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

16|'We Love You Nana!'

"Its weird we didn't see Cory. Normally he waits for me at the gate." I comment, as mine and Jordan's entertwined hands swing between us whilst we walk down his street to his house.

"Yeah, maybe he got distracted." Jordan suggests.

"I dunno." I shrug as we walk up to his door.

Jordan unlocks his front door and we walk into the living room to see Cory waiting for us, holding a really nice black dress in his hand. "Hiya."

"Wow, Cor, that's pretty. Really brings out your eyes." I smile.

"Its not for me, Pretty Girl." He holds it out to me and Jordan.

"Well, it'll suit Jordan as well." I shrug. They both shake their heads at me. "Me?!"

"Yeah, Missy dropped it off for ya a little while ago." Cory states as I take the dress out his hands.

"And what you've just been standing there ever since, waiting for us?" Jordan asks with a laugh earning a shove from his brother.

"What's it for?" I ask.

"For tonight." I raise an eyebrow still confused. "The cremation of Nana. Its today, innit?"

"Oh shit, I forgot!" I exclaim and run upstairs to get changed in their bathroom.

♡♥︎♡

I walk down the stairs in the black dress Missy had picked out for me, to see Jordan and Cory play-fighting at the bottom of the stairs in smart suits. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

They stop fighting to look at me as I jump down the last two steps. "The Wilson brothers in actual suits." They pose jokingly. "Very pretty, boys."

We laugh and then the door bell goes. "Who's that?" Cory asks.

"I dunno, this is your house mate." I shrug.

"Well, what should we do?" Jordan asks, looking at each of us nervously.

"Answer it." I say in a 'duh' tone and roll my eyes when no one moves. I walk forward and pull the door open, Jordan and Cory standing behind me protectively.

The door opens to reveal Mr Bell  with a warm smile on his face. "Well, aren't you the scariest body guards in Ackley." I laugh at his comment. "You look great Izzy."

"Thanks." I smile.

"Ready to go then?" He claps.

"What?" The three of us ask confused.

"I thought you might want a lift." He offers kindly and we gladly accept.

♡♥︎♡

"Oh Izz, you've still got you're tag on the dress." Mr Bell points out.

"Don't!" Me, Jordan and Cory exclaim when he tries to take it off. 

"What?" Mr Bell asks confused.

"Check the price." Cory tells him and Mr Bell does, confused.

"20 quid, why?" Sir asks.

"You really think I could afford that?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "Now, me, Haylee and Missy probably have the same dress, nicked from down market. That's 60 quid spent on dresses. We don't even spend 40 quid on food."

"Right, well, at least tuck it in." Mr Bell, tucks it in the back of my dress for me.

"Why don't you just keep it?" Jordan asks, referring to the dress.

"I'm just borrowing it. Booths aren't thieves." I say confidently then think about it. "Most of the time."

We get half way up the hill and I can already smell Missy's perfume so I sigh, knowing they're already here. "Well, time to face the Rock n Roll."

"Its music, you muppet." Cory hits me upside my head.

"No!" I deny and he just nods laughing at my cluelessness. "Sir?"

"I didn't have the heart to tell ya." Mr Bell says awkwardly before chuckling slightly.

"Sir!" I whine and they all laugh at me. "Its not funny."

"It kind of is." Jordan laughs.

"Oh, shut up." I grumble and continue walking. 

As soon as we reach the top of the hill I see Missy, Haylee, Naz and Miss Keane. "Hiya..."

Haylee then runs at me with her arms open wide and tears in her eyes. She runs into me and gives me a bone crashing hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Its okay... Don't worry." I assure, smoothing the back of her hair down with my hand. "Now come on, let's say goodbye to Nana."

We all stand next to each other, Missy holding my left hand and Haylee holding my right, Jordan and Cory stand behind Haylee and Missy to show they are there for me and my sisters, Naz is holding Missy's other hand and Miss Keane and Mr Bell are of to the side whispering about something.

"Is that smoke Nana?" Haylee asks as we watch smoke come out the top of the crematorium. 

"Yeah." I nod.

"Did she have a favourite poem?" Miss Keane asks.

"She liked 'Bat out of Hell'." I shrug.

"Not really the best thing to say at a cremation." Mr Bell mumbles.

We stand there for a few moments in silence as Missy and Haylee lay their heads on my shoulders and I wrap my arms around them whilst they shed a few tears.

Jordan, surprisingly, breaks the silence. "We love you Nana!"

I turn my head to look at him a little taken aback by his outburst but he just smiles goofily. We all look at each other before shouting. "WE LOVE YOU NANA!"