Thomas~3

After a long, chaotic night underground, the group stumbled out of the party, squinting against the harsh light of dawn. Tess felt like her skull was being crushed under a jackhammer, and she clung to Katie as if she were a lifeline, trying to steady her wobbling legs.

Cook stood off to the side, methodically counting the crumpled bills they'd made from selling weed. He glanced over his shoulder, handing the stack to Thomas with a half-hearted smile. "Here you go, mate. Should be plenty to keep you afloat."

Thomas's eyes widened with gratitude, his voice thick with emotion. "This is... You are good people. This is everything I have dreamed of. And now... you are my friends, too." He beamed, the weight of the night lifting off his shoulders.

But just as the group began to relax, the sound of tires screeching to a halt shattered the moment. Two cars rolled up beside them, and Freddie's whispered, "Oh shit," hung in the air like a bad omen. JJ's nervousness was palpable; he bounced on his heels, eyes darting as he muttered, "Oh my god, oh my god. Christ"

Out of the vehicles stepped none other than Johnny White and his goons, bats glinting ominously in the early morning light. Tess and Katie instinctively took a step back, but the tightening circle of bodies made it impossible to escape.

"Morning, fella," Johnny drawled, a sinister smirk spreading across his face. "Now we're really gonna fellate you." His gaze slid past Thomas, landing on Cook.

The atmosphere thickened with tension as Cook's usual bravado faded, leaving him visibly uncomfortable. He fidgeted, his fingers twitching at his sides.

"Didn't I say I'd kill you if I ever saw you again?" Johnny taunted, stepping closer, menace radiating off him.

The group fell silent, dread wrapping around them. Then Thomas broke the stillness, his voice steady and defiant. "You must be some kind of English pussy cunt? I think you're afraid. I'll fight you by myself. You can choose any weapon."

Everyone froze, shock written across their faces. Tess's heart raced, and she felt a mixture of admiration and horror for Thomas's bravery.

Johnny's expression shifted, a grim look flickering across his face. "You, you just made my day," 

-----

From what had been a chaotic night, Tess had been looking forward to crashing onto the couch when she got home, but that was far from possible now. She hadn't expected to be circled by Johnny White's men like vultures so early on a Saturday morning, but she should have learned to expect the unexpected with this crowd.

The group had walked to the nearest café, the kind that looked like it hadn't seen a renovation since the '80s. The walls were stained, and the neon lights buzzed overhead, adding to the dreary atmosphere. Johnny had insisted they come here, and as they sat down, the tension in the air was thick.

Thomas sat opposite Johnny White, who stared him down with a predatory glint in his eyes. No one understood why Johnny had brought them to this rundown café; even his men looked uncertain. All Tess knew was that it wasn't going to be good.

"So, in summary," Johnny began, his voice dripping with mockery, "I win. You are my gimp forever, I take all your money, beat you, and your mates to a pulp, and my men rape all the women"

Tess scoffed and the rest of the girls seemed pretty concerned too—

Cook shifted, almost imperceptibly. He stepped in just slightly, enough to put himself half in front of her, like it wasn't even a conscious decision. His shoulders squared off toward Johnny, his jaw set tight.

Tess didn't say anything, but the corner of her mouth twitched. She noticed.

"What the fuck did we get ourselves into?!" Emily whispered into Tess's ear.

But luckily one of the men stepped up "Umm boss the lads aren't too keen on you know.... The rape"

"For fuck's sake! I'm talking dangerous! Can nobody talk dangerous any more? Jesus! fucking Bristol. No ambition. No...edge, no style. You know? Provincial." He complained

Thomas straightened in his seat, undeterred. "I'm ready. How do you want to fight?" he replied, a fierce resolve hardening his features.

Johnny leaned forward, his grin widening as he revelled in the chaos. "Promise you. You're gonna shit yourself. Have you ever seen a Naga Jolokia before, Thomas? Hottest chilli on

the planet. It's like being fisted by Joe Calzaghe. And Joe's still got his gloves on. Whoever flinches... is fucked. You."

"Oh, in God's name, no," one of Johnny's men muttered, eyes wide in disbelief.

Pandora gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh god Tommo!"

"Mmm. Delicious," Thomas said, unfazed, a sly smile creeping across his face.

Johnny looked taken aback, his smugness faltering for a brief moment. "What?"

"My mother grows these in our garden," Thomas explained, his tone playful yet firm. "We are forbidden to eat them; she will beat us if we disobey. But boys will be boys. And I am a very naughty boy." He leaned in closer, his gaze unwavering. "If I win, I pay you no money, and you leave me and my friends alone forever. You."

"No fucking way," Katie muttered in disbelief.

Johnny looked like he was about to explode as he reluctantly stuck the fistful of chillies in his mouth. The man's face immediately went red, with his veins popping out of his head Tess couldn't help laugh

"What is that?" one of the men asked, glancing nervously at Johnny.

"He shat himself," another man said, his face contorting in horror.

"Oh. Oh my God. That... that is so humiliating," the first man continued, his voice rising in pitch.

"Right, come on, lads. Let's get out of here," one of Johnny's men said, shaking his head as if to clear the confusion.

"Mate, that is humiliating," another added, wrinkling his nose.

"You can't respect a man who shits himself, can you?" they laughed, their bravado faltering in the face of Thomas's boldness.

As the men started to retreat, Tess couldn't help but admire Thomas's audacity. He had somehow turned the table, at least momentarily.

"Whoo Thomas! Let's fucking go!" Cook shouted, flipping off the horrified looking Johnny White still sitting inside in shock.

Tess never thought she would ever be a witness to fucking Johnny White shitting his pants but she was glad she had been.

"You're amazing Thomas" Pandora said gazing into his eyes

"Seriously, that was crazy." Naomi added

"So what are we gonna do now?"

"I have an idea," Thomas grinned.

-----

Tess felt her body ache with every step, and the thumping in her head matched her wobbling legs. They had one last mission for the night (or morning): getting Thomas a couch. The money they'd made from selling all the weed was supposed to do just that.

Honestly Tess just wanted to fall asleep, she hadn't been home since yesterday afternoon and of course her mum hadn't bothered to call.

"We'll sort the couch, come on Thomas" Naomi grinned, and of course Pandora happily followed.

The group dispersed, some heading to pick up the couch, while the rest wandered over to a park, collapsing on benches and in the grass. Katie and Emily looked like they were having a very heated discussion and Tess certainly didn't want to interrupt that so she went and dropped down next to JJ who was leaning on a bench Freddie was sprawled out on.

"How was your night then J?" She asked, closing her tired eyes.

"I met a girl, at the rave" He said, voice distant like he was reliving the moment

"Well you didn't exactly meet her you just gawked at her the whole night" Freddie added

His tone was soft, like he was still trying to process it himself. "She was... well, she was beautiful. She had long, dark hair, kind of shiny, with these—um—really big eyes. She was wearing a blue dress, and I wanted to show her my magic tricks, but I, uh, I didn't really get the chance. Or, well, I guess I was a bit too... scared."

Tess perked up, her head tilting in interest. "Hang on, did she have two nose rings, one on either side? Kinda short?"

"Come to think of it, she did."

"I think that's Stella, she's in my Psychology class, always asks a million many questions but she's sweet" Tess grinned.

JJ's expression shifted, a mix of fascination and fear. "She seemed... smart. And kind. But I just... I'm not really like Cook or Freddie, am I?" His voice dropped, unsure, his eyes flicking nervously between Tess and Freddie, who was half listening.

Freddie snorted from his spot. "Mate, no one's like Cook, and thank God for that."

Tess laughed. "Honestly, JJ, being like Cook isn't the goal. You don't wanna be like Freddie either." She shot Freddie a teasing look.

Freddie chuckled from his spot on the bench, cracking an eye open. "Oi, I heard that."

Tess smirked. " Anyway, JJ, you don't need to be like them. You're good as you are."

"You really think out of the 3.5 billion girls in the world any one of them would like me, especially someone as beautiful as her?" He asked curiously.

Tess softened, looking at him seriously now. "Yeah, I do. You care, JJ. That's worth way more than just being some player or someone who doesn't seem to give a shit about you. Besides, showing her a magic trick could be your move. It's different, right? Maybe she'll appreciate that."

This time Freddie turned to face them "You know Tess I'm really not liking the shade being thrown at me right now."

"Would you ever... like me?" He asked unexpectedly

Tess blinked, her mind whirring. She hadn't expected that question. "Me?" she repeated, trying to play it cool. "I mean... look, JJ, you're sweet. You're just—" She faltered, not wanting to crush him. "You're like a good friend to me, you know?"

Tess's heart gave a little pang. JJ had that effect—his earnestness cut through all the bullshit, leaving you wanting to protect him from the world.

"You're right," JJ interrupted her thoughts. "You're too hung up on Cook to think about me."

Freddie burst out laughing, completely caught off guard, while Tess's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?!"

Freddie sat up, finally "Good one J."

Tess shot JJ a bewildered look. "Where the hell did that come from? I am not hung up on Cook."

"Yes you are," JJ insisted, his tone matter-of-fact. "I can tell by the way you act around him. One good thing about being mental is I can tell what people are thinking."

Tess glared at Freddie, who was still chuckling. "Oh, for Christ's sake! JJ, I'm not hung up on Cook. He's the last person I would even-"

"Sounds like a real hang-up to me," Freddie teased, clearly enjoying this too much.

Tess crossed her arms defensively, leaning back. "Believe what you want. But JJ, trust me, you've got more going for you than Cook ever will."

JJ seemed to think about it, nodding slowly. "You're probably right."

Freddie grinned, sensing the moment lightening up again. "Oi, JJ, if Tess says you're top-notch, mate, you better start believing it."

Freddie groaned, stretching out again on the bench. "Alright, now that we've sorted JJ's love life, how about we figure out who's gonna haul that tragic excuse for a couch up the stairs?"

Tess laughed, looking over at Thomas, Cook and Naomi as they hauled the saddest-looking couch she'd ever seen across the park.

"Bloody hell," Tess muttered. "That's the couch? We're waiting out here for that?"

Freddie grinned. "Great now who's gonna get it up 5 flights of stairs."

------

After what felt like hours wrestling with the ancient, sagging couch, the group finally managed to drag it up five flights of stairs and into the dingy flat. They collapsed around it, breathless and half-laughing, half-wheezing.

The apartment was far from pretty. The damp floor gave a slight squelch beneath their feet, the lights overhead flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows across the bare walls, and the musty scent of the old carpet mingled with the strong odour of weed. There was barely any furniture to speak of—apart from the sad excuse for a couch they'd just dragged inside.

Katie wrinkled her nose, stepping gingerly over a discarded sock. "This is it?" she muttered, surveying the place like it might infect her.

Tess shot her a warning look, her voice low through gritted teeth. "Katie, don't be rude." She wiped her brow, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and irritation creeping in.

Thomas, always the humble one, gave the couch a hopeful pat as if that might somehow fluff it up. "It's not the most comfortable place I've been, but I am grateful."

Pandora, ever the optimist, bounced on her toes. "Well, I love it Tommo!" She beamed.

Cook, however, was only focused on one thing. His eyes darted around the room eagerly. "Alright, where's that weed you promised us?" His impatience was palpable, fingers twitching as he looked around.

Tess rolled her eyes, pointing over at the table piled high with plastic bags stuffed with green, unmistakable contents. "Can't you smell it, idiot?"

Cook squinted at the table, blinking as if seeing it for the first time. "Right, Tessy, I haven't slept for like a day, so me brain's too scrambled to think straight." He tapped the side of his head pointedly before bolting toward the table like a dog after a treat.

"When is it not?" Freddie muttered, exasperated as he slouched back against the wall.

The group migrated to the table in slow, clumsy waves. Cook lit a joint, took a long, indulgent drag, then passed it with a lazy flick of the wrist. The smoke thickened in the air almost instantly, curling upward like the flat itself was trying to exhale.

Within minutes, everyone had melted into the room. Naomi and Emily were tangled together on the threadbare carpet, giggling at nothing. Thomas sat cross-legged in the corner with a comically oversized bag of doughnuts. Freddie was watching Effy, who was lazily dancing to the beat of the music that thudded out of the half-broken speaker.

Tess flopped onto the couch without thinking, only to realize too late she'd dropped herself right next to Cook. In fact, she hadn't noticed that her leg was practically resting on his until he gave her a lazy grin.

"Oi, Tess, you're sittin' on me," he chuckled, clearly amused.

Their legs were pressed together, his thigh hot against hers. Her breath hitched slightly.

"Shit sorry," Tess mumbled, her cheeks flushing as she realised how close she was. But before she could move, Cook wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer like it was no big deal and just grinned, passing her the joint he'd been smoking.

Thomas, mid-doughnut, suddenly stood up and wandered out of the room without explanation.

"Where's he off to?" Tess mumbled, taking the joint.

"Haven't seen Panda since we got back either," she added, eyeing the hallway suspiciously.

Cook gave her a knowing smirk. "Got a very strong theory on that."

They both burst out laughing, that kind of fuzzy, slightly delayed giggle that comes with being just stoned enough to find everything too funny.

Elsewhere, Katie and Emily, who were surprisingly getting along after earlier tensions, were now up on their feet, swaying to the music in sync with the beat.

"Come on, JJ! Get your arse up!" Katie shouted playfully, tugging at JJ's arm. "Dance with us!"

Emily giggled, pulling on JJ's other arm. "Yeah, come on genius!"

JJ looked absolutely bewildered by the attention. He let himself be dragged toward the middle of the room, wobbling slightly as Katie handed him a bottle of vodka and egged him on.

"Proper legend, that one," Cook replied, eyes half-lidded from the high but still amused as he watched the scene unfold.

"Yeah," she said softly, and for a second, she wasn't sure if the warmth in her chest was the weed or him.

Then she stood abruptly and grabbed his hand. "Come on, lazy. We're joining them."

Cook groaned theatrically. "You'll regret this. I've got moves, Tessy."

But he followed her willingly, letting her tug him toward the makeshift dancefloor. She stumbled a bit—just slightly—Cook steadied her with an arm around her waist, though he wasn't exactly walking in a straight line himself. They were both high, both swaying, grinning like fools. It wasn't graceful. It didn't matter.

Then—

A sudden crash from the hallway.

The mood snapped like a rubber band. Everyone stilled, turning as a shadow filled the doorway.

Standing in the doorway, silhouetted against the light from outside, was who Tess assumed was Thomas's mum, looking absolutely furious. Her arms were crossed, her expression like thunder as she stared into the chaos of the apartment. And to make matters worse, two wide-eyed, innocent-looking kids—Thomas's siblings—stood beside her, looking bewildered and slightly amused.

"Fuck," Tess whispered, eyes widening.

Before anyone could react, Panda suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stumbling out from the other room, completely topless. She blinked up at Thomas's, completely oblivious to the situation.

"You gonna come flipping well jump me now?" Panda slurred "I took my bra off and everything, aren't they fucking amazing?"

She gestured dramatically, exposing herself in full view of Thomas's family.

Thomas's mum let out a sound that was half-scream, half-gasp. She immediately slapped her hands over the kids' eyes. Katie collapsed with laughter. Cook wheezed like he'd been punched.

Panda, realising far too late what was happening, looked from Thomas's mum to the kids and finally seemed to process the situation

"Pack your bags!" Thomas's mum barked, her voice booming through the apartment. "You're all disgusting! Out! Get out of here, all of you!" she shouted, her voice a mix of fury and disdain.

In various states of shock, the group began to stumble toward the door. Naomi looked utterly baffled, Emily was still giggling, and Panda was struggling to get her top back on.

They spilled out into the street and down the hill into a nearby field, wind hitting their faces like a bucket of cold water.

Cook lit a cigarette with shaking hands. "Well, that went tits-up."

"Literally," Freddie deadpanned.

"Chips?" Cook offered, like it was the most natural next step in the world.

"Chips," everyone agreed, voices overlapping in tired, amused harmony.

Katie looped her arm around Emily's shoulder. "Mum's gonna kill us," she said brightly, before hugging Tess briefly.

Naomi glanced at the road ahead. "Yeah, I'm off too."

And just like that, they all peeled off one by one, laughter trailing behind them into the dark.

Tess hung back for a moment, watching Cook. His hair was a mess, his shirt halfway untucked, but he looked at her with that same wild grin. Like the whole disaster had been a bit of an adventure.

She shook her head and smiled back.

God help her, she liked this idiot.

---------

Before long, they were slouched on a curb outside the chippy, scoffing greasy chips straight from the paper. The early morning light washed over them, gold and hazy, softening the edge of the night's chaos. Cook, JJ, and Freddie had wandered off toward the nearby playground, their laughter echoing across the quiet street — up to something stupid, no doubt.

Tess sat cross-legged on the curb, the warmth of the sun a small comfort against her fraying nerves. The high was fading now, leaving her slightly raw but still riding a strange, low hum of contentment. She sat beside Effy and Pandora, greasy fingers dipping into the chips, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion.

Panda wasn't eating. She stared at her chips, barely touching them, her eyes red and puffy.

"She said to pack his bags, like she's kicking him out. What if she doesn't let him stay?" Her voice trembled, clearly shaken by the prospect of Thomas leaving.

Tess nudged her gently. "Look, Panda, she's probably just pissed off. I mean, can you blame her? She walked in on that... mess." Tess waved her hand vaguely, indicating the chaos that had just unfolded. "She'll calm down. Parents are like that—say shit they don't mean when they're angry."

Effy took a long drag of her cigarette, eyes distant as smoke curled around her head. "She'll cool off Panda pops."

Pandora sighed heavily, clearly unconvinced. "But what if she doesn't? What if she really sends him back to Congo? It's all my fault!" She buried her face in her hands, her usual upbeat demeanour cracking under the weight of the situation.

Tess, chewing on her last chip, shook her head. "Nah, Panda. It's not your fault. Besides, it's not like we knew she was gonna show up. You were just—" she paused, suppressing her laughter, "—being yourself."

Effy let out a short laugh through her nose, flicking her cigarette into the gutter.

Pandora gave a half-laugh, wiping her nose. "You think she'll let him stay?"

Effy shrugged. "She will."

Before the moment could settle, a sudden shriek tore through the stillness.

"Cook!"

JJ's voice cracked with horror as he stumbled backwards, trying to yank his joggers up. Cook cackled, arms raised in triumph, having just pantsed him in the middle of the playground.

The girls burst into laughter. Tess nearly choked on her chip, Effy finally cracked a grin, and Panda let out a full belly laugh — the kind that made your ribs hurt.

Cook, grinning like a madman, danced around like he'd just pulled off the best prank in the world.

Freddie, trailing behind, just shook his head, grinning despite himself.

Tess stood, brushing crumbs off her jeans. She stretched her arms above her head, body aching, the adrenaline of the night still burning at the edges of her limbs.

Cook jogged back toward them, breathless from laughing, eyes bright. "Right, who's next? You, Tessy?" He gave her a grin, swaying slightly on his feet.

She stared at him blankly. "Don't even try it, Cook."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said — but there was a flicker of something more in his eyes now. Something that lingered just a second longer than it should've.

"see you lot later," Tess replied, tugging her jacket closer as she walked off.

"See ya!" Cook called out from behind her, voice lighter now.

The streets were still and sun-warmed, but the cold had settled somewhere deeper now. Tess replayed the night on a loop — Thomas rapping in French, Johnny White's threat, Panda topless, Cook pulling her closer on that broken old couch. That last one stuck in her head longer than the rest. His laugh in her ear, his hand at her waist. That stupid, reckless pull between them.

When she rounded the corner to her house, the dread hit — sharp and sudden. Her mum would be waiting. Probably pissed.

Sure enough, Anna was there, still in her dressing gown, a glass of wine in one hand and her phone in the other, standing in the living room like she'd been rehearsing this moment all night.

"Tess, where have you been?" Anna's voice cut through the air, sharp and accusing

"Out," Tess replied, shrugging off her bag and trying to walk past. "It's a Saturday, why does it matter?"

"Thatd not the point I had no idea you were gone!" Anna hissed

"Yeah, well, I'm fine. Clearly."

"You don't get to decide that!" Anna snapped, setting her glass down too hard. "You don't just disappear like that — you're sixteen! Do you even realise what could've happened?"

"I do!" Tess exploded. "More than you think! But you're not allowed to act like you care now. Not when you've spent the last week pretending I don't exist."

Anna's expression faltered. "That's not fair— I've been busy Tess, you know that!"

Tess clenched her fists, her cheeks flushing with anger. "You're always busy! You go out with Paul, and when you're home, you don't even notice me!" Her voice cracked, and she hated that it did. "You didn't care enough last year when I needed you. Why start now?"

Anna's face softened for a moment, a flash of guilt in her eyes. "I'm just worried you're going to end up in a bad place again," she said quietly. "I can't handle that.."

Tess felt a lump form in her throat. "See that's the problem mum you can't handle it? You think it's easy for me?" Tears threatened to spill over, and she blinked furiously to hold them back.

Silence fell between them, heavy and tense. Tess could see the frustration written on her mother's face, and it made her chest ache

"Tess..." Anna started, her tone softer now, but Tess cut her off.

She turned on her heel, rushing upstairs to her room, shutting the door with a thud.

Finally, with no one left to see, the tears came.