The Flower Estate

The words KEEP SEXY are daubed in thick white paint across a school wall in the style of a DIY No Parking notice. It's the first thing I see as I leave the off-license. I unwrap the fresh box of cigarettes and light up wondering if I've seen it before, then notice the discarded chewing-gum flecked around the base of the public bin. I fleetingly remember a summer’s day when they water-blasted the streets free from the mess people leave, and the sickly mentholated humidity in the air.
It's cold tonight and the slate-gray sky is further darkening with rain. The fine mist of nearly-rain has made the streets slick and the fallen leaves pulpous, their hue made almost artificial by the emerging red street lamps.
I pass the school wall and the words and turn onto the Flower Estate. The estate is a knot of identical houses, phalanxed tightly on sprawling, intersecting identical avenues. It is almost impossible to navigate. I don't have to walk far tonight.
On Daisy Avenue I pass small, unkempt gardens until I reach Joe's house. It has no fence. His bedroom window is open and I can here somebody talking about a video game. I knock, hear a small dog go ape-shit on the other side, and wait. It goes silent above me.
I think I hear "Yo," from the road and turn around to the bleak, empty street.
"Oi."
I look up. "Alright. Is Joe about?"
"Who's that?" A kid says, his face obscured under a low-fitted baseball cap.
"Francis."
The faceless head ducks back inside. Somebody takes the stairs two-three steps at a time above the dog's cries and opens the door. I don't know him. He then turns and bounds back up the stairs without a word. A small Jack Russell darts out of the house and yaps at my crotch. I enter and close the door swiftly behind me.
It smells of jam tarts and I can see a woman drinking a can or cider in the kitchen, talking to someone out of my view. She turns to me but I start the stairs and avoid her look. Moving up the stairs I can smell weed and I can hear voices coming from a room without a door.
I tap on the door frame and enter. Inside there is a single bed with two lads, just younger than me perhaps, sat on it. One is the guy who opened the door, the other has a baseball cap on. In a reclining armchair Joe is playing a video game. I can almost taste weed now.
"Alright," I saw to no-one in particular.
"With you in a minute mate," Joe says without looking up. "Pete, sort him out."
The behatted kid reaches into his pocket and passes me a small bag of weed. The deals here are poor. I try to hand him a tenner but he gestures to Joe, who still hasn't looked away from the screen.
I prop myself on the edge of a acold radiator. Joe looks involved in his game so I start to role up. I hate doing this; rolling for people who will take advantage; paying for the right to be robbed.
I light up and glance at the old kids, catching the deep red holes where Pete's eyes ought to be. As the first pull soakes thickly into my chest I wonder why I'm here.
"Fuckin' shite, man," Joe suddenly barks. A chorus of laughter from the other two pipes up. Joe throws the control at Pete.
"Alright, Franny lad" he says as he stands, looking at me for the first time. I'm pretty sure he knows I prefare Francis. His eyes are almost closed and his lips part in a weak smile over yellow teeth.
"Aye man, cheers for the smoke dude"
A snort of laughter bursts at the word 'dude' and I want to be at home.
"No worries, pal." he says as he trys to light a joint.
"I'm not stopping mate," I say too quickly "I've got to get back." This I lie while handing him the money.
"Cool, cool," he says between puffs. "Let my dog in, would you?"
"Sure," I say walking onto the landing, hating his fucking dog. "Cheers."
I descend the stairs and open the door without looking in the kitchen and the dog springs inside with its teeth bared. I want to drop kick the little shit but it dips inside, snarling.
Outside it is almost completely dark and the street lamps have warmed up to orange, illuminating falling sheets of rain. I quickly turn off the estate down Lobelia Avenue and onto the back field in case I saw any bastard kids. It's a longer way but I'm pretty high now and the rain feels good. I notice for the first time tonight that there's a full moon and I walk home thinking about werewolves.