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| VALLEY BOY (Avril Lavigne, eat your heart out!) by Louise Oakdale comprehensive 1985. She moved from Carmarthen to Blackwood in 1985. Her parents were a very wealthy Welsh speaking family, they didn't believe in young ladies having a 'real education' so they were happy for her to go to the local comprehensive school, leaving her younger brother to go to a public school! He was born in the small town of Pontllanfraith just down the road from Blackwood. A true valley boy, his father a carpenter, his mother working in the local betting office. He lived in a two up, two down terrace house with his cousin in the same bedroom. When she started at the school, all the boys noticed her. She had a pretty face, with elegance and grace. She did ballet, what more can I say! He had scruffy clothes and being from the wrong end of town, all of her friends had a real problem with him. The thing was, he wanted her and although she'd never admit it, secretly she wanted him as well. They would pass each other in the corridor, barely glancing but acutely aware of each other. At the end of term he finally plucks up courage to ask her to the school disco. Amazingly she agrees. They arrange to meet outside the hall at 8 0'clock. Her parents had bought her the most beautiful dress from Selfridges, London. He begs, steals and borrows his clothes from his family and friends...He looks cool as fuck! He waits outside the hall a little early. 7.45pm he's excited. 8.00pm he's nervous. 8.15pm he's anxious. 8.30pm he's worried. 8.45pm he's angry. 9.00pm he goes home... Five years from now. She's married to a very successful business man. They have a lovely, huge house, beautiful sports car. Money is still plentiful, but here she is sitting at home, feeding the baby and once again she is all alone. She turns on tv and guess who she sees, Valley boy rockin on MTV. She can't believe it, he looks so handsome, his wavy hair, shoulder length, his beautiful brown eyes shinning. He is with the friends he had at school and his cousin is on drums. They are THE MANIC STREET PREACHERS. She calls up her friends, they already know and they have tickets to see the show. She asks if she can tag along. She arranges a baby sitter, dresses in her designer clothes and goes to the show. She queues with her friends, she is nervous, will he recognise her? She remembers the night of the disco five years ago when, instead of going to meet her valley boy she listened to her friends who disapproved of him. Instead she went with the rich young factory owners son to a dinner and dance. She married that young man who turned out to be shallow and nasty. The band come on stage, she stands in the crowd and looks up at the man she turned down. He was a valley boy, he wasn't good enough for her. Now he's a superstar strumming on his guitar, now she sees his worth. After the show, she goes back stage to see him. When she comes face to face with him she sees he does recognise her. He smiles at her and says hello. I'm stood beside him, we have been seeing each other for over two years. I know all about her, he has told me how she hurt him. He politely says his goodbyes, she stands there, stunned. I smile at her, I have no need to be jealous, we are in love, we rock each others world! I say to her "Sorry girl but you missed out. Well tough luck that boy is mine now. We are more than just good friends and this is how the story ends." She looks at her feet, a single tear trickles down her pretty face. She knows what she has lost. "Too bad that you couldn't see the man that boy could be. There is more than meets the eye, I see the soul that is inside." I leave her standing alone, again. I go to the studio where James will be singing a song he wrote about a girl he used to know. The end. <<< Louise's stories |