Father of the Bride

Chapter 3- Consequences

Trigger Warning: Bad Language. 

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The vibrations of the rap beat pounded the parked green Subaru sending waves all through Ward End Park. White translucent smoke leaked through the windows. With his seat positioned diagonal, Ayaaz lay back in the front passenger seat and stared at the joint between his fingers. He sucked the smoke deep into his lungs remembering his mother's warnings but not caring. He held it there, trapped, taking the edge off to the noise in his head. In the back seat his cousin Javed droned on about football. He despised auntie Shabnum's whiny 15 year old son who was a shadow of his nosey mother. He had his mum's fat nose and frowning mouth. But the moment he left Amirah he jumped in his friend Amir's green Subaru to escape and Javed was a gnawing pain he had to put up with.

"Did you see the game last night?" Asked Jordan who sat next to Javed. "Fellani is an embarrassing bellend and a shit stain on the club. There is no one who can even tell me what he's supposed to be. What's his role? Define it for me, I dare you. Tree."

"Even a tree has more use." Javed snorted.

"Nah man. He was a beast for Everton, just can't make the cut for united but I've seen a lot of worse players bro." Amir joined in.

"Biggest myth ever" Javed added.

The conversation swirled around Ayaaz for the next twenty minutes. Amir noticed an unusual change in him and nudged him.

"Are coming to Spain?" Amir nudged him. "It is your stag do."

"Or has your girl got you under the thumb." Javed sniggered leaning forward and pinching him.

"Fuck off!" Ayaaz swatted him away.

"Did she buy that shirt?" Javed pinched his blue checked shirt.

"He's not married already she's dressing him." Jordan punched his shoulder.

Together the boys laughed at him

"We got a villa and everything." Amir continued to entice.

"He's got to come." Jordan leaned back and spread his knees wide sinking under the ocean of smoke. "What's the tune?"

The conversation continued discussing Chris Brown's latest single and Amir searched his glove box for the CD he illegally downloaded last night, whilst Javed and Jordan argued over the best track. Amir wondered if Ayaaz ever got round to fixing the clutch on his mum's car.

"I told Lala to sort it out for you. Did he do it?"

Before Ayaaz got a chance to reply, Javed cut in with a cheeky jibe. "She don't need to fix that crap car now she has a Maserati and Mercedes parked in the drive."

Ayaaz's eyes darted at him; he twisted his body round so he could face him. "What are you trying to say?" He sensed a sinister undertone.

Javed looked at his joint and inhaled it with pleasure. Rumours spread like wild fire over the constant stream visitors at Ayaaz's house. Shabnum mum made a point of mentioning it to Basharat whenever he came round for dinner.

"Nothing." Javed shrugged his shoulders.

"No, go on say it." Ayaaz wanted to hear it from his mouth. He knew his mother laced him with bitchy gossip.

"Whenever mum looks across the road, some fancy car is in the drive." Javed raised his eyebrow setting the rumour mill in motion. Amir turned down the volume of the music sensing the knife edge tension.