Snow Space

Soft Reunion

Going to Sutherland on foot was considerably slower than the two boys were used to, and when they finally walked past the marked street sign, an eerie quiet began to spark unease in  them. Granted, it was a late hour, but the threat of meeting any enemies loomed over them, without daylight or passing people to deter violence. Gaz was already on the phone as they walked down the road, his tone low, though this didn't cease Khamil's paranoia.

"Yeah, down by Nickies? Safe, man, in a bit."

He hung up, digging his phone into his pocket and Khamil glanced over. 

"Yo, Pikey's not far, man. You good to go from here?"

"Yeah, I'm calm," Khamil nodded, bringing out a hand for Gaz to clasp in a parting handshake. 

"Ok, I'll catch you in a bit, man. If she ain't there, or if something goes wrong, call me."

"I will, man."

Khamil watched as Gaz gave him a small, cheeky smile in spite of their current predicament, and then turn around, strolling down the road though with a wariness about him as he glanced at the shadows. Khamil slowly pulled his phone from his pocket to read the small digits on the screen, bright and tinny. 9:46. Now he had to find Poppy. 

It was whilst walking to the video store that Khamil suddenly realised how stupid he'd been in his assumption that Poppy would still be there. Surely she'd have left by now, it was hardly a busy shop to have to stay in until nearly ten at night. Nevertheless, he continued - he was minutes away, and made his way towards the small shop front. The Fight Club poster was now peeling off of the window at the corners, and much to his dismay the small fairy lights that lined the windowsill were switched off. He almost turned around, but the slight glimpse of a shadow moving caught his eye, and spurred him on towards the door. Hope keeping his mind light, he gently pressed his fingers against the wooden panel, and a feeling of elation spread through him as he felt it click open - the tiny bell jangling above his head and breaking the silence as he entered. Inside, small patches of the counter and floor were softly illuminated by the dull streetlights outside, and colour was distorted in that usual way it is at night. The DVD covers and posters were washed out in grey tones because of the darkness, desaturated. Then a floorboard from the far side of the store creaked ever so gently, and his heart fluttering, he looked over to where a figure was eclipsed in the haziness of the dark. 

"Hey," Khamil said, unable to hide the taken-aback look in his eyes. He hadn't predicted the feeling this would draw from him, having forgotten how much he'd liked her.

"Hi," Poppy said, a small stream of faint streetlamp glow crossing a path just a fraction above where her hair fell. Though it was dark, Khamil could tell she had an interested smile on her face. She paused before speaking again.

"Haven't seen you in a while."

Khamil stepped across the floorboards, a slight urgency in his movement caused by the paranoia that still rested beneath the happiness of seeing her again. He stopped just in front of her, glancing down to see a book in her hand, her thumb resting between the pages to hold her place. 

"I didn't think you'd be here."

"Yeah, well," she shrugged, her voice airy. "I shouldn't really be. My house is to loud to read."

"Why?"

"Family. But I think I have a little more reason to ask why you're here at ten o'clock at night."

She tilted her head, a mischievous glint to her smile as she challenged him, though when she saw the apprehension in his widened eyes, it faded to concern. 

"What?" 

"I can't go back home. My mates are declaring a gang war on Hade and his lot, so I can't go and find them either. I don't even know if I've been followed or not."

Poppy's eyes were now deep with anxiety, and she rested her book on the counter with its pages spread. 

"Hade Morgan?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He thinks I've ratted out his friend to the police. If th-"

Khamil cut himself off as a soft knock from outside sent his heart into a buzz of nerves. When he spoke again, he spoke in a low, cautious whisper.

"If they find me, I'm fucked."

Poppy looked at him, distress shifting her expression into unsettlement. She'd barely opened her mouth to respond, when yet another sound outside made them look at each other, not daring to speak. The hushed voices began, and fear began to manifest within them as the sound floated through the glass of the windows. 

"They're all down by Liam's house man, he told me."

"Shut up, bro - we're waiting here. Finn fucking called me and told me."

"No one's got any clue where the Batties are, what's the fucking point."

As lightly as possible, Poppy gestured with her head for Khamil to follow her, and he trod as if evading a predator, considering every step carefully. She quietly ushered him into the small storage space at the back, where the walls were lined with shelves piled with movies. Stepping in beside him, she stayed quiet, though nearly backing into a stack of old VHS tapes; Khamil managed to reach out a hand and guide her away before she touched them. They waited, frozen like that for a moment, before the sound of voices faded away, though neither wanted to move for fear of making a noise. Here, they were in the closest proximity they'd ever been, and the only audible sound was their regulated breathing - Khamil looked at Poppy, studying her lone freckle, and the wisp of hair curling past her cheek. She was watching him too, almost anticipating as he leant forwards to kiss her, euphoria spilling from his mind as he shifted slightly to lean in more. It was brief, though when they pulled away it felt as if it had been longer, a sparking, endorphine-fuelled exhilaration between them. It was only then, in the intimate propinquity that she noticed the bruising around his left eye, her brow furrowing. 

"What happened?" she whispered so quietly, that it was as if she'd mouthed it. Khamil just shook his head in response, still looking into her dilated pupils with an awed affection. A sudden vibration struck through the silence, and he dug his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone. It was a white fluorescence in the dark cupboard, and Khamil focused his eyes on the screen to make out the text. 

'Need help. Come 2 outside newsagents.' 

Pikey's text reminded Khamil of the circumstances in which they were in, and he shared one more glance with Poppy before she carefully clicked open the storage door and stepped through it. Khamil held the end of it with his fingertips as he followed her, making sure it closed quietly, before slipping his phone back into his pocket. 

"I need to go," he murmured. 

Poppy simply shook her head in response.

"You can't. They'll see you."

Khamil licked his bottom lip in uncertainty, looking at her, when the phone vibrated again. He checked again.

'Khamil! Need u. Bateson can't hold up.'

This seemed to confirm it for the two, as Khamil met Poppy's eyes. 

"I need you to call the police on my address, 34 Bateson Road, first floor, number 2," he said quietly, maintaining eye contact with Poppy. She didn't answer, her eyes full of worry. 

"I'll come back," he told her, as if reassuring himself, and without a word she watched as he walked towards the door, silently slipping out of it and into the darkness.