I Like Me Better When I'm With You | Ackley Bridge

9|'Who Are You Isabella Booth?'

"What did your mom say?" Missy asks Naz. Mr Paracha is back in town early, and apparently, he's found a lad for Naz to marry.

"Over her dead body, and then dad just stormed out." Naz answers.

"Good on her." I comment.

"Was the guy fit?" Missy asks Naz seriously.

Naz scoffs, "He were wearing loafers."

Me and Missy gasp, shocked. "Your mom won't let it happen."

"Oh my god, unless he kidnaps ya." Missy suggests.

"You're not helping." Naz shakes her head.

"Well, I'm sure it's against human rights or summet, you could just report it." I shrug, and then me and Missy split from Naz to head to our next lesson, Art.

"Right class, today will be a free reign lesson. Paint or draw what you're feeling, really get in touch with those hidden emotions. And display them on your blank canvas. Well, sketchbooks." Mrs Kossal instructs before everyone's attention is drawn to the opening door. "Mr Wilson, so good for you to join us."

"Sorry, Miss." Jordan mutters before taking his seat next to me.

"Alright, class. Begin." Mrs Kossal claps.

Jordan turns to me as I pick up my pencil. "What're we doing?"

"Drawing how we feel. Improvisation." I inform him absentmindedly as I start my piece.

"Cool." He nods and sits back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest.

"Nu uh." I shake my head, turning my attention to him. "You're not gonna waste a lesson you're actually good at by sulking in a corner."

"Says who?" He asks.

"Says me." I say confidently and slam an art pencil on his desk, next to his book.

"Says you, and that's supposed to mean summet to me?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"It does if you wanna walk out this class with your grapes still intact." I smile sarcastically at him.

"Well, what do I get out of it?" He asks after a moment of analysing my face to see if I was joking.

"Other than keeping your grapes?" I raise a questioning eyebrow at him, and he nods. "Um... I'll... pfft... I'll..." I trail off in thought. "I know, I'll go to everyone of your rugby practises and all your games."

"How'd you know about that?" He looks at me sceptically.

"I have my ways." I shrug cockily and I watch as he analyses me for the second time this lesson.

"Alright, you've got a deal." He holds his hand out to cement our deal.

"But you've gotta turn up to every art lesson and... English lesson, and do the work." I tell him.

"What?!" He raises his voice before lowering it slightly when people start looking. "Why English? That weren't the deal."

"Technically, the deals still up for discussion, and if I have to do two things for you, you have to do two things in return." I remark.

He sighs heavily, "Fine, deal."

I shake his extended hand with a triumphant smirk. "Pleasure doing business with ya."

He rolls his eyes playfully at me before we both turn back to our work.

♡♥︎♡

I've finally finished my piece, and Mrs Kossal has come over to analyse my work and score it. "Well, I am impressed, Miss Booth."

"Thanks, Miss." I smile.