too much, do you? This is much better for you.’
‘I don’t think I want any.’
‘Go on, mate. Thought we were going to have some fun today?’ Stevo sounded disappointed. ‘Not scared of it, are you?’
It took a moment before Tom rose to the challenge. Taking the joint, he made sure he only took a couple of small puffs, just enough to please Stevo. The smoke tasted different; it was sweet and fruity, stronger than the hash had been. He passed it back, happy to be rid of both it and the hash and Rizlas Stevo had given him, which he’d dumped on the way to work.
‘Save this for later, eh?’ Stevo took a quick puff before flicking off the end with his finger. He slipped what was left back into the cigarette packet.
***
By the time they entered the burger bar, Tom was already feeling the effects from the dope. The whole place seemed to vibrate as he walked to the counter; the mirrored walls and white tiled floor reflected the shimmer of the strip-lighting above. It was making him feel light-headed. When he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror beside the counter, his face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot and red. It reminded him of how his dad looked when he had way too much to drink. Disliking the similarity, he rested his arms on the counter and lowered his head, taking some deep breaths as he tried to control his growing feelings of paranoia. When finally asked for his order, he mumbled his way through the items Stevo had suggested, not even sure if he was hungry.
When the food came, Tom paid and took the tray, avoiding any eye contact with the waitress. The tray shook in his hands, the large cups of cola wobbling precariously as they went and sat down, safely away from the other customers. He looked at the food, then out of the window onto the high street, wanting to be back outside in the sunshine.
‘That were some skunk we just smoked,’ said Stevo, already into one of the burgers and grinning at Tom with his cheeks full.
His eyes were as red and doped up as Tom’s, but he was clearly enjoying being so out of it, and amused seeing it have such an effect on someone else.
‘Home-grown hydro. No wonder we’re stoned, eh? Strongest you can get. My stepdad’s mate grows it. Got it special for you. Makes that hash look like nothing.’ He sniggered at Tom’s dazed expression. ‘You look trashed, mate. Well wrecked.’
‘I don’t feel too good.’ Tom could feel the blood draining from his face and he stuffed more fries into his mouth, quickly washing them down with some cola. It felt like his heart was about to stop beating. ‘Can’t we get out of here?’
‘Get that food down you first,’ Stevo advised. ‘You’ll feel alright in a minute. Trust me.’
Tom began to shiver. Closing his eyes, he took a small bite of his burger, chewing it with difficulty as the bun soaked up the last drop of moisture inside his mouth. He forced the mouthful down.
‘Ain’t that your bird?’ blurted out Stevo, suddenly.
Tom nearly choked. He looked through the window just in time to see the back of a blond-haired girl walking past. His heart leapt into his throat.
‘Don’t think so,’ he said, trying to sound as casual as he could. ‘Wasn’t her.’
‘Yeah, it was. No way I’d forget a face like that.’
Stevo was beaming. He was suddenly full of energy. ‘Come on,’ he insisted. ‘Let’s go and check her out.’
‘But it wasn’t her. Honest.’
‘You know it was, you johnny. This is your chance. You can get her number, find out where she lives. Don’t be a dick. Come on!’
In an instant, Stevo was up, pulling at the shoulder of Tom’s sweatshirt. He practically lifted Tom out of his seat.
‘Come on, or we’ll lose her.’
Tom dropped his burger, grabbed his coke, and stumbled out after him.
‘There,’ said Stevo excitedly, pointing at the two girls heading down the high street towards the traffic lights. He started jogging his way up the road after them.
‘Oi!’
Alison
‘I don’t think I want any.’
‘Go on, mate. Thought we were going to have some fun today?’ Stevo sounded disappointed. ‘Not scared of it, are you?’
It took a moment before Tom rose to the challenge. Taking the joint, he made sure he only took a couple of small puffs, just enough to please Stevo. The smoke tasted different; it was sweet and fruity, stronger than the hash had been. He passed it back, happy to be rid of both it and the hash and Rizlas Stevo had given him, which he’d dumped on the way to work.
‘Save this for later, eh?’ Stevo took a quick puff before flicking off the end with his finger. He slipped what was left back into the cigarette packet.
***
By the time they entered the burger bar, Tom was already feeling the effects from the dope. The whole place seemed to vibrate as he walked to the counter; the mirrored walls and white tiled floor reflected the shimmer of the strip-lighting above. It was making him feel light-headed. When he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror beside the counter, his face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot and red. It reminded him of how his dad looked when he had way too much to drink. Disliking the similarity, he rested his arms on the counter and lowered his head, taking some deep breaths as he tried to control his growing feelings of paranoia. When finally asked for his order, he mumbled his way through the items Stevo had suggested, not even sure if he was hungry.
When the food came, Tom paid and took the tray, avoiding any eye contact with the waitress. The tray shook in his hands, the large cups of cola wobbling precariously as they went and sat down, safely away from the other customers. He looked at the food, then out of the window onto the high street, wanting to be back outside in the sunshine.
‘That were some skunk we just smoked,’ said Stevo, already into one of the burgers and grinning at Tom with his cheeks full.
His eyes were as red and doped up as Tom’s, but he was clearly enjoying being so out of it, and amused seeing it have such an effect on someone else.
‘Home-grown hydro. No wonder we’re stoned, eh? Strongest you can get. My stepdad’s mate grows it. Got it special for you. Makes that hash look like nothing.’ He sniggered at Tom’s dazed expression. ‘You look trashed, mate. Well wrecked.’
‘I don’t feel too good.’ Tom could feel the blood draining from his face and he stuffed more fries into his mouth, quickly washing them down with some cola. It felt like his heart was about to stop beating. ‘Can’t we get out of here?’
‘Get that food down you first,’ Stevo advised. ‘You’ll feel alright in a minute. Trust me.’
Tom began to shiver. Closing his eyes, he took a small bite of his burger, chewing it with difficulty as the bun soaked up the last drop of moisture inside his mouth. He forced the mouthful down.
‘Ain’t that your bird?’ blurted out Stevo, suddenly.
Tom nearly choked. He looked through the window just in time to see the back of a blond-haired girl walking past. His heart leapt into his throat.
‘Don’t think so,’ he said, trying to sound as casual as he could. ‘Wasn’t her.’
‘Yeah, it was. No way I’d forget a face like that.’
Stevo was beaming. He was suddenly full of energy. ‘Come on,’ he insisted. ‘Let’s go and check her out.’
‘But it wasn’t her. Honest.’
‘You know it was, you johnny. This is your chance. You can get her number, find out where she lives. Don’t be a dick. Come on!’
In an instant, Stevo was up, pulling at the shoulder of Tom’s sweatshirt. He practically lifted Tom out of his seat.
‘Come on, or we’ll lose her.’
Tom dropped his burger, grabbed his coke, and stumbled out after him.
‘There,’ said Stevo excitedly, pointing at the two girls heading down the high street towards the traffic lights. He started jogging his way up the road after them.
‘Oi!’
Alison
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