In the Bag by Jim Carrington Read Free Book Online

my luck. How many other sixteen-year-olds can say that they have twenty grand and a big bag of weed?
    Jack passes the spliff back to me. I take another couple of drags and then pass it back to him. And we sit in silence, smoking, staring into space for a couple of minutes.
    After I’ve stubbed it out, Jack looks at me. ‘You got any more?’
    I nod my head. ‘I’ve got loads.’ For a second I think about telling him exactly how much I’ve got. But I decide not to. ‘Why?’
    ‘I’ll buy some.’
    I take a deep breath and look out over the skatepark. I hadn’t thought about selling any, but I guess I can’t smoke the whole lot on my own. And it can’t do any harm to sell a little bit to a friend. I look at him and nod. ‘Yeah, all right,’ I say. ‘Why not?’
    Jack smiles a hazy smile.
    I pull the plastic bag back out of my rucksack and pass it to him. He takes it and puts it straight in his pocket.
    ‘How much?’ he says.
    ‘Fifteen.’
    He smiles even wider and gets his wallet out.

Joe
    When I get back to the car Kate’s already there, leaning against the door, reading a book that she’s bought this morning. She looks up at me as I walk towards her and almost instinctively, I hold the bag with my trainers in it behind my back.
    ‘ All right, loser?’ I say to her.
    She sticks her fingers up at me and then goes back to her book. And I think, good, she didn’t notice the bag.
    Until she opens her mouth and says, ‘What did you buy?’
    ‘What?’ I say. I feel panicked. ‘Nothing.’ Which is just about the stupidest thing I have ever said, as I obviously bought something.
    ‘Yes you did,’ Kate says, still without looking up. ‘You’ve got a bag.’
    I look down as though I’m noticing the bag for the first time. ‘Oh,’ I say. ‘Just bought some trainers.’
    Kate looks up immediately. ‘Trainers? Where’d you get the money for them? Did Mum and Dad give you the money?’
    I shrug. I prepared my story as I was walking through town because I knew Kate would ask this kind of question. But right now the lie I’ve made up doesn’t seem all that believable. ‘Kind of,’ I say. ‘I saved up my pocket money for a while.’
    Kate raises an eyebrow, like she doesn’t believe me.
    ‘Where else do you think I’d get the money?’
    She shrugs and goes back to her book.
    And we don’t speak again. A couple of minutes later, Mum and Dad turn up. Dad’s carrying all the shopping bags.
    ‘I hope the credit card company’s got enough money to pay for this little lot!’ he says.
    The car unlocks with an electrical clunk and Dad starts putting the bags into the boot.
    ‘What have you bought?’ Mum says to me.
    I don’t say anything right away. I was hoping she wasn’t going to notice.
    ‘He’s bought some trainers,’ Kate says.
    I sigh. Trust Kate. She can be a right pain in the arse sometimes.
    ‘Did you?’ Mum says, getting in the passenger seat.
    I get in the back. ‘Yeah,’ I say. ‘I saved up. I needed some. Mine are falling apart.’
    Mum nods her head. ‘Fair enough,’ she says.
    I smile. How easy was that? I’ve got away with it. Maybe keeping the money will be all right. Maybe I can keep it a secret from everyone. Just as long as I’m careful.

Ash
    I’m sitting on my own on the bench at the rec, staring at my bike, looking at my new frame. Which, by the way, looks wicked. It feels good to ride as well.
    I see Joe come in through the gate at the far end of the rec and then close it behind him. He cycles across the grass towards the bench.
    ‘Hi, Ash,’ he says as he puts his bike carefully on the ground and then comes and sits next to me.
    ‘ All right, J?’
    Joe looks at my bike. I can sense what he’s thinking. I know what he’s gonna say even before he opens his mouth. ‘Is that a new bike?’
    I shake my head. ‘Nah. New frame.’
    ‘Looks good,’ Joe says. ‘Did you buy it with . . . you know?’
    I nod and smile. ‘Yeah.’
    ‘How much?’
    I don’t