Top Girl

7.

'Lydia Rogers!' A screech came from behind the school girls ear. The one time she turned up to school and this was already making her regret it.

Turning around to face Mrs Purser Lydia's face dropped. She was almost certain what this conversation would really be about.

'My brothers been really busy, I haven't had a chance to ask him to fill in the parents evening form yet.' A sigh fell from her lips as she lied through her teeth.

'Not good enough. You've had plenty of time. And rumour has it that your brother isn't even in Summerhouse anymore. Isn't he working in Liverpool?' The prying teacher put Lydia on the spot.

'No, I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Lydia, you're a minor living alone in that house. With no guardian you're there illegally. Due to safeguarding I'll have to report you to social services.'

Young eyes had gathered around the corridor to see what all the commotion was about. The assistant head teacher had no issue in speaking in a raised voice so all student's could witness Lydia's humiliation.

'Hold on miss! Her brothers in prison now!' Jessica's annoying voice shouted out from the crowd taking great pleasure in the scenario.

'You bitch!' Without hesitation Lydia paced towards the other girl and left a vicious red mark on her left cheek from a catty slap.

Gasps surrounded the school and cheers erupted, every teenager lived for the drama around those parts.

'Right that's it! Miss Rogers get to the head teachers office now!' Mrs Purser's shrill voice screamed as she grabbed ahold of Lydia's forearm tightly and dragged her to the office.

'I mean, you know I'll have to exclude you Lydia.' A disappointed sigh fell from Mrs Akers mouth. She wanted the best for the young girl before her but she didn't necessarily help herself these days.

Only managing to shrug Lydia couldn't be bothered to fight for her cause, she didn't even want to be in sixth form anyway.

'What's happened to you? You used to be a star student. And what's this I hear about your brother being in prison? You should have told someone.'

'Why would I tell anyone? All you would do is report it to social services, just like Mrs Purser said before.' Lydia spoke the truth.

'Well you're 17, legally we have to. You're not classed as an adult no matter how much you want to act like it.' The head teacher didn't budge.

'I'm 18 in a month! And I'm nearly done in school anyway so why do you have to make a big deal of it.'

The teacher carried on giving a whole speech but Lydia blocked out the volume. Her head was pounding with emotion and it threatened to come to the surface. Tears brewed in her eyes but she forced them back.

'Lydia stop crying now! You don't cry. Crying means weakness. Emotion is weakness.' Her older brothers voice circled around her mind. Memories popping up uninvited.

Distracting herself from the reminiscing her eyes watched the room. A picture stood tall of Mrs Akers family. Herself and three young children. It looked so loving and happiness seeped from each beaming smile. The office was littered in personal features,
picture frames and children's drawings.

'You're not even listening at this point Lydia.' Many defeated sighs followed after each word the older woman said. 'You have a week exclusion, come back after that with your head screwed on properly.'

She needed to ask questions about the further action with social services but her mouth didn't utter the words, too afraid of the answer. A children's home was not where she wanted to be. They weren't nice around London, the children were basically neglected whether they were in that home or not.

Lydia spent the day with the boys in Dris's apartment pretty much in silence. She hadn't explained to them what was going on as she didn't even know where to start.

Concerned glances were shot her way each minute but they thought better than to act on them. They waited patiently until she was ready to confess what had happened.

A knock sounded on the door breaking up the silence and making Dris rush to see who they mystery visitor was.

'What the fuck you doin here cuz?' In a less than pleasant manner he greeted his guest.

Lydia craned her neck around the door frame to see who it was.

Ranell.

'I've got something for Dushane, innit.' The boy confessed making Dushane's ears prick up. 'I got something for you.'

'Wagwan, my youth?' The man replied.

'Wagwan.' Ranell respectfully returned.

'I heard your mums home?' Lydia asked. The boys mum was a nice lady, she had to go into a psychiatric ward for a bit but she seemed to be improving after her release.

'Yeah, she's better.' He seemed grateful with the kind girl asking after his parent.

'That's good fam. What you sayin?' Dushane interrupted.

'I got something for you.' He repeated the same opening sentence.

'You said man! What you got.' Sully intervened as his patient ran out making Lydia shoot him a warning look. He shrugged innocently back.

'Weed.'

Ranells words had the men erupting in laughter.

'Bro, you got it the wrong way round.' Dushane was most amused with the conversation. 'We don't buy. We sell, fam.'

'But it's five key, maybe even five and a half. It's top quality.' Pleading his cause Lydia wandered why he was trying. Ranell didn't tend to get involved with activities like this.

'Top quality. Where'd you get five keys of weed from?' Sully seemed to be thinking the same.

'Just got it, innit.'

'What you sayin, it's yours to sell, yeah?' Enquired Dushane.

'For the right price.'

'For the right price? So what you sayin is the right price?'

Lydia zoned out of all the money talk, boring stuff. Instead she opted to annoy Sully by poking his leg repeatedly. The best part of her day was being an inconvenience. He swatted her away attempting to listen to the conversation promoting Lydia to scroll through Instagram, desperate for entertainment.

'Exit fam.' Dris ordered the young boy out like a dog making Lydia look up irritated.

'Looks like little Ranell's got himself a farm, yeah?' Sully was most impressed with the young entrepreneur.

'He's one fucking smart youth, bruv. I'm tellin you.' Dushane was in agreement.

'He ain't that smart blood, or he wouldn't of said nothin.' Sully's tone changed to a more condescending one. 'Cos he ain't gonna have that farm for long. Why pay 20 bags for somethin you can take for free?'

Him and Dris fist bumped and revelled in the plan of stealing from the young lad.

'Are yous joking? Obviously like to break promises don't ya?' Lydia swiftly got up, giving Sully a push on the way out.

'Lydia, get a grip. This is fuckin life.'

She was less impressed with his comment. In the blink of an eye her hand has reached for the nearest object she could see, a vase.

'Don't be stupid Lyd!' Dushane warned but it was too late.

She had already lunged the man made weapon in Sully's direction, centimetres from his face it missed but hit the wall with a loud crash before smashing to pieces on the carpet.

A smug smile played on her lips as she made sure they all saw it before turning and slamming the door behind her.

Two could play their games.