They started off on the serious part of YouTube. Political things. Todd likes to learn, he always has done. He likes sitting and listening and being good. Shit, you're just like a little jar aintcha, Jack used to say, tapping him affectionately on the head. And he'd teach him about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, or the Muslim ghettoes in Europe, or the homosexuals who wanted to make it legal to do it with children. But Kenny and Frankie were getting higher and higher, yelling dumb stuff at the screen like they were at the movies, doing the Mary Poppins guy voice all over the EDL rallies, cracking each other up. In the end they just turned to watching funny shit, pandas and puppies and this guy who kicks a wall down and it crushes his leg.
"What now?" says Frankie.
"I know" says Kenny, grinning, and leans across Todd to type. Todd looks at Kenny's fingers. At his rings which are brown with blood. Todd wants to say something but doesn't. They've been over that before.
What if you gave him brain damage though? Or took his eye out?
Don't teach your gramma how to suck eggs. He ain't made of glass. He just fucking acts like it.
Kenny clicks Skip Ad and sits back. And this old black and white movie comes up. And this song.
Jack comes in halfway through and looks over their shoulders.
"Do you like it," Kenny asks, all smoke curling out of his mouth and nostrils like the Devil.
"It's clever," says Todd. "Like how it sounds dirty but it isn't?"
Jack makes a sour face at the screen. "Yeah," he says, "they're clever. No arguing that."
"Aww," says Kenny, "it's funny. And true. You could learn a lot from Lydia," he crows, doing pussy-eating tongue flicks at each L. Todd laughs because he's supposed to, but he feels bad even thinking those sorts of words in relation to Lydia, even the nice ones like pussy or boobs, let alone Jack or Kenny's words. As for tattoos…
"It getting hot in here?" says Kenny and everyone laughs again.
Todd goes out to get some air. He stops by the other room to get some M&Ms for Jesse, which he's worried he isn't going to be able to chew but he can always suck them.
On his way out the door he realises he can't feel the bounce of his phone in his pocket. He peeps back through the window and sees that Kenny has it and he's pointing the speaker bit at the screen, playing the video again. He will pretend he hasn't noticed. He doesn't mind, not a bit. He walks across the cool night of the compound, thinking of her and his face can get as red as it wants. Sometimes a bit of hair falls down her cheek and she tucks it behind her ear. Her suit her skin her suit. Lydia, the queen of them all.