I Predict a Riot. Catherine Bruton

raised his eyebrows.

      ‘She knows, innit,’ Pea said, turning to me. ‘Everyone round here knows I got da devil man in me bones. I got da scars to prove it too.’ He lifted up his top to show his torso. It was etched with more of the tiny scars he had on his face, as well as round red patches. I imagined tracing the indentations with the camera, focusing in on the raised white scar tissue.

      ‘Who did that to you?’ Tokes demanded.

      ‘Like I say, I only reveal intel when I ready!’ Pea quickly tugged down his top with a sly grin. ‘But I got other stuff for your film too,’ he said. ‘You know anyt’ing ’bout gangs, alien boy?’

      Tokes’s brow furrowed. ‘Yes,’ he said quietly, his eyes suddenly unreadable again. ‘I know about gangs.’

      ‘Well, there gonna be gang war in Coronation Road real soon,’ Pea said with a manic grin. ‘You hear ’bout Shiv’s cousin Pats, yeah? He got seriously mashed yesterday, an’ now he in hospital with a cracked skull an’ punctured lung. Shiv say they gonna stick da villain what done it,’ Pea went on. ‘Or shoot his fool head off. An’ they not kiddin’ neither. Tad got him a shooter – I seen it.’

      ‘Right,’ said Tokes, his eyes faraway again like he was remembering something.

      ‘And I know who did it!’ Pea announced triumphantly.

      ‘So you did see it happen?’ I said.

      Pea glanced around him, like he was playing spies or something, then he whispered loudly, ‘I tell you – Da Pea see everyt’ing!’

      ‘So why didn’t you tell Shiv?’ said Tokes. ‘He had a knife against your throat.’

      ‘I had it all unner control!’ said Pea. ‘Until you come along and nearly got me killed. I was gonna tell Shiv who hurt his cuz when the time was right, innit.’

      Tokes shook his head in disbelief. ‘So did you?’ he asked. ‘After we left, did you tell him what you saw?’

      ‘I mighta dropped a few hints!’ Pea giggled. ‘Either way, it not gonna stay secret long. Not around here. Then it all gonna kick off like you would not believe. An’ then you gonna have a well good story for that film of yours, I’m a-tellin’ you.’

      I glanced at Tokes who just rolled his eyes.

      ‘Why?’ I said.

      Pea smirked and his eyes twinkled like he had the most delicious and dangerous secret in the world.

      ‘All I gonna say is this is so much bigger than anyt’ing what ever happen in Coronation Road.’

      ‘What’s that got to do with her film?’ Tokes asked.

      I glanced at him. His eyes had the troubled look I’d seen in the park.

      ‘Cos it gonna be movie gold, man!’ said Pea. ‘You win an Oscar filmin’ this. It gonna be da war to end all wars.’

      Tokes sighed. ‘I’m supposed to be staying out of trouble,’ he said.

      ‘Well, mebbe you shoulda thought of that before you take on Shiv in da park, man,’ said Pea with another giggle. ‘But since you was tryin’ to help out Da Pea – stop me from turnin’ into a mushy pea – I’m givin’ you a tip-off. An’ cos you new round here and I kinda like you, even though you a crazy fool.’

      Tokes rolled his eyes. ‘Right,’ he said. ‘Look, I’ve gotta go.’ He turned to me with a question in his eyes, like he was saying, ‘You coming or what?’

      ‘Mebbe I come wit’ youse,’ Pea cut in, his voice anxious suddenly, like a little kid who’s desperate to be friends. ‘Hangin’ out wit’ a pair of future corpses should be fun, innit.’

      Tokes frowned again and I got the feeling that he didn’t like this, but then he hesitated and glanced at the ground, as if he’d remembered something again.

      ‘Sure,’ he said reluctantly. ‘Just don’t go expecting me to rescue you next time.’

      ‘You a funny man!’ said Little Pea with a pleased grin spreading over his face. ‘I can handle myself, innit. Don’t need no one to rescue Little Pea.’ He was defiantly hopping on one leg and flinging a few upper-cut punches into the air in front of him. ‘I look out for myself – always have. Ain’t no one gonna mess wit’ me!’

      ‘If you say so,’ said Tokes.

      ‘Come on then!’ said Pea. ‘Let’s make a movie.’ He grinned at me like we were best friends suddenly. ‘An’ mebbe, just mebbe, if you treat me nice, I tell you da biggest secret in Coronation Road.’

SCENE 5: CORONATION ROAD

      So that’s how the three of us ended up walking up Coronation Road on a boiling-hot day in August. Tokes went striding ahead like he was already regretting saying Pea could come, while Little Pea skipped along at my side.

      ‘Nice hairdo,’ he said, smirking. ‘Same purple rinse as my granny!’

      I felt the colour rising in my cheeks.

      ‘Like the boots too,’ he said. ‘You do dem yourself ?’

      ‘Did you do your trainers yourself too?’ I muttered, nodding down at his fake Nikes.

      ‘Ooh, the white film chick got attitude!’ he said, clicking his fingers excitedly.

      I looked at him and he looked at me and he held my gaze, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Then he giggled. ‘You know I got what it takes to be a film star, dontcha? Even if alien boy don’t recognise my star quality yet.’

      ‘Maybe,’ I said.

      Pea did a little hop like I’d just told him he’d won an Oscar. ‘You jus’ wait, gran’ma!’

      Tokes turned round, caught my eye and then frowned at Little Pea. He looked worried, but he didn’t say anything.

      Coronation Road is the main artery running through that part of London and it’s where all the parallel universes collide. There are Ghanaian groceries selling plantains and mealiepap and tiny smelly fish; Caribbean meat stalls with goats’ heads on the wall and ox tongues on giant platters of ice, blood swilling out over the pavement. There are Asian silk shops and tiny Japanese booths selling every type of international calling card. There are pound shops and pawnbrokers; wig shops with windows full of rainbow-coloured hair extensions and skin-lightening creams; nail bars with jewel-encrusted talons – rows and rows of them, glimmering on display. And in among all these are the chain stores, struggling for air, not so high and mighty here. The only thing the shops have in common, my dad said, is that they all have the grumpiest, most unhelpful shop assistants you’ve ever come across in your life. We used to laugh about that all the time. My dad always used to be able to make me laugh – it’s the thing I miss most since he’s gone.

      And anything can happen on Coronation Road. People deal drugs in broad daylight, sell knock-off videos, braid hair, cure toothache, piss, pray, break up, make up. I heard one couple got married there once, outside Fry-days Fish and Chip Bar, and that a baby was born on the floor of Beyoncé Hair and Beauty. I even heard that the Queen and her sister visited when they were little girls, and half the road got bombed to rubble in the Blitz. Basically, Coronation Road is like a film set with a million storylines and that’s why I love it more than any other place on earth.

      ‘So what you gonna call your film, huh?’ Pea squeaked excitedly. ‘I was thinkin’ mebbe Stars of the Starfish ? Whatcha think?’

      ‘I don’t really know yet,’ I muttered.

      ‘Me, I born an’ bred on da Starfish Estate, innit,’ Pea went on, nodding towards the square mile of tower blocks behind the library at the other end of