love it if we made it ✔

The Arrival of Mr Enders.

Alex.

           School went back the Monday after the Carnival, and in that time a sort of mythology had formed around what had happened.

          School's up in the city had circulated the videos and a blurry, redacted version ended up on the 6 o'clock news with the byline: Gangs In Our Schools — What You Need To Know.

           Cole had hidden the newspaper and TV remote in an effort to shield his mum from the entire debacle, but it ended in spectacular fashion when a reporter for the Eastwood Gazette showed up on her doorstep, armed with an alleged series of events and his year book photo.

            What was published in the papers and what actually happened were as vastly different as a sphynx and sphinx — and I should know, last year my Home Ec teacher made me write out the definitions of them both after a particular mix up.

           The news claimed drug violence and territory wars, when in actual fact Landon Rose just couldn't keep his hands to him-fucking-self — and I had a sneaking suspicion Izzy Harris didn't want him to.

            But hey, that shit was none of my business.

           What was my business though, and very unfortunately for me, was what happened after Joel Gibson grabbed Landon by the collar for kissing his girl. Kane — a second string Seven Sins subordinate — went at Cole. Meaning, I had to go at him.

            Admittedly, the whole situation got away from me after that.

          The mini me bikies turned up at school on Monday — Landon with scrapes on his face, Kane in a moon-boot, Rocco with his arm in a sling, and Dalton with his eye swollen shut — and bowed to everyone in the locker block.

             Cole observed Landon from behind his thick lashes, flexing the hand he fucked up on Landon's cheekbone. Tex came up behind Cole and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and Matty and Nate tugged at the sides of his shirt.

            Cole cut a look at me sideways, and I snapped my attention back to him.

           I pushed off the locker I leaned against and said apprehensively, "If we end up on the news again, my mum is gonna cut my balls off."

             Matty had managed to miss the Carnival on account of his mum and dad energetically refused to let him see Cole and me outside of school, due to an incident in year 8 when we got him a months worth of Saturdays.

             He frowned, and glanced between us. "Why are we fighting with the bikies?"

            "Landon kissed Izzy at the fair on the weekend."

             "Jesus, they're back together? Can't blame Landon for not being able to keep up — I sure as shit can't."

            Cole dragged his attention away from Landon to stare at Matty. "Can we not talk about Joel's missus like that?"

             "Sorry."

             I quirked an eyebrow at Cole. He rolled his vivid green eyes and his jaw clicked.

             Alrighty?

             "Hey, did you hear whose starting here today?" Tex questioned, tapping Cole on the arm and the G-rated bikies slipped out of the locker block and out of sight.