CHAPTER 6 #2
“Aye, you Danny’s lad?” tilting a chin in my direction as my hands grip harder against the stash in my pocket.
“Why? Who’s askin'?” I asked, my body tensing in anticipation on what I could only imagine would be a challenging interaction.
You can usually tell right away who's going to be a problem the moment they approach. Normally, I refuse and walk away, but I hadn’t made a sale yet, and my teeth were chattering against the cold.
They chuckled among themselves as they got closer to me, “Some lad inside said you were the one to talk to, so, have you got any?”
Surrounding me, the stench of booze radiated from them, “What you after?”
One stepped closer, lowering his tone as he invaded my space, “Call it ￡30 for a quarter of weed.”
I scoffed as he pulled crumpled notes from his pocket, waving them in front of my face, “Think you’ll find I make the prices.”
The group snickered behind him as he licked his teeth, “Alright then, how much, tough lad?”
“Let's call it ￡60, would have been ￡50 but you pissed me off, so take it or leave it.”
His expression shifted from shock to anger so abruptly I couldn’t keep up. “Fuck off! That’s too much. Don’t pay that much back home.”
“Well, if you're looking for handouts, why don’t you go ask ya mum. You’re wasting my time.” Taking a step, his hand planted me back towards the wall.
“Gobby little cunt aren’t ya.”
“Get the fuck off me—”
“Then give me what I came for.” The force of his hand pushed harder against my chest.
“Do one, ya prick.”
“Guess I'll just take it then.” My eyes widened as his fists clenched my hoodie, yanking me into the darkness of the alleyway, quickly followed by the others.
Hands gripped my arms as I struggled against them; even in their drunken state, they still had strength on their side.
The first blow to my gut took the wind straight out of my lungs, my body doubling over.
Subsequent blows knocked me to the floor as their laughter grew.
“Hey, get the fuck off him!” A familiar tone sounded through the blood rushing in my ears. My gear scattered across the wet pavement as they bolted with the rest. Wincing, I look up at the figure rushing towards me. My body collapsed as I attempted to run after them, ragged breaths escaping me.
Chester appeared at my side. “Screech, don’t. They’re not worth it.”
“You don’t understand, I need it back. I’ll be in deep shit!”
He lowered to me, the warmth of his hands cupping my face, “What the hell happened?”
I yank my face away, fighting back tears, picking up the now-broken grinder and soaked rizzlers.
“Nothing, I’m fine.” Stumbling to my feet, I catch the worry written on his face as he glances down the alley, looking for any sign of them.
“Doesn’t look fine, Screech, you're bleeding. Come on, let's get you sorted. I don’t live far from here.”
“What, you following me now?” my hand rubbing against my jaw as Chester let out a sigh.
“No, I work across the road in Bard’s. I saw them drag you into the alley as I was collecting glasses. You’re a bit hard to miss with that hair ya know.”
I looked at him as he gestured for me to follow, the blood from my nose already drying against my skin.
I hissed and flinched away from the warm rag as he dabbed it against the cut on my cheek.
“Well, if you didn’t move so much, it wouldn’t hurt.” Returning the rag to the water bowl beside him. The tears already clinging to the edges of my eyes spilt over as he twisted the water from the rag, my head lolling forward, trying to hide my sudden surge of emotion.
He placed a gentle hand against my arm, “Sorry mate, I’m not meaning to hurt you.”
Shaking my head, I wipe the wetness from my cheek with my sleeve, as my phone buzzes in my pocket. Retrieving it, I see Danny's name illuminating the screen, “Ugh, fuck off!” throwing it from my hand across the dim front room as it clatters across the wooden floor.
More tears fall as exhaustion takes over me, Chester remaining quiet at my side. I felt weak, crying over some dickheads jumping me. I've had worse happen, so why now?
“Man up, Screech,” I whisper to myself. “I should go, Matt will be looking for me.”
“I think you’ll find you're staying here. Fuck Matt, and fuck whoever put you up to this.” My brow furrowed as he stood and walked to the sink, discarding the bloodied water. “I’ll walk you home when you're ready.”
I remained still, fiddling with my hands as dread washed over me. He placed his hands upon the counter, tilting his head. “You ok?”
I hesitated, I wasn’t ok. I wanted the world to swallow me up, so I didn’t have to deal with the backlash I knew was coming.
“I don’t wanna go home,” my voice defeated in the moment. He gave a tight nod as he continued bustling around the space, then gestured to the sofa.
“You, sit. There's food in the fridge, the TV remote is there, and the blanket behind you will have to do for tonight. And most of all, ignore your phone.”
My body ached as I stood to my feet, watching the weight of his body drop onto the battered sofa, switching on the TV.
“So, what do you wanna watch? You into Doctor Who?”
By sixteen, I was on couches more than my own bed. Selling more than drugs, mostly myself, thanks to Danny and my mum. They’d say things like, “You’ll be crashing at someone’s place, maybe do them a favour.”
But those favours got twisted. And before I knew it, someone was pressing cash into my palm as if that made it okay.
Chester knew, but he never said it, not directly. Never made me feel dirty about it. But he knew. When things got too much, or too dangerous, or if Danny decided to add to my bruises, Chester was there.
Just a text: The room’s made up. Bring Squeeks.
Danny fucking hated him for it. We spent a lot of time together as the year went on.
His flat was just far enough from the house to feel like another world.
It always smelled of tobacco and instant noodles.
The heating barely worked, but it was safe for us.
Squeeks loved it there. She’d curl up under one of his old hoodies like it was a blanket and watch trashy cartoons on his ancient TV while Chester made toast and cracked terrible dad jokes.
He’d sit with her while I showered for the first time in days or slept for twelve hours straight without flinching at every sound.
Sometimes he’d try to talk to me. Find out where my head was at, not pushy, just concerned.
“You’re worth more than what they’ve made you think, Screech,” nudging his shoulder against mine. “Even if you can’t see it.”
I huffed a laugh. “Don’t give me that shit, Chester. This ain't gonna change. Not all of us can escape like you did.”
“I wish you’d listen to me sometimes. Just say the word, and I’ll get you out.”
I didn’t believe him. No one was going to save us from this. Danny held too many connections in the city and would end us the second he smelt something happening.
I was too valuable to him, being passed from pillar to post between different men and women who indulged in what little self-respect I had. I was finally ‘useful’.
Chester never judged me for any of it, but I saw it on his face. The unspoken words of anger he swallowed every time I came back with more chunks of myself missing. The quiet shame that someone else’s life choices had seeped into mine.
But still, he was there. He gave me clean clothes when blood or worse covered mine, gave us the bed while he crashed on the sofa. He would leave food out for Squeeks with her name written on a Post-it, like it was a lunchbox note from some alternate life we’d never had.
But looking in the bathroom mirror at Chesters was getting harder to stand.
Not because of the bruises from Danny, but because of the person staring back.
My hair is a flame of deep red, which never had possessed subtlety.
Its uncontrollable appearance now protested against my pale skin, and even that was looking more translucent lately, like I hadn’t seen the sun since I was a baby.
The freckles on my cheeks had also started to fade; they weren’t as bold as they once were.
My eyes will forever be the talking point of any first encounter.
Two shallow pools of icy blue that people couldn’t seem to ignore.
God knows where in the gene pool they came from, as Squeeks had a warm hazel just like our mum.
I figured they came from my dad, or the milkman, but I digress. I was just faded.
Three loud bangs snapped my attention from my reflection towards the bathroom door, as Chester's muffled voice sounded.
“Shift it ass wipe, this is not the time for a wank.” My eyes rolled as I swung open the door, pulling my jacket from the armchair. Chesters' bored stance remained by the front door, his keys idly spinning around his finger.
“Why do I have to come anyway? This is your flat, not mine.” My arms slipped into the sleeves as I approached him.
“Because one, you guys are eating me out of house and home. And two, you’re right, this is my flat, and if you wish to keep dossing here, I suggest you start helping out.
” His hand clapped onto my shoulder as he pushed me out the door.
He turned, calling back to Squeeks as her eyes remained glued to the colourful cartoons that danced across the screen.
“Back soon nugget, don't burn the house down.”
I stood waiting at the bottom of the steps, my arms wrapped around my chest, as the brisk wind made my skin prickle. Chesters' smile grew as he appeared at my side, slipping a cigarette between his lips,
“Got one of those for me?” I asked, eyebrow raised.
“Not a chance, keep moving.” His hands forcefully turned me around, heading down the street as I gave an exhausted groan.
“Why not?”
“Because you're 16, that’s why. I can see what mood you’ve woken up in today.”
I found myself scanning each corner as we made our way towards the shop. As much as I felt safer with Chester, I just knew the backlash I would get from Danny the second I got home.
“What's up with you?” Chesters' eyes drifted over my sullen expression.
“Nothing, just didn’t sleep great.”
He gave a dry laugh, “You slept fucking fine from where I was standing. Snoring like a pig when I got in from work.”
My mouth restrained a smile as I tucked my shoulders inwards, trying desperately to keep myself warm. “It was mostly Squeeks; she kept fucking kicking me. I swear if she kicks me one more time, I'm swapping and sleeping on the sofa, and you can fucking deal with the Kung fu kid.”
His laugh echoed off the brick walls as I smiled, joining in the humour.
“Be a bit weird if I shared a bed with your sister, mate. So that’s a hard pass.
” Jolting me with his hand as we rounded the corner of the shop.
Our joined laughter continued as I took advantage of a revenge shot, which shoved him harder, his arm catching on the wall.
I bolted for the door of the shop as he tried to keep up.
“What's up old man? Not as sprightly as you used to be.” A devilish smile spread across my face.
“Shut ya face and get in the fucking shop.” Chester entered first, his smile still playing on his lips as I followed behind.
“Oh, sorry!” Chesters' steps halted in the doorway as a ghostly framed girl bumped into him at full force, her body sprawling backwards across the floor of the shop.
My brows furrowed as I took in the scene.
Chester lowered his hand to help her to her feet, but she flinched from his offer.
She looked battered, hair messily framing her cautiously tired eyes.
Her clothes were torn in places as the food she clung to was now scattered around her.
I recognised that look all too well. I guess I wasn’t the only one who used this place as an all-you-can-eat grab-and-go.
She rushed to her feet, grabbing what she could as the shopkeeper started yelling, barging past me as she set out into a sprint.
I couldn’t help the way my eyes followed her till she rounded the corner. Vanishing behind a row of houses.
“That little cow!” the shopkeeper spat as he walked past us.
Chester huffed a laugh, “Guess you need to be quicker next time.” The shopkeeper mumbled to himself as he returned behind the counter, eyes instantly locked back to his tiny screen.
Who was that girl? I hadn’t seen her around here before. And it would be hard not to notice, since everyone knows everyone in this area.