Two Friends have recently arrived back in Birmingham, both trying to create a new life for themselves in style and riches. Jazz clubs and nightlife are typical scenes to them until one night they bump into the Shelby's.
Both the girls wish for a...
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Clutching to Freya's arm, I lead the way to the dinner table. Somehow I thought we would be early, but we were not. The whole family sat at the dinner table, all eyes on us as we walked in late. Luckily there were two seats left, unfortunately, one was next to Finn Shelby and the other next to Thomas Shelby. Freya instantly let go of my arm, rushing to get the seat next to Finn. Great.
Trudging slowly to the last seat, I wished to sit anywhere but here. John was opposite me, and Freya was at the other end of the table, so any conversation between me and her would be awkward and impossible. Pulling my chair up, Thomas didn't even bother to look at me as I sat next to him. John on the other hand instantly stopped eating, looking at me in discussion. "Oi I thought this was a family dinner," he yelled across the table to Polly, spitting clunks of food everywhere as he did so, "At least she ain't dressed like a"
"John Shut up!" Ada hissed, "If it was family only you wouldn't be here as your hundred percent adopted."
Laughing at Ada mocking John, I reached over to the roast potatoes, carrots, chicken, and peas, filling my plate up to a respectful amount. Thomas didn't have any food on his plate, which I thought was strange but I decided not to question it.
"Freya," I snapped my fingers to get her attention, although she seemed lost in a chat with Finn and Polly, "Freya!" I repeated, but she didn't look at me and continued to laugh with the others.
"What is it?" Ada asked, "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, honestly this is the most I have eaten in months."
Ada's face fell to shock, "Take as much food as you want." She began to place more chicken on my plate, "It will only go to waste."
I smiled as I began to dig into my food, glancing occasionally over at Tommy's plate which stayed empty. "Are you not eating?" I asked, sticking roast potatoes into my mouth which I instantly regretted as it began to burn the roof of my mouth.
"Nope." He replied although I wasn't paying attention due to my mouth quite literally being on fire, "I don't eat before business-"
The roast potato was still burning a hole in my mouth, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to spit it out. Standing up I quickly rushed outside to the backyard, spitting the mouth-burning potatoes into the bin. For a few minutes I tried to catch my breath, it was honestly a workout trying to swallow that potato.
Something feels off. Someone was watching me. Looking back to the house, nobody was watching me from there. But there was a figure, looming on the other side of the yard's back gate.
"Bonnie," Snapping my head around, Freya was walking towards me out of the house, "Are you ok."
Placing a finger to my lips to silence Freya, I pointed to the back gate. "There is someone there..." I whispered. I had to see who it was. Edging closer to the gate, Freya pulled me back by the arm.
"You don't know who it is..." She whispered, "I will get Tommy. He will know what to do."
"Don't-" I replied, walking back to the gate, "It will only be a neighbor or something. "
"Bonnie!" Freya snarled through gritted teeth, "I'm begging you not to!"
But it was too late, I had already barged past Freya's warning and had opened the back gate. A young boy around my age with green eyes and brown curly hair was leaning on the gate frame, holding a map in one hand and his free hand resting against the wall. He was quite tall and skinny with a sharp face that reminded me a bit of a weasel. His clothing was simple, unlike Tommy who I never saw out of a suit.
Freya grabbed my arm and was about to shut the gate when the boy wedged his foot into the gate so that we couldn't shut it. "Is...this the Shelby house?" he asked, with a thick Italian accent.
"No...Goodbye." Freya barged past me, about to shut the gate until the boy spoke again.
"You're the girls from the Jazz club from the other night-" He pushed his body further into the gate frame," Which one of you pulled the gun on those men?" He smirked.
"Me," I replied embarrassingly. Freya tried shutting the gate again but eventually gave up.
"Well I thought it was cool," the boy's eyes locked with mine," My name is Emilio."
"Bonnie." we kept eye contact for a few seconds before breaking it as his eyes darted to Freya, "And that's-"
Freya cut me off, "I ain't telling you my name."
"Well, I came to discuss..." Emilio paused, "Some stuff with the Shelbys...do you know where they live?"
"Two blocks away." Freya snapped, "Bye Emilio." She tried to shut the gate one last time, but his body completely blocked the whole gateway.
"Thank you," Emilio smirked as he looked at me again, "My uncle owns the top Jazz club in London, always looking for pretty girls like you two to fill it, two pretty girls like you are always invited," he instantly handed me a poster as I folded it into my pocket. "If you want to come, I can assure you that you will have a warm welcome." Finally, he moved out of the doorway.
"Goodbye." Freya slammed the doorway shut.
"Bye!" I shouted over the gate, smiling until I turned to Freya. Who was not smiling, at all.
"Give me the poster." She grabbed my arm by the wrist pulling it into the air, "That boy was trouble."
"I think he liked us."
"Poster." Freya snatched the poster from my pocket clenching it in her fist, "You are an idiot Bonnie."
Freya screwed the poster into a ball before throwing it into the bin, I wanted that poster. "Girls?" Polly had now entered the backyard, her arms crossed over her chest, "You alright?"
"Yeah...we were just chatting." Freya lied, not mentioning the poster that was now in the bottom of the bin.
"Oh..." Polly looked suspicious, "Well come back to dinner then,"
***
Late at night that evening, when Freya was asleep and the rest of the household was out, I was on a mission. A mission to retrieve the poster from the bin, sneaking outside to the backyard, the cold air hit my face sending goosebumps all over my body. Silently opening the bin, I reached inside. Luckily it was rather empty, so after a minute I had already found the poster.
I rushed back inside, back to the couch and I turned the small gaslight on. The poster read: Plaza, Britain Greatest Jazz Club Opening 5th February 1923!I had to go, there was no doubt in question that I wouldn't be going. Folding up the poster I shoved it under one of the couch cushions. A jazz club! An invite. Just had to find something nice to wear first.
