Bagheads Read online

  “Tell ya what son, you give a great wank. Shame it’s over ya little gay twat,” Ged quivered and stood shaking from head to toe. The light was poor but you could see tears streaming down his face. As the light from outside the bedroom door shone in all he could see was the shadow of his uncle leaving. Ged flung himself onto his bed and watched the door like a lion waiting for its prey.

  The sound of his uncle opening and closing cupboards could be heard and each time he heard a bang in the next room his body shook. Finally the front door slammed and he dived to the window to see the back of Mike leaving carrying a few bags to his car. His heart pumped inside his chest and he cried with relief. Still holding the knife in his grip he felt strong and in control for once in his life. His head sunk to the pillow and for hours he sat looking at the door, but his uncle never came back. Ged never slept a wink all night.

  “Mike, come on I’ve brewed up and I want ya to go and get the papers so I can check my bingo numbers,” Sheila banged on the bedroom door and slowly opened it. Mike’s bed was empty and she could now see it hadn’t been slept in. Ged was wide awake and looked directly at his mother’s face as she spoke.

  “Orr fucking hell Mike where the fuck are you?” her body moved around the bedroom seeing if he was lay on the floor. She sighed. “Bet ya with that dirty little tramp down the road again..” His mother raised her eyes at Ged and asked him would he run to the newsagents instead. As he agreed she walked over to him and she could see blood on his hands. She grabbed his hands.

  “Where’s all the blood from?” her eyes glanced round the bedroom and she could see more evidence of blood all over the carpet.

  “Orr for fuck’s sake. What have you done now? I hope you haven’t been hurting yourself.” Sheila quickly gripped his hands and rolled his sleeves up. Her actions were frantic as she checked all across his body. Once she was sure he wasn’t hurt she looked at him with a screwed up face. “If you’re not hurt, where’s the blood from?”

  Ged thought quickly and told her Mike had had a nose bleed during the night. He told her he was drunk and he remembered him falling all about the bedroom. Sheila sighed and that seemed to be enough to set her mind at rest. She urged him to hurry up and get ready to go to the shop. Once she had left the room he got ready quickly and slid the knife down his sock. This was his new friend now and no one would ever hurt him again.

  His uncle Mike never returned to their house again. His mother still couldn’t understand how he could leave the family without saying goodbye. Ged was a changed person now and everyone had noticed how different he was. Even his sisters stopped bullying him as they saw a look in his eyes that scared them. Ged had previously got hold of his oldest sister and pulled a knife on her telling her if she ever messed with him again he would stab her up. The message he sent to her seemed to work because from that day forward she never picked on him again. In fact they became quite close. Ged was now part of the family and his dark days of being a loner were over.

  The kids on the estate feared Ged and his street cred was high. He was known as ‘the rusty blade’ but no one ever told him this because they knew he would slice them up at the drop of a hat. Ged met some older boys and he was now in their circle of trust. They give him a mobile phone and set him up selling drugs on the estate. The other lads all had smart cars and the best clothes. Ged wanted to be part of it. As he sat in the cars with them collecting the drugs he knew one day that it would be him sat behind the steering wheel looking the way they did.

  At first, he only sold weed. Ged sometimes smoked it himself but generally he couldn’t be arsed with getting stoned all the time. His personal look had got a lot better. Within a few months his old image had changed. He now wore smart clothes and even had a few lads selling drugs for him. The phone never stopped ringing and he was always on his mountain bike delivering somewhere or other.

  Ged’s mother never seemed bothered that he was dealing drugs and sometimes she would even ask him for a spliff to calm her nerves. His pockets were never empty. He secretly loved the power he felt over his customers. Some of them even brought gold necklaces and stereos, to exchange for drugs. Ged would always knock them down in price as he knew they were desperate for drugs and ended up with some great bargains. One of his prize bargains was the thick gold chain he wore round his neck. It was his pride and joy. He always wore it hanging out over his clothing for everyone to see.

  Reece was the main supplier of drugs in Harpurhey and he took a shine to Ged. He let him ride round in his sport car and often took him out for something to eat. The way Ged felt as he sat in the car was unreal. He felt important and looked at all his friends as he drove past them nodding his head. Reece had told him he could start earning some proper cash if he wanted to, but it would mean he would be selling brown. Ged had questioned him when he’d mentioned the word brown and wasn’t sure what he meant. Reece lit a spliff and leant back in the car as he started to tell him.

  “Brown is smack, you nob. HIt’s where the big cash is these days. You can earn some big bucks if ya fancy it?” Ged didn’t really understand what it was, but the thought of earning more cash and getting a smart car made his eyes light up.“Yeah, fucking dead right I will. I want to get some proper cash earned now and fuck off from around here.” Reece told him he would sort out a phone and told him about the kind of customers he should expect. He chuckled as he spoke.

  “The smackheads will do owt for gear. They would steal your eyes and come back for the sockets, the dirty bastards.” Ged watched Reece skinning up. Reece was twenty-five years old and mixed race. His hair was cut short. Ged loved the patterns he’d had shaved in the side of his head. They looked like waves. Reece started telling him the perks of selling drugs.

  “When I was selling heroin I even got offered sex from the girls.” Reece’s head rested on the car seat as he flicked the ash from the spliff. “Fuck that mate. I wouldn’t touch ‘em with a bargepole,” he sniggered. Reece’s nudged him in the waist and winked at him. “Mind you, I have to admit. I did get my cock sucked a few times off em when I first started out selling.”

  Ged laughed with him. He was still a virgin and the thought of someone sucking him off interested him. They now spoke of where he was going to sell the smack and Reece told him he wanted to set up a new phone in Blackpool. Ged looked shocked that he wanted him to go so far from home, but Reece grabbed his leg and explained further.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll look after ya. There’s already a few kids up there selling for us. You’ll have somewhere to stay and a few runners to deliver it for you. When can you go up?” Ged was a bit scared, but he wanted to impress Reece and tilted his head to the side.

  “Erm, anytime. I’ll just tell my mam I’ve got a bit of a job up there that’s all. She won’t be arsed anyway. I think she will be glad to see the back of me.” Reece nodded and took him to buy a new pair of trainers. He had him in his grasp now and wanted to keep him sweet. Selling smack carried a big jail sentence, but never once did he tell Ged how much it would affect his life if he was ever caught.

  The following day Ged packed a small sports bag with some clothes inside it. He sat nervously waiting for Reece to come. As he heard him honking his horn outside his house he stood up and looked through the window.

  “Right mam I’m off. I should be back at weekend.” His mother never batted an eyelid and just sat in the armchair watching some chat show that was on. He repeated himself. “Mother! I said I’m off. See you at weekend,” she now turned to him as she stubbed her cig out in the ash tray.

  “Yeah I heard you. Make sure you behave ay.” Ged smiled as he picked his bag up from the floor and threw it over his shoulder.

  “You know me mam, I always behave.” They both smiled and Ged left the house and headed to the car. He could hear the music pumping and loved that his neighbours could see him getting into the big flash car. As he stepped out of the gate he saw a girl he’d fancied for years. Lauren had gone to the same school as him and was quite po
pular among the lads. She had a great figure and her raven black hair always shone brightly. Ged wished he could tell her how he felt about her, but for now all he could manage was a quick hello. He watched as she walked past and laughed at the things he’d done to her in his fantasies. He always masturbated about her. He could see her turn her head as he got into the car and smiled knowing he would have her one day.

  As the car pulled away they drove past her and their eyes met again. Getting Reece to slow down, he asked where she was going and did she want a lift. He could see she was interested, but she pointed to her friend who was waiting for her just a bit further up the street. Driving away he blew her a kiss. He felt confident and on top of the world.

  The drive to Blackpool took an hour. The traffic wasn’t that bad and he couldn’t wait to see the landmark that was Blackpool tower. He remembered going on school trips there and how all the kids were sat up in their seats shouting saying they could see the tower. He had to remain calm when he first noticed the tower in the distance and quickly mentioned it to Reece in conversation.

  “Oh there’s the tower, Not been up here for ages.” Ged turned his head to the signpost. “Not long now then is it.” Reece agreed and told him they should be there in fifteen minutes. The music was turned up full now and the windows were wound down. They both sat singing the tunes on the radio and Ged was miming the words.

  The area was nothing like Ged expected. The times he’d been to Blackpool before, he’d only ever stayed on a caravan park. The houses he saw in front of him looked old. The estate itself looked rundown. He could see a few lads sat about on a wall. As they drove past them their eyes met for a few seconds. Reece pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and dialled the number.

  “Yo it’s Reece. I’ll be there in five so open the door.” He threw his phone on his lap and continued driving. When they pulled up outside their destination he parked up and gave Ged the nod to follow him. Ged grabbed his bag and slammed the car door shut. There were a few kids playing on the street. They looked dirty and neglected.

  A woman opened the door and let them in. As soon as they walked through the front door Ged could smell wet dog. He screwed his face up and hoped things would get better. As they entered the front room three men were sat there and a young girl who only looked around seventeen years of age. She looked pretty but as he looked closer he could see she looked stoned or something. Her blonde hair was clipped from her face and her big blue eyes stared vacantly at him. They sat down and Reece introduced the newcomer to the group.

  “This is Ged. He’s looking after things for a while.” Ged stood tall and nodded his head as Reece continued. “I want you to show him the ropes and look after him.” The young girl smiled and chuckled.

  “I’ll look after him don’t you worry.” Reece shook his head as she spoke.

  “Ay dirty knickers. Just leave him alone. He’s only been here five minutes and you’re trying to get into him.” The girl smiled and introduced herself as Emma. Ged grinned at her. Reece stayed for around half an hour and the phone the other man had in the room never stopped ringing. Ged couldn’t make out what he was saying. The man sitting opposite him would just answer the phone and ask a few questions. He listened more carefully to the call.

  “So you want one brown, two white and a stone? Right be outside the phone box in ten.” Ged looked at Reece for answers as it was obvious he didn’t have a clue what different drugs the slang was used for. Reece held his shoulder and spoke to him like a teacher to his student.

  “Right. Brown’s fucking heroin. A stone is crack and white is cocaine. Do you get it now?” Ged nodded as they all laughed. Reece now stood and gave Ged the eye to follow him. Ged walked him to the front door as Reece whispered under his breath.

  “Right, watch them fuckers like hawks.” His eyes focused on Emma as his head turned back to the front room. “Especially that little slapper over there. She would do anything for drugs, trust me mate.” Grabbing his arm before he left he joked with him. “Ay get a suck off her, she’s not bad.” Reece winked and ruffled his hair leaving him to go back into the front room. The others told him where his room was and Emma was all over him like a rash. She started grabbing his stuff from the floor.

  “Come on I’ll help with that.” Ged picked up his bag and followed her as she led him upstairs. The hallway carpet was tattered and torn and stunk of cat piss. It looked like it hadn’t been hoovered for years. The wallpaper was hanging from the walls and the whole staircase looked dirty. Emma opened the bedroom door and kicked it open with her foot. She let Ged pass her and followed him inside.

  The room had a double-bed in the middle of it and a wardrobe with no doors on it. Ged walked over to the window and looked outside. All he could see were houses and a few gardens. Emma lay on the bed. As Ged turned round from the window she patted the bed for him to sit down. His heart pumped inside his chest as he remembered what Reece had told him. Emma fluttered her eyelids as she spoke to him.

  “Bet you’re hungry aren’t you? Have you had anything to eat?” Ged shook his head. “Tell ya what give us some money and I’ll run to the chippy for you. It’s only around the corner it shouldn’t take me five minutes.” Ged searched his tracksuit bottoms and pulled out a twenty pound note. Emma’s eyes lit up. She stood up from the bed and fidgeted.

  “What do you want then?” He sat thinking as he watched her swaying at the side of him. She looked agitated.

  “What’s the curry like up here?” Emma told him it was nice and quite spicy. He quickly made up his mind.

  “Get me meat pie, chips and gravy. Oh get me a buttered muffin as well and a can of coke.” Emma couldn’t wait to get the money off him. As soon as it was in her grasp she was off out of the room. She shouted to him as she left.

  “Meat pie, chips and gravy, yeah?” Ged shouted

  “Yeah,” Emma mumbled over her shoulder as she ran down the stairs and out the front door.

  Ged lay on the bed. He quickly shoved his hands down his boxers and felt his nob. As his hand came out of his boxer shorts he brought it up to his nose and sniffed his fingers. He mumbled to himself with a big grin spread across his face.

  “Smells okay that. Fucking hell, I’m gonna get a suck. I just know I am.” As he giggled, he lifted the blankets to his nose. His face changed as the smell of sweaty feet filtered his nose. He quickly stripped the bed and ran downstairs to the others. He held the dirty bedding in his grip before he passed it over to Johnny.

  “Have you got anymore bedding? This lot stinks of cheesy feet.” Johnny sat scratching his head and told him to tell Emma to check the box room, as that’s where all the bedding was kept. As Ged told them Emma had gone to the chippy for him they both started laughing. Johnny sighed.

  “No fucking way did you give her money?” Ged looked gutted and nodded his head.

  “Yeah I’ve give her twenty quid. She said she would go for me. It was her idea.” Johnny stood up and started to go upstairs. He stood with his hand on the door frame and smiled.

  “Listen mate she’s had you over. Emma will do owt for a quick fix. She’s not gone to any fucking chippy for you .She’s probably tooting as we speak.” Ged was angry and ran up the stairs behind Johnny.

  “Where the fuck does she go? I’ll fucking twist the dirty little slag up, thinking she can have me over.” Johnny opened the door to the box room and started searching for some clean bedding. He tried to calm him.

  “She will come back later mate. She always does. There is no point searching for her. She will give you some excuse but once bitten twice shy, ay. At least you know for the future.” His head lifted from the floor and he winked at Ged. “I’m sure she will pay you back in some way or another.” Johnny laughed out loud and Ged knew exactly what he meant. He grabbed the bedding and headed back in the bedroom ranting under his breath.

  Using his hands he cleared the mattress of any debris. He placed his nose to the mattress and inhaled. Checking his bag he pulled out some deodora
nt and sprayed it all over it. The clean sheets weren’t much better than the old ones but at least they didn’t stink. As he held the sheets up he could see stains all over them. He tutted and shook his head. Once his bed was made, he unpacked his clothes. His trainers were his pride and joy and he lined them all up against the wall admiring them.

  The walls were decorated in woodchip wallpaper. It was painted in a horrible yellow colour. The top of the paper had black fungus on it and Ged cringed as he looked at it. The bed was made and Ged headed down stairs to join the others. As he walked into the front room he could see them with a lighter in their hands burning some tinfoil. As he looked at them closer they seemed in a world of their own. He seated and watched them further. Johnny now spoke. His words were slow.

  “Do ya want a toot?” Ged shook his head. The mobile phone started to ring and he watched as Johnny picked it up from the table. Once the call had ended he gave the other guy a few plastic packets that he pulled from the side of the chair and told him where to go. The other man found it hard to stand up and struggled to put his coat on. Ged watched with interest and told him he would go with him just to see how it all worked.

  Johnny agreed and he told Paul to take the new recruit with him. Ged followed Paul to the front door. As they walked Paul was nearly running and Ged had to tell him to slow down. He looked like he was a speed walker.

  Paul was about thirty five and his arms were covered in tattoos. His hair looked like you could fry an egg on it. Ged wondered how long it had been since he washed it. His jeans hung from his waist and nothing but an old tattered leather belt kept them from falling down. As they approached the phone box, Ged could see a man and a woman stood there shivering. Paul walked up to them and gave them the eye to follow him round the corner. Once out of sight he checked the money was right and passed them the drugs. Ged was stood back from them and watched how the couple looked desperate for the powder. Once the drugs were in their hands, they walked away at speed. Ged noticed how the man and woman both looked sallow. He hadn’t come to terms yet with what heroin could do to a person. Ged didn’t think in a million years that drugs could affect people so badly.