Snow Space

Friction

"She ain't letting him out for shit, fam. Man's proper moist, I tell you!"

A cackle of laughter rose from the rowdy group of boys sat on their bikes and leaning on the railings nonchalantly by the 8-10 convenience store. It was more funny to them than concerning that the school paid no attention to their everyday skives, although it was probably weighed down with attempts to reign in the budding delinquents of year eight rather than chasing the hopeless ones of year twelve. Pikey was in the clear in that respect anyway, considering he'd been kicked out of the school two months ago after setting off the fire alarm to sneak into the main office and cross his name off the after-school detention list.

"How's your appeal goin, Pikey?" Khamil asked, both his arms lazily draped backwards over the railings in a typical slouch as he sat on his bike. "They acceptin' anythin?"

"Nah mate, it's a bust," Pikey muttered, downing the remains of his 200ml coke bottle and crunching it in his hand. "I'm just gonna get a job down at me dad's place. That was the plan anyway, school or not, y'know fam."

"I ain't got no one to copy off in bio now," Omar muttered, his hand on one bike handle, as Khamil sniggered.

"You copied off Pikey? That's probably why you got a 'U' then mate."

He grinned and leant away in a dodge as the larger, Indian boy leant over to punch his shoulder in mock annoyance.

"Fuck off!"

"Khamil," Gaz spoke up, his eyes set on something on the far side of the road, though his friend was too busy ducking away from Omar's punches. "Khamil!"

"What, man?" Khamil finally replied, looking over at Gaz with a fading laugh. "What?"

Not needing to say a word, Gaz nodded in the direction of his gaze prompting the other three boys to turn around, a simultaneous 'fucking hell' groan escaping from all of them as they followed Gaz's point. Just 40 metres away from them, another group of boys had emerged from the carpark exit, making sharp eye contact with Khamil's lot. One ringleader lead them forwards, a dangerous glint in his eye as he caught Khamil's look.

"Leave 'em, fam" Omar said warningly, as Pikey's gaze hardened. Khamil shook his head in irritation at the immediate tension that arrived with Hade and his gang, tearing his eyes away from the guy at the front.

"Fuckin' hell just watch 'em go," he muttered to Gaz who grinned, amused at Khamil's dripping sarcasm.

"I'm gonna do him in," Pikey muttered, slamming the empty plastic bottle in his hands to the floor, as Omar held out his hand to stop him, leaving Pikey to resort to a middle finger high in the air.

"Forget it, man."

"He's in the wrong ends tho, ain't he?"

Khamil was one of the few who was not so angry at Hade's gang and their cockiness - more irritated, and bored at how they dragged the tension out. It wasn't Pikey's fault for getting so wound up though. Hade had slagged off his girlfriend relentlessly the last time they had an encounter, knowing full well of the guy's anger problems. Best to just let them walk past without causing a scene today, especially seeing as Khamil wasn't far behind Pikey from expulsion. Finally the rival gang disappeared, still holding up their middle fingers, off down the road behind the Indian takeaway, and the brief tension settled, Pikey relaxing his clenched fists slightly.

"Who's up for a laugh?"

Khamil's jovial question seemed to eliminate any question of there having been tension at all, completely changing the mood, which was just as well, following that. He'd known his mates were up for anything most of the time anyway, but their grins confirmed it for him. That's what was sort of sad about the situation; although his friends weren't aware of it, Khamil was never in it purely for the laughs. Whilst they were rolling zoots, or spraying beer everywhere, he was stealing food, rent money, shoes that wouldn't fall apart. He was aware, obviously, that there were other means of getting money, though in a neighbourhood such as his it was a miracle for a middle-aged, white guy to thrive, let alone him.

"I'm always up for a laugh," Omar replied, bashing his eyelids humorously.

Khamil grinned, jumping off the railings and grabbing his jacket.

"Alright then."