Top Girl

1.

The market was in full swing by midday. Bustling with hopeful sellers persuading the streets to sell their goods. Fruit and vegetable layered crates tempted passerby's.

Dris stood on the corner soliciting the 'youths' to go and sell their own special kind of goods. Dushane and Sully sat comfortably in front of a food van eating some chips between them as they observed all that happened before them.

A young boy on the corner could be seen removing something from his mouth but covering it up with a cough, the junkie in front of him accepted gladly before passing over some money to pay. You wouldn't know this process unless you were involved with the drugs business. An association Summerhouse knew all to well.

Lydia made her way through the market giggling along with her friends. As they walked past the older boys the other girls soon scurried, they didn't want any business with that.

'Hi boys.' A small wave was thrown over their way as a huge smirk plastered her face.

'Hi Lydia. Why aren't you at school?' Dushane questioned.

'Boring.' Shrugging her shoulders she helped herself to one of the many chips that littered the table over some creased paper.

Her black school skirt was pulled up as far as it would go exposing her legs. A messy tie hung around her neck with a red sweater over the top.

'Get back to school.' He ordered.

'I want to sell.' Lydia held her own, she wasn't afraid of the three of them like everyone else in the town seemed to be. Her brother knew them all well and did business together before he was put away.

'There's no way. We promised your brother that you'd stay out of trouble.' Sully stood up and towered over her petite frame. Giving her a slight push he motioned her in the direction of the high school.

Usually they would never deny a youth offering to sell but Lydia was different. They owed her brother.

'Whatever.' Scoffing she began to make her way back to school. She hated sixth form.

'Hey we'll swing some stuff round tonight for you?' Sully waited for confirmation that never came. He was met with a sassy Lydia sashaying away.

Between the three of them they had been taking round all the necessities to her house; food, toiletries, drinks. But it didn't help her loneliness, a 17 year old didn't want to be alone constantly with her own mind. She wanted her brother back.

As she was walking away she heard a familiar phone ringing, turning back she saw a worried Dushane answering. It didn't take too long until they were all running past the girl who's friends had since joined. The three much taller men raced past, knocking a few of them about in the process causing Lydia to chuckle as her friends stumbled across the streets.

Three grown men desperately running through the streets wasn't a pretty sight.

Obviously the phone call hadn't been good news. Lydia wondered what it could be but knew better than to text regarding any such thing and doubted they'd answer at present. She'd have to put her nosiness on hold until tonight.

Going back to her lessons she sat in boredom twiddling her thumbs. Ryan, her brother, had enrolled her into sixth form. He wanted her to have a better chance at life than he did. With two junkie parents it was difficult for them though. As soon as he'd turned sixteen himself he secured himself a flat and took his little sister along with him. She was 12 at the time, and now 5 years later she was there alone.

A firm knock on the door sounded through the flat as Lydia sat watching TV. Her knees were pushed up beneath her chin as she barely payed notice to the background noice of the television programme. With a sigh she stood up to let the unidentified visitor in.

'Tesco delivery.' Sully joked as he began to carry multiple bags through to the kitchen.

'Oh great. I'm not even worth M&S.' Lydia joked back as she referenced a much more luxurious grocery shop.

'Are you fucking 60 years old?' Chuckling he began to unload the bags into the appropriate cupboards. 'Have you had something to eat yet?' Looking over his shoulder he looked at the girl who was stood in the door frame.

'No not yet. Couldn't really be bothered making anything.'

'Well say no more. I've just found this recipe for this tomato pasta, it looks amazing. I'll make that for you.' Sully knew how hard she was finding the absence of Ryan, all of the boys did.

'Wow, tomato pasta, I really am dining at the Ritz'

She didn't know he'd gone home and researched a whole bunch of recipes ready to cook for her, so at least she'd get one thing to look forward to in the day.

'Well don't just stand there. Cheese needs grating.' Chefs orders resounded throughout the kitchen until the pasta was served and layed out on the table.

As they both tried it they gasped in shock, it was actually edible and even tasted good. 'Well if I've got food poisoning tomorrow I'll know where it's from.' Lydia pointed at him from across the table.

'You know this shit is good. How was school?' Sully changed the subject swiftly.

'School is school. Always sucks. Anyway what were you all running for earlier?' Just as rapidly as he did so Lydia also switched the topic of conversation.

'Oh some of the youths got robbed. Took all the fucking food as well.' Sully shook his head as he spoke, visible frustration took over his features.

'Do you know who it was?' Lydia questioned, it was bad news if someone thought they could go round robbing from the Summerhouse boys.

'It was Kamale, the youts said he even pointed a gun at them.' Missing out the 'h' in the 'youths' he motioned a gun with his fingers.

'Guns?!' The girls face dropped at the revelation. That excelled the game way further. 'Guns kill people Sully.'

'Yeah don't worry. We'll be getting some of our own soon enough. Big boss needs to provide them.' He didn't seem too concerned over the situation at hand.

Lydia didn't know who the 'big boss' was, not even by a name. She just knew he was in control of pretty much every drug trade in Summerhouse and lots of other places too. And not a man at all to be messed with.

'What did he have to say about it?' Lydia guessed the mystery man wouldn't be too impressed about food going missing. And by food they all were referencing drugs.

The young girl knew she could interrogate some fort of information out of Sully, never Dushane.

'We owe him £3000 by a weeks time.' Sully didn't explain any further, he knew better then to expose too much. 'Anyway I'll do the dishes and get going, if there's nothing else you need me for?'

Lydia shook her head. The company would have been nice but he had his own house to get back to.

After he left the loneliness set it, it always did at night time. Sulking to bed she resided for the night, ignoring all notifications that appeared on her phone.

It seemed to be nighttime when huge waves of emotions would dawn, it's like you can't ignore your thoughts anymore when darkness resides. Your four walls are clouded with darkness and sadness is your only friend.

Eventually she knew tiredness would prevail and she'd fall asleep, only for it all to begin again tomorrow.