Ceri had been my closest friend for many years despite her being three years older. We had met when I was lucky enough to qualify for the regional junior swimming team. We had grown close over the years and then Ceri went off to University Manchester to study to become a nurse.
Two weeks after my sixteenth birthday I met Ceri in town one Saturday afternoon, as she had come back to Liverpool to visit her mother. It was great to catch up, and even though we had kept in touch, we had not had a chance to sit and just talk.
Ceri at this time had met the love of her life Dona, with whom she had moved in, and it only being two miles from her university, her world had become all she had dreamt of. We discussed her relationship and the love she had for Dona in-depth, and Ceri suggested that I should come and stay one weekend and get to know her.
Dona was a DJ at one of the gay clubs in Manchester, and Ceri suggested that I should see what the scene was like for myself. Ceri knew all too well my sexuality and said that as I planned to follow in her footsteps to become a nurse, I should spread my wings a little, and she stated we would have VIP treatment.
So the day arrived. I boarded the train from Liverpool to Manchester and was to be met at the station by Ceri. Bags packed with what I thought I’d need for the weekend. Was I nervous, apprehensive, or just overly excited? It was hard to say, as my heart was racing on the forty-five-minute journey. This was my first ever trip alone, and a stay over as well, with the best friend anyone could ask for. And to top it all, I would eventually get to meet the love of her life.
The train pulled into the station and my heart was beating even faster. Was this really happening? Pinching myself, yes it was. There she was, standing all smiles, wearing jeans and a thick coat, woolly hat and her gay pride scarf. As we met we hugged each other and I thought she would break my back, her squeeze was so powerful.
Ceri suggested we grab some food and have a drink before heading off to her house, which was a fifteen-minute taxi ride from town. When we arrived at the house Ceri carried my suitcase for me, saying, “Bloody hell, girl are you moving in? This weighs a ton.” She walked up the drive to the house, and opening the door, she walked in, placed my suitcase at the bottom of the stairs, and called out, “Yo bitch, we're here,” to Dona.
Dona walked from the kitchen, with the biggest smile on her face I’d ever seen, giving me a massive hug and a huge kiss on my cheek. “Oh my god, you look so cute, so much prettier than the pictures shown to me by Ceri.” I could feel Dona’s personality bounding through.
She looked amazing, almost six feet tall, slim, wearing grey sweat pants and a hoodie. I could see immediately why she and Ceri had bonded so well from the first day, both having outgoing personalities and the looks to support that. We all walked to the dining room and walked into a huge kitchen/dinner, with a large wooden table to one side of the room.
All sitting around the table and drinking white wine, Donna started the conversation. “So you’re the famous Izzy I have been told all about.”
I could feel my cheeks burning immediately. “Yes, I must be.” Knowing my past with Ceri, I wondered what she had told her. “Don’t worry, I don’t judge, and Ceri never shuts up about you,” Donna said with a smile on her face.
We sat there for a few hours talking about how they had met, what I and Ceri did growing up, and what a night I was going to have. When I looked up at the clock it was close to eight in the evening. Ceri had made her way upstairs and had a shower, returning and saying to Donna the shower was now free.
Donna went off for her shower, and Ceri said, “We usually have a takeaway before we go out, would Chinese be okay with you?” I said that would be fine, feeling my stomach rumble. Ceri then said, “Come on I will show you to your room, and you can grab a shower while we wait for the food.” Inside, the room had a double bed; the room was painted a pale lilac with matching curtains, an ensuite shower room to my right, and fitted wardrobes.
“Ceri I’m moving in here,” I said. It was like a five-star hotel room. As Ceri left and closed the door, I stood totally amazed. What a room – it was amazing, and I was so lucky. Walking into the ensuite, I turned on the shower, undressed and climbed in. Even though I’d had a shower that morning, it was only right to have another to freshen up before my big night out in town.