POV Narrator:
Christmas Day was very special for Bernadette who could finally live a day in peace away from the family that always pressured her to be perfect, or that she simply couldn't eat that much at Christmas dinner since her mother forced her to eat little in order to stay slim and not let her gain weight or develop too much in the area of body proportions such as breasts and hips, but even so she always ate hidden when she had. At the McLaren family residence things were different, she could eat as much as she wanted and still had the freedom to say whatever she wanted, she could live well next to the person she loved the most, she had all this freedom to be who she was.
After her grandmother could learn what happened to her family, she found out that it wasn't her mother who was keeping her in Luna Nova, but her own grandmother to ensure Cavendish's freedom that she could finally breathe, she didn't have to worry about Finnelan pressuring her anymore, she didn't even have to care if she was going to continue at the academy or not, so things were fine for the girl, but she still made a point of wanting to train with Laura about the broom races since she wanted to try to show that she wasn't just a little girl spoiled by her grandmother and that she could earn her own living on her own, she didn't want to be seen as the girl supported by her grandmother and even less as Laura's shadow, she wanted to be herself, she wanted to be recognized as someone as independent as her girlfriend.
Saturday, December 26, 1987
The day was dawning after Christmas, that was a very quiet party for the McLaren family with the presence of the new member of the family, that was Bernadette, after the celebration, each one of the people went to rest a little to enjoy the presents in the next day, Except for Laura and Bernadette who went to make love, waking up only in the morning of the next day, when the sun rays hit Laura's room, she already started to wake up, noticing that she had many spots around her body that were all caused by hickeys or bites given by Cavendish.
POV Laura:
Hmmmm... Bern has been taking it too hard... All this just because I gave her some clothes as a gift, I think she went a bit overboard in celebrating, since I was eaten to death... But I admit it was nice... She deserves some new clothes, after what happened, she lost her clothes, but I bought a lot of them for her, the way I know she likes them... Well... Let's go, today her different training will start, I will train her to pilot Leaf's racing broom, I will also test the broom I got from my great grandmother, today the training will involve a lot of broom control, she needs to learn now how to control an electronic broom, since these are very different from the common brooms and are the same type as the BBRT ones, by the way, the one she will control is a BBRT one.
- Wake up, wake up my love - I say, giving Bern a little shake and she starts to moan and wake up, until she turns around and gives me a good morning kiss.
- Good morning my little freckles - she said, which made me blush.
- Today the training will be different, I will teach you to finally run on a real racing broom, it will be much more complicated than a normal broom, but before that let's wake up and get ready for the warm up training - I'm still not used to seeing all that body. She is so beautiful, so statuesque. Really, her mother kept telling this girl to be skinny, poor Bern... A body like that doesn't even need to maintain a healthy diet to be so delicious... I am exaggerating, but she has a beautiful body, her proportions are harmonious.
So after all this monologue in my head looking at my Bernadette's beautiful body, I get up and go to the bathroom, where we go to do our basic morning needs, as always taking that shower together, although we sweat a lot afterwards, besides brushing our teeth together and it was funny how she never appeared in my bathroom mirror, because it was too low and so Bern only had her chin showing when we were brushing our teeth. After doing the basic morning hygiene and taking a warm shower, we put on our workout clothes, I made sure to ask her to put on an outfit that protects her more and also to put underneath a magic outfit to make her weaker just to get her even more used to a running broom and sharpen her running skills even more.
The time goes by, we go to the backyard where we start the warm up training, while I fly following her sitting on my new broom given by my grandma, I was just watching Bern running around that track, doing push ups, sit ups, stretching, everything I could do, until the interesting part that was the training with the broken broom and it was amazing how Bern made a huge progress, she could control it really well, I'm even surprised at how fast she goes on a broken broom, even more so because I was getting in her way a lot, but even so her reflexes improved a lot, after this part we take a break and I'm immediately impressed at how my girlfriend was making great progress, she had everything she needed to be a very high level runner, if she practiced as much as I have practiced my whole life, she would probably be the greatest in history.
- Wow! Bern did very well! Your performance is improving substantially! Well, now let's take a rest, your time as a broom runner will come, I want to see how you do with a racing broom, I'll be by your side helping you - I tell her and she just nods her head.
- I was that good, I'm just flying as usual, this broom is not that uncontrollable anymore, I just mastered the control of the broom and now I'm able to fly normally - she said shrugging.
- It's a broken broom, love, that's why it was so out of control, I wanted to make it harder for you to control it, so it would give you enormous control on a broom that's all in your control, it's much more in your hand - I tell her who just gets an indifference, kind of she already knew, I imagine.
After a while of rest came the big time to show how to control a racing broom, so soon I ride on my broom that I got for Christmas from my great-grandmother and she rides on BBRT's broom, I then start giving the instructions.
- Have you ever ridden a motorcycle? Because it is like a motorcycle, you accelerate like a motorcycle by turning the throttle, and you brake like a motorcycle by pressing the brake, but don't forget that you have to squeeze the "clutch" every time you change gear, and you have to hold it when it is stopped, then let go... - I tell her until it just flies off normally and I soon follow her... Did she already know? Wow, so I don't even need to give instructions.
POV Bernadette:
If this is the same as a motorcycle then I assume it has the same functions as a motorcycle, I noticed right away by the way the handles are distributed, besides having the pedals to change gears, I have already ridden a quad when I was a child and I have also ridden a motorcycle, my father taught me when he was still alive... It is not that difficult... This thing is quite handy I would say... Wow... Laura is even... She was even passing me off as if I was nothing, well I'll try to follow her line, I'm sure that's what it's for.
She makes some very aggressive lines... She goes into the curves with everything, at full speed, I can't understand how she controls it so well, almost at the limit, I honestly can't follow her way, but I go my way smoother and more on my hand, she is even reducing to keep up with me, but that... I am not that slow, I am just starting to get used to a broomstick, but it is well made, I have never ridden a broomstick like this, I have only ridden the traditional ones because my mother said that broomstick races ruin tradition by putting technology in the middle, but it is actually quite fun to ride like this... It really feels like a motorcycle, except that I am going 450 km/h, wow... I am loving riding this thing.
Until after a few laps following Laura, with her following my pace, we end up stopping for a while and she soon gets shocked, thinking that I would crash, it seems that I am again above this girl's expectations, she had no idea that I knew how to ride these things, in fact neither did I, but now I know, and it is not much different from riding a motorcycle.
- Fucking love, like you... I didn't think I could do it that easily... Damn I'm stumped girl, how can someone manage to run on a broomstick in such a fucked up way? Fuck, what a fuck! But answer me, how did you get out of the place like that out of nowhere? I didn't even finish explaining - she said in shock, and I just kept laughing at how she could be in shock for such a stupid thing, it wasn't that hard, Laura still thinks I don't know how to fly on a broomstick.
- You said it was just like a motorcycle and I just went, it's not only you who knows how to ride one, when my father was still alive he used to ride a lot and taught me the basics of the basics, I used to ride a quad and when I was tall enough he taught me how to ride a motorcycle, so that was it, I just made a point of finding out what it was like to ride a motorcycle and went out riding it, but I'm really impressed with how you ride in an aggressive way that at the same time you keep it fast and steady, it's not normal that way, any racer would be spinning or would lose time, but you go faster than ever - I say to her who also starts to laugh and then hugs me, that cutie.
- Ah that's because it's my style of racing, and who said I was going all out? I pull a lot more in races, you can be sure, I was just training her and this broom allows me to run at the same level as a BBRT broom, I think even a little faster, since it is from the Italian broom championship and Carlucci's brooms are known for being fast like that, but anyway, come on, we are going to a real circuit to take some laps - She said explaining everything, I already imagine, but wow... Laura is at a level that is only hers... That's amazing, we are also going to run on a real circuit, cool, let's see if I can do well.
POV Laura:
Bernadette really has her little surprises, well let's see if she can do that well on a racing broom, on the circuits she will be able to train enough to get used to a track, now the question is if there are any open, even more a broom circuit, I really hope so, we fly through the outskirts of Dublin until we reach a circuit that was open to broom racers, there were even some witches entering there and soon we were approached.
- It's £10 a lap and £100 to run as many laps as you want for an hour - said the girl at the entrance and I soon paid £200.
- They are for me and my girlfriend - I say, already pointing to Bern, and soon she releases our passage, as well as giving us hats with our numbers, they were random numbers, I got 15 and Bern got 91, usually my race number is 72.
We enter the track through the pits and then we just wait to be cleared, since we still have to be fully cleared to have access to the track, so I take advantage of this and give Bern some tips.
- Look honey, you don't need to go with everything in every lap, just go normally walking lightly, going even slow, to see the tangent points of each curve, then go walking trying to find a better line, try to get the speed limit in each curve and then just go girl, put it all together and start posting fast laps, remember to time them all, so I can analyze and compare them with my times as well as the other runners' - I tell her that she understands everything.
- Are the rules the same? - she asked.
- They're the same as on any other track, they'll just put a stopwatch on your broom and it will start to lower your time, beeping when our time is up, so we'll go back to the pits and today's practice will be over, we won't push this racing broom too hard because we only have this one and the maintenance expenses are a little high and you can be sure that I'll be your mechanic at the same time I'll race against you - I say and she gives a little wink.
Soon we have the stopwatches placed on the brooms and so we are released to leave on the track, I'm flying ahead just letting Bern follow me that is going smoothly through the track, although she is still accelerating a little on the straights, as well as some brooms passed us, after a few laps she is with the broom on my side and just signals with her head that she would accelerate with everything I then also do the same and soon I expect her to leave flying with everything ... She did everything right, followed my steps, now let's see how she does on a track.
POV Bernadette:
Now yes, I got used enough with this broom, now I am going with everything, and let Laura hold me because I will not hold anything, let her take care, let's see if she is all this, let's see if Laura really is a very high level, or if I am as good as her, soon I will start to fly with more speed, but I go smoothly in each curve, a style that fits me better is to take each curve calmly and at the same time go with a lot of speed, but the impression is that I am softening the curve, as if I don't go with so much speed, going smoothly I conserve speed for the straights and I don't lose so much time.
I go through the first lap, my time was 1:03 around. I keep running and I decrease it for the following laps, I was already in the third lap and I decreased it to 1:00, I was timing everything on a wristwatch that was in my pocket, luckily the main straight is long enough to think of a strategy and press the stopwatch button, besides that I can leave it magically written in a notebook.
Until Laura passed me in the fourth lap and I soon noticed how she was going in a more aggressive way and also smooth, but it was more aggressive, she was attacking the curves from one side to the other, using all the extension of the curve to do it, that left her with a very high exit speed, I still didn't have the courage to take the curves in that speed, but little by little I was taking following her, even more that Laura was reducing a little in the straights so that I was following her, because she really left me a little behind in those courses. When I least noticed the lap time had already dropped to 57 seconds, just following Laura.
POV Laura:
She is doing well, her riding style is very refined, but I have to train her more, she is still afraid of using the whole track to do the layout, she shortens everything and loses a lot of speed, which doesn't help much to keep the momentum of the broom, but I'm noticing how I've already made her drop 3 seconds just by following me, I'll do some more laps and then I'll signal her to enter the pits, there were still 13 minutes to go before the half hour, so I made sure to keep driving her, a BBRT runner usually the ones in front which I'm not would do a lap here in 55 seconds, so I'll help her to take some more seconds by doing laps following me.
The time went by and I kept pushing Bernadette going faster and more aggressively in each corner, she was following me, which was wonderful, so we could lower the time more and more, five minutes went by and she lowered it to 56 seconds, another 8 minutes and she lowered it to 55! Perfect Bern, you are doing the right thing, this is the way to go, this time we did just one more lap and she managed to lower it a little more until we went to the pits, she was around 54:913 in that last lap before we stopped in the pits, she really has talent, to the point of lowering the time in half an hour? Wow... We stopped with the brooms also to take a breather, so much so that I get off the broom and then go and have a look at Bern's broom.
- What's up love? Because I was following you and still only lagging behind, I didn't even see you pushing, I was really trying what this thing would let me - she said as I looked at the magic orb placing my hand close to it and already feeling the heat.
- Let's take a rest for the magic orb to cool down, but yes my love, you did great, you dropped seven seconds in just half an hour and that is very impressive, at the beginning I have to say that you were still a runner from the back, still afraid to take the corners, but now you are improving a little, I even copied your style a little to see if you could keep up with me, Now you can even fight for podiums, you are doing very well, but now I will train you for something else in these last laps, which is about overtaking, I want to see how you will try to overtake me and if you will be able to overtake without putting yourself at risk, and also train you to defend your position - I say to Bern who is all impressed.
- Wow! You're really not normal, love, to be able to copy another runner's style and still take laps like that, but I get it, love, I'll try to show you how to outdo yourself.
- Not so much, this broom I'm on is capable of clocking 50 seconds and if I pull more I can even clock 49 seconds, so it's not so hard to pull your style, it's always good to study the style of other runners, going their way, so you practice the tactics that many of them use when they are racing and when they try to defend positions, even though I started from the pole position in many of these races, still on occasions when the broom failed and I had to pass everyone I made sure to show service - I tell her.
POV Bernadette:
The five minutes of rest passed and soon we left, the magic orb of the broom was cooler, so we would be able to run a little more, Laura soon left in front to start the 25 minutes of overtaking practice, I was soon going little by little trying to catch Laura with all the speed I could, but she really didn't give in so easily, I really couldn't overtake her in the first lap.
But soon I was analyzing the way Laura was running and I managed to make the first overtake after 2 minutes following her, passing by the inside line, but soon she took the front in the next curve and I ended up in the outside line without much to do... That part was really complicated to pass... The outside line on top of that... Back and forth, I was practicing all kinds of overtaking with Laura, using a lot of the vacuum in the straights to get more speed and so passing with extreme easiness, even on the outside, I even noticed that it made the wings of the broom to smoke because of the sudden brake.
There was even a moment when we were side by side for almost an entire lap, and that was too complicated, to keep that broom in a straight line at a speed like that next to Laura, who also didn't make a point of taking it easy and that left me with a little bit of pressure, the worst was when I was in front that there was all the pressure that she was going to pass me and I had to defend too.
Until the clock started beeping, it was time to go back, we went back to the pits with the brooms and from there we stopped the brooms, I kind of got an idea of how to run with the brooms and Laura is really someone impossible to defend, she passed me with extreme ease as if it was nothing... Well, but at least I managed to pick up a lot of skill and it was fun to run against Laura.
- Very well Bern, you didn't do bad at all, this is just the first day of training, don't forget, we still have a lot of running to do with the broom, but you didn't do bad at all, now let's go home, but first, let me see how your broom is - she said getting off the broom and putting her hand close to the broom's magic orb.
She immediately gives me a thumbs up and then we fly back to her house. As soon as we arrive I smell breakfast, and we go into the kitchen, where Joanne is making pancakes and Chelsea is awake eating while Mark reads the newspaper and Laura's great-grandmother has tea.
- Mark! Stop reading while I'm making breakfast, this is no place to read a newspaper - said Laura's mother scolding her husband.
- Good morning mom - said Laura waving to her mother.
- Good morning girls! - says everyone in the house.
We soon sat down next to each other and told the family about what we had done this morning, that we had gone out to practice the broomstick flight, it was amazing, I loved every moment of it and everybody looked at me with pride and were even impressed that I did well, while eating a pancake with cheese... Hmmmm... Joanne is always so good at making the food, she always does it with so much love and talent... If I could I would live in that house just to eat Laura's mother's pancakes... Although my little freckle will be jealous of the pancakes this way, but I'll eat the pancakes and also eat my little freckle. After this conversation Laura took the keys to her motorcycle and two helmets, calling me for a ride.
- Come on love, let's ride this bike for a while and see if it's really good," she said, calling me until Joanne walked up to both of us.
- No running with that bike, girl, be responsible, you are carrying your girlfriend, it is not only your life that is on the bike, but also the life of your beloved, Bern does not let this girl run with the bike - Joanne said to both of us while I just agreed with my head, but how nice, to ride with Laura. I've never taken a ride with Laura that wasn't on a broomstick, and even those she's been speeding in a way.
POV Laura:
Yes! Let's get this bike screaming today! I want to see how it rides, I also want to go for a ride! I don't care, I'm going to put my foot down on this bike today, I'm going to accelerate with everything on the roads, Bern should hold on, if she lets me, I'll take this bike to a degree, but I don't think it will go that high, only if I have the arm to do it, but I don't feel like it? Or maybe I'll risk a degree. We get to the garage and I get on the bike, Bern stays behind, I put on my helmet and start the engine... Oh, fuck you, it sounds so fucking beautiful! This motorcycle's engine sounds like a V12 engine from the old Gran Prix Tour cars, my father's has a similar sound.
Then we got out and went for a ride, I started riding smoothly, seeing how the bike was, until we got to a straight and I shifted down a couple of gears and accelerated with gusto, those six cylinders rumbled like a real symphony... Ahhh I'm going to have an orgasm on top of this thing, I even got a pat from Bern and then slowed down to hear a scolding from Cavenboring.
- Oh, baby! Don't speed that bike! You didn't listen to your mother! - she said, scolding me.
- Oh come on baby, I just wanted to hear the motorcycle roar, now hold on tight, I'm going to speed up just to show you the motorcycle roar, I promise not to exceed the speed of the road - I say as I'm stopping the bike.
As soon as I stop I rev up the engine, I let the engine run full throttle, as soon as I get out the bike gives a slight pull of grade and then goes down, it was too heavy to pull grade, so I keep running with it pulling the gears and stop, I took a few punches afterwards, I think the cabbage didn't like it one bit.
- Laura! Laura! Laura! Goddammit! Stop that motorcycle now! - She said all serious, what makes me stop the motorcycle, and with that she gets off the motorcycle and faces me angrily, going up to the visor, facing me with those serious olive eyes... For the nine Lesbian witches, I'm fucked.
- What is it, sweetheart? - I ask her, who gets all serious still.
- Get off! Get off that bike now, Laura McLaren! I'm telling you! We're going home, but I'm the one riding it back now! What did your mother tell me not to race the damn bike? Huh, Laura? Go play dumb! Get down! I'm telling you, Laura! - she said, stamping her feet in anger.
I just shrug, but she continued to stare at me with those deep olive eyes... I am scared to death when she looks at me like that. Her seriousness really lets my guard down... Fuck... I even got off the bike and she stayed in the front... Well at least I'm in the back hehe... I was all hugged by Bern, she looks like an old lady riding the bike... Damn, so many fucking straights and she obeys the speed limit, I even try to play around.
- Honey, this is kilometers per hour, just to warn you, Ireland is metric, don't be so slow, we are not going 30 miles per hour, we are going 50 kilometers per hour.
- I'm not an idiot, I know the signs are in the metric system in Ireland, and I'm driving at the speed of the road, you're not going to make me run, it's no use Laura - she says all serious, which makes me sulk for a fuck.
until Grandma Cavendish comes home with the motorcycle and immediately she puts away the helmet as well as the key to the motorcycle and puts it back in place, she was pretty pissed off... Damn... I think I scared her a little bit, I didn't want to leave her like that, old man, I just wanted to speed up a little bit.
- They came back quickly - said my mother.
- We came back, Laura is not a very obedient person, you know how stubborn she is, she accelerated a little too much, without a clue too much... There was no need, in the beginning I even understood that it was to listen to the sound of the motorcycle, until she gave a start with everything going out to the point of prancing the front wheel - said the Cavencutaway, telling everything, but that fucking cut away, see that chick, just because I accelerated a little bit.
- Laura, Laura, I don't know why you do this nonsense, it's okay to do it alone, but your fucking girlfriend! Come to your senses, your fucking girlfriend's life is at stake here! I thought it was wise of you Bernadette, you are the ideal girlfriend for my daughter, really... This clueless girl... I won't say anything else, you're a big girl and I don't have to teach you a lesson, well, deal with your wife there - said my mother just shrugging her shoulders until Bern took me to the bedroom and pulled me by my ear.
Oh how that hurt, she didn't have to do all that, she took me down the hall of shame, my little sister watching everything until we got to the bedroom and she sat me on the bed and put the nest chair right in front of me, staring at me very seriously with those wonderful, dark olive green eyes.
- This is the first and last time you'll ever ride a motorcycle with me Laura McLaren, next time it's no sex for the rest of the day, be warned - she said seriously... Oh no, not without sex... I don't want any more... That's just nasty.
- Okay love... I promise - I say all head down until she kisses me.
- Today you won't go without sex, but next time you will, because we still have a lot to enjoy, my little freckles - she said, looking at me with a more perverted look. I like that.
POV Narrator:
After this training day full of surprises including a motorcycle ride, Laura and Bernadette spend the rest of the day "having fun" with each other, just the way the newly formed couple was enjoying doing. Cavendish was showing a lot of promise as a runner and really had a talent to spare to become an excellent runner for her first job as a runner.
See you, trained witches...
