Billy

'Billy died.'

'No! I … I didn't hear that.'

'February last. You were in... where was it?'

'Raqqa.'

'Yeah, your mum said. No 'phones, huh?'

'No internet either. Except theirs.'

'Theirs?'

'Yeah, well, you weren't there.'

'Why'd you go? I thought your mum was going to die of-'

'What? Shame?'

'No, don't be stupid. Another?'

'I'll have a beer.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah, I'm sure.'

'What will you do? I mean…'

'I'll finish my degree. Get a job. Be normal.'

'Thanks. No, no dessert… Perrier and a beer. Normal? What's that?'

'Like you.'

'Me? I'll tell Asif, he'll love that.'

'He spoken to his dad?'

'No, that's what “normal” people do.'

'What about you?'

'Have I spoken to his dad?'

'Don't be such a smartarse, you know what I mean.'

'I haven't spoken to my family since well before Billy's funeral.'

'I still can't believe it. Billy? What was it? Car crash?'

'Kind of.'

'What? "Kind of" a car crash?'

'It was. And it was Baligh in the papers and at the funeral.'

'THAT was Billy? You're fucking kidding me.'

'Yep. My dad said he was a hero. He said some sons made their fathers proud.'

'Thought you hadn't spoken to him since…'

'He made a statement on the steps of the community centre. It made the local news.'

'Thanks, just the bill, please…'

'Asif said it was it was a shame we couldn't tell my dad we'd stopped speaking to him.'

'Billy… man, I wish I'd got away earlier. Might have put him off.'

'You think? Asif reckons he'd never been the same since that stuck up bitch dropped him.'

'Ayesha, you mean?'

'Who do you think?'

'I thought Billy might know better than I did.'