he didn’t move. ‘My brother’s on his own; I’ve got to get back.’
‘Hey, no worries.’ Anton held out his arms and backed off. ‘Just wanted to make sure we were cool.’
He frowned when she hurried away, and looped his hands together behind his head as he stared after her in confusion. That girl had issues, for sure; bitching one minute, crying the next. A dude wouldn’t know if he was coming or going with a girl like that – but, man, it’d be worth the ride.
Leon was out when Chantelle got home, and she guessed he’d gone round to Kermit’s. She was glad, because he would only be worried if he saw how upset she was and she didn’t want to ruin his holiday any more than she already had. He was only a kid; he deserved to have some fun.
Not that either of them would be having too much more of that if she didn’t find a solution to their money troubles.
As fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks, Chantelle went to her room, lay down on the bed and pulled the pillow over her face. She’d tried so hard to hold it together but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could carry on. All she had wanted to do was protect Leon, but she had totally let him down. Maybe it would be better to just let him go now – before things got really bad?
8
Leon had left the flat a few minutes before Chantelle arrived home. Unaware that she was back and worrying herself sick over him, he strolled happily down the canal towpath. She thought he’d been going round to Kermit’s all week, and he hadn’t set her straight because she would only go off her nut if she knew what he had really been doing. As it was, he hadn’t even seen his old friend since the night when she’d caught him with Damo and the crew. He knew it was Kermit who had grassed him up, but the shitbag hadn’t dared to show his face since, so he’d escaped a kicking – for now.
It was good to have Chantelle off his back, because she’d been seriously doing his head in these last few weeks. She’d always been bossy, but it was like she now thought she was his mum, always telling him what to do and who he could and couldn’t hang around with. But she could fuck off if she thought she was stopping him from hanging out with the gang, because he was old enough to make his own decisions.
Damo and the lads were in their usual spot, down by the locks. They all nodded and touched fists with him when he reached them, but Damo’s best mate, Acky, didn’t. Lounging on the grass bank with a bottle of White Stripe in his hand, he kissed his teeth and said, ‘Not you again. Thought I told you to do one, y’ little dickhead.’
‘Leave him alone,’ Damo said, grinning as he pulled Leon into a headlock and rubbed his scalp sharply with his knuckles. ‘He’s a good lad – ain’t ya?’
Leon’s face was already going red with the pressure of the stranglehold but he grinned and nodded, glad to have Damo on his side.
‘I think he should fuck off home and stop trying to play with the big boys,’ Acky sniped, giving Leon a dirty look. ‘Wouldn’t want sis to come looking for him again, would we? She might get herself hurt.’
Damo released Leon and gave his friend a hooded look. ‘Zip it, yeah?’
When Acky sucked his teeth again and took a swig from the bottle, Leon gave Damo a grateful look. He didn’t know what Acky’s problem was, but the lad really seemed to have it in for him. He was the one who had made Kermit sick by forcing him to smoke too much spliff that night. And then he’d made Leon walk the plank, and had nearly gone for Chantelle when she’d taken the piss out of him for acting black. He definitely didn’t want Leon hanging around with them. But Damo was the leader, not him; and if Damo said it was okay, Acky would just have to deal with it.
Damo’s mobile started to ring just then. He looked at the name on the screen and moved away from the others to answer it. ‘Wha’pp’n, man?’ Eyes narrowing as he listened to what
‘Hey, no worries.’ Anton held out his arms and backed off. ‘Just wanted to make sure we were cool.’
He frowned when she hurried away, and looped his hands together behind his head as he stared after her in confusion. That girl had issues, for sure; bitching one minute, crying the next. A dude wouldn’t know if he was coming or going with a girl like that – but, man, it’d be worth the ride.
Leon was out when Chantelle got home, and she guessed he’d gone round to Kermit’s. She was glad, because he would only be worried if he saw how upset she was and she didn’t want to ruin his holiday any more than she already had. He was only a kid; he deserved to have some fun.
Not that either of them would be having too much more of that if she didn’t find a solution to their money troubles.
As fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks, Chantelle went to her room, lay down on the bed and pulled the pillow over her face. She’d tried so hard to hold it together but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could carry on. All she had wanted to do was protect Leon, but she had totally let him down. Maybe it would be better to just let him go now – before things got really bad?
8
Leon had left the flat a few minutes before Chantelle arrived home. Unaware that she was back and worrying herself sick over him, he strolled happily down the canal towpath. She thought he’d been going round to Kermit’s all week, and he hadn’t set her straight because she would only go off her nut if she knew what he had really been doing. As it was, he hadn’t even seen his old friend since the night when she’d caught him with Damo and the crew. He knew it was Kermit who had grassed him up, but the shitbag hadn’t dared to show his face since, so he’d escaped a kicking – for now.
It was good to have Chantelle off his back, because she’d been seriously doing his head in these last few weeks. She’d always been bossy, but it was like she now thought she was his mum, always telling him what to do and who he could and couldn’t hang around with. But she could fuck off if she thought she was stopping him from hanging out with the gang, because he was old enough to make his own decisions.
Damo and the lads were in their usual spot, down by the locks. They all nodded and touched fists with him when he reached them, but Damo’s best mate, Acky, didn’t. Lounging on the grass bank with a bottle of White Stripe in his hand, he kissed his teeth and said, ‘Not you again. Thought I told you to do one, y’ little dickhead.’
‘Leave him alone,’ Damo said, grinning as he pulled Leon into a headlock and rubbed his scalp sharply with his knuckles. ‘He’s a good lad – ain’t ya?’
Leon’s face was already going red with the pressure of the stranglehold but he grinned and nodded, glad to have Damo on his side.
‘I think he should fuck off home and stop trying to play with the big boys,’ Acky sniped, giving Leon a dirty look. ‘Wouldn’t want sis to come looking for him again, would we? She might get herself hurt.’
Damo released Leon and gave his friend a hooded look. ‘Zip it, yeah?’
When Acky sucked his teeth again and took a swig from the bottle, Leon gave Damo a grateful look. He didn’t know what Acky’s problem was, but the lad really seemed to have it in for him. He was the one who had made Kermit sick by forcing him to smoke too much spliff that night. And then he’d made Leon walk the plank, and had nearly gone for Chantelle when she’d taken the piss out of him for acting black. He definitely didn’t want Leon hanging around with them. But Damo was the leader, not him; and if Damo said it was okay, Acky would just have to deal with it.
Damo’s mobile started to ring just then. He looked at the name on the screen and moved away from the others to answer it. ‘Wha’pp’n, man?’ Eyes narrowing as he listened to what
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