going love ?
" Bournemouth,  I muttered , he could see I was shaking and soaking wet and he told me to get in . 
 As I got in he reached into the back of the car, here take this he said , it was his jumper ,  he told me to put it on. I was freezing and very grateful , I pulled at my miniskirt as he looked at my legs .
 How old are you was the next question ,  I replied 14 and held on to the car door handle so tight my knuckles were going white as we sped along the motorway.
 Now then he asked , What are you doing on the motorway a little girl like you  , what's your name ?
 Then something happened I just blurted out Sue , my names  sue please don't hurt me and can you take me home , I just want to go home ?
I was crying uncontrollably , so much so he pulled over it was dark and then he said this ."
"Sue , I'm here for you to get you home please don't cry or be worried  I'm going to have to drop a trailer off at Ringwood , now , its in a field its dark but I promise you nothing will happen and we will get you home ok ?
  "Where are your fair weather friends? he asked, smiling  and I just shrugged and said my dad was a policeman and he would be worried for me , he again made sure I was listening .
 "As I said Sue , I shall take you home  I've  been sent to help you .
 He then bought me a hot cup of tea , I was tempted to get out at that pit stop but something told me I would be allright  so I stayed .
 We arrived at the field in Ringwood , it was pitch black  and in the  headlights I could see a spade , a large pick axe as he  unhitched the trailer and there was an area of freshly  soft dug ground .
 I was screaming inside , thinking I'm going to die here in a field and I'm only 14  and I didn't listen to my mum about my so called friends .
  Then he opened the car door my hand was tight on the handle he asked me if I was ok ?
  I again started wailing , please just can we go home and he took me by the shoulders and he said 
"Hush Now , you are fine my name is Michael now lets get you home shall we Sue ?
  He re-joined me in the car, patted my hand and said right then Bournemouth it is right , here is my number if you are  ever in trouble and need a lift again Susan , but I'm sure you wont ?"
"I wont be hitching again I said ever !  
 Michael , smiled and spoke to my mother at the door , normally I would get a slap around the head  as I entered , he must have told her everything and she was so relieved to see me safe .
The next time I saw my laughing friends I ignored their pleas to join in with them ,
 speak to them ,ignored  their explanations of it being a great joke .  and  that they knew I would get back safe  because I was a tough cookie .
 I didn't understand them at all how they could do that , how they could be so callous ?
I moved out of Bournemouth for a while , I felt that I could have died and they felt no remorse at all .
 I thank god and the angels for sending me a man who cared about a very frightened girl that night who was just being part of a gang .
 I learnt fast after that  and disowned every one of them  I shall never forget that fear though , ever .
Thanks Michael !
Sue  Plunkett . 
 
 

 So we had managed to just about get ourselves to Sudbury as I remember a very busy junction