Wolf Iron

Chapter 7 / Chatty Chia & Nia

Chia and Nia did almost everything together. In fact, they had been inseparable since they were near 7 years old. Chia knew that Nia wore long sleeved T-shirts even in the heat of summer, because she was insecure about the size of her arms. And Nia knew that Chia was embarrassed by her crooked teeth and always smiled with her teeth firmly tucked behind her lips. And while Nia was jealous of the natural plumpness of Chia's lips, Chia wished every day to have straight red hair like Nia.

They could practically read each others' minds and they both found it inexhaustibly charming their nicknames rhymed and so from a young age, they were like peas and carrots. A regular two-headed monster as Nia's mum was want to say. And on this day in lunch, the topic of discussion among the girls was a frequent one.

"Have you seen Luke Lovell since the summer? He's beyond buff now. He posted the most cheeky pics on Reeve. Very handy."

"Oh my God. Are you still lush on him, Nia?" Chia covered her mouth and laughed. 

"Anybody who thinks Luke isn't tidy can get out of my house. He is the definition of fit, bruv. I think he started lifting weights or something." 

"Ugh." Chioma threw her head back and groaned. "Why aren't there any cute boys at this school? I swear on God, bruv, there's only like one." 

She waited a tad for Nia's response. 

"Like just one. Maybe."

"Well go on then! Swear down! Who is it?"

Chioma raised her eyebrows very slightly to a spot right behind Nia's back. Then she motioned with her head again, the beads in her braids clacking together inconspicuously. 

"But don't look so obv-"

Nia turned her head like an owl and spun back just as quick. 

"Oh my God, do you mean Roger? Roger Catrell?" she burst out loud. "He's like best mates with your older brother isn't he-!"

"Shh! Shut it! Put a sock in it!" Chia shushed her friend again and covered Nia's mouth with a hand. "Don't be so bait about it then."

"Well, he is mates with your older brother. You don't be bait about it," Nia fired back.

"Wotever then. What do you think about him?"

"Doesn't he work in Bad Barr's office or something?" Nia took a sip of her drink. "He's all right, I guess."

Chioma flipped her braids and popped a crisp into her mouth. "He is quite fit, isn't he? Nice and tall. I've sort of uh- arranged to see him later tonight." 

"Ledge'. How?"

"Dun kno I sent him a message on Reeve during P.E. We're going to meet."

"What?! When? Where?!"

"Do you know that big watering hole very close to mine?"

"The one that's got the cliff that you can jump off of?"

Chioma nodded her head and popped another crisp into her mouth. 

"We're meeting and I'm definitely gonna snog him. Maybe we'll do something else as well." 

The girls erupted in a fit of giggles and even Chia let herself laugh without censor. Nia smacked her lips and initiated their secret handshake.

"That's quality, bruv!" 

"Yeah, well what about you? What's the tea then?"

Nia was about to speak when she saw Barlow Morris take a seat next to Roger and then she audibly groaned. 

"Oh my God, definitely not that one. What a chav. You would not believe what he was doing in Biology today. He's so weird. He was like super intense drawing his 6's and 7's. It was too perfect!"

Chioma lowered her voice and leaned forward. "I heard that his parents got so sick of him, they just sent him here all the way from London. He got expelled or something. He's so nutty it's mental. My father delivers to his auntie all the time and he says that they live in like, a trailer or something."

"I heard-" Nia said very matter of factly, "-that he stabbed some poor bloke in a school in London and that's why they sent him here. What a wasteman. Don't talk so loud, he might have heard and chiv us as well."

Barlow ate nothing at all and instead digested every single word he heard.