RUBY POV

'Oxford not Brogues' the last words I remember my dad saying to me. The last words he said before he left me and my mum.

Pretty shitty last words, if you ask me.

He gave me a necklace with a K on it and said if I was ever in trouble I just need to call the number on the back and say 'Oxfords not Brogues', what a joke.

Right now? I'm working in a pub just so I can look after my little brother. Because deserves the best life possible, and I'm trying my best. I've had to look after my brother his whole life, its always been us two against the world… now more than ever.

"Hey Ruby, can you clean table 4 please?" Tom asked me from behind the bar. "Sure" I called back. "You can check on Harvey when you're done" he said kindly. "Thanks" I replied sighing in relief. I walked over to table 4 with my cloth, "Hey there sweetheart" a voice said slapping my ass "If you do that again you'll lose your hand" I sassed back stopping in my tracks. "Aww c'mon sweetheart, don't be like that" he said condescendingly, I just shook my head stiffly and started to walk away. But this time a different guy grabbed my hips pulling me back towards their table "Aww, don't be like that loveie" "Like I said to your friend, put your hands on me again. Any of you. And that hand will be coming off" the man tightened his hold, pulling me further towards him. "Now, now lovie mind your manners" he hissed in my ear. "Didn't your mother tell you it's not nice to fight girls?" I asked sarcastically "But this isn-" he was cut off as I stamped my heel down onto his foot causing his hands to drop from my waist.

NO ONES POV

Ruby used his pain as a distraction and kneed him in the balls, slowly one by one the goons at the table stood up. "Are you going to stand there like the gormless idiots you are, or… are we going to fight" she quipped, in an innocent voice with a fake pout. Her pout quickly became a smirk as she side stepped one of he goons as they lunged at her, grabbing his arm and twisting it back until she heard the tell-tail pop. The man fell to the floor howling in pain. Ruby turned round too late as one of the goons threw a punch hitting her square in her jaw. "Fuck" she exclaimed staggering back "Need some help there" a voice said from behind her. "Please" she said testing her jaw. Another of the huge thugs lunged at her, whist the last remaining went for the new voice. The voice belonged to a young boy, perhaps 2 years older than Ruby, in a yellow and black adidas jacket and a white cap. The two fought side by side until all the goons were moaning on the floor. "Thanks" she said turning to the boy. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to do that to those pricks" she said through a clenched jaw. "Yeah I get ya, those fuckers ad' it comin' for a long time" the boy finished turning to her. "Oh, I'm Eggsy by the way" he said clumsily holding out his hand to the girl, "Rebecca, but call me Ruby" she said shaking his hand. "Can I buy ya a drink for helpin' me?" the girl asked feeling like she should repay him. "Yeah, thanks" he said smiling. "Well I gotta go upstairs to check on somthin', so you can either come with me or wait here… though I wouldn't recommend it, tom looks pissed" she said cringing "Yeah he looks like a angry cartoon" he joked causing the girl to chuckle. "Yeah… he kinda does. follow me"

RUBY POV

He followed me up the stairs to my apartment, I opened the door and walked over to the crib. "Hey there Harvey" I cooed "You doin' ok?" I said as I lifted him out carrying him on my hip. "He yours?" Eggsy asked. "No, he's my little brother" I replied, whilst I carried Harvey over to the kitchen "Ow' olds he?" he asked "Almost 2" I replied as I placed Harvey in the high chair. "Me sister is same age" he said surprised. "So where's your mam" he asked as I started feeding Harvey some mashed potato, "Dead" I replied bluntly. "Sorry" "Why it's not your fault" I finished. "Okay…" he said trailing off awkwardly. "Where's your dad then?" he asked trying again. "Dunno" I replied "left when I was little". "Sorry" he said again, god that's getting on my nerves. "I don't need your pity" I snapped, "Sorry, I didn't mean t' be short wif you, I just don't like to talk bout' it" I said tiredly as I resumed feeding Harvey. " S' fine" he said kindly.

I finished feeding Harvey and put him to bed in the crib, I hummed him a song my dad use to sing me when I was little. It always gets him to sleep. "Night, night Vey" that's my nickname for him, always makes him giggle. I puled the blanket over his sleeping figure and backed out of the room, carful not to wake him. "You ready?" I asked Eggsy. "Yeah" he said happily.

We made our way back down to the bar. "How's Harvey?" tom asked barely looking up from pulling the pint. "Fine, just put him to bed" I replied. "Sorry bout' the mess in the corner" I said apologetically. "S' fine they didn't break anything" he said causing me to chuckle. "Anyway, I owe the young man a drink" I said slapping Eggsy on the back. "Well s' your shift, so long as you don't get distracted don't care" he said turning to serve another customer.

NO ONES POV

Ruby ran behind the bar slinging a cloth over her left shoulder, "So what's troubling you" she said mockingly with a fake out leaning over the bar. "Bit cliché init?" Eggsy said laughing at her antics. "Ey, you want the free drink or not?" She replied. "Please" he finished sheepishly. "Ey, whas' that round your neck?" he asked inquisitively. "OH this?" she said fishing out her necklace "My dad gave me this before e' left" she finished, she lifted the necklace over her head and held it out to Eggsy. He inspected the necklace carefully, taking off his own necklace and examining them side by side. "y-you have one?!" ruby stammered. "Yeah… we were given it after me dads death" Eggsy said still examining the necklaces. "What did your dad do?" she asked. "Army, yours?" he replied flatly, "Dunno, went and left didn't he. Now what drink do you want?" she asked him, gently taking back her necklace and placing it round her neck. "Just a pint o' beer please" he requested, ruby slid a beer across the bar. "Oi, Eggsy. Where've you been, bin waiting ages" two lads at a table in the middle shouted. "Friends of yours" ruby asked him, "Yeah, do ya mind" he said motioning to the table. "Naa, m' on duty anyway" she said waving him off.

RUBY POV

"Oi, Ruby can you sort out my phone for me, its crashed again" Tom shouted to me from the end of the bar "Duty calls" I joked giving eggsy a mock solute. He turned and left the barstool walking towards his mates. "So If Dean treat your mum's so bad, why don't she leave him?" asked a young lad, round early twenties with dirty blonde hair and a chiselled jaw. "Low self-esteem. That's her problem, Ryan" Jamal finished, a tanned lad around the same age as Ryan, with short cropped black hair. "Fuck off. Why would she have low self-esteem? Eggsy mum's well fit." Ryan said seriously, causing Jamal to laugh "No offense pal." he added as an afterthought. "It's alright. One of these days I'm gonna smash his face in." Eggsy said darkly. "Are you mental, Gaz? He'll just get that lot to do you and then pretend he knew nothing…" Jamal stated pointing to another table "…about it." he finished eerily. "Oy, you think you can chat shit about us and we won't do nothing, just cause our governor's bangin' Eggsy's mum?" A skinny lad, about 25 who was dressing like a wanna-be gangster from Bugsy Malone, I know him an he's always causing trouble, Rottweiler. "Pretty much, yeah." Eggsy replied… oh no. " Just leave it. Let's just go, man. It's not worth it." Jamal said, trying to calm down Eggsy. Rottweiler and his gang of thugs walked over to eggsy and his mated… This. Can. Not. Be. Good. " You boys have outstayed your welcome. Leave." Rottweiler stated tryna be threatening. Eggsy gets up as Ryan and Jamal get up and start to leave "What?" Rottweiler asked. "I'm sorry about that, brov" eggsy said parring him on the back. Oh fuck. He lifted Rotties keys. Shit. Then he turns and starts to leave the bar, I follow him out "I'm taking my 5 minute break Tom" I say quietly to him as I make my way from behind the bar. "Yeah. Mug." Rottie says, always has to have the last word. "They weren't fucking worth it, boys." Ryan says once they finally made it out of the pub. "OI! Eggsy" I yell once they are all out, he stops in his tracks turning round. "Why the fuck did you lift Rotties key, he may look like a talking fishbone but his friends in there could beat the crap out of ya" I finished. "You jacked his fucking car keys, brov" Jamal asked astounded. "Yep. Now we're gonna nick his car." Eggsy replied smirking at me as he unlocks rotties car. "Fucking shit. Move, broth!" ryan says as he gets in the backseat of the car. Once they're all in Eggsy rolls the window down and turns to me, "You not coming?" he asked. "No, got Harvey to look after now don't I" I reply. "Teen mother" Ryan askes being entirely serious. "No. Jackass." I sass back, before turning back t' Eggsy. "Since I'm gonna guess you aren't gonna go home, here's some extra cash. Wouldn't wat you starving now would we" I say handing him the cash with a condescending smirk. He thanks me before revving the engine and doing doughnuts in the middle of the road. I watch on as old rottie comes out of the pub yelling and watching Eggsy and his mates doing doughnuts in the middle of the road. Oh shit, "Hey, that's my fucking car! Oy! Oy! Eggsy! I swear, you're in fucking trouble. Stop it!" he yells. "Floor it, Eggsy!" I hear Ryan shout. "Yea, yeah, Dean, look it's me! Eggsy just stole my fucking car, yeah! Yeah, I've come out of the pub, he's done about fifteen donuts in my fucking face and then he's drove off! No, I can't! Look, he's disrespecting me and that means he's disrespecting you!" "OH FUCK! HE'S CALLIN' DEAN EGGSY!" I yell to him. he must have heard me because he took off down the road laughing and screaming. I sigh in relief turning back to the bar, but I'm stopped in my tracks as I hear police sirens. I turn back around to see Eggsy driving backwards as a police car chased after them. Shit.


EGGSY POV

"Eggsy, there is no such thing as honour amongst thieves. Now you can start giving me some names of the boys you were with, or you go down. It's up to you." A police man asked me as I sat in the interrogation room. Shit what have I got myself into this time. I steel my nerves and level my voice. "I want to exercise my right to a phone call." I say strongly "Well, I hope it's to your mum, to tell her that you're gonna to be eighteen months late for your dinner." He says cockily smirking as he leaves. Jackass. I suddenly remember what my mam said to me, ' if your ever in trouble call this number'. Worth a shot init? I take out the medal from around my neck and call the number inscribed on the back. "Customer complaints. How may I help you?" a feminine voice asks through the phone. "Um…my name's Eggsy Unwin. Sorry, Gary Unwin. And I'm up shit creek, I'm in Holborn police station and my mum said to call this number if ever I needed help…" I said rushing. "I'm sorry, sir. Wrong number." "Wait, wait!" I said, shit this is my only chance of getting out of this, then I remember what Harry said to my mam… "Oxford's not Brogue's?"