Aggie rolled around her bed hugging her pillow. Suddenly she became frantic and sat up straight in bed. Something was different, something had changed.

She searched for this something but all seemed normal. Then she glimpsed her cast off clothes. Where was Skye?

She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. No sign of her. She went back to her bed disappointed. She so liked the morning after a night spent with someone; the breakfast in bed, the crumbs on the sheets, the laughter and very often the lovemaking that followed or even interrupted.

Someone! Skye wasn't someone, she was a woman. My God, thought Aggie, what has happened? Her head suddenly filled with a gloom never before felt. She must be crazy. I've been raped by a woman she thought, how horrid, how utterly disgusting. She tried to push the details far from her mind. It had all happened so quickly. That woman Skye must be one of those lesbeans. She'd never met a real one before. She remembered her school days and the story of Michele Ennis and Deidre O'Connell, the Gym Mistress found them holding each other in the locker room. There had been a lot of talk about what they weren't wearing. Afterwards they were suspended and separated. In fact Michele never came back to school. But they weren't lesbeans. Lesbeans drove motorbikes, wore Doc Martens and had moustaches.

Another school friend saw one once on holidays. She had to have been one because n o man would have her.

Aggie became hysterical. Maybe I caught it off her? Should I go to the priest or even the doctor? I'm sure there's something he can give me. What will the neighbours think? They could have seen her coming out of the flat wearing those Doc Martens. Perhaps she wasn't one after all. But how could she explain to herself what had happened last night?

Aggie's mind soared. She decided she'd play it cool. She'd tell Skye that as long as she promised to move away she wouldn't report her.

It was already a quarter past two and Aggie's stomach rumbled. She got up and made herself breakfast. Her food tasted rather bland. She promised herself she wouldn't think about that incident. After finishing her food she went to take a shower. Aggie stood naked in front of her bathroom mirror. She was checking her breasts for lumps as she did every morning. Then she smelt an odour different to her own. Unsuspectingly her thoughts drifted to the night before. It was different with a woman. She hated that smell after being with a man though wouldn’t admit it to anyone. Somehow she couldn't find offence in this lingering odour. Then she got into the shower and rubbed herself clean with the sponge her mother had bought her for Christmas - it was a real one too. Aggie had to rid herself of the thoughts of Skye.

Then she thought of those Doc Martens. She could never wear them. They wouldn't go with any of her clothes and besides she didn't like them. She felt safe and reassured once more.

In the bedroom Aggie tore the sheets off the bed, took her clothes and left her apartment for the laundrette.

She liked living in Rathmines. Everything was so convenient with all those 24hr shops. She did her business at the laundrette and then went shopping. It began to rain.

The sky looked like a badly made bed to Aggie as she looked towards Rathmines Townhall. It had been three weeks and no sign of Skye. Her post was piling up downstairs. Aggie felt like pushing it under Skye's door but thought better of it. Momentarily she was distracted by a loud, booming sound from next door. Aggie became slightly irritated and then realised it was Skye's stereo. She ran to the door, opened it and as she was about to knock on Skye's, she froze. She touched the door gently with the palm of her hand, turned and went back to her room, locking her door behind her.

Continued next issue