Chapter 23
5:30 pm
It's starting to get dark. It's taking Atth and Dard longer than they thought to get to Tommy's place because they've had to take the long way around. Atth turns into an ally way, Dard follows.
Dard: (whining) Are we almost there?
Atth: (stopping) Shhh. (Dard and Atth hear some one talking around the corner of the building.)
Person 1: How much?
Person 2: How much you got? .Ok, here
Person 1: Respect. (Atth smiles and walk around the corner.)
Atth: Sean man.
Sean (Person 1): Atth? My god, when'd ya get out?
Atth: Bout a month ago.
Person 2: You still owe me money man.
Atth: (glaring at him) I don't think so, going to gaol for someone kinda wipes out that debt.
Person 2: (seeing Dard.) Well, well, well, who've we got here?
Atth: Lay off Bolton. She's with me.
Dard: (stepping forward) Actually, I'm open to any offers.
Atth: (Grabbing her arm and squeezing it) No she's not. (Dard pulls her arm out of his grasp.)
Dard: (Smiling at the two guys) I am.
Atth: Ignore her; she took too much x.
Bolton: So, whose are ya?
Dard: Excuse me?
Bolton: Whose gang chick are you?
Dard: I'm not.
Atth: (interrupting) She's independent.
Bolton: (Sneering) All the better to screw then.
Atth: Fuck off Bolton.
Bolton: Nasty.
Atth: (putting out his arms and smiling at Bolton) You wanna mess wit me?
Bolton: Maybe later, I've got some business to do. (He walks off.)
Atth to Sean: He hasn't changed.
Sean: Nuttin much has.
Atth: Tommy still round?
Sean: Yeh. You need a place?
Atth: Yeh.
Sean: Come on, I'll take yous to Tommy's.
(They walk down the street, keeping in the shadows, Dard lags behind.)
Sean: Got a rumble tomorrow if ya interested.
Atth: Who's it against?
Sean: KCs
Atth: I'll pass.
Sean: Sittin on the fence again.
Atth: Yeh.
Sean: Got one next week with Juc's.
Atth: Cool, I'll come, it clean?
Sean: Yeh, don't want 'em bringing their poncy guns or something.
Dard to Atth: (Catching up with Atth and Sean.) You gonna fight?
Atth: You act so surprised.
Dard: (touching his face) What if you get hurt?
Atth: (Pushing her hand away.) I won't get hurt, no one gets hurt in clean fights and we got more people.
Sean: We don't actually; Bobby and his guys are in the slammer, so we're down four.
Atth: Doesn't matter, it's only clean.
Dard: What the hell is clean, speak English!
Atth: Clean's just fists; no knives or guns or chains.
Dard: You could still get hurt.
Sean: Yo man, where'd ya find her, she's scaring me.
Atth: She ain't from round here, cut her some slack.
Dard: Can you stop talking about me like I'm not here.
Atth: Sorry.
(Sean turns into a garden and walks up the drive. Atth and Dard follow.)
Atth: This is worse than his last place.
Sean: Tell me about it.
(He opens the door and walks in, loud music is playing. The guy sitting in a chair looks up surprised and pushes off the half naked girl. He stands up smiling.)
Tommy: Atth!
Atth: (He obviously doesn't like him) Look can I stay here for a bit?
Tommy: Sure man, and who's this?
Dard: (She puts out her hand to shake his) Dard.
Tommy: Nice to meet you Dard. (Kissing her hand, she giggles.)
Atth: Step off man, she's with me.
Dard: (turning to Atth) What so I am with you now? Make up you're mind.
Atth: (ignoring Dard, to Tommy.) Which room?
Tommy: On your left.
(Atth starts to walk down the corridor, Dard is still smiling at Tommy, Atth turns around and pulls Dard along.)
Dard: Ow! You're hurting me!
(He pulls her into a room and closes the door.)
Atth: What, are you suicidal? Don't flirt with Tommy.
Dard: Why not, you jealous?
Atth: He's a sick fuck ok.
Dard: If he's so awful, why are we staying here?
Atth: Cos it's either here or a squat.
Dard: (seductively) So, are we gonna share a room?
Atth: Only for safety.
Dard: I doubt he's that bad.
Atth: You're so naïve, get some sleep. (He starts to walk out.)
Dard: Where are you going?
Atth: Nowhere. (He closes the door.)
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5:30 pm
It's starting to get dark. It's taking Atth and Dard longer than they thought to get to Tommy's place because they've had to take the long way around. Atth turns into an ally way, Dard follows.
Dard: (whining) Are we almost there?
Atth: (stopping) Shhh. (Dard and Atth hear some one talking around the corner of the building.)
Person 1: How much?
Person 2: How much you got? .Ok, here
Person 1: Respect. (Atth smiles and walk around the corner.)
Atth: Sean man.
Sean (Person 1): Atth? My god, when'd ya get out?
Atth: Bout a month ago.
Person 2: You still owe me money man.
Atth: (glaring at him) I don't think so, going to gaol for someone kinda wipes out that debt.
Person 2: (seeing Dard.) Well, well, well, who've we got here?
Atth: Lay off Bolton. She's with me.
Dard: (stepping forward) Actually, I'm open to any offers.
Atth: (Grabbing her arm and squeezing it) No she's not. (Dard pulls her arm out of his grasp.)
Dard: (Smiling at the two guys) I am.
Atth: Ignore her; she took too much x.
Bolton: So, whose are ya?
Dard: Excuse me?
Bolton: Whose gang chick are you?
Dard: I'm not.
Atth: (interrupting) She's independent.
Bolton: (Sneering) All the better to screw then.
Atth: Fuck off Bolton.
Bolton: Nasty.
Atth: (putting out his arms and smiling at Bolton) You wanna mess wit me?
Bolton: Maybe later, I've got some business to do. (He walks off.)
Atth to Sean: He hasn't changed.
Sean: Nuttin much has.
Atth: Tommy still round?
Sean: Yeh. You need a place?
Atth: Yeh.
Sean: Come on, I'll take yous to Tommy's.
(They walk down the street, keeping in the shadows, Dard lags behind.)
Sean: Got a rumble tomorrow if ya interested.
Atth: Who's it against?
Sean: KCs
Atth: I'll pass.
Sean: Sittin on the fence again.
Atth: Yeh.
Sean: Got one next week with Juc's.
Atth: Cool, I'll come, it clean?
Sean: Yeh, don't want 'em bringing their poncy guns or something.
Dard to Atth: (Catching up with Atth and Sean.) You gonna fight?
Atth: You act so surprised.
Dard: (touching his face) What if you get hurt?
Atth: (Pushing her hand away.) I won't get hurt, no one gets hurt in clean fights and we got more people.
Sean: We don't actually; Bobby and his guys are in the slammer, so we're down four.
Atth: Doesn't matter, it's only clean.
Dard: What the hell is clean, speak English!
Atth: Clean's just fists; no knives or guns or chains.
Dard: You could still get hurt.
Sean: Yo man, where'd ya find her, she's scaring me.
Atth: She ain't from round here, cut her some slack.
Dard: Can you stop talking about me like I'm not here.
Atth: Sorry.
(Sean turns into a garden and walks up the drive. Atth and Dard follow.)
Atth: This is worse than his last place.
Sean: Tell me about it.
(He opens the door and walks in, loud music is playing. The guy sitting in a chair looks up surprised and pushes off the half naked girl. He stands up smiling.)
Tommy: Atth!
Atth: (He obviously doesn't like him) Look can I stay here for a bit?
Tommy: Sure man, and who's this?
Dard: (She puts out her hand to shake his) Dard.
Tommy: Nice to meet you Dard. (Kissing her hand, she giggles.)
Atth: Step off man, she's with me.
Dard: (turning to Atth) What so I am with you now? Make up you're mind.
Atth: (ignoring Dard, to Tommy.) Which room?
Tommy: On your left.
(Atth starts to walk down the corridor, Dard is still smiling at Tommy, Atth turns around and pulls Dard along.)
Dard: Ow! You're hurting me!
(He pulls her into a room and closes the door.)
Atth: What, are you suicidal? Don't flirt with Tommy.
Dard: Why not, you jealous?
Atth: He's a sick fuck ok.
Dard: If he's so awful, why are we staying here?
Atth: Cos it's either here or a squat.
Dard: (seductively) So, are we gonna share a room?
Atth: Only for safety.
Dard: I doubt he's that bad.
Atth: You're so naïve, get some sleep. (He starts to walk out.)
Dard: Where are you going?
Atth: Nowhere. (He closes the door.)
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PLEASE REVIEW!