Chapter 1

Chapter 6

The phone’s shrill call echoed around the hall landing. Malcolm woke and lay still, letting it ring.


‘Someone answer the fuckin’ thing then’ he thought.


The noise stopped, he heard dull speech, then a pause.


“Malcolm, its Trevor” His mother shouted, somehow she’s always manage to say his name as if it came with a bad smell.


“Right...” Malcolm shouted back. He got up and pushed his arm into his dressing gown. The November chill bit into his skin, another month had to pass before the heating would be allowed on.


He could see his breath before him as he opened the door into the blinding light of the mid-morning autumn sun.


The green receiver lay still on the table stood at the bottom of the stairs. Malcolm saw his mother disappear into the kitchen.


“Morning” he said sarcastically under his breath.


He picked up the heavy piece of green plastic and put it to his ear.


“Where the fuck were you yesterday?” He said not allowing his friend to speak.


“Yeah, sorry, had things to do…”


“I got a fucking beating thanks to you…”


“What? What happened?” Said Trevor, ignoring the sting in the statement.


“Them fuckin coons jumped me at the bus stop… nicked all my stuff”


“Bastards… hang on, was it the ones from school?”


“Yeah, why?”


“Fucking hell, it kicked off down here last night, that skinhead who works the busses got his mates together and hammered the shit out of some wogs from down Delbridge way.”


“Yeah, that’s them, the skinhead was driving the bus I got on, said he saw the whole thing and he’d sort them out.”


“Yeah, he did that alright, put two of em in hospital, mind you they don’t need much of an excuse to have a go at the black cunts.”


“Bloody hell…”


“They do much to ya?”


“Nothing I’m not used to,” he paused, “You fancy a trip into town?”


“Not mad at me then?”


“Yeah you’re still a twat…” Trevor laughed


“Weren’t all bad though, I walked back through the park after school and bumped into Claire, ended up fingering her on top of the shelter, she’s a dirty bitch.”


“Great, I’m getting the shit kicked out of me, and you’re getting ya finger wet…bastard.”


Malcolm smiled, he knew he wouldn’t be mad at Trevor for long, it’d been his bad news that had upset him in the first place.


He put the phone down and went up to get dressed. He pulled on his blue jeans and white Nike tee shirt. He walked into the hall and passed his mother, his injuries not even raising an eyebrow, as more often than not she knew how they got there. But this time she’s got it wrong, Malcolm didn’t bother to tell her what happened, why should he?


He ran down the stairs and out the door, his mother called after him but he didn’t answer. She couldn’t pick and choose when to be concerned about his wellbeing.





The tube station lay half way between Malcolm’s house and the estate. Malcolm walked around the corner and saw Trevor sat waiting on the curb, he looked up.


“Fuck, that’s a shiner,”


“Thanks.”


“It’s nothing to what they got though.” Trevor said looking closely at Malcolm’s black eye.


“Didn’t see them coming, don’t know what I could have done if I did anyhow.” Malcolm said following Trevor into the station.


The ticket master watched a lady bend over a pram, his view of her ample breasts direct and uninterrupted, his thoughts being elsewhere he didn’t notice the two boys slip past him, they never paid for a ticket, but normally had to rely on a less subtle approach.


“Dirty old bastard, nice tits though,” said Malcolm


They scanned the carriages as the train passed by. This simple act could avoid a run in with the gangs that trawled the tube looking for easy pickings.


The last carriage looked clear so they waited for the doors to open and stepped over the gap between the platform and onto the train.


They sat in the centre of the carriage and stared up at the route planner.


A central line train thundered past which made Malcolm jump.


“Ha Ha, that got you” Trevor said sticking a nudge in Malcolm’s’ ribs.


“Ow, fuckin watch it…” Malcolm moaned as Trevor’s elbow found his bruised side.


“Shit, they did a number on you didn’t they?”


“Ya think?” Malcolm said with raised eyebrows.


The train hummed as if being as wound by a large key, then went quiet as it shunted forward. They hadn’t notice the group of five black teenagers sat at the back.


Malcolm saw them, “Shit, don’t look up.”


Before they could make their escape the doors closed behind them.


Survival mode took over; the boys slunk to the front of the car and tried to make themselves invisible. Trevor turned and looked back down the car.


“WHAT YOU LOOKING AT WHITE BOY?”


“Fuck” Trevor said under his breath, knowing what he done.


The gang got up and made their way down the carriage, the motion of the train making them grab the top of each seat as they came.


Three of them loomed over Malcolm and Trevor and a forth stood behind watching.


“Lets have it...”


“What?” Said Malcolm.


“Don’t fuck about, your dosh.”


“Haven’t got any,” said Trevor


The biggest boy lent forward and put his large hand round Malcolm’s neck. The stench of sweat and stale smoke invaded him.


“Fuckin’ hand it over.”


Malcolm struggled but the grip held firm.


“Alright, Alright…” Trevor said and turned out his pockets to show his only pound note.


“Is that it?”


A hand flashed out and grabbed the money.


He turned to Malcolm, “What you got?”


His wallet sat hidden in his jacket on the floor, he put his hand in his pocket and brought out a five pound note that he hadn’t managed to tuck away.


“Fuckin hell, that’ll do.” The black boy said as he snatched the money. He let go of Malcolm’s throat and they all walked off back down the train. As the last one passed he put the hand on Malcolm’s head and gave him a shove.


“Fuck!” said Malcolm as his neck jared under the force.


One of the gang turned to their onlooker “There you go Dexter, that’s how you do it,” he said, “Fuckin easy.”


The train pulled into the station and the gang got off. Malcolm watched them go.


“Fucking cunts…I’ll kick their arse one day.”


Trevor nodded.


“God job I shoed my cash” Trevor said.


“Did what?”


“Put my cash in my sock, you don’t live on our estate without picking up a few things you know,” he said.


Trevor slipped off his shoe and showed Malcolm the two notes in his sock.


“That’s a good idea...” Malcolm said.


“Fuckin’ right.”


Each station they pulled into, they scanned the platform looking for more gangs. They got ready, if it looked like there could be trouble they’d wait until the doors were closing and hop off at the last second.


The train reached Piccadilly.


“Right let’s see what we can see” Trevor said as he stepped onto the platform. “Soho?”


“Fuck yeah,” said Malcolm.