After the meeting

STEVEN'S DAY

As Steven walked out of Ellen's front garden, he looked at his phone to check the time. Noting it was only 13:00. "What do I do now? I can't believe I got to kiss her. I hope she don't hate me now." Lost in his own thoughts, he walked on. Not knowing what to do with himself for the day. As he crossed the road someone beeped their horn, which made him jump back.

"Why don't you look where you're going you fucking idiot." A voice shouted at him from a car that sounded its horn. Steven looked at the car and recognised his old friend from school, sitting there with a massive grin his face and waving Steven get in. Steven opened the door and got in the passenger seat. "Woah man. What's up? Please tell me it's nothing major." Asked his old friend.

"No John. Nothing a chat with an old friend can't deal with." Steven looked like he had a lot on his mind, and it showed.

"Hey Stevie. C'mon bud. The last I saw you this down was when, well you know, when you had the bad news." John, Steven's best friend for years, looked at him with concern. "It's, not come back again already has it?"

Steven looked at John. "No mate. Nowhere near as bad as that. Bad in other ways. Like making a fool of myself type way." Steven then tried to forget his thoughts by changing the subject. "Where you going anyway bud? oh, Hang on. It's Saturday. The U's (Cambridge United F.C.) playing at home today?"

"Yeah. I got a spare ticket if you wanna come. Darren bailed on me this morning. Said he had something come up. No idea what. But I can guess."

"Why? What's he been doing? Still got to catch up with a lot of stuff I missed out on."

John concentrated on the road while he spoke. "Well, he's got involved with the wrong crowd. Not sure if you've heard of the Outlaws or not. But he pissed a couple of them off. And since then he's let me down loads. All I knew is they've got him by the balls and running errands all over the place. You know, **** and shit."

"Oh for fucks sake. How'd he managed to do that?

"Simple really. Got drunk one night, walked out the pub, tripped, and knocked a couple of Harley's over. When they came out of the door. He was still picking himself up off the floor. Now he's doing all that crap to keep them sweet and pay for the damage. If not, he gets the shit kicked out of him."

"Oh mate. What a prat. Hope he's ok though."

"Yeah me too. Anyway. We're close to Abbey road. Come with me to the match and then we'll grab a few beers, knock a few rounds out on the old Playstation or something."

"Your dad still got that old relic? Gees." Steven just laughed at the fact that his friends dad still had a games console over 20 years old. But it still worked fine. "Ok then. Watch the match. Grab the bevvies. Then I'm gonna kick your arse on FIFA."

"That's the spirit mate. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. HAHA." Both now acting like a couple of 19 year olds again.

After the match. Which Cambridge beat Accrington Stanley 2-0. Both teens headed off to get a few beers from the local off license. Selecting to get a large case of lagers to last the night. Steven messaged his mum that he wouldn't be home as he was going to stay round John's as he would more than likely not be in a fit state to walk home later. While they were deciding which brand to buy, A large man came in wielding a machete and threatened the cashier with it if he didn't hand over his cash. At this point, Steven heard the voices in his head again. "Stop the thief. It is within your power to do so."

Not sure if he was going mad or not, he asked back in his head. "Is this for real?"

The voices replied. "Trust us. Your strength will show through. Soon we will be able to merge together and you will know everything." Steven, now with a new confidence looked at John, both of them hiding behind a shelf.

"I got to do something about this. You distract him. I'll come up behind him and give the cashier time to get the police here.

"You nuts man? Look at the size the fucking knife he's got, plus the size he is as well. He'll kill you. Stay here and hide out the way.

"I can't. I have to do this. Go distract him when I'm in place." With that, Steven crept to his striking point. When he was in position, he nodded to John to distract the thug.

John rose from behind his spot. "Hey, Where the pretzels at again?" The thug turned and told John to stay where he was if he didn't want to get hurt. Steven then launched himself and struck the thug by the knees bringing him to the floor. The thug was on the floor face down, the machete sliding out of his grasp and out of his reach. Steven went to secure him down when the thug turned and swung his left fist with a thunderous back hand that hit Steven square on the jaw. This would normally break someone's jaw it was so hard. Steven never even flinched. He just took it in his stride. The thug was shocked and Steven wasn't sure what happened himself. That blow should have knocked him clean out. What he didn't notice though, was the thug had now pulled a 9mm pistol from pocket and shot Steven in the stomach.