PART FOUR

This is where we decided our future. Walking along this road hand in hand. 18 and our whole lives ahead of us. This is where the sun started to set and the light of the summer evening grew orange and heavy. You played me a song that you love and told me that it reminded you of your dad or something that your dad had said to you. Advice or something. You played it on the portable speaker that you always carried with you.

A song plays - Bigmouth Strikes Again by The Smiths.

We walked and listened to the song and it felt like the beginning of something amazing. Let’s keep walking toward the park.

People keep looking at us as we walk by. That music is too loud, someone mutters. We giggle and you turn the song up louder. We keep walking and you make a bet with me. If you guess what colour car drives past us first, i have to give you a quid. We went to Wallgate news like we always do and you spent all your money on chocolate and crisps for the park. I'm surprised they still let us in after last week. You tried to stick a load of sweets in your jacket pockets and the man noticed and chased us out the shop. You could probably still hear him shouting from here.

Keep walking until you are past the hospital on the left

You start to prod my shoulder and I know exactly what you're going to say next. You ask me if I know where Gandalf lives? That he lives on this street apparently? He doesn't anymore i tell you, it was when he was a kid, and he's not called Gandalf, he's called Ian. But you already know that. He came into your school when you were younger and did a speech about being an actor. From that moment on you always knew it was exactly what you wanted to do with your life. Then you tel me you've got a place in a fancy drama school in London. That you want me to come with you. It’s a very easy decision and our futures are decided. For now anyway.