𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

67

Lottie sat beside Lizzie, clapping as Bonnie walked out, men surrounding him. People cheered as he entered the ring.

Tommy soon walked out, joining them as the fight started.

"Hit him Bonnie!" Arthur shouted. "Come on Bonnie!" Lottie shouted, watching as the other boy fell down.

"Bonnie, Bonnie" Aberama smiled. "Your okay. It's under control."

"I'll take it to the fourth" Bonnie nodded.

"Where's Solomons?" Alfie asked Tommy. "Apparently he doesn't watch" Tommy sighed. "Look at that corner, look" Arthur pointed to beside Bonnie. "Them men there, they don't know fighters"

Tommy looked over. "I don't like it. You feel it though, Tom, don't you?"

"I feel it, we're alright. We're surrounded by soldiers, Arthur, Alfie's men were strip searched"

Bonnie stood again for round two, sending punches toward the other boy.

Lottie and Lizzie stood in the lavatory, fixing their makeup and Polly walked in. "Hello Pol" Lottie smiled.

Polly nodded, walking into a stall. "So, Lizzie, what did Tommy say when you told him?" she asked. "He said i'd get a weekly allowance" Lizzie sighed.

"Oh he can be romantic" Polly jokes.

Lottie stood confused.

"Of course as company treasurer, i shall be questioning that expense"

"He said something like 'we've had enough death let's have some life" she quoted. "What?" Lottie asked.

"Pol," Ada said, joining them. "This fight is fixed isn't it?" she asked. "Poor gypsy boy is getting battered out there. Right, you said you have news" she asked, sitting on the counter.

"Lizzie has some news"

Lottie and Ada looked at her. "Polly" Lizzie turned. "Well, tell them, now" Polly lit a cigarette. "While the men are screaming for blood"

Polly passed Ada a bottle. "Have a swig, you're gonna need it"

"I'm up the duff" Lizzie said. Ada swigged the bottle, wide eyed. "That's amazing, Lizzie, congratulations" Lottie smiled, hugging the girl.

"And it's Tommys"

"How far gone are you?" Ada asked. "If i were going to London, i'd be in Coventry" Lizzie said.

"And are you carrying on past coventry?"

"All the way to Piccadilly Circus" She sighed. "You found out if she's having a boy or girl, Pol?" Ada asked.

"No"

"Go on then"

Polly stepped forward, feeling Lizzie's breasts, causing them all to laugh. "It's a girl. Call her Ruby, Ruby Shelby, she'll be a star in a Hollywood movie" Polly smiled.

Ada wrapped her arms around Lizzie.

-

The girls took their seats again, watching the fight as the crowd cheered. Bonnie grinned, stepping away as the bell rang.

"Look at the men in his corner, look, they don't know fighters. They don't know the fucking ropes" Arthur looked. "It's the pills and the booze spooking you, Arthur" Tommy said.

The bell rang again and the two boys stood.

"Ah look at them, they don't stand right, they don't move right" Arthur observed as the men whispered to each other. "They don't even care if he fucking wins" he shouted.