The next day:
(Lindsay)
"So how did it all go wrong?" Pip asks. I look at Richard Rider. He doesn't look scared, just slightly surprised that he's harbouring two wanted criminals the day after a blotched up bank robbery. I hesitate, wondering if I should tell her about Ollie.
"Well?" she prompts when I take too long.
"Your mate tipped the coppers off." Perhaps not the best way to break it to her but it's too late to take it back now. Pip freezes.
"What?" her voice is icy. Yep, definitely shouldn't have told her.
"Ollie. It was Ollie who tipped them off."
A look of murderous rage descends on Pips face. Without a word she bolts out of the kitchen. I hear the front door slam and Richards's car start.
"Bugger. She nicked your keys." I tell him. "I'll try and stop her from driving off a cliff."
By the time I'm downstairs she is revving the engine impatiently.
"Let me drive." I say.
"No."
"Let me drive."
"No!"
I give up and climb into the passenger seat of the cherry red Ferrari.
"We're supposed to be keeping a low profile, so you pick this?" I ask incredulously. Pip just clenches her jaw and puts her foot down.
Pip storms straight up to the big white house, eyes blazing. No hint of hesitation shows as the pushes through the front door, leaving it hanging open like an invitation. With a sigh, I heave myself out of the car and follow her. I begin to regret telling Pip about Ollie's involvement in the set up as screaming reaches my ears and I stand in the hallway. Following the noise, I trace Pip and Ollie to a huge airy living room. Children's toys litter the floor and I step carefully around them as I work my way to the back wall where they are standing. A massive gilt mirror hangs on the wall just beside Ollie, reflecting the whole room.
"Restrain your fucking freak show of a girlfriend! Pip, you really can do better..." Ollie trails off when she sees the icy look that Pip gives her.
"What, like you?" Pips voice is full of scorn and the urge to step between them and defend her springs up in my chest. No, I tell myself. She has to fight a few of her own battles.
"I wouldn't hurt you! I wouldn't even touch you!"
Pip just smirks, a cruel glint in her eye like she knows she's about to push it too far.
"Exactly." she purrs, leaning in, taunting Ollie. "Good luck with the boyfriend. Oh, and take care of the kids." She goes to turn around but Ollie darts forward, pushing Pip up against the mirror and kissing her fully. Right in front of me. Rage sweeps over my mind, blocking out everything else and before I know it my hand is on Ollie's collarbone, pulling her away from Pips startled face. I can feel bones crunching slightly under my fingers. A pathetic cry escapes Ollie's lips and I smash her head against the mirror before turning around and striding calmly back out the front door and into the car where I sit and wait for Pip to come back. It only takes a minute.
"I hope you're happy." she says as she sits next to me. "Ollie has a munted collarbone and a broken nose now. She said that you're a fucking cunt and I'm an idiot if I still want to be with you." I open my mouth to defend myself but she just holds up her hand. "Let me finish. Then I told her that it was her fault for kissing me with you standing right there and that I don't love her anymore. Can we go home now?"
And Pip looks so shocked and exhausted that I say nothing, just start the car and drive away, leaving Ollie bleeding and broken in her living room.
One year later:
(Rider)
"I'm booorrred. Why can't I go out to a party?"
I look at Lindsay, waiting for her to deal with Pip's boredom. She puts down her book, slowly placing her glasses on top of it and walks over to where Pip is sitting. They look at each other for a moment, Pip waiting for the usual lecture about safety. Instead, Lindsay sits down next to her, pulling Pip into her arms.
"You can now, if you want. It's been long enough since the job." She is smiling slightly, like she knows how happy this will make Pip. And it does make her happy, her face lighting up as she becomes instantly alert.
"Really? Is it really ok Lin?" she looks up at Lindsay, bouncing a little with excitement. Lindsay just nods. Immediately, Pip jumps to her feet and races up the stairs muttering to herself about shirts and nail paint. I nod at Lindsay. I know that she doesn't really want Pip to go. I know that she thinks it is still too dangerous, but she knows that it will make Pip happy and in the past year I have realised that that's all she really cares about.
Electro music blasts from their room as Pip prepares for her night out and Lindsay goes back to reading with a faint smile. I shake my head and go back to the paper.
Two hours later, Lindsay puts her book down and stretches, looking up at the clock. Music is still blasting from their room. Tugging her jumper down she stands up and trudges upstairs.
"I'll just go and check on her." She explains, striding up the stairs. She disappears and the music stops, silence falling over the house except for the crackling of the fire and the rustle of the paper.
(Lindsay)
I knock hesitantly on the door before waiting a second, then entering. The stereo is on full volume, blasting out Bowie. Our room is even more of a tip than usual, dresses, corsets and lost shoes scattered on the floor. Only the bed is clear, Pip curled up in the middle still in her jeans and pink 'princess' shirt. She looks up when I enter but doesn't move. Carefully stepping around the mess on the floor I turn cut Bowie off mid-word and sit on the edge of the bed, looking at Pip. She leans back against the headboard, eyes closed, looking so young in the dim light. I swing my legs onto the bed and slide up next to her, pulling her into a cuddle without a word. We stay like that for a minute, just breathing.
"What if you're right?" she asks suddenly.
"About what?"
"What if it is still too dangerous? I know you think it is." She adds before I can interrupt. "I don't want to get caught and then have you get caught too, all because of me wanting to party."
"I'm just being paranoid." I tell her. "I'm being a stingy spoil sport who is too selfish to let you out of my sight."
She smiles at that, like I knew she would, and I kiss the top of her head.
"You could always come with me." she peers up through her eyelashes at me. I laugh.
"Don't push your luck otherwise I might make you stay here."
"And how would you do that?" she teases, leaping off the bed and pulling clothes into her arms.
"Well this door does have a lock… and don't think I haven't seen those fluffy handcuffs in your draw." she laughs again and tells me to get out while she gets dressed.
(Rider)
When Pip finally comes down stairs she looks… interesting. Wearing a dark red tartan dress with a corset bodice and massive fluffy petticoats holding the skirt out, thick black tights, chunky biker boots, a gunmetal-grey steel necklace dripping with strings of jade beads she looks a bit like a boy in drag, and disturbingly familiar. Lindsay sees her and grinds her teeth.
"I'm not giving you a lift looking like that."
Pip laughs. "Sure, sure. Can we take the Ferrari? I got some mates meeting me downtown and we're gonna work our way through every bar we can get into. Tess said she'd bring her glitter eyeliner…" she keeps talking even as Lindsay gets up to leave the room, Pip following. "… and it's not too late for you to come too."
Lindsay stops in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
"No thanks." She says, ignoring the innuendo and Pip's waggling eyebrows. "I'll ruin your fun and all the others will whistle and pinch my arse like last time."
"A taste of your own medicine." Pip turns and faces me. "Give us lift then, yeah?"
I put down my paper, still in a bit of shock about the familiarity of the outfit.
"Sure."
Lindsay snorts. "Rather you than me." she mutters. I look at her. Usually she spends every possible moment with Pip. I stand up and grab a set of keys, pausing at the door to pull some shoes on.
I pull up outside a rather unremarkable looking old building, except for the neon sign saying 'Princess Bar'. The name is all too familiar.
"You coming in for a drink?" Pip asks, smirking slightly.
"Um, no. No I think I'll pass."
"Nonsense!" she exclaims. "Of course you're coming in!"
Before I can protest she grabs my hand and drags me out of the car. She squeals and kisses the doorman on the cheek. With a smile he opens the door.
And so Pip drags me into a world of glitter, flashing lights, buff men looking grotesque in short dresses, high heels and makeup. Music is booming, the bass beating in your chest.
"Am I the prettiest girls here?" Pip asks, sidling up to me.
"You're the only pretty girl here." I reply automatically. "The rest are hags and munters." Why did I say that I ask myself. All of this is so similar. Images from my imagination coming to life. She blushes and giggles, tripping over to the bar in her massive heels. She orders drinks and I sit down on a stool in a daze.
"What do you think?" Pip asks, placing two glasses on the table.
"Um… wow?" I think that's the right thing to say. I could see now why Lindsay hadn't wanted to come. Pink lights flash, silver glitter floating in the air and scattered on the floor. Too loud music that's doesn't seem to have a rhythm or melody of any kind.
"I'm on in a minute!" Pip informs me, gulping down an electric blue drink. I nod numbly. She skips off, leaving me in the care of a man wearing layers upon layers of pink puffy skirts, fishnets covering his hairy legs, a tight frilly corset and what seems like a ton of makeup. He, she, starts to talk to me. No, not to me, at me. I sip the beer Pip left me and zone out, trying to ignore my immediate surroundings.
After a few drinks, things start to make more sense. The drag queens look less… weird… the lights and glitter become funny and I start to relax into this strange new world.
"… Ophelia Cummings!"
The name breaks through my trance. My head snaps up, the applaud fades and the lights focus on the stage. The music changes. A strange whirring and then trumpets burst into an oddly seductive tune. And, there she is, perched on a polished red stool .She stands up slowly, taking her time to fit with the music. She takes a few mincing steps into the full stage lights...Oh my lord, Pip - Ophelia stands, resplendent in a white satin sailor suit that cuts high enough to see more than edge of pink frilled knickers and low enough to see the Libra tattoo on her collarbone. Black leather suspenders snake down her legs to the top of her thigh high boots. I don't even need to count to know that there are twelve buckles. Her hair has been teased and straightened to within an inch of its life and has a sailor hat perched in the middle. She has on ridiculously long false eyelashes and scarlet lipstick. Then Ophelia, in all her pouty, nautical, angular glory begins to dance.
It's a dance unlike any I've seen before. Its burlesque meets cabaret meets the Muppets. For all her pathetic shape and platform heels, she can dance. She looks confident and fiery and almost sexy. Not quite. She's still Pip. She teeters and waggles and struts about the stage lip-syncing innuendo after innuendo. After what seems like an age the song comes to an end and Pip grins hugely, bowing first forwards and then a little shimmery backwards bow so the audience gets to see yet more of her fuscia undergarments. The meaty hag that's sitting next to me wolf whistles. And Pip winks suggestively at her...him...whatever. I could see why Lindsay stayed home. Oh god, and we still had the final number. With all of the sparkly gender-benders on the same stage. I wished for the umpteenth time that night that I was at home with Lindsay, reading.