Fuck. It was too early for this. Ged stomped on his fag butt and started to head into the building. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Frankie walking towards the school. His heart was racing, his mouth dry.

‘Yo, Ged,’ he heard from behind him.

The adrenaline kicked in and his body started to shake.

‘Carry on walking,’ Nancy whispered. ‘Ignore the scumbag.’

Ged couldn’t do it. ‘Nancy, I’ll see you later. Go inside, I’ll be fine, I don’t want you involved in any of this.’

It was easy to see she was uncertain, but she knew not to cause a scene.

Frankie trudged towards Ged. He still had yellow bruises on the side of his face. ‘I didn’t know you was coming back into school, a few of the lads said you wasn’t coming back. I knew they were chatting shit.’

Ged took a deep breath. ‘Maybe, if you would have belled me and spoke to me, instead of texting me giving it all that about the money you say I owe you, you would have known.’

Clearly, this wasn’t what Frankie was expecting. ‘What’s with the fucking attitude? I texted you about the money because it’s your debt. You lost the parcel and the money, so it’s up to you to pay it back. You know the rules, I don’t make them. So, don’t have a go at me. And, sort your fucking attitude out, gobshite.’

‘Still, I was stabbed up and all you cared about was the fucking money. Some mate you are. What happened to you having my back, brothers-in-arms?’

Frankie’s nostrils flared. He stepped closer. ‘So, when are you sorting out the cash? The big boys are not going to wait all day. If it wasn’t for me, they would have come through your front door and kicked the fuck out of you. Who do you think did this to me?’ He gestured at his swollen eye.

Ged shrugged his shoulders. ‘Who are they? Tell me who they are and I will go and see them myself. I’m not scared you know. I don’t need anyone to fight my battles.’

Frankie was losing it now, bouncing about and waving his arms. ‘You listen straight, I brought you into this game when you had fuck all and I helped you earn some decent wedge. As I recall, your old man was in the chokey and your mam was working all hours to keep her head above water, so I done you a fucking favour.’

Ged looked around to make sure no one was listening. ‘Word on the street, Frankie, is that I was set up. Set up by one of your other boys, what do you know about that?’

Frankie looked like someone had slapped him. ‘Who’s telling you that? Because it’s pure bullshit.’