[nicky]

Turns out, all these months later, Darrow is just about as exciting as Wertham. Which is not at all.

It's still better. Nathan has a flat, he gets money, and having an actual bed is an improvement upon sleeping in the sleeping bag in the community centre. It's more comfortable and on the off chance he actually gets a proper shot with Abby one day, he figures it's a better place to bring her back to than the community centre would've been. Ruth didn't mind much, but Ruth was old. She'd still been proper fit when she was young, but Nathan still thinks Abby would prefer his flat.

Tonight, though, he's got no one to talk to. Most of the time Nathan's good at pretending it doesn't bother him. He hadn't really had friends back in Wertham before Barry and Kelly and the rest. He can do that again, he can live without friends.

It's just that having had some friends and now not having them sucks cock. Like, a lot of cock.

But he's bored and so he's out, smoking a joint as he walks the darkened streets of Darrow. It's not late exactly, he could probably find a club or a pub or something. A place where he could get drunk or find some girl who might give him a blowjob in the bathroom.

Or he'll find some twat who wants to mug him.

It happens pretty quick, the guy who grabs him suddenly and pushes him against a wall and Nathan shouts, "Hey!" from around his joint.

"Shut up, man, I've got a knife," the guy hisses. "Gimme your wallet."

"Alright, mate, but there's nothin' in it," Nathan answers, reaching for his wallet. "Besides, your knife isn't all that scary. I'm immortal."

Maybe he should stop announcing that so freely.