Page 24 of The Beginning and End of Everything
My gaze drifted to Poppy, who, of course, was watching Brandon. Hope was watching her watch Brandon with a displeased snarl.
Deep down, I felt that Poppy liked him the same way Neive did, and it bothered me. Even though I prayed time and time again for it not to, it did, and something inside of me snapped. Having Suzie give us a peek for money was nothing short of adolescent prostitution, and while I knew it would send me straight to hell, I didn’t care.
Poppy liked Brandon.
The rebel.
The pikey.
The guy who nicked “shit” and wanted to hand over five quid to stare at a pair of boobs he couldn’t even touch. Maybe if I toughened up…
I slid out of the swing, yanked my nice, clean shirt out from the waist of my trousers, and ran a hand through my hair, hoping it looked half as disheveled as Brandon’s. "Let's go to Suzie's," I said, glaring at the girls.
“Our lives are about to change, Con.” Brandon slapped a hand on my back. "We're about to cross over into manhood.”
"Right."
We crossed the playground with determined strides. Brandon went on and on about some speech his Uncle Darren had given him about becoming a man, but I couldn’t listen. I was too busy convincing myself all sins were equal in the eyes of God, and that this would be no worse than the time I held Davie Logan’s dog while Brandon spray painted it. Three hail Mary’s and I should be good.
"Hey, guys! Wait up." Poppy shouted from the playground, her and Hope already jogging to catch up to us on the sidewalk.
Before they reached us, I held up my hand. "Not now, Poppy," I said. "We're going to become men."
We continued walking, and Brandon draped an arm around my shoulder. "That's right, poss. You’re gonna have to sit this one out. No girls allowed."
Poppy shoved him. "You’re acting weird."
"They're dumb boys. Of course, they’re acting weird." Hope crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s okay. We’ll just follow you.”
With a smile, Poppy looped her arm through Brandon's, then he stopped walking, which meant I stopped walking. Hope bumped right into me.
"You can't go." Brandon’s tone left no real room for argument.
Her face crumpled a little when he moved her arm. "I can go wherever I want."
Brandon shook his head, and we started down the sidewalk just as Darryl O'Sheehan and his two dumb friends, Matt and Jimmy, trotted around the corner.
"Aw,” Darryl halted, nudging Matt in the ribs while pointing our direction. “Look, it's the little pikey snot and his fat friend.”
Hope shoved between Brandon me, then dug her fists into her hips. "What do you want, Darryl?"
His attention swung to Hope, his gaze dropping below her chin for a second before a slight smirk settled on his face. "My brother says that ginger lasses have ginger pubes.” He laughed. “That true?"
“Wouldn’t you want to know.” She flipped her hair behind her shoulder, flaunting the air of complete arrogance Hope carried so well. “My sister says your brothers are prize twats, and my dad says your family's a joke."
Darryl edged closer to Hope, jaw tensed.
Then Poppy stepped between them. She jabbed him in the chest. "Leave her alone, Darryl.”
"If it isn't Measch." He flicked a strand of Poppy’s hair while his friends laughed.
Brandon moved closer to Poppy—just like I knew he would.
Iwanted to be the one to help her for once. So I shouted, "You need to leave!" my voice cracking right on cue.
Darryl’s attention shifted to me. "Did you say something, fatso?"
A lump lodged in my throat when he stepped closer. "Y—yeah.” I sucked in a breath to keep from passing out. “I said.” I had to clear my throat to get the word “leave” out.
