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22 BloodBrothers Act One 23

But in there, Bmed ond peatl,ant,Nlichey sits and shnots an imaginm2 Sqmry'
to stay Sate, swm appearc. He is bright artd'forthcoming'
Sdward also aged
'Cos me says I'm only seven,
But I'm nearly eight! Edward Hello'
hate our Sammy, Miçkey (susPicinusfu) Hello.
me toy cary'know,
Edward I've seen Yàu before.
Now an'the top's broke ofl
An'the bleedin'thing Mickey Where?
An'he said when he took it, was just like that,
But it wasn't, it went
Edward You were playing with some other boys near my
house.
But y' can't say they think y' seven
An'yt not, y' eight. Mickey Do you live uP in the Park?
{li I wish I Sammy, Edward Yes. Are you going to come and play up there
Y' see him spit, again?
in y' eye from trventy yards
An' time a hit.
Mickey No. I would do but I'm not allowed'
to play with matches, Edward Why?
And dead late,
And I have to go
Mickey 'Cos me mam says.
Even though f'm neaù Edward WelI, my mummy doesn't allow me to play down
here actually.
Y'knorvour Sammn
He draws nudey Mickey 'Gis a sweet.
Without arns, or even heads Edroard All right. (He ofns a bagfon his pocka')
In the baths, goes swimmin'.
But f'm to go to the baths, Mickey (tlntktd) What?
Me I have to wait, Edward Here.
'Cos get drowned, 'cos I'm only seven,
But not,I'm nearly eight. Mickey (tying n work out the catch' Suspicious$ tn'king one) Can I
Y' our Sammy,
have another one. For our SammY? r
Y' does? Edward Yes, of course . Take as many as you want'
He wees straight letter box
Of the house next door to Mickey (nking ahan4faq Are you soft?
I tried to do it one Edward I don't think so'
But I had to stand crate,
Mickey Round here if y' ask for a swgei, y' have to ask
'Cos I couldn't reach letter box
about, about twenty million times' An' y' know what?
But I will by the time I'm eight.
 24 Blood Brothers
Act One 25
Edward bæideMickey) What?
(sitting
E&f,ard A book which explains the meaning of words.
Mickey They still don't bleedin' gr.r. y, one. Sometimes
Sammy does but y, have to be dead"cur.'firf our
"* Mickey The meaning ofwords, yeh. Our Sammy'll be here
if .* S* f" soon. I hope he's in a good mood. He's dead mean sometimes.
gives y'a s$€et.

Edward l{hyl Edward Why?

Mickey 'Cos, if our Sammy gives y, a sweet he,s usually
Mickey lt's 'cos h3's got a plate in his head.
weed on it fost. Edward Aplate. In his head?
Edward (exûlndhw in
eigghi oh, that sounds Mickey Yeh. When he was little, me Mam was at work an'
like super fun.
Mickey It is. Ify'our Sammy. our Donna Marie was supposed to be lookin' afterhim but he
fell out the window an' broke his head. So they took him to
|\; Edward Do you want to come and play? the hospital an' put a plate in his head.
I might do. But I'm not playin, now ,cos
I,m pissed Edward A plate. A dinner plate?
$ickef
Mickey I don't think so, 'cos our Sarnmy's head's not really
nayyA@ofl Pissed off. you say_smashing things that big. I think it must have been one of them little plates that
you? Do you know any more words'like don,t
that? you have bread off.
Mickey Yeh. yeh.I know ---- v' "vrw like that. y,know,
loads ofwords Edward A side plate?
like the 'F'word.
Mickey No, it's on the top.
Edward Qfuekss) pardon?
Edurard And . . . and can you see the shape of it, in his
Mickey The .F, word. head?

fawla t1 sllt pullhd. Mickey look round to cluck tlwt lu cannot

"-'
Mickey I suppose, I suppose if y' looked under his hair.
!1!::]y!: "g ttu worâ n na*",J. ru h,; i;tu' Edward (fin
xmnudntet) ungk?h"pï:
and giggh with glce.
a rflcctbe pause) You know the most smashing
things. Will you be my best friend?
Edward \{hat does it mean?
Mickey Yeh.Ify'want.
Mickey f don't know. It sounds good though, doesn,t |
it? Edward What's your name?
Edward Fantastic. When I get home l,ll look it Mickey MichaelJohnstone. But everyone calls me Mickey.
up in the
dictionary.
\{hat's yours?
Mickey Inthewhat? Edward Bdwardlyons.
The dictionary. Don,r you know what
a dictionary Mickey D' they call y' Eddie?
fl**"
Edward No.
Mickey 'Course I do . . . ft's a, it,s a thingy innit? Mickey Well,Iwill.
26 Blood Brothers Act One 27
Edward Willyoul
Michey Yeh. How old are y' Eddie? l0r.f;ickeyfonticalfu shalæs his trying to shut î'ilwar.d uP.

Edward Seven. Ye4, I gave you one remember?

Mickey f'm older than you. I'm nearly eight. Sanmy Edward's uoice and Mickey's misfortune'

Edward Well, I'm nearly eight, rea\. $arnrny little robbin'get.

Mickey \{hat's your birthday? hands oaer a szaæt.) An' anYwaY, You
best gun.
Edward July the eighteenth.
t]" àzt is tnofast.
Mickey So is mine. Mickey Srr".fr*Sanrry
trizs tn matth

Sarurry lt's last anyway. It only fires gonna get a

Edward Is it really?
real gun soon, I'm gonna get an arr
Mickey Ey, we were born on the same day. . . that means Sarnrny goas into afantas2 shoot doesn't notice Edward
we can be blood brothers. Do you wanna be my blood to get a close look at his luad.
who has aPProached him and
brother, Eddie?
(Eumtualfu notùing) are you lookin' at?
Edward Yes, please.
Mickey (producing a penknfe)
Edward
It hurts y' know. (He puts a nùk in
his hand.) Now, give us yours. Mickey Eddie. He lives uP bY the Park'
Mickey nicks Edward's hand, thm tlryt clnnp hands togethn. Samrry He's a
See, this means that we're blood brothers, an' that we always Mickey No, he's not. He's my best friend'
have to stand by each other. Now you say after me: 'I will
always defend my brother'.
Samrry (snorting decidingit's notworth tlu botha) You soft.
YJust sàfrtule kids. (,Iz quiet d.isdain he moues awa2' )
Edward I will always defend my brother . . . Mickey \Mhere Y' goin'?
Mickey And stand by him. Sarrumy (looking at do another burial.
I
Edward And stand by him. Me worms have died
Mickey An'share ull *y sweets with him. Mickey Edward) Oh,Y' comin'the funeral?
Our Sammy is a funeral Can we come, Sammy?
Sznmy bringsforth a han(ful dsoil.
Putshis
pointrd at thnn.
Look, they was alive an . Bùt
$rrrrrny
Mickey
by dinner time they was dead.
Snrnrny Give Eldwarù ùupect tlu fuceased
Mickey and
Mickey hand.