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

21|'Home Wrecker!'

Me and Jordan are sitting at one of the tables in the canteen, throwing crisps at each other to try get it in the others mouth. "Oi, that was me eye!"

Jordan just laughs at my misfortune, and I scowl at him. "Fine, my turn."

Jordan opens his mouth, and just as I throw it, he turns his head at Candice's voice, getting a crisp to the side of the head. "Oi, stranger!"

"What you doing here?" Jordan stands up to greet his son, and I start eating my crisps.

"Jamie'll be older next year. Thought I'd see about coming back." Candice states. "Would you like that?"

"What'd you mean?" Jordan asks.

"Us, like together in school." Candice answers, and I choke on a crisp.

"Bella, you alright?" Jordan comes to my side, and I nod, waving him off as I continue coughing. "Here." He hands me his water bottle, and I accept it gratefully.

"Jordan?" Candice says expectantly, and Jordan stands up still at my side. "You could come look after him in your frees when you're in sixth form."

"Why would I want to do that?" Jordan asks after a few moments of hesitating. "Why would I want to look after someone else's kid?"

"What?" Me and Candice ask in sync.

"I've done a DNA test. He's not mine, Candice." Jordan reveals.

"Oh shit..." I mumble.

"You got a DNA test?" Candice asks, and I roll my eyes at her.

"All that guilt you put me on, about not seeing him, and he's not even mine." Jordan says angrily.

Candice gulps, "Are you sure?" 

"What, am I the only one whose name you can remember?" Jordan asks.

"I'm not like that." I snort at her lie, earning a glare from her. 

"My dad told me, everyone told me, I just didn't listen." Jordan shakes his head in disbelief.

"Did she tell ya? Is that why you're turning your back on me?" She points an accusing finger at me.

I scoff a laugh, but Jordan stops me before I can say anything, "Leave Bella out of it. It's got nowt to do with her."

"She's a home wrecker!" Candice exclaims. "Just because your family's a shit hole doesn't give you the right to ruin mine."

I calmly uncross my legs and stand up with a smile on my face. "You got a problem? Come here and whisper it in my ear."

Candice tries to approach me, but Jordan stands in front of me protectively. She reaches out and holds onto Jordan's blazer. "I really wanted you to be the dad. I thought-"

"Why are you acting like you like me all of a sudden?" Jordan steps back out of her grasp, and I sit on the table with my feet on one of the chairs.

"I've always liked ya." She claims.

"You liked me brother." Jordan corrects. "Just like all the girls."

"That doesn't include me and Missy." I hold my hand up. "Well, it doesn't include me." Missy fancied Cory when we was younger before she came to her senses.

"Anyway..." Jordan looks back at Candice. "That's why you hung around with us, so you could see him."

"We only did it the once." Candice admits, and my jaw drops.

"What?" Jordan asks, confused.

"What's he tell ya?" Candice asks nervously. "Cos it was only the once. And he didn't even talk to me after that. You were really nice."