Page 5 (1/2)

chapter 1

Adam

The screams from the flat next door start up like clockwork at ten pht After six ue, I know that there’s nothing I can do to shut out their voices, not a pillow overup the ancient radio on the filthy floor next tothem

Instead, I do what I always do when the neighbors get loud I pull out uitar and create As the s beneath theet the fuck out of this hellhole someday

As usual, ht, probably on a piss up or selling herself for drugs If I’m lucky, I’ll see her once a week, maybe twice My dad, well… who the hell knohere that tosser is? Whenever he graces us with his presence, all he does is beat the shite out of ives a crap if he does She sits there with her drugged-up, glazed-over eyes and lets him pound on her or me until he’s bored

Unable to block out the neighbors, I squeezeas the yelling becomes violent next door

“I’ to die in this pit of despair…”

Soainst the wall behind me The sketches I have plastered all over it flutter outward froe any wall doesn’t cause me to react, not even a blink

“I’ll pull myself out… Get the fuck out of here…”

Only one more term One more term until I’m done with school and can leave this shitty town, this shitty flat, and this shitty life

I play until it’s quiet on the other side of ers are nu out instantly

“Reynolds!”

I don’t even need to look back to know thatto catch up toon lockers turn their heads to watch him walk by Yeah, he’s popular with them, we both are

“Dax” I reles that are thrown our way

His heavy hand slaps“Tosser” I sound angry but I’uy, allscowl, but he’s beenhe can be anymore

“First day of our last tere other students who aretheir way to their respective classes Wethat for after school not during It’s too distracting if you let the school hours

“Right,” I nod in agreehted suburbs of London’s East End right alongside me His fa to university, which means we’re done after this year Off to become adults e’re hardly out of puberty