Something Else

CHAPTER 1 - In The Beginning

Cockney cab driver Lee Stevens sat in front of Coogee beach with his morning paper spread over his steering wheel, waiting for a fare.
It was a bright sunny morning in spring and was the first time the sun had shone after the wettest few weeks in months.
Tilting down the driving mirror to examine his unshaven chin, Lee yawned, catching sight of a girl with the most beautiful long dark hair walking alongside his car.

'Now that is nice,' he told himself with a grin.

He followed her with his eyes, and as she passed the open window, he let out a long slow whistle, which made her glance around and blush.

As their eyes met, Lee winked, causing her to blush further, and she looked away.
Again he grinned.

He watched her walk to the end of the road, where she stopped, glanced casually back at him before disappearing around the corner.

Squinting in the sunlight, Lee pushed back his streaked blonde hair and wondered what the day had in store.

He reached for his cigarettes and found only one left. He took it, slung the empty packet out of the window and leaned back, resting his feet up on the passenger seat, examining the burn mark on his right arm.

Stupid bitch, he thought, remembering how his girlfriend had deliberately burned him with her cigarette when she caught him eyeing up another girl. He'd had enough of her just lately, but while she was washing and ironing for him and generally playing "wife", why should he knock it back? She had no strings on him!

'Morning Lee,' came the voice of an older man as he peered in through the window.
Lee glanced up, and when he saw Jack from the Britannia Bar wandering by with his dog, he half smiled, acknowledging him with a nod. 'Alright, Jack, mate,' he said.
Lee was originally from London and had arrived in Australia after having backpacked through Asia with some mates several years before. And as with the many UK visitors, he had been reluctant to go back when his visa ran out. He'd manage to get residency through an Australian girl he'd met, who'd been quite willing to go de-facto with him, jeopardising her relationship in the process – a thing that had angered her boyfriend – now ex, ever since.

There was a commotion down the road. When Lee looked up, he grinned, seeing Dave and Jimmy, two of his best mates.

They hadn't worked since the day he'd met them and spent most of their time just hanging around and abusing the welfare system.

Like Lee, Dave and Jimmy were 23. Jimmy sported his Liam Gallagher sunglasses on the end of his nose, with his Liam Gallagher hairdo falling messily around his face. Whilst Dave, also the epitome of an Oasis fan, leaned against a lamp-post, taking the Mickey out of a couple of girls waiting at the bus stop.

'I don't know about waiting for a bus, love,' he was saying, having just copped a string of abuse for his cheek, 'you look more like the back of one!'

Lee smiled to himself and thought, what a loser! Dave never really did have any idea as far as females were concerned.

He leaned across the passenger seat and stuck his head out of the window, shouting to them. 'Oi!'

They both looked round, and recognising the cab straight away, abandoned their failed attempt at chatting up the girls, and went over.

'How yah gaowin, moit?' asked Dave, in the worst imitation Aussie accent.

Jimmy strolled over, adjusting his sunnies.

'What're you up to?' asked Lee, taking a drag on his cigarette before flinging the passenger side door open to talk to them.