Sweet Lies | Nathan Young [Misfits]

- 44 -

Jade frowned as she put her orange jumpsuit for the last time in her locker. She pulled out her purse and filled it with the stuff she kept in the locker, she removed the pictures she was keeping stuck to the door, and she felt the familiar stinging in her eyes as they welled up with tears.

Nathan closed his door and spun on his heels, his hands in his pocket. "That's it, then." He sighed. "It's over. No more community service."

The ASBOs lapsed in silence, their lips stuck in scowls.

"I thought we'd be, like, all celebrating and shit." Alisha mumbled. "It doesn't feel like there's much to celebrate."

Simon smiled softly. "I just want you to know... Being here with all of you, it's been the best time of my life."

Nathan heard a cry, and he chuckled when he watched Jade pull Simon into a hug as she burst into tears.

"It's been the best time of my life too." She sobbed. "I love you all."

Simon smiled as he gave Jade a pat on her back.

Nathan shrugged with a boyish grin. "Nah, I had a week to Spain last year. That was way better."

Jade broke the hug to glare at Nathan, who grabbed her gently and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hug me, not him." He grumbled, and she let out a laugh as she wiped her tears away and buried her face in his chest.

"What's up with all of you?" Curtis exclaimed. "All the shit we've been through. We're all here. We're all alive. We made it."

They smiled softly, and Nathan rolled his eyes as he tightened his hold around Jade. "Great! And I have no job, no money, no useful skills or qualifications. Ok, so I'm immortal, but other than that, I've basically got fuck-all going for me. What are we going to do tomorrow ? Or the day after that? Huh? We have been shat out onto that huge pool of piss with all the other long-term unemployable."

"Great, you ruined the mood." Jade mumbled against his chest, and he laughed.

Kelly pursed her lips as she looked at the group. "Does anyone fancy a drink?"

"Yeah, sure, man." Nathan grinned.

"Let's do it at Luke's place!" Jade chirped.

"Sure, let's go." Kelly smiled.

Nathan slapped Simon's rear on the way out, and it earned a chuckle out of him.

Nathan placed a hand on Jade's lower back as they left the locker room. "You know, apart from the killing and the dying and stuff, this community service really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."

.
.
.

"We're getting so shit faced drunk." Nathan cackled, and Jade smiled.

They were walking towards the bar, Nathan's arm was wrapped loosely around her waist.

"No way I'm getting hammered in front of my brother."

"You invited your brother?"

"I didn't." Jade rolled her eyes in amusement. "I told him we were going to Luke's bar, and the second he heard his name he just proclaimed that he was going to chaperone us."

Nathan smirked. "He is going to chaperone Luke's cock."

"Oh, absolutely." Jade grinned.

They arrived at the pedestrian crossing, the bar on the other side of the road. "Hey. Last one to arrive at the bar pays for the other's drinks"