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

35|'School Slut'

Mine and Cory's voices fill the early morning streets as Cory gives me a piggy-back ride and we laugh hysterically.

However, our light-hearted spirits slowly die down as we make it through the school gate. Multiple eyes snap round to look at us and I slide off Cory's back with a confused smile directed to my best friend. 

"What's going on?" Cory asks in a hushed tone, also noticing everyone's side-glances directed at the two of us whilst we walk across the front playground and towards the main entrance.

"I dunno." I shrug, smiling at Shannon and a few of the other girls but just receiving judge-y looks in return. 

We continue walking for a few moments, our hands finding their way to each other, clasping on tightly in attempt to comfort each other before someone pulls Cory's free arm and drags the two of us to the side.

"Have you seen this, bro?!" Riz asks, harshly and waves his phone around in our faces, but I don't get a chance to look at it as I get distracted by the sound of my sister's voice calling me urgently.

"Izzy!" Naz and Missy make a beeline for me, shoving Liam and Riz out the way slightly as I faintly hear Cory mutter a 'what the fuck'.

"What's this? You and him?" Missy thrusts her phone into my hands and glares at Cory.

"What...?" I trail off confused and look at the phone in my hand. 

There's a two photos: one is of the kiss me and Jordan shared on the lunch benches on the early school morning just after he got beat up by his dad; and the other is a photo taken of me and Cory a few days ago when we skipped school. The words 'Izzy Booth: The Biggest Slut in Ackley Bridge! Sleeping Around With Anything That Has  A Heart Beat! I Wonder Who's Next?' plastered in big bold writing across the two photos and my jaw drops at the sight.

"Well, is it true?" Missy asks and Naz subtly tells her to back off.

"No!" Cory shakes his head. "Of course not!"

"Izzy?" Missy asks me, directly.

My head snaps up to look at her, offended that she'd think I'd do that. "Of course it ain't! What do you think of me?!"

"I-I..." She stammers and I spin round to look at Riz and Liam.

"Who posted this? Huh?!" I ask, impatiently.

"Aliyah." Liam says, meekly and my jaw clenches.

"Course it were." I grumble and storm off in search off the lying bitch, Cory following close behind me and a few others joining him.

"What ya doing? Where ya going?" Cory asks, catching up with my pace.

"I'm gonna find Aliyah and put things right." I state, trying to remain calm. 

"Alright." He nods and I stop in the middle of the canteen.

"You're not gonna stop me?" I ask, shocked.

"Nah, she deserves everything she gets." He smirks and I smile slightly as he wraps his arm around my shoulder briefly before our small moment is ruined by the one person I didn't wanna see.

"Oi, Cory!" Jordan's voice booms as the canteen doors swing behind him. "We need to have a chat!"

Jordan storms up to us, Cory's arm falling from my shoulders, just before Jordan's fist collides with Cory's cheek.

My hands cover my mouth in shock at what Jordan just did, "What the fuck, Jordan?!"

"Stay out of this, Bella!" He demands and Cory lifts his head up, wiping his lip with the back of his hand, I go to Cory side, taking his face in my hands to look at his lip. It'll be fine, we'll get some ice for it later.