Wee Toffey is still shakin his heed n lightin another fag.

‘Are you still here, wee guy?’

‘Shut it, ya mad bint!’

‘Azzy, you seriously going to let him talk to me like that?’

‘That’s enough, son. Fuckin both yees calm doon, awright?’

‘Azzy big man, don’t believe a fuckin word she says! She’s a lyin bitch n she’s takin it aw ways behind yir back! Don’t believe the act, she’s at it!’

‘Fuck you, ya wee fuckin dick! Away n play wae yir fuckin pals down the park n leave the adults to it!’

‘A’ll adult yi! Ya fuckin scudbook!’

Patricia slaps the face aff him n ma wee pal looks like he’s gonnae blow. ‘AZZY, A’LL FUCKIN DO HUR! Gee the fuckin word, mate! We’ll say she fell over hur handbag! Fuckin cow, A’ll smash you!’

A try no tae laugh, n calm the scene doon. Wee Toffey’s loyalty is unfalterin n A’m inclined tae believe him before hur any day ae the fuckin week. ‘Yi better go, son. A’ll speak tae yi after.’

‘Aye well, wear a johnny, mate. She’s probably fuckin riddled wae aw sorts. Ya manky no-good fuckin midden!’

Toffey marches away doon the stairs, ragin. A’m lightin another smoke after the fuckin drama. Patricia lights wan angrily anaw n comes right up tae ma face. ‘Azzy, A phoned Jamie to come n get his stuff out my bit. He gave me the usual sob story n A told him to fuck off.’

‘So that’s how yi wur wae him?’

‘Aye. A’m done with him, honestly. A’m aw yours.’

‘There wis nae need fur that wae Wee Toffey. He wis only lookin oot fur me. He’s wan ae ma best wee mates oot the younger wans.’

‘Azzy, yi need to stop hangin aboot wae all these stupid wee guys. They’re gettin you into some bother! Everybody’s lookin fur Danny cos Si. Do yi actually realise that? When yi gonna fuckin grow up?’ She runs hur index finger doon ma cheek tae mock slash me. ‘Is that what yi want?’

‘Patricia, don’t fuckin start! That wisnae ma fuckin fault.’

‘A know that, but they don’t care.’

They. She says it like she’s sayin ‘we’. She hud sat wae aw them in their parties n motors n gaffs, suhin unimaginable tae aw us. The thought ae Patricia sittin wae them n shaggin wan ae them wis awready pushin it tae the limit. Nae go-betweens, scheme-hoppers or turncoats in the fuckin YT.

‘Well, fuck them. If they want Azzy Williams they kin come n git their fuckin go.’

‘Calm down, He-Man. Why don’t we just get away fur a bit?’

‘Wit yi mean?’

‘A’ve been meaning to say to yi. My aunt’s moved in with hur boyfriend down in Newcastle. She’s asked me if A want hur flat in Gateshead fur a few month. Riverside, minted place, son.’

‘Wit? Me n you doon there?’

‘Aye, why not? Is anything keepin yi up here?’

‘No really,’ A say after a minute.