3d

 Dylan was uptight.  He was out for a few hours and already he'd had a run in with Brody. Nothing major but it was enough to rattle him. Two minutes later, someone got in his way and he nearly bumped into them.  This annoyed him, though probably he wouldn't have worried about it if he hadn't had the altercation with Brody.  After that he overheard someone talking about him.

"Don't be acting like the guy in the red top. You can see how rattled he is."  This from a random stranger, a father to a son.  

Was that what it had come to? People looked at him and saw he was rattled?  Deep down he felt he was a good boy, a good person but Brody set him on edge and then he nearly bumped into someone.  No wonder he was tense, but he wouldn't say he was rattled.

David Platt was over the other side of the road.  He'd been inside too as a teenager.  Max's dad. 

"Oh no. He's crossing the road," thought Dylan.  It wasn't that he didn't like speaking to him. It was more just that he never knew what to say to adults.

"Are you ok Dylan?"

"Yes. Fine Mr Platt."

"I saw Brody earlier. He looked as if he was hassling you.  And you can call me David."

"It's all sorted.  I'm going to teach him a lesson one of these days."

"You'll end up inside again.  Let it go.  Don't do all the things I've done.  Trust me, I've done my time."

"Yeah, yeah. Yeah whatever."

Sean was crossing over to the pub when he saw the two talking. He hid behind the tree and peeped between the branches.  He didn't want people to think that he was a controlling father, one who liked to know what his son was up to. He just liked to take an interest.

"Don't throw your life away.  Look Coronation Street's been good to me.  I didn't think I'd still be here 25 years after my debut, but I am.  Keep your head down, behave, get on with people and you could have a long term career here.  It worked for me," said David.

"Yeah but things were easy in the old days weren't they? And you had perfect parents.  My mother and father didn't even live together.  I was a turkey baster baby."

"Life with Gail Martin were ok. But then it were Hillman, and the foot man, and Joe McIntyre and Michael Rodwell and Jesse the Clown. Hillman tried to drown me, the foot man hit me, Joe drowned, Michael were murdered.  And so was me wife. And me and Sarah killed Max's biological dad. Life's had its ups and downs.  And I haven't started about Nick yet."

Sean couldn't see clearly so he climbed up the tree a bit.  He'd always been good at tree climbing ever since someone told him that the only way to get to the other side of the rainbow was by reaching the treetop and climbing through the clouds.  So far in life, the rainbow had always gone by the time he reached the top,

Audrey glanced out just as Sean reached the uppermost branches of the tree.  His long legs disappeared after a second, and Audrey wondered if she'd imagined it.  But she knew what she'd seen. An ankle, and one as sexy as that, was hard to miss.  Audrey thought back to the days when she used to climb down drainpipes at Mr Perrin's houses. She was the sexy ankle in this days, but she was always going down.  All of that felt like another life, another time entirely.

Daniel Osbourne saw Dylan and David.  He silently moved towards them, and gave both a fright when he slid into the scene as if on wheels.  "Did I see you threatening Brodie earlier?  He'll only drag you down. Never help you. Don't get involved. You'll end up back in jail."

"Yes I know. Mr Pla... David here just gave me the same pep talk."

"Don't throw away your future Dylan. Work hard and you could end up like us."  Daniel gestured towards David and himself.

It wasn't much of a prospect, but he answered, "I won't Mr Osbourne."

"'Daniel' now that you're out of the STC. But never Dan, Danny or Daz."

"I'll keep me head down, Daniel," replied Dylan mechanistically.

"It's for the best, and believe me, I craved revenge in the past," chimed David.

"Go home and forget all about it tonight. Tomorrow is a new day," said Daniel.

"I hate to say it,  but you've been stupid," said David who knew all too well about these matters.

Dylan couldn't argue. "I was hanging about bored. I must kill time differently in future."

Daniel said, "My dad wasn't always in my life.  My mum was a hairdresser you see. She made her living with scissors."

David added: "My dad had affairs, including with a 16 year old girl, and moved over the Penines with a woman.  I never saw him again.  You're lucky that Sean cares for you so much."

"He's not a pushover.  I saw him once throw a drunk docker from Bury out of the pub," said Daniel.

"Me dad chucked him out onto the cobbles? What a dad, he's such a hero," said Dylan smiling at last.

Sean heard only certain words:"... like us... you're out.... for...  revenge... tonight.  ... I hate my dad... I must kill... my dad... with scissors.  He's... a pushover. Bury.... him...  under... the cobbles." 

Audrey's curiosity seized her and she went outside to look up into the tree to see what was going on.  Her timing was fortuitous for it was at that moment that Sean fell from the tree, into her arms.

"They're out for revenge tonight.  Dylan hates his dad and he's going to kill me with scissors.  They think I'm a pushover and they're going to bury me under the cobbles."

Sean wasn't making sense, so Audrey cuddled him to her maternal bosom and lifted him into the Salon.  "Come on now lovey. Sit down."  She reached for a bottle and held it under Sean's nose.

"What's this? Smelling salts?" Sean sniffed cautiously.

"Perm lotion. Deep breath in."

Sean took the bottle from Audrey and downed some of the liquid.  The effect was instantaneous, and he came back to his senses.

"They want revenge. Dylan hates me and he's going to scissor me to death and then bury me under the cobbles."  Sean sobbed, so Audrey passed him a towel.

"Stranger things have happened on this street Sean, so you are right to be worried.   It started with Ernie getting shot but there has been lots since then.  So many in fact that we've got our own undertakers on the street now. Shuttleworth's.  Ay, I remember Archie well.  We had a few dinner dates but nothing came of it."  She paused, thinking back 30 years.  "But Dylan and Daniel are nice boys.  David, yes I can see he might be involved in dirty deeds, but not Dylan and Daniel."

"No Audrey. It's all of them.  They want me dead, stabbed and buried," sobbed Sean blowing his nose on the towel.  "I'm a goner."

A 'ping' sound came from one of the hairdryers, and Audrey lifted the device from Glenda's head.  Her thick, now coiffed, hair fell in long tresses around her shoulders.

"That's you Glenda. It's such a joy to work with such naturally strong and shiny hair," said Audrey.

"You've done a great job Audrey, and you, ya silly sausage.  Stop snivelling and pass me my coat." She looked at Sean.  "I was sitting under the dryer here, inside the shop, the door was closed but even I could make out what the boys were saying.  You were too busy humming the tune of "Leaning on the lamp post" to be able to hear them properly.  David and Daniel were telling Dylan to behave. Daniel and David were moaning about their parents, but Dylan said he loved his dad.  You only picked up a few words."

"You mean, I got myself into a state for no reason? You might not believe this but he's my only child and I'm so relieved that he loves me.   I feel like celebrating now.  Audrey, have you got any more of that perm lotion?"

"I think you've had enough Sean.  Take it from one who knows, you can get hooked on this stuff," replied Audrey.

"I don't want to drink any more," replied Sean. "I'm going to have a perm to celebrate."