Hush

Jack and Tommy

'Happy thirteenth birthday Jack.' Cheered a boy of about eight, maybe ten years old. He had just helped Jack in what was probably his first successful shoplifting experience, his bright blue twinkling eyes still had that gleam of naivety to how life was on the streets. That is, they were still foolishly and sickeningly hopeful. Jack had escaped first with a customer's wallet full of cash and a new pair of socks stuffed in his coat, both of which he wouldn't mention to Tommy.

Jack allowed himself a half hearted smile, unlike Tommy he had plenty of these experiences and his dark almond shaped eyes probably lost that annoying, excited spark of doing something bad a long time ago. The poor kid he had met only hours ago had yet to experience how cruel life really was on the streets, and Jack had to admit it was refreshing being around someone who still held that innocent happiness, the feeling was so rare to come by these days.

Jack hesitated awkwardly, his shoulders stiffened slightly. 'Happy twelfth birthday,' he corrected, though he sounded unsure himself. 'I ain't a teenager yet Tommy.' He teased in his Cockney accent.

Tommy looked down at his stolen goods before meeting Jack's eyes, a full lipped pout on his bottom lip. 'Well, are ya sure?' he asked with an accent of his own, that Jack knew wasn't local. 'Because this cake here has happy thirteenth birthday on it.' He lifted the large, now battered up cake to show Jack the top. Indeed, it had in dull, boring blue letters Happy Thirteenth Birthday, part of it had been squashed in Tommy's rush to escape the fat security guard in the shop who gave only a half-arsed chase.

'I suppose I can be thirteen for a little while.' Jack offered, shrugging the tension from his shoulders as he pushed himself from the wall he had been leaning casually against, he rustled the clean blond curls of Tommy's hair. 'Thanks bro.'

'Let's celebrate.' Tommy sat cross legged in the dank alleyway, tore off the lid to the cake and placed an unlit blue and white birthday candle on top. 'Haven't got a lighter by any chance, do ya?' He asked with a sheepish grin. He didn't seem to mind the smell of trash everywhere, mixed with the faint whiff of urine.

Jack reached inside his parka pocket and tossed his new friend a Zippo engraved with the name Ashley on it. He watched as Tommy failed at getting the thing to light spark after spark, until eventually the smell of petrol was a little too overpowering and Jack began to feel second hand embarrassment watching the kid struggle. He snatched the lighter back with a roll of his eyes, and performing a trick with the Zippo got the flame to appear.

'How did you do that?' Tommy asked in amazement, 'that was epic, can you teach me?'

Jack shrugged nonchalantly and slipped the lighter back into his pocket, his eyes always roaming their surroundings as Tommy lit the candle then sang him Happy Birthday.

'Blow out the candle and make a wish.' Tommy said excitedly when Jack just stood and watched after all Tommy's singing, seeming to have paled and gone rigid as stone.

'Why?' Jack asked through clenched teeth, looking a little baffled, forcing himself to sound more relaxed than he felt.

'What do ya mean why?' Tommy gasped, sounding hurt, 'it's tradition.' His eyebrows furrowed.

'It's bogus is what that is, Tommy.' Jack replied after a moment of unease, before nipping the flame out with his grubby finger and thumb. 'Come on, tuck in.' He scooped his dark, grimy hand into the cake and pulled a chunk from the little serving board.

Tommy watched, disappointment clear on his face that Jack had not conformed to birthday tradition. 'You coulda humoured me Jack.' He whined, before helping himself to some cake.

'Humour is for the rich, Tommy,' Jack offered with a grin and a mouth full of icing sugar, 'do we look rich to you?' He sucked some jam off his fingers hungrily and grabbed at the cake once more, looking around anxiously.