When her geography exam was finally over – they had different exams as they took different subjects for their options – Felicity met Jasmine at the gate. As they walked into town it started to spit, the temperature cooling ever so slightly. They chatted as usual about the things Felicity wanted to talk about – arguments with her mother, why her father left, the bad behaviour of her mother’s current boyfriend. Jasmine couldn’t be sure, but she thought she could smell alcohol on Felicity’s breath. She knew Felicity liked to drink but it was getting more frequent; she never used to do it at school. As they neared the town Jasmine pulled Felicity into an alcove. She had spotted Tim talking to someone in the entrance to a side street car park a little further down the road.

‘What are you doing?’ Felicity asked.

‘Shhhh, be quiet, I don’t want to spook him.’

‘Spook who?’

‘See that guy over there? He’s our new lodger.’

‘You didn’t tell me he was hot,’ Felicity said, trying to get a good look at him.

‘Is that all you think about?’ Jasmine said.

‘Oh, like you haven’t thought of it? Do me a favour.’ Felicity pulled her red lipstick out of her bag and put it on using the reflection in the glass door as a mirror.

‘Can you hear what they’re saying?’

‘Do you think he would get us some booze if we gave him some money?’

‘Shut up, I’m trying to listen.’

Jasmine could hear fragments of the conversation. It wasn’t a friendly one. She peeked around the corner and saw Tim’s face; he looked intense and focused as his index finger jabbed the other man square in the centre of his chest. The stranger looked afraid.

‘I told you, I need that money back by Friday, and it’s Tuesday now. What do you suppose I should do with you?’ Tim barked.

‘Please don’t hurt me,’ the man was pleading, which surprised Jasmine. It sounded like a request made out of fear. Had Tim hurt this man?

‘I did you a favour and now you’re letting me down. If you can’t get me the money, then you had better consider what it is you can get for me. I’ll come back tomorrow. Don’t disappoint me.’