Getaway

[04] Money and Blows

Before she knows it the door is shut behind her and she is on board. She is on the bus with Blu Lawless. Wow. Oh wow. Oops. What?

He is high on god knows what, well, weed. Probably. And it stinks a bit.

There are countless coffee cups everywhere and those little plastic spoon stirrer things. Her sister Sapphire is worried about her. As the bus pulls away it pulls on her heart and it breaks.

Not knowing whether she had lost Jayla for a bit, or forever.

---

"Right on up!" Blu folds his skinny arms behind his head as Finn, his drummer is head down busy making sandwiches at the table top.

"Why don't you just get takeaway?" laughs Jayla, her hair a mess. She hasn't even looked in the mirror today.

Turning around, Finn hands them both a paper plate each, garnished with salad and all.

"Right," he sweats, wiping his floppy fringe out his forehead, "Tonight, I'm seeing Ella, so," a cherry tomato rolls off the sideboard and bounces on the linoleum. Looking to the window, Blu cracks his knuckles and starts tapping weed into another smoke...

"So you're gonna be very busy," outstretching a bare foot, Blu eyes his fellow band member carefully.

Jayla starts to feel a bit wobbly, the room is spinning. Inhaling more of Blu's smoke. Uh oh.

"Hahahahaa, wet," she laughs slapping Blu on the leg.

"Yeah, wet," Blu jokes amazed at her reaction to the drug.

"You don't smoke do ya?" He elbow jabs her, and the bus comes to a sudden halt chucking his coffee cup flying over their laps and spilling brown all over the floor with a splosh.

"Huh," dizzy, she shakes her head, watching as Finn cleans up the mess, "I'm cool aren't I?"

Blu doesn't disagree. And as if it were possible he messes up her hair some more, planting a kiss on the just turned eighteen year old forehead of hers.

---

Multi-coloured whirling fusions blast through the blackness of the night. Bass pumps out into the cool air, smoke unfurling before the faces of a black haired girl in a mini skirt and a band tee, and a white top, faded jeaned male beside her.

"That was..." she breathes, sweaty from exhaustion, "exhilarating."

A van pulls up on the side of the road next to them, and Blu grabs her hand, running down the nearest alleyway.

"What was that?" Blu hisses into her ear.

She laughs, "Are you being serious?"

He just throws his hands up and smiles, "Paha!" Hazel eyes twinkling in the moonlight, "Me, serious?!"

And they hug, skipping off to the next road.

A police car sounds. Panic surges through Blu once more though. He turns rigid and begins shaking.

"Blu, they're not coming for you," Jayla comforts him, an arm on his back, but he shudders it away.

"Yes," he says eyes fixed on seemingly nowhere... "Yes they are. Quick, come with me!" And once again, for maybe the ninth time that evening, Blu dragged Jayla by the hand, panting as they dash for the next hideout.

Beep, beep, beep, beep. Blu jabs in 9874 into the machine. With the welcome screen lit up, he squints and places his index on the one that says Draw Cash. Then, frantically the machine begins spitting out money. 'Maximum draw exceeded' flashes across the screen.

"Blu, what the hell?! What is all this money for?" Jayla pants as he runs to find another bank, another machine. Before she knows it, they are getting into a black taxi and it drives away, Blu finally relaxing as he turns to look at her.

"Such a win," he grins. She isn't sure what to make of it, as the city lights of Manchester, girls in outfits far too summery for the season and drunk students blur past in the window. But he kisses her on the cheek and holds her hand. So she holds back tightly and whispers in his ear:

"Gorgeous," and laughs a little.

Blu bursts out laughing in his cute high pitched laugh and they both get out the car, hand in hand.

The black cab speeds away.

"Thanks," Blu calls out, "Nananananana, Batman!" and starts to zoom around holding out an imaginary cape.

Jayla then realises she doesn't have her phone.

"Blu," she gasps, and he smiles frenzied at her.

"Underdawwwwwwg," he slurs giddily.

"Blu!" She yells, more abrupt, "Have you seen my phone?"