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

39|'Football?'

"So, what, you just made up then?" Cory asks in disbelief.

"Yeah, guess so." I shrug, crossing my leg over the other from where I'm perched on brick wall next to Cory on the front playground at lunch.

"Are yous, you know... back together or summet?" He asks awkwardly, kicking a stone around his feet.

"No way, I can't forgive him that quickly, what'd you take me for?!" I tell him, and he nods with a small smile.

"Alright, okay, sorry for asking." He holds his hands up in surrender before resting his arm over my shoulder loosely. "So, is he gonna be hangin' round us or...?"

"I dunno, we didn't really plan it out, Cor." I say.

He rolls his eyes playfully, nudging me slightly, "I know, I were just asking."

"I've seen ya boxing, mate!" The two of us hear Mo call out, and we turn our attention over to the boy. "My daadi hits harder."

Mo and his mates all laugh at his comments as Jordan just walks by, ignoring them.

"Mo here boxes for real, and his cousin knows Amir Khan, no word of a lie, you wasteman." Zain backs up Mo.

"Oi Zain!" I call out to him, and the three boys, along with Jordan, all turn to look at me. "No one gives a shit!"

"Language, Izzy!" I hear Mr Qureshi shout from the other side of the playground.

I lock eyes with Jordan and nod my head to him, and he nods back, not breaking eye contact until Candice calls him over.

"Come on, Belly. I'm hungry!" Cory complains, pulling me gently off the wall to go inside.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I laugh at his impatience as I take my sweet time getting my bag.

Once I'm ready, we walk alongside each other, nudging one another as we go. "Since when did Jordan do boxing?"

♡♥︎♡

When we enter the canteen, I excuse myself to go see my sister, leaving Cory in the line with Riz to get food.

"Can you ask your Aaron if I can borrow the car tomorrow?" I request, plopping down into the seat opposite my twin.

Aaron has been teaching me to drive over the last couple months and I've actually got the hang of it. Now he lets me borrow the car sometimes if I need it, which is cool.

"Yeah, course. It should be fine cos he ain't got work tonight, so...." She trails off as she begins typing away on her phone to Aaron.

"So, how's Naz's hunt for her future lover going?" I ask Missy, remembering our conversation from a few days ago.

"Well, we went to check out this lesbian football club, and she's thinking about going back to play." Missy shrugs, taking a bite out of her burger, once she's put her phone down.

"That's a start. But football?" I comment, shoving one of Missy's chips in my mouth and smiling smugly at her when she gives me an offended look.

Suddenly, a purple drawstring bag gets dumped on our table, causing us to look up at Naz's cheesy smile. "What's this then, Nasreen?"

She pulls a pair of football boots out of her bag, and Missy's face lights up, "You're going for it?"

"Yeah!" Naz nods, giddily. "Do you know what, I've been practising with Saleem, and I'm actually quite good."

"Great!" Missy smiles.

"Did you nick these?" I ask, pointing to her new boots.

"Uh, I prefer the term borrowed." She corrects, and I smirk at her before she turns to Missy, "But, er, these are for you, Missy."