Top Girl

6.

The three of them strolled over to where he stood smoking, he offered each of them a drag but they all objected.

'Just leave him.' Lydia instructed Dris who responded with a furrow of his brows.

'What you sayin, you all right yeah?' Exhaling the smoke from his breath Dris lacked empathy in his voice.

Gem stayed quiet prompting the older man to speak again.

'Look man, it wasn't none of us that killed your dog. Weren't me. Swear down. That dog was a good dog though. What was his name again?'

'Marnie.' Chantelle answered for the upset boy. 'You all right Gem.'

Still he stayed silent but he nodded over to the friendly girl. Compassion laced her tone.

'Look bruv. I'm sorry yeah? How much does one of them dogs even cost anyway?'

Gem shrugged in response prompting Dris to dig into his pocket and pull out a couple of notes, offering them over to Gem as if a new dog would make the situation he was in better.

Ranell spoke up in defence over his friend. 'That ain't even enough for a new dog.'

Lydia liked Ranell, he was a boy with fight in his lungs. And his heart was in a good place.

'Who asked you bruv?'

'Dris. Just go away.' Shaking her head Lydia made sure her voice was more assertive this time.

Taking the hint Dris placed the notes in Gems crossed arms, tucking them in so the money wouldn't fall to the floor before backing away.

Slowly the two boys sulked away. Dris began to open his mouth but was cut off by the feisty young girl.

'Where's sully?' She demanded to know but a quiet Dris just shrugged his shoulders arrogantly making her roll her eyes.

Strutting away from the annoyance she tapped away a text on her phone to Sully.

'Where are you?!'

It was all of five minutes before Sully was ringing her phone repeatedly, obviously thinking there could be a problem with the sudden text.

'Who keeps ringing you?' The girls Lydia had since grouped up with insisted to know.

'No one, gimme a sec.' Departing from the group she waltzed over to a private spot before answering the call. 'Where are you!'

Impolitely she didn't greet the man.

'Lyd! What's wrong?' Concern drizzled over his voice thinking the worst of a situation.

'You promised me!' Her pout was evident even over the phone. He could hear it without seeing it as she stropped.

'What? What are you talking about?' He genuinely seemed confused at her outburst having no clue what promise she was referring to.

'Just meet me at mine in half an hour.' Hanging up the phone she trusted him to show. She was possibly the only person who could mess the assertive man about.

'You're leaving already?' Jessica, a bitchy friend spoke up. 'What are you now, like some sort of drug dealer?' Her scoff resounded in Lydia's ears.

'You're just jealous Jessica because no older man will look your way to feed your daddy issues.'

High pitched 'Oohs' catcalled after the adamant girl but she kept striding off into the distance leaving Jessica looking sour.

Before Lydia even made her way home Sully was already on the door step pacing in angst.

'Lyd! What's going on, are you okay?'

As she walked up the driveway nonchalantly he grabbed her by the shoulders and inspected every part of her. Giving her the once over that all was in order.

'Yes I'm fine. Gem is not!' Like a child she stomped her feet in a temper making Sully's eyebrows raise.

'What's up with Gem?' Innocently he asked.

'Don't pretend you don't know Sully!' Her raised voice made the man look around nervously to check no one was around to see the show.

'Honestly Lyd, I've got no idea what you're on about. I promised you I'd leave Gem and that's what I did!' Taking some steps forward he stood close to her smaller statue.

Lydia looked into his hazel eyes to search for the truth but it really did seem as if he had no idea what she was kicking off over.

'Well someone's killed Marnie.' Sully's eyes went wide with the word 'killed' however he looked confused at the name. 'It's Gem's dog, he adored her.'

Flexing his jaw a couple of times Sully took in the information before speaking. 'Well Dushane has been with me all last night after here and this morning.'

His comment made the murderer clear.
Dris.

'So what? You just go round killing kids dogs? You guys didn't even know if he was the snitch or not!'

'Lydia I'll talk to him later, I promise.' Firmly but not enough to cause pain, he grabbed the young lady's chin and forced her to look at him.

Lydia furrowed her brows at his promise.

'Okay, I'll talk to him now.' With a chuckle he admitted defeated making Lydia pleased with the progress they'd made.

'Did you ring the doctors?' He switched the subject make Lydia roll her eyes. 'Guess that's a no then, I promise I'll ring them for you if you don't'.

She agreed to ring them tomorrow morning just to make him shut up. Why would a doctor need to tell her she's messed up from her early years, it was on show for all to see anyway.