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

17|'Its The Socials!'

"WHEYYYY!" The boys cheer, Riz and Cory are carrying me on their shoulders, after a very fun early rugby practise before school starts.

"Ahh, put me down!" I squeal as they fake drop me.

"Alright, lads, put her down, now." Mr Bell chuckles along with the rest of the team.

"Thank you." I fake smile when I'm placed back on my feet before punching both Riz and Cory for making me go through that. "Now pick me up normally."

Cory playfully rolls his eyes at my request but stills bends down to give me and piggy-back ride, I smirk triumphantly and jump on his back.

"Come on you lot! Get a move on! Go on!" Mr Bell ushers us in through the main entrance as we all laugh to ourselves.

All of a sudden, Mrs Carter's office door swings open and Haylee runs out in tears, with a man in a suit following behind her.

"Haylee?" I slide of Cory's back, confused, I look around and see Mr Bell with a sad knowing expression on his face.

"Oi! Where's she going? Where're you taking me sister?" I ask the man in a suit but he blanks me and carries on walking.

I turn to look at Cory, Riz and Jordan confused but instead collide with another body. "Ooh!"

"Izzy, we need-"

I stop her, holding her arms as she sobs, "Missy, stop. What's going on?"

"Its the Socials!" My face instantly drops. "They're taking her away! To Bradford!"

I let her go and run out the school, tears brimming my eyes. "Izzy, wait!" I hear, Riz, Cory, Jordan and Mr Bell's ruby boots beat against the gravel as they follow us out, along with Mrs Carter and Miss Keane.

Me and Missy run out in front of the social worker's car to stop him. "No! No! No! You can't take her!"

We run to the window, I grab the door handle and try yank it open but its locked, so I bang on the window. "Haylee! No, come on! Don't leave us! Haylee, get out!"

Haylee bangs on the car window from the inside as we all start sobbing. "Haylee... please.."

"We're gonna call you every day." Missy chokes on a sob.

"I love you." Haylee cries.

"We love you too." I cry back. "We're gonna miss you so much my little drama queen."

The car starts driving away. "No! No, stop! Please! Don't take my sister away!"

Me and Missy jog alongside the car until it speeds off. "Haylee!"

"Izzy, come-" I harshly shrug my best friends hand off.

"Don't touch me!" I shout, turning to face everyone's sympathetic faces, making me feel crazy. I choke on a sob, gripping my head to try stop it from spinning before looking at Mrs Carter, "Why weren't I in the office? I look after my sisters! I'm the emergency contact!"

"You were still at practise, I-I..." Mrs Carter stammers, holding her hands up at her sides.

"Did you know?" I ask Mr Bell accusingly.

Mr Bell sighs, "I'm sorry, Izz."

"That's why we had early practise? You didn't want me to say goodbye to my own sister!" I say in realisation.

"It weren't like that-" He tries to argue but I cut him off.

"Don't lie to me!" I snap. "Now what am I gonna do?"

"Well, social services advise that the two of you go to a shelter for support. Mrs Paracha offered Missy a place at home but there's not enough room for you Izzy." Mrs Carter informs me, cringing at my misfortune.

"You want to separate us even more?! You want to take everyone away from me?!" I yell at her as more tears come to me and I struggle to contain them.

"If its what's best..." Miss Keane trails off.

"How long?" I ask Mr Bell. "How long did you know?"

"Izzy, leave it..." Cory tries to reach for my arm but I pull it away.

"Not until last night." Mr Bell answers guiltily.

"You knew last night?" I ask, betrayed. I storm up to him and begin hitting his chest repeatedly. "I told you to keep it quiet! Why didn't you listen?! Look what you've done!"

"Izzy, stop!" "Bella, no!" "Izzy!"

"Wh-why?!" I cry, my legs give out beneath me and I fall to the floor.

"Give her some room." Mr Bell advises. "When she's like this she don't want to be touched."

In my peripheral vision I see a few people take a step back from me. "Haylee... Haylee come back..."

Missy comes next to me and sits with me on the floor, "I didn't get to say goodbye... I-I didn't..."

"I know..." Missy sobs.

"ARGHH!" I scream as my heart clenches for my sisters and my Nana.

What've I got left now?

I'm alone....

♡♥︎♡

I hear a knock on the door and I lazily stand up and answer the door to be met with Mr Bell. "Sir?"

"I thought you might want this." He holds a black earn out to me. I cautiously accept it and turn it to face me.

Julie Booth
"Nana"
1950-2017

I look up from it and see a fairly big duffel bag on the floor next Mr Bell. "You going somewhere?"

"Yeah a motel." He nods looking at his bag. "Had a fallout with Mrs Carter, turns out I was right about her and Sadiq."

"Oh, sorry sir."

"Yeah, well..." He smiles sadly. "Anyway, just wanted to drop that off and make sure you're alright."

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. We're good." I nod and Missy comes to my side.

"Sir, what you doing here?" Missy asks.

"Just coming to bring Nana home where she belongs." He points at the earn I'm clutching in my arms. "And to check on my favourite twins."

"He had a fallout with his missus, he doesn't just walk around with all his stuff in bags for fun." I tell her when she looks confused at his bags.

"Oh..." She trails of in understanding before we give each other a knowing look.

"Sir?" We ask in sync.

"Yeah?" He replies sceptically.

"Do you wanna stay for tea?" I ask him.

"Why not." He smiles at us.