Game Of Bliss

(1)

1912

"Tom," Florence frowns, walking into the private room of the snug where Tommy and Arthur were sat with some of their friends.

Tommy glances up from his game of cards, looking towards his sister. Something wasn't right. He could tell just by looking at his 14 year old sister.

"I fold," Tommy states, throwing his cards down on the table, standing up, placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her out of the snug, "where do you want to go, beng?"

Florence tries to hide her smile when her brother calls her beng. It was Romany for devil. She was his little devil.

"You know where I want to go," Florence responds.

"I was just making sure," Tommy states, "what's wrong?"

"I'll tell you when we get there," Florence says.

"You seem to be under the impression that I'm a patient man when it comes to finding out why you're upset," Tommy replies.

"I never said I was upset," Florence says, and Tommy rolls his eyes, "you don't have to tell me, I'm your brother, brothers know these things."

"Arthur and John don't," Florence responds.

"It's a well known fact that they're both dinlows," Tommy states, "now tell me."

"You're going to have to think of the bigger picture here, Tom, and how what I did is actually not that much of a big deal," Florence says.

Tommy sighs, "what did you do?"

"I kissed a boy," Florence tells him, "I wanted to kiss him at the start, but then I didn't want to, and he wouldn't stop. I told him not to continue, but he did. Why did he do that, Tom? I told him no."

"You told me you were going to Betty's house," Tommy responds.

"I did... then Betty and I heard her older brother talking about a party he was going to and followed him there," Florence says, "I know it was stupid, and I know I wouldn't have ended up in that situation if I didn't go, I'm sorry."

"Let me stop you there, beng, that guy had no right to continue after you told him no, don't think about the alternatives as to the prevention, if you told him to stop, he should've, you are not at fault for that, you hear me?" Tommy replies.

"Yes, Tom," Florence nods.

"That doesn't mean that I'm not disappointed in you for not telling me that you were going to a party, you don't have to hide stuff from me," Tommy says, "you should have come and told me, I wouldn't have stopped you, but I would have liked to know where you actually were."

"You're not mad at me?"

"Me be mad at you? Have you hit your head?" Tommy chuckles, "I could never be mad at you, beng."

The siblings arrive at what they called the patch. Simply because it was a patch of grass hidden by trees that overlooked Small Heath.

"His name was Connor, I know you are going to ask eventually, thought I'd save you some time," Florence states.

"How considerate," Tommy says, thinking of different ways he could cut the man's body with razor blades.

"Hey! We agreed no thinking of dismantling people when we're hanging out," Florence states, snapping her fingers in front of his face.

"I wasn't thinking about dismantling him... I am now," Tommy says, removing his jacket, placing it down on the floor for Florence to sit down on.

"I interrupted your game, I'm sorry," Florence apologises, as Tommy settles down beside her, "don't be sorry, I'd rather be here with you anyways."