i'm just a reject : bronnor

11~ The Balls

**BRADLEY**

Calum didn't come into school at all the next day, there were rumours going round that he was in hospital because Connor fractured his jaw. Nobody seemed surprised by the fact that Connor hit him, but everyone was curious as to why he stood up for me and spoke.

I didn't see Connor at school either, at lunch I sat staring at the place he'd usually sit in while Tristan and James sat giving eachother gross nose kisses.

"Hey Brad," Michael greeted me by the bike shed after school-- old soggy cigarette ends lay used on the floor from where Connor had smoked them.

"Hi." I said sadly, I dropped my skateboard to the floor and hopped on it, I wasn't in the mood for lingering around school.

"What's up?" Michael asked, his voice laced with concern.

I slowly pushed myself along the concrete pavement as Michael walked beside me.

"Dunno. Just a little bit tired." I sighed, "I won't be able to say long today, I've got to get an early night because I'm helping my mum clean the house in the morning, we're having guests over."

Michael furrowed his eyebrows, "How come you wanted to move our plans to tomorrow then if you were already busy?"

Should I tell him?

"Well, the guests we are having over happen to be Connor Ball and his family. I just wanted to get out of the house."

Michael gave me an apologetic look, "Oh, I'm sorry. That sounds like its gonna be super awkward."

I chuckled lightly, "Yep. So much tension."

*****

"BRAD!" My mum yelled from her room causing me to jolt upright in my bed, "ANSWER THE PHONE!"

The familiar noise of our house phone rang from downstairs, my mum was yelling from her bedroom so I assumed she wasn't prepared to run down the stairs and answer the phone like I was.

I pounded down the steps and ran into the kitchen, picking up the house phone and pressing the green button.

"Hello?" I panted.

"Hello sweetheart, is that Bradley?" A woman's voice asked.

"Yeah."

"Heya Bradley it's Kelly." I wrinkled my nose up as Connor's mum spoke, "Could you please let your mum know that Lewie isn't feeling very well and won't be joining us tonight? Thank you so much pet."

"Sure thing, see you tonight." I tried my hardest to sound polite.

"See you tonight!" She chirped and hung up.

Great. So Lewie wasn't coming, did that mean Connor definitely was? I groaned and trudged back upstairs to tell my mum, it was only 8:00 am so we had plenty of time to tidy the house and get ready. As the afternoon came around I became even more anxious, I got changed into my black skinny jeans and my grey hoody, throwing my sweatpants into the washing basket.

The doorbell rang from downstairs, my mum glanced at me in confusion, "Well, they certainly are early. Get the door, Brad."

I cautiously went downstairs and opened the front door, to be greeted by two people I definitely didn't expect to see.

"Sup?" Tristan immediately hopped into my hallway, James following closely behind.

What were they doing here? Kelly and Connor were coming round soon.

"Why are you here?" I asked in confusion, following them up the stairs to my bedroom.

My mum was stood in the landing as we came up, she gave me a confused look and I simply shrugged.