Tracks

by Karen Woods

  Ged swallowed hard. His mam would go sick if she knew he wasn’t at home. What on earth could he tell her? And then there was Nancy. He just couldn’t leave her, he had to come clean.

  ‘I’ll have to go back up the street, my girlfriend has come down here with me so I don’t look suspicious, so she’ll have to stay with me too. I can’t just leave her, can I?’

  Mathew shook his head and drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.

  ‘For fuck’s sake are you some kind of baby or what? I’m not running a fucking nursery here,’ he let out a laboured breath. ‘In future leave her at home. This is no place for any girl, surely you know that?’

  Ged acted cool; he chewed slightly on the side of his lip. ‘Yeah, it’s a one-off. And, like I said, nobody told me the plan was to get my head down up here.’ He opened the car door and climbed in. The smoke was thick in here, stinging his eyes. He coughed and pulled his coat up over his nose, then sat forward in his seat and pointed in the direction he wanted them to go. The tunes were turned up, bass pumping as they drove along the road. Surely these idiots should have been keeping a low profile, not bringing attention to themselves? Knobs, he thought. Acting the big men, but they were just jumped up kids.

  Ged walked into the terraced house cautiously. It stank of wet dog. The wallpaper was hanging off the walls and the paintwork was yellow. Mathew had gone in ahead of him and now stood talking to another man in the dark hallway. ‘Ged’s here for the night, make sure you look after him and his girl. I don’t want to hear you’ve been trying to have his eyes out, because you know what will happen, don’t you?’

  The guy seemed to be propping himself up against the wall with his hand. He was skin and bones, so thin that if a gust of wind come along it would have swept him away. His voice rasped. ‘As if, I’ll look after him like one of my own. I wouldn’t mess with you lot, you know that. You just keep me sweet like we agreed, and it’ll all be good.’

  ‘Squeaky, I always look after you, remember that.’

  Squeaky chuckled, showing off his stumpy teeth. Ged shuddered; the guy was rancid. He reeked. Nancy, as ever, not shy at coming forward, decided to make herself at home. She went straight into the front room and threw herself down on the sofa, taking in her surroundings. It was clear this wasn’t going to be the cleanest place she’d ever stayed, but it was better than sleeping on the streets like she’d done before. The sofa arms were ripped and stained, overflowing ashtrays littered every surface, and the dark brown curtains hung precariously from a piece of string across the bay window. Ged sat down next to her and whispered under his breath. ‘Fucking stinks in here.’

  Mathew just nodded across at Ged.

  ‘Right, I’ll be back later. Here’s the phone. Make sure you answer it and tell them where to go. Don’t fucking fall asleep either, because if the phone’s not being answered then none of us are earning any money.’

  Ged caught the phone in his hand; he was about to say something but thought better of it. This was a piss-take. It was not what he signed up for.

  Squeaky followed Mathew back into the hallway and let him out. Once the front door slammed shut, he came back into the room and sat down to make a roll-up. His fingers were yellow at the end – you could tell just by looking that the guy was rotten inside and out. Ged watched him like a hawk as he slid his tongue along the edge of the Rizla.

  ‘You know how all this works, don’t you?’

  Ged was on the spot. He didn’t have a clue – but he didn’t want to show it, wasn’t going to let this clown, this tramp, call the shots.

  ‘Yeah, so don’t be trying to have me over or I’ll cut you up.’

  Nancy’s eyes couldn’t have been wider; this wasn’t the Ged she’d seen so far, the gawky, nervous kid who couldn’t have been less streetwise if he’d tried. Where had that come from? She decided to add her two penn’orth while she could.

  ‘It’s not just him you should be scared of, mate, any shit and the crew will be up from Manchester, trust me, you don’t want them down because they’ll mess you up proper. Twisted they are, fucking nutters.’

  Squeaky wiped his mouth with the side of his hand and sucked hard on his fag. ‘I’ll get this lot bagged up then. That phone will be on fire soon and we need to make sure we’re ready. I’ll give Dino a bell and tell him to get his arse here ready for work.’

  Ged sat watching as Squeaky took the drugs from the package and started to weigh them out into small bags. It was the first time Ged had seen exactly what he’d been carrying up from Manchester. Fuck’s sake. That wasn’t weed. It was smack, fucking heroin. Class A stuff. Ged’s jitters turned into full-blown panic. Nancy didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. She kicked her shoes off. This was a great adventure for her, way better than hanging out on her own at Piccadilly station. She’d ring home though and say she was staying at a friend’s, all she needed was her mam ringing the rozzers reporting her missing.

  The mobile Mathew had given Ged started to ring.

  ‘Go on then,’ Squeaky said.

  Ged fumbled about with the buttons to answer the call. He had no idea how this worked; he’d have to play it by ear. Squeaky was getting impatient.

  ‘Mate, answer the fucking call. We’re losing money if you don’t.’

  ‘Hello,’ Ged’s voice was barely audible. There was a silence. It was clear he had been bluffing. Squeaky walked over and grabbed the phone from Ged’s hand.

  ‘Yo, mate, what d’you want?’ Ged could hear the voice at the other end of the phone though not what it was saying. Squeaky listened for a moment before replying.

  ‘Right, be at the bridge in ten. And make sure you’re on time because our guy won’t wait about there for long. There’s been a few old bill knocking around there lately so make sure you’re on the ball.’

  The call ended and Squeaky chucked the phone back at Ged. ‘So, it’s the first time you’ve managed the line then?’

  Ged had no idea how to reply. It was clear he’d already lied and he didn’t reckon he’d get away with it again. Nancy could see he was on the spot and answered for him.

  ‘He doesn’t usually do the phones, he’s more on the transport end of things, but he’s doing the phone tonight as a favour. You just fill him in on how things work and he’ll take it from there, he’s a quick learner.’ Nancy nudged Ged and looked at him encouragingly. ‘That’s right, isn’t it, Ged?’

  He nodded, finding his tongue. ‘Yeah, that’s right. Just give me the lowdown and I’ll be sorted.’

  Squeaky laughed out loud and shook his head. ‘For fuck’s sake, I should get a raise for all the fucking training I do. You’re not the first one they’ve sent me who doesn’t know the script.’

  Ged’s cheeks were flaming, the beetroot red clashing with his hair. ‘Just cut the shit and tell me what to say,’ he snapped. ‘You only need to tell me once then I’ll be fine. Is that alright with you or should I ring Mathew and tell him you’re giving me shit?’ Smart move. Squeaky relented, cracking his knuckles and tried to backpedal.

  ‘Nah, nah, I’m just saying is all. You just don’t know my sense of humour yet. It’s all good, our kid. So, when they ring, just ask what they want. It’s usually white or brown they ask for. All you need to do is tell them to go to the bridge, they know where it is, and then fuck them off. Don’t let them keep you on the phone either. And no cash, no drugs, simple. A few of them try and get tick and promise you the world in return but give them fuck all, just tell them that’s the rules and that usually shuts them up. Oh yeah – don’t use your name, change it, don’t want nobody knowing who you are.’

  It was a lot to take in, seemed like it was a big operation. The phone started to ring again. This time Nancy took the call.

  ‘What d’you want?’ she asked in a confident voice. ‘Yep, go to the bridge and they’ll be with you shortly.’ She ended the call and smiled over at Ge
d.

  ‘Induction over, you’re ready to go. Squeaky, three brown. Get your lad ready to go.’

  Ged was sweating, his hands were clammy. Squeaky was on the blower giving his orders to the foot soldiers and he could see it was going to be a very long night indeed.

  Chapter Twelve

  It was a Monday morning and Donny was in early as usual. He sat in his office sipping at his coffee, the hot steam rising from the mug. Rita was in early too and didn’t seem her usual self. Today she was all smiles and laughter, rather than her standard mardy mood. Donny studied her and grinned.

  ‘Rita, have you come to tell me you’ve met a new man or something, because there’s definitely something going on. Come on, spill.’

  Rita turned to face him and shrugged. ‘I wish, look at me, who’d have this?’

  Donny rolled his eyes as if he was humouring her, but couldn’t help thinking she wasn’t far off the truth, not that he’d ever tell her that. Anyway, sometimes it was nice to make people feel good about themselves.

  ‘You’re a great catch, Rita. If I wasn’t a married man, I’d be all over you like a rash. On my life, you’re a prize that any man would be proud to have on his arm.’

  Donny was so smooth he was even impressing himself. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and smiled. ‘Do you really think so, Donny? I’ve kind of given up on ever finding a man at my age. I just seem to scare them off.’

  Donny looked at her, pressing his lips firmly together to keep the truth sealed firmly in his mouth. She was no oil painting, there was no getting away from it. But he kept the platitudes coming; he hated seeing anyone down in the dumps. ‘There’s someone out there for everyone, Rita. What do they say? A lid for every pot? It’s just a matter of time before Mr Right comes along and sweeps you off your feet. And what a lucky man he’ll be.’

  Rita looked like the cat that had got the cream. She pushed her chest out.

  Yeah, and maybe start with a decent bra, thought Donny. He said nothing as she yanked her leggings up higher to cover her midriff.

  ‘Stop it, Donny, stop giving me hope,’ she said, but she was smiling.

  Tina walked in, looking surprised to see Rita in at this time of the morning and not looking miserable either. She checked her watch. ‘Bleeding hell, Rita, what’s got into you?’ To be fair, turning up before her shift had started was not something Rita was known for.

  Donny rocked back on his chair and looped his hands behind his head. ‘She was here before me this morning, Tina, she’d opened the main gates up and everything. And then she’s in here all smiles, handing me a hot cup of coffee. Not that you’ll hear me complaining. Feel free to come in early every morning if you’re going to do that, Reet.’

  Tina took her coat off and sat down heavily. ‘I swear to you, Nevaya is doing my head in. The last couple of weeks she’s worse than ever. You should have heard her this morning, talking to me as if I was a piece of shit on her shoe.’ She’d never been good at holding things back. ‘I’ve told her again to go and live with her mam, hopefully she’ll take my advice and piss off there before I get home. Chris is a bloody waste of time; he lets her get away with it time after time. I can’t anymore. I just want to punch her lights out and I’m not even a violent person. She’s pushing me over the edge, let me tell you.’

  Donny sighed, there was always something going on with Tina. Nothing was ever plain sailing in her life.

  Rita headed for the door. She had enough problems of her own, couldn’t be doing with anyone else’s.

  ‘Tina, do you want a nice hot cuppa? You sit down there, and I’ll do you a few bits of toast and something to drink. Maybe that’ll help.’

  Tina sighed. ‘I need more than a bloody cup of tea to sort me out, love. A couple of diazepam and a stiff brandy more like it. But, aye, thanks, Rita. A cup of coffee’d be a start.’

  When he was sure Rita was out of earshot, Donny turned to Tina. ‘Something strange going on with that one. Keep a close eye on her, Tina, she’s up to something. She’s never nice to anyone without wanting something in return.’

  Tina agreed. ‘Yeah, she’s never ever offered me a drink in all the time I’ve known her. Maybe she’s had a win on those scratchcards she’s always doing.’

  Tina switched her computer on and scanned through her emails. ‘We’ve got a meeting with Ged’s mother, says he’s been acting up. She seems quite concerned about him. His dad’s due out of jail soon too and she reckons the shit is going to hit the fan when she tells Ged that she doesn’t want him home. Maybe that’s what all this is about. It’s his dad at the end of the day. No surprise that he’s kicking off.’

  Donny shook his head. ‘This job is more than just being a teacher, Tina, you know that as well as I do. Parents come to us for support both in the education of their kids and their home life. That’s what makes this school different, we care about the students’ whole lives – not just the hours they’re with us. And that’s why we do things differently too, you know that. Look at what happened a few weeks back, when I had to go round to Jacko’s house and take his PlayStation out of his room. After he smashed the school TV up I told him that I would take something of his until he could get it fixed so I had to follow through on it. His mam was right behind me too. Jacko lost it big time when he realised that I’d actually done it, been round his house and taken it.’

  Tina laughed. ‘You’re something else you are, Donny. And the kids rate you, even if you are a right bastard sometimes. You’ll have to give me a few tips to help me deal with them kids I’ve got at home before I swing for them, though. I can cope with anything this lot do in school, but not when it’s under my own roof.’

  ‘A good kick up the arse is what they need. I told you months ago to stop pussyfooting around them and tell them straight, didn’t I?’

  ‘I’m not like you though, Donny. You’re a hothead. You’ll just go for it when it kicks off. It’s not in my nature to shout and scream. You should have heard me the other night though – I was like a woman possessed.’

  ‘Works for me. I treat the kids here like they’re my own and if they’re acting like little bleeders then they’ll get told. Anyway, what else do we have on today?’

  Tina looked at her screen again. ‘A couple of other meetings too and the new kid coming in for a look around.’

  Donny reached into his drawer and grabbed his fags.

  ‘Right, I’m going to get a cig before the mob starts to arrive. If you need me, I’ll be outside.’ As he walked towards the door, Donny’s mobile started to ring. He didn’t recognise the number, left it to ring; whoever it was he wasn’t in the mood right now.

  In the kitchen, Rita sat at the table with her head in her hands, a letter at her side. The smiles from earlier had vanished. The door opened and one of the students walked in, made her jump. She quickly wiped her eyes and sat up straight.

  Amelia studied Rita and started to take her coat off. She wasn’t much of a talker and it was clear she didn’t know quite what to say. Rita stood up quickly and walked to the kitchen side, took a deep breath. ‘Amelia, do you want any breakfast? Toast, or cereal?’

  The girl shook her head, she hated eating in front of people and she would rather starve than sit eating in front of a member of staff. A lot of kids were like that. Funny fuckers they were, thought Rita.

  Amelia sat down at the table and stared at her fingers. Rita thought it was best to leave her to say whatever it was she wanted to say in her own time. She went back to pottering about the kitchen, slamming cupboards shut and banging pans. Seemed a nice enough kid, she just didn’t fit in anywhere, or that’s what she’d told the school. She was pretty too, long dark hair past her waist, big green eyes, clean, fresh skin. She was certainly popular with the lads here in school – word on the street was that she wasn’t scared of putting it about, especially when she was drunk or off her head at the weekend. It w
as funny really, to adults she seemed shy, lacking in confidence, but to her peers, she was loud and daring. You picked up a lot about these kids watching them in the lunch queue.

  Rita stopped for a moment and gazed out of the window, the troops would be here soon, she needed to get her head in gear and be ready for them. She glanced over at Amelia, who looked like the colour had suddenly drained from her cheeks. She noticed her waft her hand in front of her face, like she’d been overcome with a wave of heat. Sweat prickled on her forehead as she stood up and wobbled, had to hold the table to steady herself. Rita was right there, helping her back into the chair.

  ‘Are you alright there? You look like you’re going to spew your ring up.’

  Amelia loosened her black cardigan and pulled her T-shirt up over her nose, exhaled slowly. ‘I’m fine, just leave me alone, will you?’

  Rita had plenty to do, wasn’t going to waste her time if this was the thanks she got. ‘Suit yourself, you try and be nice in this place and all you get is abuse. Stay there on your own then, see if I care.’

  Amelia stood up and walked unsteadily out of the kitchen, heading for the toilets. As soon as she reached the cubicle she slammed the door shut and fell to her knees. She held her head over the toilet and a rush of stinking green bile sprayed into the bowl. She was burning up, sweat pouring from her. She rested her head on her arms for a moment, before another torrent gushed from her mouth.

  The minibus pulled up in the car park and, as per usual, the students were loud; so much noise. Robert Sinclair had just parked up and was eager to get inside before getting caught up in the rabble. Chelsea spotted him getting out of his car. Too late – the pupils were off the bus.

  ‘Sir, your car’s a piece of shit, how can you drive around in it? It’s like a pensioner car. There’s no way I would be seen driving about in that old banger.’

  Sinclair sighed, a few minutes earlier and he would have avoided all this. But there was no way Chelsea was going to get away with embarrassing him in front of everyone.