Chapter 7

Leo

Heaven.

I have gone to heaven in its arms.

Up. Up.

Hugged the whole way,

Now dancing with it in the clouds.

Its lights are so kind.

Its warmth so endless.

The pain is gone.

But then I turn,

and I realise

This heaven is a dirty floor

That I have been lying on

In a heap

With a packet of crisps

Stuck to the side of my face.

@Alias22

It’s been ages, I think. Time becomes irrelevant.

Brick must be long gone, being stupid somewhere else. I could stay here forever. I’ve always felt at one with nature.

My phone is making a noise. I peel my eyes from the sky, feeling the rain dribble down my forehead.

It’s Sam. Dunno why he’s still intent on calling himself Daddy, the nutter. There’s nothing paternal about him. I hate this app. Hate that it’s necessary. That so much of my life is on it.

You got the T?

Yeah

Any left? Lol

Thinks he’s funny, Sam.

But I have to be careful.

Yeah course

Better all be there

It is

He won’t notice. They’re all on it already.

I hope.

Know where you’re going?

53 Priory Road

Lots of people coming

Stay discreet

Yeah sound

If he knows I’ve had some of it, he’ll freak, so I’ve got to act sober. But I can do that. That’s one thing I’ve learnt to nail along the way. Eyes straight. Reply quick – short, to the point, no rambling. The red eyes are because of hay fever, or cos I’ve been crying at my shitty life, etc.

Be there in 20

I close the app and stand. The park sways. The street lamps and car headlights and traffic lights on the road surrounding the park streak into my eyes in all different colours. Like some kind of shitty, trippy piece of art.

I don’t wanna go.

But I have to.

I owe him.

And now I owe Brick.

I owe a lot of people a lot of things.

I open a can of Stella and chug it down. I love it.

I’ll get Sam some flowers to keep him sweet. There’s a graveyard on the way, so that’ll be nice and easy.

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