The Heart of Stone

*Whack*

Iqaqa caught Mitchell Price a blinder on the cheek right after Callum Stone called him a B-word. Iqaqa fell to his knees when Todd Steadman did his Vulcan death grip on his neck.

Game over.

Nothing had changed. Not since they were small children in the playground. Callum could not fight his way out of a wet paper bag. That did not matter when his friends would take the reins and the opposition would feel their wrath.

'That's right, you cheating bastard. That'll teach you to steal my girlfriend, you toilet scum.'

Iqaqa could not lift his head from the pavement, but the angry, hate-filled eyes said he would throttle Callum if he got a chance. Thankfully, Todd would not let him have a chance, so it became a moot point. Callum brought his foot back.

'Don't you dare,' Mitch said as he yanked on his hood. 'You've caused enough trouble.'

Mitch's cheek had swollen and turned blue where Iqaqa had punched him.

'Are you ready to talk?' Todd said to Iqaqa.

'Yeah,' Iqaqa said.

What was there to talk about? Since school, Elouise had been Callum's girlfriend. Their parents had approved the match. Then last night when she had said she wanted an early night and he had gone to surprise her, he had found her in bed with this no-mark. Iqaqa had no wealth, and his father did not own a multinational company. Unlike Callum's. What the hell did Elouise see in him? He had nothing to offer her. And, why did Todd want to talk? There was nothing to talk about. Iqaqa had stolen his woman and deserved to have his head kicked in.

Somehow, regardless of how greivously Iqaqa had injured him they all ended up at The Basement having a drink. Callum's friends from Lichfield Preparatory School and Iqaqa's rugby buddies. And Tommo who bridged the divide being a member of both ex-Lichfield students and a Beswick Stanton junior rugby player.

'Why did you do it? Why did you steal my woman?' he asked Iqaqa.

'I didn't know she was your woman when we met. In all honesty mate, she bowled me over. Literally. We had gone to the city to try and get in at a strip joint. Obviously they laughed us out of the square, and we were all pretty juiced when we went bowling. That's where I saw her.'

As if they had manifested the said female, Elouise entered with her friends.

'You tramp. You shameless slag. You whore. You slut,' Callum yelled at her from safety behind Tommo. That would teach her. How dare she cheat on him with someone from a council estate.

"Where do you live?" Todd asked Iqaqa.

What were they doing? Manifesting his thoughts?

"Elm Street. Do you know it?"

"It's so quiet down there," Tommo said.

'Excuse me?! These are the objects of my heartbreak. What do you think you're doing playing all pally-pally?'

"Iqaqa? Can we talk, please?"

She was asking him? Him!

"I don't think now's a good time," he said to her.

"Later then?" she asked the other man. Not Callum. She asked Iqaqa.

"I suggest you don't come around here again Elouise. You're not welcome. Do you understand?" Finally Todd had stood up for him.

"For trash you are, and to trash you shall return," Mitch said.

"Did you just call me trash?" Iqaqa said, launching off the seat at Mitch.

"Do you think it was a clean thing to do, to cheat on a guy?" Mitch did not bat an eyelid. Did not back down. He had a point and he made it.

Iqaqa lost his confrontation and retook his seat.

"Iqaqa, I'll call you?"

This time the rugby guys took up a catcall, mimicking her begging tone. Making fun of her in front of her friends. How had it come to this? That those he would spurn from his society had taken his part in his heartbreak?

Elouise wiped away her tears as she ran from the snooker room. Iqaqa launched up from his seat and ran after her.

As Callum stood, Todd pushed him back down into his seat.

'One day you will meet a girl. She will bowl you over with her beauty, intellect and personality. That day is not today.'