Bob inhaled the ends of the spliff and flicked the roach into the pearly twinkles of a little stream that ran beside their path. ‘Hell of a walk. Everything’s a mission when you’re stoned, isn’t it?’
Eddy looked up at the black canvas sky. ‘But I do love a good mish. I love being outside when I’m high.’ Smiling stars streaked speckles of glitter across the universe and a thousand cosmic eyes winked at him. The moon bathed the world in a pure lunar glow and painted every surface, tree top and roof with luminary magic. It shimmered on leaves and spritzed through a silvery drew dropped spider web that hung from the droopy arm of a wise old willow tree.
‘How far is the shop?’
‘We’re nearly there.’
They stepped off the path and the bright lights of metropolis burst into view. The sounds of engines boomed through the world. The wind whipped everything up. Fences wiggled back and forth and clanged and banged away. Poles went ding, ding, ding. Drunk people screamed. Factories roared. Doors slammed. Air wooshed. Bins and rubbish smashed about, tumbled in shadows, clonked and hammered and clashed. It yanked them both from their wistful dream into the hellish realms of the real world.
Eddy turned to Bob. ‘Are my eyes red? I don’t want people to think I’m stoned.’ Bob’s black eyes bored into him like a laser, analysing him. Self-consciousness and paranoia bit at his heels, but he was a veteran of stoner missions, and managed to keep it under control in the same way you might train an unruly dog, by simply saying no!
‘Only a bit pink. What about mine?’
‘Red as hell, dude.’
‘It’ll be fine. Just go in the shop, get the stuff, pay for it, leave. The mission will be over as soon as we’re out of there.’
Pa-Ting. They walked through the door. Every face turned to them. ‘Fuck. Everybody’s looking,’ Eddy whispered.
‘Chill, dude. Just get some munch and a big bottle of coke. We’ve nearly finished the mish.’
Eddy stumbled through the tight corridor to the crisps section with Bob trailing behind him. ‘Mh-mh-mh.’
Eddy turned around. ‘What?’
‘Sorry, I got the giggles.’
‘Oh no. Not now, dude. Everyone will know we’re stoned.’
Bob snorted and a huge grin spread across his face. Eddy spun around and grabbed two packets of monster munch. ‘Get the stuff quick and get out of here.’ His shoulders hunched up and a warbled whimper escaped his smile. ‘Now I’ve got the giggles too. Go quick.’
They rushed through and snatched up crisps and chocolates and grabbed two big cokes and scurried to the till, slammed coins down, grabbed the changed, scrambled out the doors and burst into laughter.
Eddy wiped his eyes. ‘This is why I love missions with you, dude. It always seems crazy and all we’re doing is going to the blinkin’ shop.’
Bob clutched his belly. ‘ Ha-ha! I love a good mish.’
