Wee Tam Knows the Score

(my first ever short story)

 

     The young team have no respect these days. I mean, when I was a wee guy, we didn't give big guys any hassle, and if we did, we'd run afterwards. Not square up to them.

 

     I've been getting trouble off the local neds. Not just the young team, they're nothing to worry about. No, I've been getting shit off the proper neds. Not even neds so much anymore, just pure jakies. They live in a squat down by the railway. Proper scummy bastards. It's not actually me, but my girlfriend, Molly, she’s the one getting it tight. She acts like its nothing, but I can tell she's scared. She's something else though, proper confident and quick witted. She makes me laugh, not to mention perfect body, posture, and hair. She's just gorgeous, but at the moment I can’t even let her walk down the street alone because of these scumbags. They've been threatening rape and all sorts, and there's no way I'm letting them ever get their filthy paws on her. No way.

 

     They haven't said anything when I've been there but every time I’m there, there's only a couple of them. There's only a few them I'm even worried about, and that's only because they'll all jump in. Especially these two arseholes Minty and Hunter. They're the ones proper starting it. They should know better because I'll fuck them up one-on-one. But the top boy, Tibby, he's the one I'm really worried about. Proper handy, and older than the rest. Older than me. He used to run with my old boy. Apparently my Da' saved his life once back in the day when all the gangs were heavy killing each other. I've always got on well with him, but now he’s jumping about with these dafties.

 

     It's hard to take my mind off it when we're out. It's like I've always got to have one eye open. She's relaxed when I'm there which, of course, that’s good, but I can't relax. I just have to play it cool because I don't want her seeing I'm worried. I mean, take now for instance, we're just lying in the park, chatting and soaking up the sun. If she thought I was giving this a second thought she'd freak, and my pulse is going just thinking about it. I need to take my mind off this:

“Molly, would you think less of me if I told you I once pushed a puppy off a table?”

“Ha! What?” She looks at me, smiling.

“What if I told you I really enjoyed it?” I ask, giggling. Then I hear it, that horrible nasal laugh and the crass noise up.

"C'moan git a swatch it this, lads, pure fuckin' dafties!" It's Hunters voice. Molly stops smiling. I ignore them and try to think of more idiotic patter to take the worry from the otherwise perfect face looking at me.

"Am fur gettin' a ride it that, though, mate."

"Aye, me an aw, mate, me an aw."

"Aye, no' before me, but. You'll be gettin' sloppies." They boast. Molly looks really worried.

"Fine piece o' pussy." Hunter says. I lift my head and look straight at them. There's four of them: Hunter, Minty, big Tibby and some wee tool I don't know. The wee guy looks right up for it, thinks he's the ticket. Probably because he has no idea what he’s getting himself into, or that his baw-bag mates wouldn't be saying fuck all if they were on their own. I hold the stare.

"Just ignore them, Tommy. They're not worth the hassle." Molly says intentionally loud enough for them to hear.

"Aye, Tam, better dae whit yer wee slag says." That Hunter's pushing his luck. "Whit? Whit ye fuckin' lukin' it, cunt? Wantin' a fuckin' doin'?" Hunter’s swaggering over. I stand up quick, staring straight at him. We're toe to toe squaring up and Minty and the other wee guy are heading over. We've all got our backs up except Tibby, he's still sat down.

"Fuckin' do the snobby cunt, Hunter!" Minty shrieks. We're both totally still. He's right in my face; his breath stinks. My pulse is going mental. I can’t lose face here or they'll walk all over me then Molly's fucked. Just fuck off, you smelly wee cunt. How long is this going to take? He must know I'm not going to back down. Something hits me in the face; I flinch. Filthy bastard's just spat in my face. Don't move, just stare him right in the eye. He's going to go for me, he thinks I'm scared, he thinks he can sense it. Fuck it:

SLAP!

I've hit him. He's hit me. We're going to town, proper going ahead. Fuck! He's cut me! Cunt's always tooled up but so am I. Come a-fucking-head! I rip right into him, through his ear, his lip, right through his eye. He’s cut bad, I’m just tearing lumps out him like it’s easy. He's on the back foot, screaming, I've got him. Fuck, what? This wee baw-bag's jumped in, who the fuck does this wee arsehole think he is? Cut him up, fuck him. Fuck the both of them, cut them both up! The wee pricks down. Hunters falling back again, screaming. What? Minty's jumped in, no! Getting tired. Fuck, Hunters back up, I can’t fucking see! What? Where's Minty? Yes! Big Tibby's stepped in, pulled Minty off, I fucking knew Tibby was a good cunt. Here we fucking go! Hunters down again, I've got him. I'm on top of him. I'm cutting him to shreds. He's screaming. I stop, poised over him. He's terrified, I can see it in is eyes, I can smell it. I'm breathing hard and bleeding but can’t feel a thing. He's a mess, blood everywhere. I don't move, don't say a word, just let him take it in. I step off him, still staring him down. He drags himself backwards and climbs up, limp, totally humiliated, scared to take his eyes off me. I stand back and look at Tibby. He's just grinning. Minty and the other wee dick with their tails between their legs. As they leave, I hear Tibby:

"I tried tae tell yeez, ya pair ah numpties, wee Tam knows the score."

    

     I don't move until they're gone. I turn to Molly, she's never looked so proud. She takes my weight a little by just standing shoulder to shoulder with me, but so’s not to look obvious. Not that I need her to with all this adrenalin. She's got a 'he's with me' look on her face. She's happy and more importantly, she's safe. We head down the road. I've got the swagger on now but she lets me have my moment. I love her so much. I walk her to her door just to make sure, but also because I know she's enjoying it. She's proud to be with me and I'm proud to be with her.

 

     As I walk back to mine I'm thinking about how long Hunter's going to be licking his wounds for. He lives rough, this’ll affect him for a long time, maybe the rest of his life. I walk into my garden just in time to see my owner coming out the house.

"Jesus, Tom, what the hell? I hope you won!"

I think he can tell by the way I'm walking that I did. He picks me up, takes me in, puts me straight in my travel box, takes me back out, puts me in the car and we're off to the vets. I'll be patched up in no time. I've got a big bag of nip stashed away for a special occasion. Molly and I are in for a good time tonight.

 

The End