Snow Space

Bombshell

Almost invisibly, gentle drops of rain splattered against the bus window that Khamil had his head leant on, with the coolness of the glass prickling his skin. The sky was a pale darkness, only briefly illuminated by flashes of yellow street lamps that raced past. Khamil let a breath of a sigh escape his lips as he stared outside, before turning and lazily bringing up his thumb to press down on the red button marked 'STOP'. A small ding, and then the front of the bus was lit up with a dull, red glow, as Khamil pulled himself up out of his seat. He made his way towards the door of the bus, giving the driver a nod.

"Cheers, mate."

The usual acknowledgment over with, Khamil stepped off, and the doors folded shut before the bus started up again, whirring off down the road towards the deserted restaurants and shop fronts that blinked in a low hum. The night was not silent though, and the moment Khamil was left alone on the road, he heard an almighty holler from across the road, followed by cackles of hilarity. He wasn't surprised, really. Pikey and the other boys would often come and hang about the abandoned cinema for a laugh, and in all honesty, he could do with a bit of a piss about after that nightmare of a job interview. Gaz was there too, which meant he could moan about his shitty day to an open-mind. Gaz was someone who'd happily slag off a bloke he'd never met if Khamil had had a poor encounter with him. Though as he neared the group, he began to frown, something quite off with the atmosphere. A pungent smell of weed pierced the air, though that was standard ... and so were the alcohol bottles lining the pavement. It was the way in which Gaz was looking at him uncertainly, that triggered doubt in him, in stark contrast to the other laughing boys.

"And here's the main man himself!" 

Pikey opened his arms in comedic, drunken greeting to Khamil, as the other boys turned to face him, small smirks of amusement resting on their faces. Perhaps someone had seen the police outside his house the other day, though that was typical for Bateson Road. 

"Missed a trick there, didn't you," Pikey grinned, inhaling deeply on the zoot between his fingers, then exhaling the grassy scent with relish. 

"What the fuck are you on about?" Khamil asked, his brow furrowed in confusion, as Gaz continued to look at him, almost anxiously. 

"It's okay, brother - shit happens. Hell, I dodged a bullet with Vicky."

"Vicky's smokin' man, you shot yourself in the foot, that's what you did!" came a guffaw from one of the year eleven boys.

"Oi Harris, have a look at my fist quick -"

Khamil's mind was racing with ideas for what Pikey could possibly be on about, and that could be so amusing to the others as well. There was a small silence as Pikey's animated expression suddenly fell, and he dropped the hand holding the zoot. 

"Wait, y- you do actually know what I'm on about, don't you?"

Khamil stared at him. 

"No."

Pikey turned to look at one of the other boys, before awkwardly coughing on the smoke he'd previously inhaled, waving it away from his face as if waving away the subject matter. He looked at Khamil again, an uneasy look now in his eyes as the other boys re-adjusted themselves apprehensively.

"Fuck, man."

-

Khamil pressed down on the doorbell for the third time, an impatience within him causing him to tap his foot repeatedly as he waited. Gaz stood leant against the brick wall outside the house, carefully rolling up a cigarette, purely there to accompany Khamil, who was now jumping on the balls of his feet in agitation. Finally the door swung open, and Ronnie stood there, her face changing from a look of irritation as her eyes landed on who was stood on her doorstep. Not even giving her a moment to speak, Khamil stared at her, a sharp indignation in his voice.