Hell of a deal

1

The sound of trash cans crashing on asphalt echoed the school parking lot. Among them laid a blonde head of hair, mussed and soiled. Covered in garbage, the blonde cowered away from their looming assailants.

"Gentlemen...please-"

"Shut up, Freak."

One kicked a spilled barrel at him, sending more filth at him. The metal clang echoed again. The blonde covered his face, shielding himself for whatever came flying at him. It smelled putrid. These cans were likely sitting here for days.

"You's a bloody mess, Chap." A bully mocked him. "Would you like some wo-tah to wosh up?"

The blonde didn't say anything. He learned long ago that these assaults ended much quicker that way. As predicted, the two bullies had a good laugh, lost interest and walked away.

"He reeks, Dude."

"Bit sad, innit?"

Watching them go, the blonde waited until they were out of sight to pull himself up from the ground.

"...you alright, Pip?"

Another blonde walked up on the mess left behind. Hands tucked in his orange sweatshirt; he watched his friend stand on shaken legs.

Wiping away what mess he could off himself, Pip crinkled his nose in disgust.

"Those boys are troublesome." He mumbled. "Mother just washed these trousers, for me. They're going to fall apart at this rate."

"You get used to it."

In tattered jeans that should have been replaced long ago, Kenny felt a passing breeze brush his knee through a rip. Pip carefully stepped over garbage, doing his best not to sink his loafers in to anything wet or soggy.

"Here." Kenny offered his hand out.

Pip took his hand and used it to balance. He stretched one long skinny leg out over a wide heap of garbage, and made it to some clean asphalt.

"I'm sorry they pick on you like that."

"Truthfully, I think we're all a bit old for this nonsense." Pip noted. "The lot of us are grown. Pitiful."

Kenny grew up with the senior class his entire school life. Nothing surprised him about this situation. Many of the boys hadn't grown out of their childhood nonsense. For eighteen-year-olds, they were about ten years behind the learning curve.

"Your mom's going to be pissed if you go home like that." Kenny warned. "Better wash off at my house, first."

Unlocking his ride from a pole, Kenny mounted an old bike. The paint was wearing off. And the tires had been patched. But, it worked and was still standing.

"Hop on."

Standing on the back of Kenny's bike, Pip held on to the blonde's shoulders. The two took off towards the rundown end of town. A small house in shambles sat quiet for an afternoon.

"Mom and Dad are out somewhere, doing God knows what." Kenny explained. "My sister doesn't get out of school for another couple of hours."

He opened the door to let Pip inside. But, the blonde hesitated.

"I'm going to leave a mess if I walk in there."

"You've seen my house?"

Today, Pip was particularly messy. He didn't want to leave Kenny with the task of having to clean the floors behind him.