“Hello Alex… Gary… Neil.” Replied Howard Trenton. The two punks nodded at Howard. Alex walked towards him. He held out the joint to Howard.

“Want some?” Asked Alex.

“No thanks.” Replied Howard. “I don’t smoke… especially that sort of stuff.”

“Oh, go on man. Just have a little blast. It might loosen you up a bit, stop you from being such a fucking stick in the mud.” Cracked Alex.

“I don’t want to loosen up a bit. I’m fine, thank you.” Said Howard, in a stern voice. Alex held up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

“Okay, man, okay. Keep cool. I just thought that you might like to join us in a little…”

“Well you thought wrong, Alex.” Cut-in Howard.

“That’s cool, Howie, that’s cool.” Said Alex Crennell, and he turned his back on Howard then walked back over to his two friends.

Howard was just about to carry on with his walk back home, when Alex called him again.

“Say Howie? Can I ask you a question?” Said Alex. Howard sighed.

“What is it, Alex?” He replied, with weariness in his voice.

“What's the deal with you and Miss Williams?” Alex asked, referring to the middle-aged careers advisor who was based at Elman College.

“What are you talking about, Alex?” Howard responded. Alex sniggered.

“Word around the college is that you’re always sniffing around her… are you trying to get into Kate’s knickers, Howard? Isn’t she a bit old for you, Howard?” Sneered Alex.

“Shut your mouth, Alex.” Snapped Howard, angrily.

“Or what? What are you gonna do, Howard? What are you gonna do if I decide that I don’t wanna shut my mouth?” Asked Alex Crennell, challenging Howard.

“Just drop it.” Muttered Howard, and he turned away from Alex and began walking towards home. Alex Crennell continued to shout after him.

“Urgh! Howard Trenton’s been getting inside Kate’s crusty old knickers! How does she like it, Howie? I bet that the dirty old fucker takes it up the shitter, yeah? Is that what you do with her? Do you put your dick up her smelly brown arse-hole, Howie?” Jeered Alex Crennell. Howard didn't answer; he just continued to walk away from Alex’s abuse. He turned right, into the road where he lived.

“One day, Alex,” he said quietly, to himself, “I’m going to kill you. I don’t want to, but you just can’t stop yourself from pushing it and pushing it, and you’ve been getting away with it for fucking years.” Howard walked up to the front path of his home. “You’re making a big mistake, goading me all the time, Alex Crennell… you’re crossing the line.” He whispered, before disappearing through the front door of the house.

Chapter Seven

Alfie Whitehouse sat on the small, low wall outside the front of his home, puffing on a cigarette. For the thousandth time, he looked first up the road that he lived in, and then down it, carefully scanning both directions, searching for any sign of his beloved pet cat, Buttons. Lucas Trenton, who had been washing his car, noticed this. He crossed the road and approached Alfie.

“Still no sign of the cat?” He asked the old man.

“Nope. It’s been a week now. I just don’t know what’s happened to him.” Replied Alfie, his voice, and face, full of sorrow. Lucas placed a comforting hand on the old man’s shoulder.

“Man, that’s tough. Everyone in the street has checked their out-buildings, stuff like that… there’s been no sign of your cat though. I still think that he’s just wandered off somewhere, got lost… if that’s the case, maybe he’ll somehow find his way back home. It happens.” Said Lucas, with optimism. Alfie shook his head.

“I don’t think so, Lucas, I don’t think so. I can just feel it in my bones… something bad has happened to Buttons.” He responded.

“Hey, come on man, you don’t know that. My dad, he had a cat once, when he was a young lad. Get this… it went missing for six months, and then just turned up one night, completely out of the blue. Everyone had long since thought that the little furry shit was dead, but no, it just reappeared from out of nowhere.” Lucas told Alfie.

“Really? You’re not just making that story up in order to try and make me feel a bit better?” Asked Alfie.

“Of course I’m not making it up! I’m being straight-up with you, man! Cats, you know, they’re weird little fuckers at the best of times… they go off, do their own thing, get up to all sorts of shit… trust me, Alfie, I reckon Buttons will be showing back up here again before long.” Smiled Lucas.

At that point, Howard Trenton came walking up the road. He had been into Coldsleet town centre to visit ‘Steve’s Vinyls’, on a record-buying binge. He was carrying a blue plastic bag and listening to music on his earphones. When he noticed his cousin talking to Alfie Whitehouse, Howard struggled to suppress a smirk. He approached the pair. Lucas was the first to notice him.

“Hi Howard. Did you get what you was looking for?” Asked Lucas. Howard nodded.

“Yeah, plus Steve’s got some good deals going on at the moment. I bought six cd’s.” Advised Howard.

“Six?” Lucas turned to Alfie. “This one’s music mad.” He told the old man. Alfie didn’t respond. Instead, he gave Howard, who he didn’t like, a long, hard stare. Howard sneered back at the old man.

“Found your cat yet?” He asked, with a smirk on his face. Alfie didn’t answer him.

“No, Buttons still hasn’t turned up, but I was just saying to Mister Whitehouse here that I think that he will, sooner or later.” Said Lucas.

“Yeah, I bet he does.” Grinned Howard. “Oh well, I’m off to listen to my new music. Catch you both later.” He added, before crossing over the road and disappearing into the family home.

“I’d better get back to finishing off this bloody car.” Said Lucas to Alfie. “Keep your chin up mate, Buttons will be back soon, you mark my words.”

“Cheers, Lucas.” Replied Alfie. He watched Lucas walk back over the road, towards his vehicle, then got back to dwelling over his missing cat.

Alfie Whitehouse remembered the first time that he had ever clapped eyes on the stray animal that was to become his long-term companion. It was thirteen years ago, just after Alfie had lost his wife, Marge, to cancer. He had been doing some weeding in the back garden, when a desperate, high-pitched noise caught his attention. Alfie looked for the source of the noise; at the bottom of the garden, near to the fence, was a small, malnourished, black and white kitten. It sat in the grass, staring at Alfie, meowing with hunger.

“And who might you be then? I haven’t seen you around here before.” Said Alfie to the animal. He reached out with his hand towards the kitten. “Come on, come here.” He beckoned. The cat stood up, and, for a moment, it looked like he was going to run away, but then, cautiously, he approached the old man. The animal reached Alfie’s hand, and allowed the old man to give him a fuss. “My word, just look how skinny and tiny you are… you’re starving, aren’t you champ?” Said Alfie, stroking the kitten’s head. “How say I go inside and see if I can find you something nice to eat? Would you like that?” He asked. The cat purred heavily. Alfie gave the kitten a tickle on its chin, and a long-term friendship was born.

***

Alfie looked up and down the road again; just as he expected, there was still no sign of Buttons.

“You’re not coming back… I know that you’re not. I don’t care what Lucas says… you’re gone for good.” He said to himself, quietly. Alfie finished up his cigarette, and threw the butt onto the pavement, before getting off the front wall. A car pulled up on the other side of the road, and Mister and Mrs Hedgeshaw, an elderly couple, climbed out of the vehicle. They both saw Alfie, and gave him a wave. He returned the greeting, and then the Hedgeshaws disappeared into their home. It was then that Alfie noticed something. He looked across, to the Trenton’s house. He could see the young lad, Howard Trenton, upstairs, in his bedroom. He was standing at the window, staring directly at Alfie, with a large, filthy, smirk across his face. Alfie scowled at the youth, before turning away and heading down his front garden path. Just before he opened up the front door, Alfie looked back again at the Trenton’s home; Howard hadn’t moved, and was still wearing the same grin. If I ever find out that you’ve got something to do with my cat going missing, I’ll break your fucking neck, thought Alfie, before disappearing into his house.