"I promised my friend Freddy Thorne that I would say few words over his grave if he should pass before me."
Arthur Shelby proclaimed loudly "Amen!" The past two years since his father left for good, he had changed; not for the better but he had become quite odd.
Ignoring Arthur, Thomas Shelby continued "I made a promise when we were in France. Fighting for the King." He stopped feeling the hard stares that Freddy's fellow Communists gave him, which he absorbed. "But war didn't take Freddy. Pestilence took him. But Freddy passed on his spirit and soul to a new generation before he was cruelly taken." Thomas gestured to a little boy, no older than two, who was cradled in a woman's arms. She had no expression.
Thomas Shelby took out a piece of paper that danced in the strong wind. "I promised I would read his favourite poem over his grave. He told me the poem is about revolution..."
One of the communists called out irreverently "Amen."
My gaze settled back onto the woman, who had the boy placed on her hip, it was easy to see that she had become emotionless, not a single tear fell from her eyes. I was brought back to reality by a hard elbow into the rib cage by no other than Polly Gray herself; my only parent figure that I have.
"I'm sure she's upset, for god's sake she has just become a widow. Poor Karl though, however do not stare. It's not nice" scolding me, she placed her hand on the small of my back.
My full attention settled back onto Tommy. He cleared his throat and began to read " Scatter as from an unextinguished hearth, ashes and sparks..."
I drifted into my own thoughts once again, the iciness that lead Tommy's voice was strange. For fuck sake, he had lost a childhood best friend, from all the stories he had told me they were exactly like me and Finn. I know if that was Finn six feet under and me speaking out loud in front off 20 odd people, I would be dead inside I would lose it.
"Be through my lips to..."
The thought of an old friend dying could never over come me, I brought my mind back to the front of the church were the burial took place. The wind blowing through the huge trees that laced the outline of the cemetery.
"...Be through my lips to unawakened earth, the trumpets of a prophecy..."
The walk from the church towards the deep hole the ground, that now contained the still and lifeless body of Freddy Thorne, was short and morbid; I just wanted to hug Karl and Ada so much till their eyes bulged out their heads. Ada Thorne was the closest thing I got to a sister, I would say the closest thing to any sibling but I did have a brother once. Snapping me out of my thoughts was the cold voice of Tommy.
"O wind. If winter comes. Can spring be far behind?"
And with that the congregation began to gather near the exit of the church yard. To my left was the road that traveled throughout the whole graveyard, a fleet of four black large cars were waiting for the Shelby family, to vacate the premises. You could tell that the Shelby Company Limited had come a long way since the war, we now had uniformed chauffeurs; however Tommy did say that they were only for the occasion but we could easily afford them 24/7.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a cartoon of Sweet Aftons, picked out one , placed it between my soft lips and searched for my box of matches. I was disappointed to remember that they were still sat on my bedside table. In frustration, I placed the cigarette back into it's box and the box back into my long, black fabric coat. I looked up once again, from my own little world, the line dividing: the Shelby family, slow and all lighting cigarettes on one side of the cemetery path, and the Communists congregate on the other. I never truly understood the Shelby's hatred for the communists but it was clear to me that they loathed them...
Well Tommy did, whatever Tommy says goes. That's how it works round here.
I turned to my left to talk to Polly, but I soon realised that I was now the only body standing over the hole, that was now being filled with wet, sticky mud. I let the distant chatter lull me into a deep thought- I do this a lot, it helps me settle my mind, especially ever since the end of the war- I let my thoughts wonder to the boat yard, oh how I wanted to be there right now...in his arms, cradling me into that deep sleep that he could so easily put me in. We hadn't been there in a very long time. It was after this summer that I spent on the road with the Lee family, it was so wonderful to finally travel again even if it was only for 2 months, it was when I came back he took one look at me and suddenly his mouth had been glued shut ever since.
It was like I was a ghost to him.
It has been 4 months since I settled back in Small Heath again but he still hadn't spoken a word to me, every now and then I would catch him staring at me. However, it wasn't my face but my body. It's like he couldn't keep his ocean blue eyes off of me. I guess it was nice to know that he was thinking off me but it was definitely not the way I hoped.
He wanted me. I wanted him.
His laughter would die when I entered the room. He'd look me up and down, smirk and then turn away, every time I feel lucky that he looks away otherwise he would see what he does to me; my cheeks go a rosy red colour and my pupils grow to the size of golf balls, they make my honey coloured eyes go a dark black.
"Oi, Peaky Girl. Get your pretty ass over here, now!" That was what broke me out of my little trance. The soft yet raspy voice called over, I knew instantly that it John Fucking Shelby.
"I'm coming, also do you have any matches. I left mine at Pol's" I spoke as I made my way over to where John and his wife Esme were standing. John calls me all sorts but 'Peaky Girl' seemed to be his favourite nickname for me, he says it lets everyone know that I'm a Shelby's girl and no one can touch me. Which also means that I have not had a boyfriend my whole life, although I did have something during the summer with the Gold boy- nothing more than innocent kissing but by God he was handsome. He had lush black hair, pretty green eyes and a chisled jaw; he was a little older than me, only by two years, but I feel like he wanted more and that is when I wanted to go back to the comfort of Small Heath.
"Nah, but Tommy does. Be calm though, his speak with Ada didn't go well." John slightly whispered nodding towards Tommy who was making his way back over to the cars.
"Take it she's not coming home then? I told Tommy to let me talk to her but as per usual he said no" I say with such 'delight'.
"Oh shut it, McCann" Spoke the low voice of Thomas Shelby. He handed me a cigarette, which I placed between my lips once again and lent into the flame that was now sparked by a match, curving my hand round the end of the flame and lit my cigarette.
"Thanks Boss" Tommy rolled his eyes at this comment. He don't like it when I call him that, to be honest I don't know why but he does and so I say it to just purely piss him off.
As if on cue a roaring engine from a motorbike pulled up among the chauffeurs. Everyones head turned almost immediately, as a young eighteen year old leaped from the bike and ran down the path of the church. He was dressed in the casual Peaky boy clothes, however I do not recognise him, he pushed his way to Arthur- as he was the closest Shelby, as he was trying to control the children. The reaction that Arthur gave was quite alarming and all of a sudden all the Shelby family were hurrying to the waiting cars, me being me just stood and watched all the commotion happen until a hand only slightly larger than mine clasped around mine and I was pulled along with the Shelby Clan.
Finally reaching a vacant car, the chauffeur opened the door then proceeded to dive into the drivers seat. It was then that I saw who took my hand.
It was him, he finally decided to make contact with me.
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Hi, this is the first chapter of my new story and I hope you enjoyed it. There will hopefully be daily updates- at least I will try- let me know what you think of it and who you think 'he' is?
Love C x
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The Fucking Shelby Girl
Fanfiction''You're a Shelby Girl now, Ciara.'' He said with a wink. She wasn't always one. Once upon a time, it was her father, her brother and herself living on the road; they were happy. They had friends, they had enough money, her father had a job for the...
