AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank god for that, I honestly thought you’d stolen him from me.” She laughs, flopping down on my bed.
Her words annoy me, especially seeing as Arthur didn’t see their lunch as a date. “Is he technically yours for me to steal?”
“I called first dibs,” she says, checking her mobile phone.
“First dibs?” I repeat, scoffing. “We’re not in school, Rosey.”
She looks up from her mobile. “Do you like him or something?”
“No, of course not. I’m just saying that maybe you need to stop seeing him as yours when he’s not.”
“I’m manifesting him,” she replies, grinning. “He’ll be mine.”
“How did the date go?” I ask.
She rolls onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. “Do you think he’s into me?”
I note she’s ignoring my question. “I don’t know, Rosey. Has anything happened between you?” I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.
“No. I mean, we flirt. A lot. Maybe he’s shy. I should just go for it, right?”
“Depends on what you mean by that. Some guys hate forward women. I don’t get why you’re suddenly so into him.”
She shrugs. “He gets the whole career thing. Most men are put off by that.”
“Career?” I repeat, smirking.
She scowls. “Just because it’s not on the career advisor’s list doesn’t mean it’s not a career. I mean, they should totally add it. We could rid the world of evil.”
“We have people for that, Rosey—they’re called the police force and the judicial system.”
She laughs. “Not everything can be solved in the right way.” She pauses. “Speaking of work, I need you to come to a party with me later. Long story, but I can’t turn up on my own and I have to be there.”
I shrug. It’s not like I have anything better to do. “Okay. Casual or smart?”
“Completely casual. I’m talking jeans and trainers.”
I stare wide-eyed out of the cab window. We had to sneak out of the clubhouse tonight because, for whatever reason, Rosey didn’t want to tell Mav where the party was. And as the cab rolls to a stop, I realise why. “We can’t get out here,” I hiss.
“Relax, no one knows us.”
“So, why are we here?”
Rosey pays the driver, and we get out. She links arms with me. “I have a really quick job to do.”
I pull away from her. “What?” I screech. She shushes me, glancing around to make sure we haven’t got anyone’s attention. She’s right to be worried because this part of town isn’t a place we should hang out. It’s known for its out-of-control crime rate and gang problems. It’s not run by anyone like Mav or Arthur. It’s left to the street gangs to fight it out. “You took a job here?”
“It’s not my usual job. Everyone walks away alive.”
“You hope, cos if these guys find out who we are,who I am, we definitely won’t walk out of here alive.”
“Arthur knows about it,” she reassures me. “It’s all under control.” I relax a little. If Arthur knows, we’ll be safe.
We head towards a block of high-rise flats. Music blares out from several of them, and shouting can be heard amongst crying children. Teenagers whizz past on bikes and scooters, probably ferrying drugs across the estate.
We take the stairs, and I cover my nose. It smells of urine, and we occasionally have to step around a homeless person sleeping in the stairwell.
We reach the third floor and move along the passage. The music is louder, and people are hanging around outside one of the flats. “If anyone asks, Jordan invited us.”
