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

41|'No Cory!- RIZ!'

Cory tries to literally shake off all his nerves, loosening up his muscles, shaking his hands, and bouncing on the spot to try to get his head back in the game. He turns his head to look at Mr Bell but notices his dad standing there, and he instantly tenses up, looking over at me and Jordan, more specifically, Jordan. His fist clench at his sides, and I it all clicks. I know exactly what he's gonna do and what Mr Bell told him to do.

"No, Cory! Don't do it!" I warn him, startling Jordan.

But he doesn't listen. Instead, he sprints full speed at Riz and doesn't slow up as he gets closer. 

And with that, "No Cory!—" he takes out his best mate. "RIZ!"

♡♥︎♡

The day before...

"Just look at the way he walks. It's just so sexy, isn't it?" Razia states, looking at Riz from across the playground, dreamily.

I scrunch my nose up at the thought as I watch Riz, Cory, and Naveed walk through the playground.

"He should be in Vampire Diaries." Razia says, nodding along confidently with her words.

"True Blood." Chloe adds, agreeing with the vampire image Razia created for us girls sitting on the wall.

"I don't care, as long as he's chomping on my neck!" Razia claims, causing me to choke on my water.

"Razia Paracha!" Me and Haylee exclaim, maybe a little too loudly as I notice we attract the attention of the three boys.

"Izzy!" Cory calls, jogging over to me, as the other two boys wait near the entrance. "Alright, trouble, you coming?"

"Yeah, just one sec." I tell him as I quickly type a message out to Riz, Cory reading over my shoulder. 'Oi, Riz send us a smile over here. These girls have a fat crush on ya ;)'

Me and Cory chuckle to ourselves and look up to see Riz reading my text before smoothly smirking over at the girls sitting on the brick wall. All four girls start gushing and swooning about the Nawaz boy, but I just giggle to myself.

Cory picks my bag up and chucks it over his shoulder, throwing his arm comfortably over my shoulder as we hear the last of the girl's conversation as we're walking off. 

"Oh my god, did you see that?" Razia exclaims. "He wants feeding."

The girls cackle loudly to themselves, and I shake my head at them just as the boys start teasing Riz about his little fan club. 

"The three musketeers and their princess." Mr Bell greets as we walk through the student entrance. "Why'd you miss training dis morning, Cory?"

Cory looks down guiltily, his arm sliding off my shoulder, causing my eyebrows to furrow in confusion. "Something came up, sir."

"Something came up." Mr Bell repeats in a disbelieving tone. "Well, I've organized a training session for this Thursday after school. A mate of mine's a scout. He's coming to see you."

"Is that for all of us, sir?" Riz asks, noticing the way Mr Bell eyed Cory specifically.

"Yeah, course. I mean, this is a good chance for all of yous." Mr Bell corrects himself.

We nod and begin to walk off, but I hung back when I realize Mr Bell stopped Cory.

"Cory." Mr Bell begins. "If you impress this scout, it could be really good for ya. You might get into an academy."

Cory chuckles, impressed with his potential, "Yeah, well, whatever it takes."

"Good." Mr Bell nods. "Good, lad."

Cory begins to walk over to me before getting stopped again by Mr Bell, "Oi, is the water back on at yours?"

"You what?" Me and Cory ask in sync, me knowing full well that there water's fine as I showered there the other morning.

Mr Bell scoffed in disbelief, "Nothing. Nothing, my mistake."

I give him a quizzical look, but he just gives me an 'I'll tell you later' look, earning a nod from me.

Mr Bell walks off, and Cory looks down, his smile vanishing from his face as he sulks towards me. 

"What's wrong, Cor? Stuff about your dad?" I guess, and he nods slightly with a tight-lipped smile. "Look, just-just focus on this scout, yeah? Mr Bell thinks you're great and... well, I do, too."

"Really?" Cory asks hopefully.

I playfully roll my eyes, "Well, duh! Course I do, you muppet."

A smile makes its way on his face, "What would I do without you, eh?" He pulls me into his side and places a chaste kiss on my head as we try to catch up with Riz and Naveed.

♡♥︎♡

"Jordan!" Mr Bell stops Jordan in his tracks after just informing me of his suspicions about Jordan being kicked out.

"Alright, Sir. Bella." He nods to us, and I give him a small smile.

"Listen, a friend of mine's a plumber, and he owes me a favour. So, tell your dad, he's gonna come round this afternoon, and he's gonna sort out the hot water, alright?" Mr Bell offers, kindly.

"No, sir, it's alright. Don't worry." Jordan tries to wave him off.

"If it's about money, then he's already said he'll do it for free." I input.

"No, it's alright. It's been sorted now." Jordan lies and peels a scrap bit of a ripped poster off the wall.

"So it's you?" Miss Keane speaks up in disbelief, walking over to Jordan. "I might've known."

"What?" Me and Jordan ask, confused.

"Miss Keane?"

"Ripping down my posters, all my posters, all over the school!" Miss Keane begins to raise her voice, frustratedly.

"That's got nowt to do with me." Jordan says, offended at her accusation.

"He's been in registration." Mr Bell defends him.

"You've got the evidence in your hand," She points at the ripped corner of a poster in his hand, "and you've got the gall to lie to my face about it? What else are you lying about, Jordan?"

"What you on about?" Jordan looks to me for help.

"Miss, are you alright?" I ask, noticing her frantic state. "It weren't Jordan, alright?"

Miss Keane completely ignores me, "Where's your drug dealer friend disappeared to, eh?" 

"Woah, woah, woah. Hang on, a minute." I stop her, and she finally acknowledges me.

"Why are you defending him, Izzy?" Miss Keane asks, in disbelief.

"Cos he's done nowt wrong!"

"Right, that's enough." Mr. Bell steps in before Miss Keane can say anything more. "Go on, you two, get to class."

Me and Jordan begin to walk off as the two teachers continue their conversation in hushed tones, and I pull Jordan to the side roughly. "Ouch, Bella!"

"Oh put a sock in it, you big baby!" I roll my eyes. "What you lying for?"

"I ain't took no posters down!" He exclaims.

"I'm not on about the flamin' posters, I meant to Mr Bell." I tell him, and his face falls slightly. 

"What you on about?" He says nervously.

"Well, what's this? You ain't had no hot water the last week when I distinctly remember having a shower at yours, not three days ago?" I state, and he curses under his breath at his mistake. "So what's gone on? Why you showering at school?"

He shrugs nonchalantly, "Felt like it."

"Jordan..."

 He interrupts me, "Now come on, we're gonna be late."