‘Young Toi, ya fuckin mutant!’

‘Fuck yir fuckin YTP, ya dafty! Toi Boiz!’

A wait till they walk back doon a bit before A drag maself tae ma feet. There’s still shoutin in the distance. A’m totally fucked but A painfully raise both arms.

‘HAW YOOZ, YA FUCKIN PUSSY BASTARDS!’

A kin vaguely make oot them turnin around.

‘YOUNG TEEEEEAM!’

A feel a hand on ma shoulder n A nearly fall backwards intae the arms behind it. It’s the big fat community polis n his skinny pal, the Roadrunner. A kin hear the young wan on the radio in the distance. The big yin is talkin in ma ear n hoddin me up wae his arm. A’m strugglin tae stay awake, feelin dizzy n sick. Yir gonnae be awright, wee man, stay awake …

Live and Kicking

The diesel hiss sounds n the doors ae the school bus close after us. It begins its chunterin journey through rush hour traffic. Traffic is heavy n it’s a cold, wet mornin. The school bus driver is smokin his customary bribe fag n ma pals ir rollin a joint. Ma hood is up n headphones in playin Tupac n Big L, ‘Deadly Combination’. A’m no smokin any dope before school the day. Smokin hash makes yi sluggish n no ready tae fight. The elder wans hud praised ma courage in the face ae the enemy. There’s nae shame in takin a dooin aff a few cunts if yi stood yir ground n didnae run. Bottlin Si wis bold as fuck n A’m proud ae maself fur it. Ma maw came tae pick us up fae casualty in the mornin, worried sick. Noo, yi huv tae dae suhin back or cunts wid think you’d shat it n that wid be you finished.

The bus pulls up tae the back gates n A bail oot the emergency exit. Broonie n Addison ir trailin behind cos A’m chargin ahead, on a mission. By this time, most cunts in school huv congregated in their respective gangs outside the tech building, known as ‘the Smokers’ Corner’. Aw years, fae aw areas, mix in this rare moment ae unity, wae troops n snaggles n healthy burds n mad rough scheme cows alike. The only time yi see it like this is just before the five-tae-nine bell and at the mornin interval. At lunch everybody goes their separate ways, that wis nae use at aw. A’m marchin by the science buildin n past tech. A kin see people lookin at us awready, ma normal classmates n other younger wans whisperin. They kin see the determination in ma swagger n know wit’s comin. A pass a few younger Toi wans n A see them whippin the mobiles oot n textin n phonin like fuck. Azzy fuckin Williams is back, live n kickin.

A kin see aw the Toi wans standin in their corner. Si, JP, Paul Allen, McVeigh, Niall Watson n Owens. They’re aw crowded roon Si n Jamie tellin a story, n they’ve git another wee entourage roon them ae wee tag-alongs n tramps fae other schemes n a few Fleeto wans nearby, who ir their backup n our enemies by default. A see Si’s hand goin tae his pocket. He gits a text aff wan ae the wee guys. We aw hear a commotion comin the other way. That wid almost certainly be Danny n that. We’ll only huv a few seconds before jannies, teachers n everyone else n their granny wid descend on the scene n it wid be over before it started. A’m on a raised bit ae ground, a wee wall wae a muddy puddle on it. Everycunt turns tae see who they’re aw lookin at. All eyez on me.