Conflicted Identities (Ackley Bridge)

Chapter 3

Nas

Putting on her new uniform for the first time since mum had dragged her, Razia and Saleem to the supplier in town, Nas is quite taken aback with its vibrant and uncompromising purple shade. Nevertheless, she brushes her silky, mid-length jet-black hair, slips on her shoes and helps Razia to hurriedly find her glittery pencil case in amongst a heap of clothes. Then, the sisters rush downstairs to the shout of their mother telling them that they'd be late. "Good luck girls, please make this family proud!" Kaneez Paracha calls out to them as they leave through the yard door and into the main alleyway. Missy and Hayley are waiting, holding their own door open for Nana, who is heading into town for a doctor's appointment. It hadn't seemed real, but from the moment the girls' begin the ten minute walk from their street towards Ackley Bridge College, Nas' heart starts to race and she feels the type of butterflies which could only be associated with nerves and to some degree, guilt. Alya Nawaz had texted Nas, asking (if not ordering) her to meet them outside of the school gates before the welcome assembly. They weren't aware that Missy would be present, and Nas had withheld this information in order to make life easier over the summer. Alya was always bitching about the so-called 'reputation' of girls in and around Halifax, and Nas had noticed this was regularly directly linked to how much or little they chose to wear, or how many boys they had 'gotten off' with. Despite these flaws, Alya is clever, popular and incredibly ambitious. She's also protective of Nas, and Nas did not wish to ever break this trust, staying fairly silent whenever Alya began to call another teenage girl out for her lifestyle choices. Nas also knew, of course- that she would never have to become the subject of these remarks. Whilst it certainly was not a plan of hers to come out and say how she genuinely feels in front of the entire year group, Nas was also extremely certain that she did not want a boyfriend, whether it be for show or to cover up the truth. As Nas, Missy and their sisters turn the corner, Nas whispers a silent prayer in her head, clasping her hands together tightly in desperation. Alya, Tahira and Amira are standing in wait, as expected. They point and smile in Nas' direction. "Nasreen, over here!" Alya calls. "Ooh Nas, them your school friends?" inquires Missy, who had been looking forward to meeting the infamous Alya. "Yes, and you are?" Alya's response isn't ideal. Nas stares at the ground and quietly introduces the two, knowing better than anybody how the situation would prevail. She tries to zone out as Missy's boy-centred, excitable nature fails to win over the cold, piercing stare of Alya Nawaz. She feels the tension rise and the clash of cultures heighten. Nas looks at her watch and then at the student organiser she had been sent by Ackley Bridge over the summer. Five minutes to go. She takes her phone from her blazer pocket and scrolls through social media a couple of times, but the emotions of exasperation overwhelm her. Nas sighs heavily and turns to perch on the stone wall, glancing upwards in the direction of the staff car park. She isn't even inside the building yet and she is already exhausted. Suddenly, Nas' heart stops. She feels her eyes widen in shock as she sees both the first and last person she could wish to encounter on a day like today. Walking towards the entrance, completely oblivious to Nas' presence- is Lila Sharif.

Missy

Mrs Carter's welcome assembly is a load of rubbish. Not only is it blatantly obvious that she has the hots for the school sponsor- a short, balding and highly irritating bloke called Sadiq, but hardly any of the students are taking the assembly in the way that Mrs Carter obviously intended. Wolf whistles, laughing and sly comments are flying around the hall at a rapid speed. Missy sits with a gloomy expression and is hit with a wave of unsolicited nostalgia. She now remembers why she was so eager to get away from school life. If this assembly is a reflection of the entire school year- it is going to be such a massive drag. Mrs Carter continues to drone on about integration and co-operation, smiling directly at Missy when she mentions that a small number of students having chosen to return to school. In all honesty, Missy wishes she'd just stayed at home instead. She had already woken in a bad mood, slightly hungover and annoyed at how god damn early it was. What Missy had not expected was the hostility and rudeness shown by Alya, a girl she hadn't even met before! To make matters worse, she had lessons straight after assembly- English Literature with her absolute favourite teacher, Miss Keane, followed by Biology. Having not recognised her new biology teacher's name on her timetable- 'Miss Sharif', Missy had assumed she was from the other school. Alongside her nerves to begin A-Levels, Missy was also concerned about Nas, and wondered why she hadn't been very talkative all morning. Despite spending the morning with her stuck up friends, Nas had seemed a million times more anxious and distant than Missy- which was really rather confusing. Missy's profound thought process comes to a sharp holt when she feels a prod in the back, turning to see the same desperate and immature little boy who had repeatedly acted a fool to gain her attention last year. That boy, of course, is Corey Wilson- one year younger in a literal sense yet ten years younger in a mental one. He winks, and Missy rolls her eyes- a technique she has perfected partly due to his irritating presence. She faces forward, and hears Mrs Carter's final few announcements about community service projects and extra-curricular activities. The hall is then dismissed, and Missy walks to lessons with Nas and her school friends, attempting yet failing to make conversation between the five of them. Missy smiles and waves a brief goodbye in Nas' direction as they reach the English department. She then screams in excitement as she spots Miss Keane walking towards the classroom from the other end of the corridor. Missy drops her bag and instantly rushes towards Miss Keane with open arms, in preparation for a full update on the life and antics of Ackley Bridge's wildest teacher.