England's Dreaming

Nev peered out of the glass doors at the cold grey sky overtaken by dark storm clouds and the sheets of rain they hurled down onto the ground with thunderous roars accompanied by flashes of lightning. It was enough to drown anyone's spirits. Literally.

The rain had been plaguing the summer since June, never once showing any sign of mercy for the soaked and despairing nation. He was used to awful weather, but not like this. He was convinced it was trying to flood itself into oblivion: to wipe the fallen and failing empire off the map once and for all. If the island sunk, he wouldn't miss it. He'd never liked it here anyway.

He felt a light tap on the side of his arm, snapping him out of his gloomy thoughts. He looked over at the boy sat next to him on the bench, fidgeting with the straw in his drink.

"Wanna hear a joke?" he asked.

Nev shook his head. "Not really."

But he had already begun telling it. "Why'd they use to say the sun never sets on the British empire?"

"Is this gonna be racist in any way?"

"'Cause the sun never rises in Britain to begin with!"

Jezza Smith fancied himself quite the comedian sometimes, even if his jokes never really were all that funny. Nev half-heartedly forced a weak smile and turned his gaze back to the puddle-lined streets outside. The pavement seemed permanently darkened by the constant precipitation. He wasn't expecting a warm summer by any means, but he didn't expect such a wet one either.

Just then, a curious blur of colour on an otherwise drab day appeared in the distance and Nev had to squint to make out what it was. As it got closer, he started laughing.

"What?" Jez asked. "That joke finally sink in?"

He just pointed out the door and waited for Jez's eyes to fall upon the sight he found so amusing.

Jez groaned. "You've got to be kiddin' me."

Nev did his best to bite his tongue and compose himself as a young boy in the ugliest cardigan he had ever seen came hurrying through the glass doors to escape the heavy rain. He quickly closed the umbrella he was carrying and took a second to shake off as much excess water from it as he could without looking like a wet dog attempting to try itself off. Nev glanced over at Jez, who was simply shaking his head at the boy.

"It's like he raided Bill Cosby's wardrobe," Jez said.

Nev couldn't help but laugh at that and hiding his snickers became difficult as the boy approached them. The bottoms of his jeans were soaked from the rain and the way he walked reflected his discomfort.

"Sorry," the boy in the hideous cardigan apologised, slightly out of breath. "Had two cavities." He held up two fingers. "Two!" He tried adjusting his trouser leg that was sticking to his skin. "And my mum told him might as well just fill 'em while we're there." He shook his leg slightly, trying to loosen the damp denim's hold from him to no avail. "I told her I have plans. I was supposed to meet you guys here at three, but she don't listen. She never listens to a word I say." He tugged at the fabric attached to him one last time before finally giving up and letting it cling to his leg. "Stupid jeans," he muttered.

Nev and Jez exchanged a curious look and Nev had to cover his mouth with his hand to conceal his smile while Jez eyed the boy over.

"Nice cardigan, Sim," Jez said sarcastically.

"Shut up," Sim grumbled.

"Your mum dress you today too?"

Jez reached out to grab Sim's oversized sleeve to examine the wild pattern of his clothing, but he smacked Jez's hand away. "When's it gonna warm up finally?" He turned his gaze to Nev, like there was no point in conversing with Jez. "Wettest summer on record, y’know."

It took everything in Nev not to burst out laughing at the poor, pathetic sight standing in front of him in wet clothing and an equally dampened mood.

"Other places actually get heat in summer," Sim continued whinging.

"Hey, why'd they used to say the sun never sets on the British empire?"

Nev rolled his eyes as he stood from the bench. "Give it a rest, Jez."

Sim and Jez followed the oldest boy's lead as he began walking through the shopping centre. Not that any of them particularly wanted to be there, wasting an afternoon walking in circles to hopefully alleviate their boredom of being cooped up inside for two months, but the weather wasn't exactly providing them with an array of alternative options. They had done almost everything they could think of around town and at least loitering around the shops was better than sitting home doing nothing.

"What're you drinkin'?" Sim pointed to the cup in Jez's hand.

"Bubble tea."

"Yeh," Nev scoffed. "He's been tryin' to drink it for the last hour."

He couldn't see Jez walking behind him, but he had a feeling, knowing his friend all too well, that the look he was certainly giving him was anything but amiable. He felt lucky that all of Jez's attempts to develop heat vision as a child never paid off.

"It's these stupid little tapioca balls," Jez defended himself as he used the straw to scrape at the balls settled on the bottom of the cup. "They keep gettin' stuck in the straw. I can't suck 'em up."

"What was that? You can't suck the balls?" Nev teased and Sim laughed along with him. "Sounds like you need to take lessons from Callum."

"Hey," Jez tried to get Nev's attention. "Hey, Nev." He tapped him on the arm, harder than before. "Nev, look." When he finally turned around, he was greeted with a two finger gesture. "Go fuck yourself."

He laughed at how easy it was to take the piss out of Jez. The three of them carried on walking passed the collection of shops, not so much as glancing in their windows. They were just walking with no direction or purpose in mind other than passing the time.

"Where is Call anyway?" Sim asked as he took the bubble tea out of Jez's hand for a sip.

"Paki bashin' probably."

"Jez!" Nev quickly scolded him.

"What? He's gone absolutely mental. It's like he can't decide he if he's bummin' 'em or beatin' em."

It wasn't abnormal to make jokes at Callum's expense, especially when he wasn't around, but it seemed like that everyone had been tiptoeing on egg shells around him for months and speaking in hushed whispers for fear of his irrational reactions. He had gone off the rails and no one knew if he was ever going to sort himself out again.

"A little of both," Nev joked to lighten the mood and smirked at Jez.

Jez smiled. "Kinky."

If anyone missed Callum the most, it was certainly Jez, but he had to admit that it wasn't a recent development. He felt like he had lost his lifelong friend years ago. He looked like the same old Callum. He talked the same shit, he had the same dangerous attraction to trouble, and he was as unpredictable as ever, but there was something about him that hadn't been the same since 2010.

All the constant reminders were just helping to keep the Callum everyone grew up with at bay. All the songs on the radio, all the stories floating around in the tabloids, all the merchandise in stores, interviews on television, even the Olympic ceremony. Normal people could fall out with someone and not have to deal with seeing the person who destroyed them everywhere they went, but not Callum. He couldn't escape the one person he desperately needed to get away from unless he dropped off the face of the earth entirely, and, as awful as the thought was, Jez was beginning to wish he would, for everyone's sake.

Nev stopped abruptly and stuck his arm out to block Jez from moving forward. A crowd of young girls was gathering in front of them. Normally, none of them would complain of such a thing, but among all the camera flashes and the indistinguishable mess of noise that was surely echoing through the entire centre, they could hear his name being called from all directions.

Zayn.

That one simple name stirred memories from the depths of their minds where they thought they had safely buried them. It didn't need a surname attached to it. It was distinctive enough to them that if they were to ever meet another person with that name, he would be the only thing that came to mind.

Nev and Sim exchanged an apprehensive look, but Jez's expression was completely blank. His eyes were glazed over with apathy and his normal liveliness had vanished into thin air. He spotted the source of everyone's excitement moving through the crowd and locked on to him like a sniper on his target.

"What's he doin' back?" Sim quietly asked. "I thought he moved down to London permanently."

"Charity work," Jez spat. "Minglin' with the peasants. Someone give him an award for his contributions to humanity."

Jez had more venom in him than a snake and it was dripping off every sarcastic word that left his mouth. Nev knew well enough that he wouldn't hesitate to sink those poisonous fangs into Zayn either if he got close enough to strike him.

Nev grabbed Jez's arm and tried to urge him the other way, away from all the commotion and, most importantly, away from a fight that was two years coming.

"Nev?"

He froze at the sound of his name being called, barely audible over the chatter surrounding him, but loud enough that he couldn't mistake it.

The voice got louder. "Neville Draizen?"

"Shit," Nev cursed under his breath at the mention of his full name.

Jez's jaw clenched tightly and he let out a low growl. "This is exactly why Call and I never let you come when we snuck into places." He jabbed his index finger into Nev's chest. "You stick out like a fuckin' sore thumb."

Nev pointed to himself. "Me? I'm not the one that had a rainbow throw up on me jumper." He gestured to Sim standing next to him.

Sim took offence. "Hey!"

A hand on his shoulder made Nev's whole body tense up.

"Hey, Nev, is that you?"

His first reaction was to shrug the hand off and instantly step back into the safety of his friends behind him. Zayn jumped slightly, startled by Nev's response to his touch. A wave of discomfort crashed over him as he was greeted by the scrutinising gazes of the familiar boys. Their cold stares and judgemental silence made the Asian boy feel like an intruding outsider. Everything in him was telling him to back away and he couldn't understand why. Unfortunately, he was used to English boys letting him know that he didn't belong on their turf, but not these English boys: not his own friends.

Seeing the pop star's surprised expression, Nev felt a pang of guilt for his harshness and faked a polite smile. "Alright, Zayn."

Zayn smiled back. "Simon, Jez." He nodded to them. "Great to see you guys."

"Sucks seein' you," Jez mumbled under his breath and Nev was quick to pinch the back of his arm to shut him up. "Ow."

"How you guys been?" Zayn asked them.

"Fabulous." Jez's voice was dry and cynical. "Workin' for me dad, makin' minimum wage, not goin' to uni. I'm just super. Wanna ask more questions?"

"Jezza —"

"You've always been jealous, Jeremy," Zayn shot back before Nev could intervene.

As soon as Jez moved an inch, Nev had him pinned back against the wall with his arm across the younger boy's chest. He could feel his friend's heavy breathing, watching his arm move up and down as Jez inhaled and exhaled rapidly in rage. If it weren't for all the people watching, he might've let Jez go. Nev didn't normally condone violence, but for Zayn, he was willing to turn the other cheek and make an exception.

Jez struggled against Nev's hold, but ultimately knew that he wasn't getting free until Nev willingly let him go. They always considered Nev's size a great asset to them. No one ever wanted to mess with them growing up as long as Nev was around. His height alone was intimidating enough, but he had the strength to back it as well. Jez wasn't weak by any means, but he had no hope of overpowering the six foot three ginger pressing his body to the wall with ease.

Accepting that, he stopped squirming to get free, although he never took his stern glare off Zayn.

"I'd shut my mouth if I were you, Malik," he snapped. "I've got shit on you that would end your shiny little pop career so fast you'd be back here permanently and who's gonna protect you from gettin' your pretty face smashed in now?"

Nev increased the pressure of his arm on Jez's chest, holding him tighter to the wall. He was careful not to apply too much force. He didn't want to hurt the lad, just keep him from hurting Zayn.

"Alright, Jez, chill out," he tried to calm him down.

Jez reached up with both hands to pry Nev's arm off him. He shoved the giant back and stormed by Zayn, purposefully bumping shoulders with him as he walked a couple feet away with fists clenched in frustration.

Suddenly, he turned around. "Oh, and Zayn?" he called.

"What?" Zayn spat.

All hostility faded from Jez's voice and his expression turned solemn when he said, “You best not go lookin' for Callum if you don't wanna get your skull bashed in."

Zayn quickly searched Nev's face for an explanation, only to be met with avoidance. Simon stood silently to Nev's side for protection, eyes glued firmly to the ground and not daring to speak a word. Even Jez, who had been staring down Zayn since he first saw him, no longer possessed the ability to meet his gaze. Zayn couldn't say he was expecting a warm welcome from his former mate, but he was still convinced there was no way Callum would ever hurt him.

"Come on, Sim," Nev broke the awkward silence with a near whisper.

He took Sim by the sleeve and led him past Zayn like a child, careful not to get too close to the Pakistani boy as they rejoined Jez and began walking away as quickly as they could. They just wanted to get out of there and go back to spending their days at home. At least they couldn't run into friends turned foes in their own houses.

Once they were safely out of sight of Zayn and the crowd of eager fans he had amassed, Sim asked, "You think he'll be stupid enough to go round there?"

Jez sighed. "Always has been."

Simon cautiously held out Jez's drink for him, silently asking if he wanted any, but Jez just shook his head.

"Nah, I'm alright."

While the three of them headed for the nearest exit, Nev dug into his pocket to retrieve his mobile phone and scroll through his contacts. He held the phone tightly to his ear in an attempt to drown out all the noise in the shopping centre as it began ringing and no sooner than it started was he greeted with the prerecorded message. Forwarded to voicemail: that didn't surprise him one bit. He waited for the beep to begin speaking.

"Hey, Call, it's Nev. Just wanted to let you know Malik's back in town."