Hattie isn't anorexic... at least she thinks she isn't. That is until Cole comes along and points out the error in her ways. Can Cole save Hattie before her time runs out or will she just become a skinny love lost right before this bad boy's eyes?
My pink Adidas Gazelles crunch against the frosty leaves on the pavement on the way to school. Winter has come so early this year, in a way I'm glad; I love baggy jumpers that hide your body but other times I miss the feeling of the sun on my skin.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As I see the school gates, I slow my pace. Not wanting to enter until the last minute. Things have been quiet since Cole threatened Cadie to leave me alone but that doesn't mean I don't see the stares we get as we walk through the corridor. People whisper about Cole walking around with me, like I don't hear what they say.
"Why's he walking around with that skank?"
"She must be a good fuck if he's sticking around."
"Cole still taking the trash out?"
I've never even spoken to half the people saying these things and yet they still pierce me with their judgements. So, every morning, I do as I am now; I wait outside the gates, close enough to hear the bell but far enough not to be seen, until the bell goes and only enter once everyone is inside. We're only preparing for our mock exams in most lessons, so no teachers care if I'm late to first period, except Mrs Ling, of course.
Unfortunately, I was running a bit late this morning so I only got to stand outside the school gates for a few seconds before the first period bell rang. Cooking with Cole. Recently, the lessons haven't been too bad; Cole's been understanding with the fact that I don't want to try most of the food we cook and has been focusing on us only cooking healthier meals so that I have the option of trying it if I wanted to. It's basically a way of tricking me into eating something but I usually manage to avoid it.
"Hey Hattie. Do you mind if I walk with you? I'm headed to drama in the room next to cooking." Tyler runs after me and grabs my arm, getting my attention.
"Uh, yeah, sure." I reply. Tyler's been talking to me quite often this past month. I don't really know why but it's nice to have another friend other than Cole, Lola and Harry.
"So, how's revision for the mocks going?" he asked, reminding me of something I really didn't want to remember.
"It isn't. I've barely started. What about you?"
"Same as you. I've only been revising my lines for my drama performance."
We reach the door to the cooking room and bid our goodbyes awkwardly.
"Today, we are going to be preparing for your practical exams. These will take place in March before any of your other exams. You will need to create a menu of 3 meals, to cater for a child aged 5-10. There will need to be a step-by-step timeplan and also an evaluation as to why you picked the meals. You will begin by picking the meals you want to cook in today's lesson."
And with that Mrs Smith sits at her desk and begins typing away on her computer, expecting us all to know exactly what to do.
"Ugh. I hate this. I'm shit at planning." Cole whines as he bangs his head against our desk, clearly frustrated by what is being asked of us. To be honest, I can't say the same; I'm looking forward to not having to cook and try something for a while.
