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

47|'Meet Me At Five'

"You had sex."

My blunt observation of my sister the second she walks through the door takes her back a bit, but it is so obvious.

"What? How'd you know?" She asks, shocked.

"Oh, come on, it's obvious." I let out a small laugh. "Messy hair, scruffy clothes, and a loved up smile, walking around like an air head. You literally just scream, 'I just had sex'. You might as well have it written across your forehead."

"I- well, I-I..." She stumbles over her words, not knowing what to say.

"Well, come on, how was it?" I encourage her to open up. "It was with Aaron, right?"

"Yes, it were Aaron!" She says with an offended look, walking behind the sofa.

Haylee comes around the corner just as she walks past, and they look at each other, slightly awkwardly, "You alright?"

"Yeah." Missy says quietly.

"What I said yesterday -"

Missy cuts her off with a smile, "Forget it."

"I can look after myself, you know?" Haylee reminds us, giving us individual looks.

"Oh, we know." I nod confidently. "We just need a reminder everyone now and then that you're not our baby anymore."

"Me and Mom are going out at the weekend to sell the mops, do yous want to come with us?" Haylee offers.

"I'm seeing Aaron, aren't I?" Missy politely declines, and Haylee nods, understandingly.

"They had sex." I reveal to our sister, and her face instantly breaks out into shock as Missy hits me with a pillow. "Ow!"

"No way!" Haylee giggles, and so do I.

"I can't believe you!" Missy exclaims, hitting me with the pillow again.

"Oi, oi, leave off!" I laugh, hitting her with a pillow this time, and she eventually listens.

"Anyway... you can come if you want." Missy offers, turning to me and Haylee. "You can bring Riz, and you can bring that Cory."

"I'm good, I'd rather not watch me sister sucking faces with her fella." My comment earned me another whack over the head with the pillow. "And anyway, I haven't spoke to Cory in a few days, don't think he's interested anymore."

My sisters give me sympathetic looks, but they don't last long as we turn to Haylee to see her answer, "Hales?"

"Aliyah's told me I've gotta stay away from him." Haylee states.

"Someone needs to tell that stuck-up cow where to go." Missy says through gritted teeth, looking towards me.

"Don't look at me, I made a bet with Mr Bell that I won't break her nose again for the rest of term for twenty quid." I shrug helplessly.

"I can handle Aliyah." Haylee says, giving us aimed looks before chugging the rest of Missy's coke. "Ah!"

We all share a small chuckle, but I stop when a question comes to mind, "So Hales, how'd you and Riz get together?"

♡♥︎♡

"I've been thinking a lot about Mr Qureshi and what he'd want his legacy to be." Miss Keane announces, after the whole of Year 11 and the sixth formers witnessed the tree planting for Mr Qureshi. "So, if I can ask you to do anything, it's to look out for each other."

"Be kind." My blue eyes unintentionally meet a pair of familiar brown ones, and an unfamiliar feeling made it's way to my chest when he smiles at me. "Fight for what's right."

"And never let anyone or anything hold you back." Feeling someone nudge my shoulder, I look to my left to see Haylee offer me a smile, which I return and focus back on Miss Keane. "Live life like he would."

"Smile. Open your eyes. Love. And go on." Miss Keane concludes, giving us a tight-lipped smile and stepping back, to be in line with the rest of the teachers.

Gradually, everyone starts to filter away either to lessons or somewhere around the playground, but I stay where I am, telling my sisters that I'll meet up with them in a bit.

As I stare at the small tree, I feel a presence stand at my side, stuffing their hands in their pockets. "Hey."

I sigh deeply, wrapping my arms around myself as the icy-cold breeze brushes past me, "Hiya Cory."

"You alright?" He asks awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You?" I try to continue the awkward conversation between me and my best friend.

"Yeah, yeah, g-good. I'm- I'm good." He nods, and I nod in response. I hear him inhale sharply as if he was apprehensive about his next moves, but nonetheless, he boldly steps in front of me, blocking my view of the small tree. "Um, Izzy?"

"Yeah?" I reply, awaiting his response, intrigued by the way he gulps before opening his mouth to continue.

"You busy after school?" He finally manages out, holding his breath as he waits for my answer.

"Not really." I shrug. "I mean, I've gotta finish up the girls' costumes tonight before the play tomorrow, but it won't take that long..."

His shoulders visibly relax, and he sighs in relief, a goofy grin breaking out on his face, "Great. I'll see ya down the Rec at five."

"But -"

He cuts me off, "No buts. I'll see ya later, Trouble!"

"Cory!" I call out to him as he begins to jog back into school and scoff as he just gives me a cheeky smile, walking backwards.

"What?" He laughs. "You told me to prove it, so meet me at five!"

"Uh-" I cut myself off, looking around helplessly with a stupid smile on my face. He's such an idiot.