Lullaby And Goodnight

I ran faster, and faster, and faster, until I finally reached the top. I leaned over and rested my hands on my knees as I caught my breath. It had taken me five minutes to run up the down escelator. And I was ready for bed. Loz tutted playfully at my puffing and panting as she led me around the store. We raced our way back down the up side when we got bored upstairs. It was just me and her at this point. Mikey stayed behind, knowing we were going to cause some mischief. We stood outside the shop. Holding up a sock to anyone walking past, we were laughing hyserically and generally having fun. I spun round when I heared Loz yelp from behind me. A tall and skinny boy, around seventeen, had slapped the back of her head. He looked a lot like her, except he had ginger hair and was a guy. I thought maybe he was her brother.

"Gerard this is Carl, he's karen's son." She said rubbing the back of her head. He nodded a greeting at me and I just smiled in responce.

"What's with the god damn sock?" Carl asked her, his yorkshire accent sounding a little strange to me.

"I LIKE SOCKS!" Loz growled at him. He sighed and hit her again before running off laughing. She huffed and laughed after him. I thought she'd be mad, all in good humor I guess.

"How old is he?" I asked watching him running off in the opposite direction to Karen's house. She stood beside me and followed my gaze.

"Seventeen. He's been in collage for about a year. He's okay, at least he calls me by my name now." She laughed and tossed the sock into some random person's shopping cart.

"What did he used to call you?" I glanced down at her. Her been a little smaller than me.

"Mongy." She rubbed her head again before grinning up at me.

"Why you interested?" I laughed at her sacrasticly, making her laugh too. Then I gave her a motherly lecture about dating your cousins. She finally shut me up by flicking my ear. I know it sounds stupid, but it was unexpected, so, naturally, I froze and looked a little shocked, I guess I did anyway cause Loz laughed at me. We ended up moving, we were walking towards a bus station that was part of the shopping center and went down some stairs. Well I did, Loz slid down the metal bar and fell off at the end. It's good she can take a joke as I was pissing myself laughing at her. She shook herself off and we continued to race, full speed, down a few back streets and to a field that was infront of a pub called "The Cricketers" and right beside a main road called York Road. But still we raced down, further and further away from Karen's. I didn't care how far away we were, I was having fun with my baby cousin. She raced me over the field and into a little alley that soon opened into a wood. I threw myself onto the ground and ley there puffing and panting. Loz was breathing heavily but she was still on her feet, still laughing at me. I pouted up at her and she grinned back. I looked at her confused.

"Why are you wearing guys clothes?" I asked, still laying on the ground. She looked down at her outfit, dark blue converse, torn and faded blue jeans, a white shirt, and a frmer style shirt over the white one. I also noted her dark blue baseball cap on sideways. I had been here two days and just by going through her wardrobe with her this morning, I saw that she just dressed how she felt this morning.

"They're comfy. And I can get them dirty." She winked and laughed again. I shifted myself so I was crouching down, about to get up but she stopped me and crouched down beside me. She had her hand on my shoulder to prevent me from getting up, and also to stop falling herself. I went to ask her what was wrong but she covered my mouth with her hand and pulled me quickly but silently into the dence trees. I finally understood that she was hiding as I heard loud, tinny music and loud voices. I listened to the quitely. Loz told me why we were hiding, they were just a few teenagers.

"Those kids go to my school. They're 'chavs'. They beat on me everyday." I furrowed my brows and held my arm infront of her protectively as the group of kids came closer. I finally got a good look at them. All were guys. They were in tracksuites with their pants legs tucked into their socks. They had baseball hats on and a lot of chains. Their cell phones were blasting dance music. Just the way they strutted past and the cigerattes they were smoking made me a little nervous. One had staffordshire bull terrier on the end on a choke chain. I gripped Loz tighter as I felt her shaking beneith my touch. She finally led us both out and back along the wood trail. But we came out too early, the guys heard us.

"Hey look! Hey goth. Sacrificed anyone lately?" I felt, and saw, Loz tense up beside me, but instead of letting them get to her, I found out she had a quick wit.

"Well, not since last tuesday, but I think I'v got someone booked for thursday. Why? Do you wanna be on the list?" She looked so serious. The 'chavs' seemed a little taken aback and were lost for words.

"Wrist cutter." I raised my eyebrows at their pathetic attempt at an insult. Loz did the same. She went to retaliate but thought better of herself and continued walking away. But they wern't giving up. They grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. I took the same course of action as I did when Rachael got shoved. Before they could touch her any further, I slammed my fist into his nose, wincing slightly at the painful cracking sound, before running away, dragging Loz with me.