BOYS OF SUBURBIA [boy x boy] [Wattys 2018]

✗ TWENTY-NINE ✗

Sebastian rested his head on the yellow pole of the public bus. Niko was counting the coloured green ends of each ziplock bags he hid inside his army jacket. The boy was going through his rounds, performing maths under his breath as the bus gunned past the boring Bristol architecture of the standard rectangular tall buildings all put together symmetrically in exchange for the variable mix of old and new, cobblestone streets that flood with an influx of people and told their own stories.

As the bus stop rolled into view, the bus halted and they got up, coming down the steps and arriving in a more posh side of the city- Kensington, more specifically Belgravia Square. The houses weren't the ordinary bricked flats packed into one narrow townhouse of ugly mustard and maroon-ish red. Instead, there were rows of posh white stucco townhouses with grand terraces and idyllic black balconies extending out. Each balcony had their own gardening flair to it but most of them didn't vary much from their status of tended flower beds of lisianthuses and hydrangeas with white ceramic pots of trimmed shrubs.

Sebastian saw the same crumpled piece of paper Niko had on that night at the club- a list of his...clients, for the lack of a better word.

"What are we here for?" wondered Sebastian aloud, admiring the neighbourhood and gawking with mouth open and eyes bulging out at the symmetrical, identical Grecian pillars that flanked every entrance of each house. Obviously, his discounted jeans and the second-hand hoodie was out of place, out of its hierarchy in a place like this. He was too low-class for this.

"A special client," grinned Niko, smiling for the first time since their encounter. The boy had dimples carved into his cheeks when he smiles and Sebastian's lungs emptied. Every time, it felt like he's being punched in the gut with that smile and now he was reeling back in shock, except he was walking completely fine, in complete awe and appreciation of this.

They stopped suddenly- on the curb. On the porch pillars, a gilded gold 23 B announced where they were. Proudly, without any confusion- unlike Sebastian- Niko rang the doorbell. It sounded three pings! like the beats Sebastian's heart has skipped until the ivory door swung open.

The reveal was a very tall and stern man whose expression seemed permanently fixed as though he had eaten something sour- beady eyes, large nose like a crooked sundial, thin lips and a waxy white complexion stuffed into a stiff black suit that seemed to be squeezed in places he didn't want to squeeze. "How may I help you?" He sounded stuffy, like he had just a sneezed out a dust bunny.

"Looking for Denise Hollingsworth," replied Niko without fear- with utmost confidence.

Then, as if the name was a summoning incantation, a buxom redheaded came walking down the hallway behind the stuffy man in the suit and tilted her head sideways in their direction to see who had come. She was really pretty and really posh, as Sebastian noted of her appearance. Thick red hair beaten into blind submission so they would come out in glossy curls, milky white skin that shone due to expensive treatments and adorned in a school blazer and a plaid skirt with black tights and glinting ballet flats. She brightened considerably when she realized it was Niko at the doorway and trodden hurriedly down the hallway.

"Go away, Mr Strathfield!" the redhead ordered barkingly, "I can take it here."

"But Miss Hollingsworth, your mother ask me to-"

"They're teenagers, Mr Strathfield," Miss Hollingsworth- the redhead- scoffed, rolling her brown eyes, sending this wink to Niko as she craned her head so their eyes meet. Sebastian swallowed, feeling a pulse of hot jealousy shoot up his neck as a smile crawled onto Niko's face in response. "They won't do anything to me, I swear. I'll scream if they do."

"Alright. You do as you like with them. I'll leave you lot alone." Mr Strathfield appeared like he rather not.

"Sorry," apologized Miss Hollingsworth, "Mother and Father have been super anal about security after the Harpers had their things stolen."

Niko shrugged, "It's fine. I got your things."

Miss Hollingsworth flipped her auburn red hair and her cat-like brown eyes flickered over to Sebastian. A sly expression crossed her lips before she took them by their sleeves and dragged them both in. "Brilliant. The party's just getting started."

-

up above is ms. hollingsworth. the people who have read this before knows that this is legit a turning point where shit starts to go down hill....