Beneath this tree, p.5
Beneath This Tree, page 5
‘Help yourself,’ Aeron said, trying not to let the unbearable smell twist his face into a grimace.
‘I am,’ Crash replied with a full mouth.
‘Why can I smell onion? I don’t have any onion.’
‘Probably me.’
Aeron quickly removed a can of air freshener from the cupboard and began spraying it around him.
‘Whoa!’ Crash burst. ‘I’m trying to eat here.’
Aeron put the can down, ‘I’m very sorry, I didn’t notice.’
‘Very rude,’ Crash mumbled between chomps.
Aeron’s patience was already wearing thin.
‘Are you going to tell me why you’re here?’
‘Not here,’ Crash replied and then pointed towards the hallway, ‘here. I mean there—in the living room. I need to sit down.’
Crash had already turned his back before Aeron could insist he stay near an open window and away from any furniture. By the time Aeron got to the living room, Crash had already collapsed onto the sofa, sending another waft through the air, so Aeron headed straight for the window and opened it as wide as possible.
‘So come on,’ Aeron started, ‘why are you back?’
Crash shrugged, leaned back into the cushions, and slammed his feet onto the table.
Aeron was pacing by this point. ‘Homesick?’
‘No. I left in the first place because I was sick of home.’
‘Then why? And why are you here? To eat all my food? I think that bread is off by the way.’
‘Tastes good to me. And will you bloody sit down, you’re making me nervous. Am I disturbing your peaceful life in your lovely new home?’
Aeron hesitantly sat on the chair opposite. ‘Wait, how did you know I moved here?’
‘I didn’t. I went to your parents expecting you to still be there. Your dad wasn’t too pleased to be woken up, but he eventually told me where you were when your mum offered me breakfast.’
‘Great. Suppose I’ll be getting a phone call later.’
‘What was I supposed to do? Leave a note?’
‘Well . . . why me?’
‘Because you’re my mate. The only one I ever really had. So I’ll be staying for a bit.’
‘Staying where? Here?’
‘No, with your mum. Of course here. I wish I could stay with your mum.’
‘What? You can’t stay here. Not with G—’
‘Just a couple of days,’ Crash interrupted. ‘I promise.’
‘It’s not as simple as that.’
‘It’s as simple as you make it. Are you really going to send me back out there? Look at the state of me. I have fungus growing between my toes.’
Aeron massaged the top of his nose for a second. ‘Alright. But there are rules.’
‘Lay ‘em on me.’
‘First rule, don’t bang on the door like a serial killer.’
Crash nodded.
‘Second rule, stay out of the fridge, unless given permission.’
Crash nodded once again, though with a little more reluctance.
‘Third rule, don’t piss off Georgia.’
‘Who’s that?’
Aeron stared.
‘What? I’ve been gone years, I can barely remember who I am most of the time.’
‘Are you still calling yourself Crash?’
‘I haven’t been called anything in a while. Nothing you could consider a name at least.’
‘If you hadn’t stopped using your real name in the first place you might not of forgotten. Anyway, we only know one Georgia.’
‘From school?’
‘Well it wouldn’t be from church.’
Crash’s eyes almost rolled into the back of his head as he searched his memory. ‘Georgia . . . Llyn?’
‘That’s her.’
‘No. No way. You’re with her? Really?’
‘Yes, really. We started dating before you even left.’
‘And you didn’t tell me?’
‘You didn’t take an interest, and you disappeared before we could work up to it. We thought you were dead after the first week.’
‘Have a bit more bloody faith in me.’
‘Anyway, we live together now, and I’m pretty sure she still hates you.’
‘What did I do to her?’
‘Just, please, don’t go winding her up.’
Crash sighed. ‘Fine, I won’t. Any more rules?’
‘I’m sure there will be more after I’ve had time to think, but that’s it for now.’
The conversation halted for a few minutes as they both awkwardly looked around the room. Aeron glanced at his watch and began tapping his foot.
‘So, uh, how’s Leo and Chloe doing?’ Crash asked.
‘Your guess is as good as mine. Although . . . ’
‘Although what?’
‘Prepare yourself.’
‘I am bloody prepared, spit it out.’
‘I’ve heard something about Leo dealing coke.’
Crash whipped forward in his seat. ‘What?!’
‘I said I’ve heard—’
‘I know what you said. Where?’
‘Hyman told me the other day. He’s seen me talk to Leo in the past so he asked if I’d look out for him.’
‘Not where you’ve heard it, where he’s dealing coke.’
‘Somewhere near Alpert and Hyman’s is my best guess.’
Crash shot to his feet. ‘That dozy little pillock. And what were you talking to Leo about in the past?’
‘Just whether you’d turned up yet. Gave up asking after a few weeks. That Hyman has a good memory, fair play to him.’
Unbeknown to Crash, Georgia had just pulled up outside. Aeron had heard the car and decided to bury his head in his lap.
‘You alright?’ Crash asked.
Georgia let herself in and shouted, ‘I’m home!’
‘Perfect timing,’ Aeron muttered.
‘What the hell is that stench?’ Georgia bawled as she hung up her coat under the stairs. ‘Aeron? Where are you?’
‘In here!’ Crash shouted, poorly imitating Aeron’s voice, then he stood up and braced himself for impact.
Georgia flinched upon finding Crash standing in the middle of her living room holding a half-eaten stale sandwich. Crash stared at her intensely in a deliberate attempt to freak her out, more than she already was, while also holding back the shock of how much she had changed. She no longer had bright colours in her hair, or thick glasses pinching the top of her nose that always seemed to tip her off balance—either that or she was just clumsy. He knew it was her though. The overuse of dye had left her hair brittle and drained of natural colour, and there was a small indentation either side of her nose where her glasses used to sit.
‘Aeron,’ she said calmly.
‘Yes, my sweet love?’ Aeron replied, lifting his head and feigning courage.
‘Is that who I know it is, just covered in more hair, but hope it somehow isn’t?’
‘Um . . . I believe it is, yes.’
She took in a deep breath, ‘I’m going to bed. I want this mess cleaned up.’
‘I didn’t make a mess,’ Crash interjected.
‘I was talking about you.’
‘Whoa. Rude.’
Georgia backed out of the room.
‘What’s she all uptight for?’ Crash asked. ‘Didn’t she think I was dead? She seems disappointed.’
‘She works night shifts,’ Aeron replied. ‘She’ll be fine after she’s had some sleep.’
‘I don’t think you even believe that, do you?’
‘Nope.’
Shawn Baker was an abnormally tall man whose dress sense corresponded with what teenagers considered fashionable, although his knowledge was outdated by quite a few years. His clothes were two sizes too big, his hair was plastered with gel, and his fingers were cluttered with cheap jewellery. Suffice it to say, he looked like an idiot, and this was Leo’s exact thought as he handed Shawn a small bag of white powder.
They were standing in a small alley behind Alpert and Hyman’s Newsagents. Leo waited nervously as Shawn stared suspiciously at the substance.
‘Can I try it first?’ Shawn finally said.
‘Here? Are you mad?’ Leo replied.
‘How do I know it’s legit?’
‘You’ll have to trust me. I’m giving you a bargain as it is.’
‘Nah, this ain’t right. There’s somefing funny about you.’
Leo held back a laugh. ‘I’m putting my neck on the line for this. I’m trusting you, aren’t I? Goes both ways.’
‘It’s your eyes, they’re too close together.’
‘Not really something I can change.’
Shawn defiantly opened the bag and tasted some of the powder. His face instantly stiffened. Leo quickly took a few steps back as a disgusted Shawn spat into the air.
‘Are you having a fucking laugh?!’ Shawn raged, slamming the bag down on the ground.
‘Not your brand?’
‘Now you’re just taking the piss.’
Leo knew his legs were at a serious disadvantage against Shawn’s long limbs, so running would have been pointless. Another option was to put up a fight, but the odds were against him winning due to lack of experience. The longer Leo pondered, the more likely it seemed that the choice would be made for him. Shawn wiped his tongue with the sleeve of his jacket and then turned his attention back to Leo. He shifted forward, trying to get within arm's reach, but before he could make Leo’s mind up for him, a small stone struck the back of his shoulder.
‘What the fuck!’ Shawn screamed, spinning around.
A man stood at the entrance of the alley pretending not to have noticed either of them.
‘Oi! Did you just chuck a stone at me?’
The man looked their way, revealing his face, and the sound of the wind, trees, and distant cars faded into a murmur as Leo froze in shock. He was almost certain he was looking at a face he thought he’d never see again.
‘Me?’ Crash replied. ‘No. It just fell out of the sky.’
Leo’s ears confirmed what his eyes couldn’t. His hands trembled slightly. There was no doubt it was his brother’s voice, but it belonged to a face that only bared a small resemblance to what he remembered.
‘Fink you’re funny do you?’ Shawn fumed. ‘Chicken-fucking-little. Lot of comedians around these days.’
‘You’re one to talk looking like that.’
‘What’s wrong wiv how I look?’
‘Come off it. I don’t usually care about looks and all that, I’m wearing three outfits and haven’t washed for months, but Christ—I can’t tell whether you’re a stack of kids in disguise or a midget on wooden stilts.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘It means you’re a walking circus act.’
Shawn clenched his fists and flared his nostrils. It was a decent attempt to mask his embarrassment, but Crash had already noticed the flush in his cheeks that had replaced his pale complexion.
‘I’ll give you free seconds to walk away,’ Shawn said through gritted teeth.
A discrepancy in his voice only weakened his bid to intimidate. Crash had a tendency to disregard even the most imposing of threats, failing to foresee any consequences that may follow, and so he took two steps forward without the slightest hint of hesitation.
‘Are you going to count to three?’ Crash asked. ‘Or should I?’
Reluctance grew in Shawn as he realised that this feral man standing before him had little to lose, but he couldn’t back down now, he lacked the common sense to do so.
‘One,’ Shawn said while taking a step forward.
‘You sure you know which number comes next?’ Crash mocked.
‘Two,’ Shawn replied, along with another step.
‘Oh, well done.’
There was a brief pause as they glared at each other. Leo was still in a state of disbelief as he looked on at the awkward standoff.
‘Free!’ Shawn burst forward but stopped almost immediately as Crash removed a multi-tool knife from his pocket and unfolded the blade.
‘Now I’ll give you “free” seconds to get the hell out of here,’ Crash said.
‘Or what, short-arse? You planning on peeling some spuds wiv that little fing? Or you just gunna scratch at my shins?’
‘Well I’ll start at your shins, then work my way up. I’m sure I’ll find something to peel.’
‘Like what?’
‘Do I really have to spell this out for you?’
‘I ain’t got a pen.’
‘For God’s sake—I’m going to cut off your balls if you don’t leave.’
They both slowly circled around each other until they had switched places. Shawn looked away from Crash and stared at Leo with his best effort to unnerve him.
‘You better watch your back,’ Shawn said. ‘The bowf of you.’
‘For what?’ Crash replied.
‘Me.’
‘Who?’
‘Me!’
‘You?’
Shawn frowned. ‘Are you taking the piss?’
‘It seems that way.’
Shawn slowly backed away while holding firm eye contact with Crash. During his misplaced concentration, his heel hit a stubborn rock and sent him to the ground. Fortunately, he was too busy stumbling back to his feet to notice Crash's smirk, else his humility might have taken a hit similar to what his arse just sustained. Once he was back on his feet and stable, Shawn stood straight and held up his chin with the hope he could retain some dignity, but by the looks he received from Leo and Crash, there was nothing left of it to salvage. He turned to hide the despair gathering in his eyes and then disappeared around the corner.
Crash folded his knife and slipped it back into his pocket. As he turned to approach Leo, he stepped on the small bag of white powder. With a shake of the head accompanied with a sigh, he picked up the bag and brought it to his nose. The smell was immediately placed, and Crash took a moment to laugh at the situation before launching the bag at Leo, hitting him square on the nose and spraying powder across his cheek.
‘Washing powder?!’ Crash bellowed. ‘I just threatened to castrate someone over some fucking Persil?’
Leo wiped down his face, and calmly replied, ‘Daz.’
‘What?’
‘It’s Daz,’ he repeated, a little more impatient this time.
‘What’s the bloody difference?’
‘It’s non-biological.’
Crash slowly moved in closer to Leo with a disapproving shake of his head. ‘Why?’
‘I’m allergic to biological enzymes.’
‘Not the powder! Why’re you out here trying to pass that off for cocaine?’
‘Why are you out here waving a knife around?’
‘You need to stay away from guys like that.’
‘What’s the worst that could happen? You saw him.’
‘He might’ve looked like a clown, but you don’t know what he’s capable of. And besides that, if someone caught you out here . . . well, getting kicked out of school would be the least of your problems.’
‘Firstly, I’m in college now. And secondly, why do you even care? You got kicked out of college yourself.’
‘No, I walked out. Big difference.’
‘Just like you walked out on us. But you’re right, there’s a big difference between giving up and failing.’
‘Don’t start with that shit. I didn’t give up, you know who drove me out. And you must remember that day.’
‘Yeah, I remember, but I still don’t understand any of it.’
‘It’s probably best that way.’
‘There’s a surprise,’ Leo remarked, then he turned away and started towards the exit of the alley.
‘Do you have somewhere to be?’ Crash asked.
‘Yep.’
‘And where’s that?’
‘Wherever you aren’t.’
Crash jogged up to his side and started walking with him. ‘That’s going to be difficult.’
‘Why’d you decide to even come back?’
‘I flipped a coin.’
‘You left it down to a coin? And I was beginning to think you might actually care for once.’
‘I do care.’
Leo chuckled. ‘I’ve heard that one before.’
They left the alley and turned onto the street side by side. Leo’s steps were broad and measured, but Crash’s were small and hurried. This was because Crash, despite being quite a bit older than Leo, was the shorter of the two. He seemed to take after his mum in that regard, while Leo took after his dad. However, this wasn’t a consistent trend, as Leo’s eyes shared the same shade of green as his mum’s, but Crash’s eyes were a very similar brown to his dad’s, though a little lighter.
Silence quickly grew between them. Leo watched his feet while Crash stared at the clouds. They both had plenty of questions to ask each other, but neither of them knew where to start.
‘How’s Chloe?’ Crash asked after sorting through his thoughts.
‘You know what she’s like. She gets on better than any of us.’
‘And Mum?’
Crash didn’t get a response, so he looked to his side but only found the pavement. He spun around and saw Leo sitting on a garden wall a few feet away.
‘What’s wrong?’ Crash asked.
Leo slowly looked up, ‘she’s gone.’
‘What d’you mean, gone?’
‘She left. She got so sick of Carson’s drinking and then . . . she was just gone one morning.’
Crash couldn’t make sense of it, so he sat down on the wall, keeping himself at a distance, and contemplated it further.
Leo stood up and looked down at him. ‘I guess she just followed your example.’
4th August 2008
Crash sat down at the far end of the table and looked at the piece of cod on his plate. Carson stared from the opposite end of the table, clawing at the stubble on his chin. Crash was aware of his taunting gaze but chose not to acknowledge it. The tension went unnoticed by Leo and Chloe, who were sitting together at the side of the table scoffing down their peas and carrots.
‘Thanks for starting without me,’ a voice said.
Leo and Chloe looked up at their mum, Anna Wells, who had entered the room carrying a plate of food.
‘We were hungry,’ Leo said with a burp.
