We Are The Mods

Brighton Beach; the ultimate.1

The whole crew will be there. So will our supply of uppers, downers, movers and shakers. This weekend; sex, style and shenanigans.2

The sun glints off the screen of my Vespa, the wind flows through my hair. My jacket flaps and my heart flutters. Nothing like it.3

I look round at the green, green countryside, zipping by real smooth, throw a wink at Jimmy. 4

His head goes back, and it looks like a laugh goes up. Our convoy’s fifteen strong, not a one of us not looking sharp as a flick knife. 5

Greeny darts in front of me, his cherry red Lambretta worthy of heading the pack. Beth, clinging on to him, her beehive slightly ruffled by the motion made wind, fires me a painful sexy look. 6

That girl. 7

Our fellow Mods are out in force, our contingent evidently not the only ones chasing the sun down to the beach, escaping London town and worries of work and squares. 8

Plenty of squares about, mind you, but our numbers make us the majority.9

It’s righteous. Nothing short of. 10

Arms over shoulders, me and Greeny lead the crew into a pub, singing and laughing. It’s a proper dowdy olde English number, this dive. The bartender’s face says ‘Not Welcome’ like a leather jacket says scummy greaser 11

‘Right lads, I want to see some IDs from all of you.’ 12

I give him a nice snarl, but before I can put him to rights, Beth’s gone by, leans over the bar, proper seductive like.13

‘Do I look like a lad to you?’14

He backs away; his face contorts with some kind of strange fear. 15

‘No… no, not at all love… my apologies… still, would you mind showing me some ID?’16

‘I’ll show you more than that if you play your cards right, handsome.’17

A cheer goes up, and her beaming face looks back at us, her gum spinning about in her mouth like my stomach does when she looks at me that way she will, from time to time. 18

‘Please, no more of that, this is a family establishment.’ 19

Beth’s eyes go cold. 20

‘Not today, square. Just get us some fucking drinks.’ 21

I’m riding the last handful of Bennies mighty high. My eyes feel wider than wide, but still, they’ve got nothing on my grin. The lights of the fairground rides dance in my mind, and the beat of the music coming from God knows where makes my feet tap and my fingers pop. I feel centred in my body, in my brain; invincible, with a joy I couldn’t contain if for some reason I felt I should. I snarl at a passing family whose narrow eyes and furrowed brows show their feelings for me a little too clear. 22

Outta nowhere, Jimmy comes legging it toward me, his deep eyes glinting brighter than the Moon on the dark night sea. 23

‘Vinnie, my man… what’s the haps?’ 24

‘Not much, kid, not much. Just scoping the scene. Starting to feel pretty smooth.’25

He claps his hands on my shoulders, real strong. The excitement courses through him and into me. The sweat beads move down his forehead, while his jaw grinds.26

‘Yeah, well… get ready to get jagged my man… Greeny and the boys ‘av cornered some greebos.’27

‘Yeah?’28

I could’ve sworn it wasn’t possible, but all the same I feel my eyes expand. The bennies make sure that adrenaline courses through real quick and slick.29

‘Fuck yeah! So come on… let’s get some action!’30

Everything spins. I spit teeth. Spew blood. Can’t feel a thing. I get to my feet in time to see the rocker who did me get done by a chair leg wielded by a feral Greeny. He goes limp and goes down, all at once. 31

I laugh as I kick him in the stomach, dribble my blood on to his face, bend down and wipe it through his long, greasy hair. 32

‘Need to get that scum off your lovely locks, greebo. This should do just the trick.’33

I grab the scruff of his neck, pull his face close to mine, my narrowed eyes inches from his. He unseeingly looks back, his tongue lolling. 34

‘Never… ever… fuck with a Mod on holiday.’35

With a snap of my neck, my forehead meets the bridge of his nose. Blood spurts. The tip of his tongue lands at my feet. 36

There were more than we bargained on, but those who aren’t worse for wear are legging it or long gone, their heavy boots thudding fading away. 37

‘Look lively, crew. I smell bacon.’ 38

Beth takes me by the arm, and we run. Wildly screaming, madly laughing, we run, we jump, we skip. My heart hammers and my brain buzzes. 39

Alone at last, observed only by the moon up in the star strewn sky. The sand feels soft against the back of my head, but not as soft as Beth’s skin. She has her head on my chest, one leg over me, her hand working circles on my stomach.40

‘You feeling OK, Vin’?41

‘OK ain’t the word Beth. I feel smooth. Liquid smooth.’42

She props her head on her hands, looks at me with a Cheshire cat grin and greedy eyes. She finally ditches the gum. 43

‘Let’s see how this’ll make you feel.’44

Her tongue goes in my mouth and I push back against the pressure. She undoes the button of my trousers, takes down the zipper. I push her shoulder, hard, till she’s on her back and shuffle my trousers the rest of the way down. I get her hair in my hand and start working on her neck. She claws my back, and I push against her.45

The sounds of the waves and the night merge with her moans, and if anything ever feels this good again, I don’t think I’ll be able to take it.46

Brighton Beach; the ultimate. 47