Monday
"Alright my children," Steve starts the Monday afternoon lesson with a loud clap, "who aren't actually my children but still continue to suck the life out of me every day that we spend together in this shitty building we call a learning establishment."
"Charming." Paisley mutters.
"He's been on one all day, have you not noticed?" Ben's question is dry; sarcastic.
"I am about to ruin the rest of your year." Steve beams. "Because from today forward, this session on hellish Monday afternoons will be used exclusively towards helping your end of year exam. And this year... you're doing it in pairs."
A cheery noise picks up through the room, each of the students expression an optimism that is, of course, over eager.
"Yeah, don't get too excited, darlings." He smirks, sitting on the edge of the desk with his clipboard at the ready. "I'm picking the pairs."
The mood in the room swiftly changes, a number of students voicing their disappointment loudly. Steve simply sits still, pursing his lips as his students begin to digress at the awful news.
Adele rubs her fingers into her forehead with stress, keeping quiet like she normally does, but equally unnerved by the revelation. She's praying it's with someone at least half-decent. And preferably not Josh.
"You can complain all you want, but this is how it's gonna go. I've already paired you all up, so quit whining." Steve shrugs. "I'm gonna call you out in your pairs, and you're gonna go and sit at a computer together, and then I'll call the brief, alright?"
The class remains silent, knowing they won't get anywhere with him now.
"Fabulous." Steve smiles falsely. He starts reading out couples, waiting for the first to find a computer before he moves onto the next pairing.
Adele starts to chew on her nail as she watches student after student being paired off, with Ben, Eden and Paisley being partnered with people they're not necessarily friendly with. She knows he's done it on purpose, like a life lesson of sorts. You don't get to choose who you work with in the real world, and you don't always have to like them to work well, either. She knows it'll be a long shot getting to work with Hattie, and even if she did, she knows a certain someone would only kick up a fuss about it forever afterward.
"Alright, Miss Redfern," Steve looks to Bella, "you'll be working with Miss Hahn."
Adele blinks when she hears her surname, looking to Bella with a gentle smile. Bella looks over her shoulder blankly, clearly not knowing how to react. Her lips lift up a little at the corners, and both are frankly relieved. They both stand, finding a nearby computer to sit around, and wait for Steve to finish pairing the rest up.
Eden catches Adele's gaze from the other side of the room where she sits with Jess at one point, giving her an unnecessary grimace. Adele doesn't acknowledge it, instead turning back to Steve to wait for their instructions. The last thing she wants is Eden trying to force pity on her for something that doesn't need to be pitied.
"Okay, now before you log on," Steve walks around the perimeter of the classroom, handing each student a sheet, "I just want to mention a couple of things. This assessment gives you a lot of creative freedom, but you will need to make sure that you and your partner are on the same page. Last year's Level 2s had to do this on their own, and I shan't lie - it was a shit show. And probably the reason no one turned up to do Level 3. Even I wouldn't want to come back if I were one of 'em, so that's why you know the six Level 3s that did come back are probably psychopaths."
Adele presses her lips together as she fights back a snort, nostrils flaring with amusement.
"We decided to put you in pairs this year to make it more manageable, and to save money, because I'm sure you all know by now, your education is indispensable and this college is run through the black hole we like to call capitalism. I didn't say that. You didn't hear it from me.
"The sheet I've given you details the criteria for this assessment. To put it into Layman's terms for those of you that can't read, in your pairs you will need to come up with a new restaurant. Brand new. Fresh name, fresh concept, fresh dishes. We would like you to think outside the box, but please don't take it too far. One Heston Blumenthal is enough. I don't want to be eating off of tableware made from the debris of a plane crash or a monkey's arsehole. But I also don't want it to be boring, either. Nothing mundane that everyone else does eventually."
Adele looks to Bella, who seems to be despairing at the idea of having to do this at all. She, on the other hand, can't wait to get started. Her head is swimming with ideas. She should probably be writing them down, but she doesn't want to miss anything Steve says.
"This year we're lucky enough to have a partnership with a few companies we met with at the WOH show in January when you were all off having a free-for-all around the convention centre. They'll be providing samples to us, that you can use on the day of your assessment. And I mean crockery, cutlery, decoration, etcetera. We've never had that before, so you're very, very lucky.
"On the day of your assessment, you'll be expected to dress up a table in the restaurant with your chosen decor, and then cook a menu in full of your own design, As well as this, we'll expect a portfolio detailing every decision and path that you and your partner took to get to the end result. We want to see everything. You'll design together, cook together, and be marked together. One won't get a different grade to the other. If one of you is marked down for something, both of you will be. Consider yourself conjoined twins from this point onwards. If one of you trips over, both of you fall on your face.
"Alright, get going."
Adele turns to Bella with an apprehensive smile, resting her hand on her notepad, "So... how we feelin' about this?"
Bella's teeth are bitten together, a pull between her brows, and she sighs. "Not great, but I can tell you're chomping at the bit, so I suppose that's somewhat reassuring."
"I have about ten different ideas bouncing around at the moment." She admits, digging a pen out of her pencil case.
"Alright, write 'em down." She encourages, tucking her seat in closer.
Adele quickly bullet-points each concept that's made its way into her head during the brief introduction from Steve, and then she goes back over her favourites with a highlighter.
"Bloody hell." Bella laughs, thinking over each one. "Is this something you think about a lot?"
"No, never." Adele says in a sardonic manner.
She nudges her arm with her elbow in retort. "Which one do you like the most?"
"The bakery one, 'cause I'm better at baking." Adele admits, pursing her lips.
"You don't look particularly sold on it, mate."
"Only because I'm not sure they'd allow it. Like, it'd be a restaurant, but also not. It'd be baked-goods heavy."
"Why don't you ask?"
She bites her lower lip in thought, and turns back to the classroom to look for Steve. He's back at his desk looking through some papers.
"Steve?"
He looks up, searching the room for her. "Rolling In the Deep, how can I help?"
Adele frowns, taken aback by his addressing of her, and glances to Bella who rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Er, if we wanted to do something more along the lines of a bakery, is that allowed?"
"As long as it falls within the criteria given, you can do whatever you want." He says dully, looking back to his papers.
"Okay..." she mumbles, turning back to Bella, "I'm gonna go with yes."
"So, how would it work?" Bella asks, pushing on.
"Well, it'd still be a restaurant, but like, everything would be made as if it were coming out of a pastry kitchen." Adele draws a line under her list, and begins writing a new list with dishes on it. "So like, pie and mash, pizzas, pastry toasties, pasties, pudding wraps, galettes, blah blah blah." She talks as she writes.
"Yes, okay." Bella nods, pulling the computer keyboard towards her to log on. "One question - what the fuck is a pudding wrap?"
Adele laughs, a genuine sound. "So you know when you get a massive Yorkshire pudding, and you put your entire roast dinner in it with all the gravy and everything?"
"Yeah..."
"Okay, so instead of it like a self-serving plate, you bake the Yorkshire so that it's basically a burrito, with the roasted contents inside, and then you drizzle the gravy on top."
Bella looks stunned. "Oh... my God. How does that even work, surely you don't roast the meat and such with it?"
"Well how else is it gonna work?" Adele laughs. "You cook the meat and the veg a bit, and then put it all in a round baking dish with the batter, a bit like an omlette, and then when it's all cooked you roll it up."
"Mate..."
Adele nods. "I know."
"I'm not gonna lie, I really like this idea. I don't think this lot are gonna think that way."
"Really?" She asks, biting her fingernail again.
"Yeah, genuinely. It's also a bit outside the box, and easy to come up with a name for, design, marketing, and so on. I reckon we could nail it with this."
Adele presses her lips together, cheeks pink for some reason. She looks to her notepad and back again. "We're doing this, then?"
"I say yes."
"Okay, fuck it." She grins, pushing her notepad towards Bella so that she can make a formal note of the decision. "Let's go with the bakery."
At the end of the session, Bella and Adele arrange to meet on Saturday to carry on their work, since part of the criteria involves proving they've done research outside of the college as well. Bella has an empty house for the weekend since her parents are away with work and her brother is on holiday with friends.
Before she heads home, Adele ducks into the pastry kitchen to see Harry. He's in his usual spot at the back of the room, concentrating deeply as he fastens sugar paste petals to a stem. She can't tell what it's supposed to be from a distance, but as she gets closer, she spots the foam tray displaying one completed orchid. It looks real.
She approaches slowly so that she doesn't disturb him, taking a closer look at the flower he's already finished.
"Fucked that one up." He mumbles without looking at her, his eyes fixed on his work-in-progress.
She frowns, looking over at him. He's got his glasses on that she's only ever seen him wear to do his cake decorating, without a hair net and chef's hat but with his headband pulling his hair out of his face. He licks his lips slowly as he fastens the petal between his careful, slender fingers, checking it over before he looks for the next one.
"It doesn't look fucked up. It looks fucking amazing."
He glances her way with a smile. "Gimme just one minute while I do this last fiddly thing."
She hums calmly. "Take your time."
While she waits, she peers through to the main kitchen, waving at Darren who's with some part-time students, and he subtly sends her a wink and a smile. She looks over the rest of the individual bits of paste for Harry's flowers, though it looks like he's only got one left. He's got a book open next to him - one of the reads that she'd bought him for Christmas. It's open on a step-by-step guide to gumpaste orchids.
He takes a deep breath as he finishes the last petal, leaning back a little to get a feel of it - twisting it in his pinched fingers, and then showing it to Adele.
"Beautiful." She grins, moving back so he can slot the stem into the foam.
"Fiddly little fuckers." He grumbles, peeling his specs off his nose and rubbing the bridge where he's been sitting with them on too long.
She lowers her lips to his for a soft kiss, taking his glasses from him and putting them on herself.
He giggles as he peers up to her with a warm smile. "Suit you."
"Yeah?" She grins, tipping her head some.
"More than they do me."
"I like them on you." She says, handing them back to him.
"Yeah? Why's that?" He asks as he wraps an arm around her middle, pulling her into his side.
"You look kinda..." she trails off, cheeks blushing lightly.
His brows raise, a smirk on his lips. "What? Tell me?"
She giggles sheepishly, leaning in again to brush her lips against his cheek. "Sexy."
"Really...?" His question ponders; quizzical. "Maybe I'll wear them more often."
"Yes please." She mumbles, pecking his cheek.
"I thought you'd have gone straight home."
"I missed you too much since lunchtime. Plus, I wanted to tell you what happened in our theory session."
"Ooo..." He twists to face her, pulling her by the hips so that she stands between his legs. "Give me the gossip."
"Well, it's not really gossip. We started planning our end-of-year assessments-,"
"Oh, sweet Jesus, not that hellish thing."
She chuckles, pulling her fingers through his hair. "Yeah, Steve said last year's were a disaster. Which is why they've paired us up this year."
"Oh?"
She nods, biting her lower lip.
"Who are you paired with? Not that Josh kid, I hope."
"Nope." She shakes her head. "Bella."
His expression becomes unreadable, gaze trailing off for a moment. "Oh..."
She laughs, stroking her hands over his face. "I actually don't mind. We've had a few chats since my mum started chemo and when that disastrous night at Ryan's blew up. She's been... she's been a good friend, actually."
"You didn't tell me that." He murmurs, not in an accusing manner but more an inquisitive way.
"I know, it just didn't feel necessary for a bit. But I've got to work with her a lot now, so I thought I should probably mention something. I'm going to hers on Saturday after I leave yours."
"Okay." He smiles, squeezing her hips. "I don't... I don't mind it. Like, I don't care, if she's been a good friend to you, then it sounds like she's changing a bit."
Adele smiles back at him. "I should also add that her auntie Carol is Mum's oncologist at the hospital, and Bella volunteers with her on Wednesdays."
Harry frowns, an incredulous laugh leaving him. "That's... new."
"I know. I think something gave her a reality check. I don't know what, but anyway. If you still want to come with us on Wednesday afternoon, there's every chance we'll run into Bella."
"I still want to go, sweet cheeks. I see her here all the time anyway. I just want to keep you company."
"Alright." Her smile is becoming permanent. "Good. I'll let you get back to your orchids."
"Thank you." He mumbles into her lips as they share another kiss. "I'll see you in the morning."
"You certainly will."
~
Wednesday
The waiting room outside the treatment centre in the hospital is never any less daunting whenever Adele finds herself yet again sitting in it. Each of the ugly seats with green plastic cushions breathe with her weight when she sits on them - like the sigh of an old, greying pensioner in a nursing home just waiting idly by for his last breath. The whirring from the vending machines and the buzzing from the ceiling lamps just add to any discomfort. Harry's hand on her thigh, though welcomed, does nothing for her. She could be cocooned in cotton wool and it wouldn't make a difference. The only way she'll ever feel better is if she never has to come here again.
After Gwen has had her check-up with Doctor Ringwell, a nurse takes the three of them through to the treatment room, sitting Gwen in the empty seat in the far corner. While the nurse fits her up to the machine, Adele and Harry sit in the two chairs provided for guests that are tucked against the wall.
Adele watches in silence as the nurse goes through the same motions that she had last time, noting that her mother seems much more at ease this week than the last. Harry sits forward with his hands clenched in his lap, easily making conversation with the nurse and Gwen about nothing in particular, just idle chat; small talk if you like. Occasionally he will try and include Adele, but she never divulges much more past an easy yes or no.
"Alright," the nurse smiles happily, taking a step backwards, "you're all good to go, so I will be back in a little while to check on you."
"Thank you." Gwen smiles back, and sinks a little further into her chair. She's got a wrap on her head again today, though she normally doesn't bother with it when she's home. It's one that Adele picked up last week - in blues, pinks and purples, almost like a tie-dye style. The colours suit her.
Her face has bloated again, with dark bags under her sunken eyes, and dry lips. She still goes without a bra, and where her shirt is unbuttoned low on her chest for access to her port, there are obvious bruises with a bluish colour on the visible parts of her breast.
Harry turns to look at Adele with a questioning gaze. "Are you alright?"
Gwen chuckles. "She doesn't like being here."
Adele rolls her eyes. "Can you blame me? It's not very nice having to come here just to watch the life get sucked out of you by some machine, is it?"
Neither Gwen nor Harry know how to answer that, because it's a perfectly valid response, even if a touch brash.
"I'm just glad you don't have that problem you had last week." Adele adds in a mutter.
"Oh God," Gwen groans at the reminder.
"What's that?" Harry asks.
"They have to check my bloods before every cycle to make sure I'm sort of... tolerant enough for the chemo. Last time, my white blood cell count was too low. They wanted to send me home and have me come back another day, but I wasn't really keen on the idea."
"They gave her an injection but we had to wait like, another hour before they could check her bloods again." Adele mumbles, eyes glazed over.
"In short, we were here a long time, and I was very tired afterwards. And then when we got home all my hair fell out. So, tough day." Gwen laughs, attempting to make light of it.
"Sounds it." Harry stretches the corner of his mouth in a subtle grimace. "It's a... really shitty situation and I'm really sorry it's happened to you."
"Ah," she shrugs, "it's not great, no. I've been very careful in life to look after myself and my body and my childrens', but sometimes it's not enough. I'm a firm believer in karma - receiving the good you put out in the world as well as the bad. I must be paying for something."
Adele looks away from her mother then, pressing her face into her shoulder. It doesn't make sense. She just can't imagine it to be true.
"I'm not trying to... debunk your beliefs, but I just don't think anyone can put enough bad karma into the world to be... punished almost with something like cancer." Harry says quietly. "And I especially don't believe that someone like you would ever deserve it. Not any of your family."
"Well, I appreciate that." Gwen laughs again, just a breathy chuckle. "Most cancer is hereditary anyway. My mum never had it, and I don't think anyone a couple of generations before her did, either. I haven't looked too far into it and perhaps I should, but I choose to believe I'm paying for something."
Adele shakes her head, looking back to her mother. "You're not paying for anything. You can't be. What have you ever done that is so terrible?"
"I don't know, perhaps it's all those years smoking weed."
Harry laughs, noting the joking tone in her voice, and he sits back in his seat. "Doesn't fill me with much hope."
"You don't smoke, do you, Harry?" Gwen asks with an obviously surprised grin.
"Sometimes. Only when I go out, though. And I never buy it, I always steal someone else's."
"Clever boy." She giggles.
"That doesn't even make sense, though." Adele says, leaving her train of thought. "Cannabis has always shown to help people with cancer, not worsen it."
"I haven't had a joint for a very long time, Ads." She chuckles. "Not since I fell pregnant with you, anyway."
"Is that why Jason is so useless?"
Gwen snorts. "Probably. Maybe it was me coming off the weed that encouraged it." She laughs. "My body is more susceptible to it, if you know what I mean."
"That would make more sense." Adele agrees.
"Do you not ever smoke with your friends, Ads?"
She shakes her head. "No. Never tried it, I'm quite boring."
"That's not true." Harry mutters, taking her hand.
"Sometimes I think you're too sensible to be my child." Gwen laughs again, wincing a little when her port rattles. "Must get it from your dad."
"She gets her good looks from you." Harry says nonchalantly.
Adele shoots him an incredulous look.
"Stop it, you." Gwen swats him away. "You're making me blush."
"Oh my God." Adele stares at her lap.
"Everyone says I get my good looks from my mum, too." He jokes.
"Well, your mum is a very pretty lady, so I couldn't say otherwise. And I've never met your dad, so. Maybe they're right."
Adele frowns softly, her grip on his hand subconsciously tightening. She realises, all this time later, she knows absolutely nothing about Harry's father. In fact, the only family she's met is his mum. She knows he's got grandparents in Hinckley that he visits, but she's never met them, either. Should she have paid more attention?
"I've never met my dad, so I wouldn't know, either." He laughs lightly, seemingly unbothered by the detail.
Adele looks up at him with a gentle frown, and when he meets her gaze, all he does is smile warmly and squeeze her hand.
They continue to sit and chat for a while longer, as Gwen becomes gradually less receptive to the conversation - the drugs eventually taking hold of her body and stalling her energy. She stays awake still, but she hits a social wall. It happens every time.
After about an hour, Harry decides to get a round of tea and coffee from the vending machine, leaving Adele to her thoughts for a moment. She's still hooked up on the fact that she knows nothing about Harry's dad. He seems relatively calm about the whole thing, so whether that means he's come to terms with whatever happened, or is putting on a front, she doesn't know. But she still feels a little pocket of guilt sitting in the back of her throat.
How had it never crossed her mind? How has she spent so much time in the pub, in the flat where he and his mum live, and never noticed the absence of a senior male figure in his life?
And then there's his grandparents; how has she never met them? She knows they exist - Anne has said so herself. Would he not look to replace his absent father with perhaps his grandad? It's not like they're far away - Hinckley is a fifteen minute drive up the road. Is she the ignorant one, or is he just not that close with them?
"What are you thinking?" Harry asks in a whisper when he returns, putting three cups down on the small side table before he takes his seat back.
Adele looks at her mum, noting that she's closed her eyes. She twists in her seat to face him, resting her head on the back cushion as she gazes at him. "I just... I realised that I know nothing about your dad. Or your grandparents. And I feel a bit guilty."
He frowns, turning his head and resting his cheek on the back of the chair as he takes her hand again. "Y'don't need to feel guilty. I've never felt the need to talk about him. And my grandparents are pretty old, it's hard to have a conversation with them now."
She studies him for a moment, bringing his hand to her lips. "Will you tell me?"
He purses his lips, nodding slowly. "As you know, I'm an only child. Always had a lot of friends 'cause I don't have any siblings, and it's probably part of the reason why I'm a bit cocky and arrogant."
She smiles, brushing her lips against his knuckles.
"My mum and my dad had a one-night stand. They'd known each other for a while, and from what I can tell they were quite good friends. It was never anything serious, but I get the impression Mum was way more into him than he was her. He was... careless. In bed, I mean. She fell pregnant and she told him straight away. And he wasn't interested. Said she could do whatever she wanted with me, but he wasn't going to pay for me.
"She very nearly didn't have me, but my grandparents didn't want her to have an abortion. Of course, this is before they went senile. They said they'd help her, and they did. So she had me, and The Fuzzy Duck was their pub but she's always lived in it and ran it, and brought me up in it, and I never saw my dad. Not once.
"In my first year at college I was a bit of a dick. It's probably how I got my reputation. I suddenly had this, like, need to meet him, even though I knew he didn't want me. So I spent a lot of my spare time badgering Mum to help me get in touch with him. She'd just put my grandparents in an old people's home so she was stressed enough as it is, and there I was pestering her about a man who broke her heart eighteen years before and never wanted to know the child he put in her.
"And she fought me on it for a while. Like she just would not tell me even though I only needed her to get in touch with like, one friend who's still in contact with him. So I started looking myself, but that was really hard 'cause I didn't even know his name. In the end she gave up and told me his full name and his address.
"Then I suddenly realised that I didn't want to know. But I did have the upper-hand. I know his name and where he lives, and I could knock on his door any day I wanted to and ruin his nice little life. He probably thinks Mum had me aborted. But I'm here, walking around. And the last thing I ever want to do is bring him back into my mum's life and upset her. So I left it alone. I don't need him and I don't want to know him, just like he didn't want to know me. And I've come to terms with it and I'm over it."
Adele takes a deep breath, bringing his hand back to her lips to press multiple little kisses into his knuckles. "Thank you. And I think you made the right choice, by the way - not going to find him."
"Me too." He nods. "I mean, he still lives in the area. Not Nuneaton but somewhere around Tamworth. I could've walked past him in the street and I'd never know."
"I think you get everything from your mum, you know. And clearly your grandparents, too."
"Well, I've had no mental influences from my dad apart from the obvious abandonment issues, so yeah. I might look like him, maybe, but that means nothing."
"As if I couldn't admire your mum any more..."
Harry chuckles, leaning his head back to rest comfortably on the seat. "I'll take you to see my grandparents if you want, but I normally have to spend a full day there because they're... so fucking deaf."
Gwen snorts, suddenly back with the living as she shifts in her chair. "Sorry, that tickled me."
He giggles, rolling his head to look at Gwen now. "S'true, though. I have to repeat myself five times before they understand what I've said. And it's always my fault."
"Adele's other grandad - Baz's dad - was exactly the same. God, it was like trying to draw blood from a stone, you know? We had to start writing everything down."
"I might start doing the same." He nods fervently. "Mum visits them once a week without fail, but I don't have the patience anymore." He cringes guiltily. "Barely go once a month."
"Please take me the next time you go." Adele pleads, pressing her cheek to his palm.
"I will." He promises. "The day I told them about you, just after we had that argument, like, months ago just after your birthday, Grandad thought I said your name was Mel."
"I hope you corrected him."
He laughs boyishly. "The next time I saw them he went, "How's Mel?" and I said I don't know who that is. After twenty minutes of me shouting 'Adele' at him he finally got it. And then he made some horrible comment about the fact that you've got a German name."
Her face falls. "Does that mean he don't like me?"
"No, of course not." He laments.
"It's just a veteran thing, Ads." Gwen adds.
"You're not really German, are you?"
She purses her lips. "Very, very, very distantly."
"Just don't let him know that my aunts call her fraulein." Gwen chuckles
"Do they?" Harry asks, somewhat amused.
"Yeah, it's supposed to be a joke. Aunt Linda has a very dry sense of humour."
"Before Baz and I got married, she used to refer to me by it as well, because it's the term for a single woman."
"Can I start calling you fraulein?" Harry asks, smirking a little.
"No." Adele says flatly.
"It's not really a term of endearment." Gwen says, amused but cringing. "More formal."
"Oh, so it's better if I'm angry with her." He nods in faux understanding, trying to suppress the humour in his eyes.
"Just don't use it." Adele grumbles. "Ever."
"Sure thing, fraulein."
Gwen laughs heartily, and when Adele smacks his arm, he yelps with a tight scowl.
"You're so mean." He moans, holding his arm.
"Well, you should listen to me." She huffs, matching his scowl.
"If I pretend to go back to sleep, will you go back to being soppy and loved up?" Gwen teases.
"No, he's ruined it now. Moment's over. Mood killed."
Harry snorts. "It wouldn't take much for me to get her back on my side."
"I can hold a grudge if I need to." Adele retorts.
"No you can't." Her mother scoffs.
"What do you mean?" She pouts.
"I mean you don't like confrontation, so you'll have a bicker, take yourself away until you're over it, and then forget about it."
"I don't know, she's definitely held a grudge against me." Harry mumbles, looking back at Gwen.
"Ha! That wasn't a grudge, Harry. You might not have spoken to each other for a few weeks, but she definitely wasn't holding a grudge."
Adele's lips have screwed up, her brows pulled together in a childish manner, and dimples have formed in her chin. She looks to Harry, who's already watching her, waiting for an answer with raised brows. She sighs, lip curling, and shakes her head.
No, it was never really a grudge.
"See."
"I'm just a pushover." She grumbles.
"Oh, don't pout, Ads." Gwen giggles, lifting her leg up to slightly kick her daughter's. "You're not a pushover at all, you're very reasonable."
"I said that." Harry raises his hand.
"And it's true."
Adele sighs, readjusting herself in her chair.
"Not in a strop, are you?"
Harry giggles, watching her fondly.
"No." She says, a little too bluntly.
"That means yes."
"Mum," she whines.
"Sorry." Gwen snickers. "Getting restless."
"You're telling me."
"How much longer have we got to wait?" Harry asks, sitting up straighter.
"Until the bag empties." She points to the drip. "Nearly there."
Adele yawns, and Harry hands her the cooled-off tea he'd bought earlier as she stands again. "Thank you." She mumbles, taking a long sip.
"Welcome." He smiles, and leans down to kiss her lips softly. "Just going to the loo."
"Okay." She smiles back limply.
Harry wanders off to find the toilets, taking his coffee with him to quickly drink on the way. Gwen watches him leave, her gaze lingering on the room for a little while longer.
"Forgot how much he adores you." She says absently.
"Hm?" Adele looks up from staring at her lap to meet her mother's gaze.
"Harry. Teasing aside, he clearly thinks the world of you."
She exhales slowly, suddenly feeling a chill in the room. "Don't know why."
"Because you deserve it, maybe?" Gwen says sternly. "It's not been easy for you, everyone knows that. And I know that at many points, he was one of the reasons, and he did stupid things, but he loves you so much. He cares about you the way your dad cares about me, and that's all I want for my babies. All of you. To be happy and have people around you that love and care for you. And I genuinely think you've found that person."
Adele takes a deep breath. "Were you always rooting for him?"
"I'm rooting for your happiness, Adele. And yes, he made his mistakes, and most parents would never let him back near their babies. But I always knew there was something he was afraid of the first time around. So you were right to take a step back while he figured that out. The same with Ryan. Seeing him made you happy until he didn't. And then you came away from him, and found Harry again. The only person I'm ever rooting for is you, baby girl. But yes, I think you've found your someone special."
Adele feels a lump in her throat, and she quickly swallows it. "Thank you."
"Nothing to thank me for."
She smiles again, and stands to stretch her legs while she finishes her tea. She then walks the cups to the nearest bin and back.
"Your dad has promised that he'll make the last two cycles." Gwen says as her daughter sits back down.
"Oh?"
"I can see how much you hate being here, and it's not fair."
She takes a deep breath, scratching the side of her face. "I don't hate being here and spending time with you. I want to do whatever I can to make sure this... period is as easy for you as possible. So if that means doing this with you, I'll do it."
Gwen watches her for a moment. "But?"
"But..." She whines, pulling a hand over her face. "Yes, it makes me so fucking depressed. Like, it puts me on edge being in here, surrounded by all these... beautiful women having to fight off death just like you. I go home and I help you wind down for the night, and then I get into bed and I feel sick. It's all in my head, I know, but it's almost like it rubs off on me when I get home, and I fucking hate it. And this is only the third time I've done it. So fuck knows how you do it."
Gwen nods gently, rubbing her closed fist against her knuckles as she listens to her daughter. "You don't have to come again, I promise. I know you'll never say no if it comes to it again, but I'll try my best to make sure that doesn't happen."
Adele nods, rubbing her hands together. "Thank you. But please don't stop asking me for help. I want to help you. So if there's anything you need me to do at all, just ask me. I won't say no, and you won't have to feel bad because I want to help you. And Dad and Grandma and Casper."
"And I want you to have a normal bloody teenage life."
She grunts, but a smile flirts with her lips. "Too late for that."
"Harry," Gwen says as he reappears, "will you make me a promise?"
He gingerly sits back down with a wide-eyed stare. "Anything."
"Can you make sure that from now on, Adele does all those silly teenage things she should've done? Take her out every weekend, get her drunk, high, throwing up in the kitchen, just... living?"
"Mum!"
"I could probably do that." Harry chuckles.
"Don't get her arrested, but just get her to have fun. Otherwise she'll be a granny by the time she's thirty."
"How. Rude."
~
Saturday
Adele loves waking up next to Harry. Something about it brings her a peace; a comfort, knowing that he's there. She can never help the little smile she gets when she realises that she's in his arms again, almost bringing her to forget everything outside of her little bubble with him.
Like this morning, where she lies cooped against him - her back to his front. Their legs are tangled together, and she can feel the downy hairs on his calves against her shins. He's got both his arms wrapped around her, one hand all the way around her middle and gripping her waist, and the other snuck up underneath the vest of her matching pyjamas - black and white tie-dye with shorts - to hold onto her boob. He's buried his face into the space between her shoulder and the pillow, breathing through his nose and raising little goosebumps on her back.
She daren't peel her eyes open just yet, but she takes her hands from underneath the pillow she lies on to rest them on top of his, wriggling backwards just a little so that she feels even closer to him.
His breathing stutters, arms tightening around her as he pulls his head away from her back, resting it back just an inch on the pillow to drift off into sleep again.
Now she wishes she were facing him, but instead she'll just imagine what he looks like - puffy-eyed with sleep marks all over his face where his skin is irritated, hair in disarray, probably greasy and sticking out at all angles. And she can't help but feel like he's got his mouth wide open, catching flies. The notion has her huffing out a breathy laugh.
A minute or two later, he starts snoring, and that brings on more snickering, being very careful not to make any noise. She attempts to look over her shoulder without disturbing him, but her neck doesn't twist that far. All she sees is his shoulder and a stray curl poking out in the wrong direction.
She faces forward again, taken by surprise with a yawn, and her body tenses at the same time as if it's trying to brace itself for the day ahead. Her hands idly smooth back and forth along his forearms when she relaxes, her feet doing the same to his leg.
He suddenly grunts, arms tightening again around her. He speaks, but it's an inaudible muffle.
"What's that?" She asks in a quiet voice, her movements pausing.
"Tickles." He repeats coarsely, burying his face back into her shoulder again, and he pulls her body flush against his front.
"Sorry." She mumbles, hiding her face into the same shoulder he does.
For a moment, she thinks he's fallen back asleep, but he then starts massaging his hand into her breast gently, his thumb occasionally stroking over her nipple. A minute later, his other hand smooths along her stomach, around the waistband of her pyjama shorts.
That's when her body wakes up.
A caught moan, entangled with a gasp leaves her as her core floods with heat at the unexpected movement. She knows he heard it, but it doesn't stop her cheeks prickling pink.
Harry suddenly pauses as something grows in his lower region, poking into Adele's bum through his boxers. He produces a noise that's both surprised and approving, and she can't help but giggle.
"Guess that means good morning." He jokes, brushing his lips along her shoulder, over the nape of her neck and then back again.
"Definitely worse ways to be woken up." She agrees, twisting her head over her shoulder in search of him.
He sponges his kisses in a path towards her other shoulder, then to her neck, and her jaw, and finally her cheek. She creeps a hand into his hair, and he diverts his attention back to her neck, while his hands continue to caress her front, one over her stomach and the other playing with her boobs.
She falls into a trance for a while; a momentary lapse of consciousness as her mind runs away with her and her body falls prey to his tender charms. She barely moves, relishing his affections still half asleep and lazily encouraging him to carry on in his pursuit.
He shifts his thigh between her legs, pressing against her core so that her arse is firmly pushed into his crotch, coaxing another helpless whimper out of her. He grunts in response to her noise, sucking harshly on her neck and squeezing her breast, his crotch grinding against her bum.
"Harry," she groans, already breathing heavily; nervous, anticipative, hungry.
He hums, still sucking on her neck to mark his work; she oblivious given she's far too concerned with the fire raging between her legs. "Adele,"
Her breath catches at the salacious tone in which he says her name. "I'm really," she gasps again at the way he presses his thigh up into her burning crotch.
"Tell me." He whispers, pulling her earlobe lightly between his lips. "You're really what?"
She takes another breath and swallows thickly, shy to admit it. "You're really turning me on."
A long breath leaves him, fanning across her skin as if it's the only thing he's ever wanted to hear her say.
She rests her hand on his, taking control of it as she guides him downwards under the fabric of her shorts.
He laughs despairingly, as if such an action is trying to mock him, except it really, really isn't. He follows her suggestion, noting the way she still keeps her hand with a light hold around his wrist. He presses his hand down over her first, listening to the deep groan she emits, and then he curls his middle finger back, gliding through her already soaked folds and collecting her arousal onto his digit.
"God," he moans, burying his face back into her neck as he toys with her clit for a moment. "Do you want to?" He asks, filled with hope, a really desperate kind of hope - unparalleled optimism.
She twists her head again, her parted lips brushing along his forehead and into his hair.
"I really want to."
The noise he makes is strangled and wanting. He drags himself from around her, bringing her wetness into his mouth to suck it from his finger like it's nothing. She rolls onto her back as he moves over her, glad to finally see his sleepy, pretty, horny face.
Another helpless smile spreads across her face, and she wraps her arms around his shoulders, bringing his lips to hers. Their kiss is eager, tender, and delicious all at the same time. It's immediately deep, with his tongue in her mouth and bruising her soft, delicate, peachy lips. He grinds into her as he grips the back of her knee, equally wound up by the drawn out groan she produces in response.
He reaches into his drawer for a condom while she takes over their kiss for a moment, keeping himself propped up only with a hand pressing into the mattress by her right side.
He drags his lips from hers, down to her chin with a light suck, and then sensually down her front to her chest. Condom abandoned for the moment, he pushes her vest up to gain full access to her boobs, burying his face between them and blowing harshly, until she's laughing at the hideous flatulent noise it makes.
"If I ever," he cups both breasts, "have to spend," and kisses the left one, "another day," then the right one, "without your tits," and then the left one again, "I will go mad."
She giggles in an exceptionally girlish way, pushing her fingers through his matted, slept-on curls. "Well, you don't."
He hums loudly, leaving wet and sucking kisses to both of them. "Doing the world a favour by saving one incredibly horny teenager from insanity."
Her giggles increase in pitch. "I don't have an answer to that."
"Don't need to."
He puts all of his attention onto just one breast, while he resumes what he was meant to be doing originally. He pushes her shorts aside between her legs, and swipes his finger upwards between her folds. He listens to the noises she makes again, only ever encouraged by her gentle, often shy mewls, like she's embarrassed to be heard so much.
After only a couple of seconds teasing her clit, he circles his finger around her entrance, before pushing it all the way in. He groans some, a little startled. "Christ, Adele, you're so wet."
She pulls her lower lip between her teeth, lifting her head up to watch him. His eyes meet hers as he loves on her boobs, and he starts promptly pumping his finger in and out of her. Her fingers caress his face - around his hairline and down his temple to his cheeks and nose, before gripping his hair again.
He curls his finger into her, applying pressure to the spongey walls of her cunt, watching her brow stress as a guttural noise leaves her. He smears her arousal around her entrance, before pushing his way back in with a second digit.
"Harry, kiss me." Adele begs, taking his face between her hands.
"I am." He mumbles, still taken with her boobs.
"On the mouth." She whines.
"Oh," he laughs, feeling stupid.
He props himself up, closing the distance between their mouths, pressing his lips to hers firmly and hungrily.
He fucks her with his fingers while they kiss, bringing her right to the edge until he can see it on her face that she's on the brink of coming, and then he pulls them out. He continues to kiss her deeply while he massages the back of her thigh with his hand, but he can feel the frustration and confusion radiating from her.
"I really want to make you come while I'm in you." He admits between kisses.
She blinks when he pulls away, pink dusting on the apples of her cheeks again. She thinks it might take her a while to get used to that kind of talk. "Oh."
"Is that okay?" He asks hesitantly, stroking his thumb over her flush cheek. "You can say no."
"No, no," she shakes her head, leaning up to peck his lips, "it's fine. You just... took me by surprise."
He pecks the tip of her nose with a smile. "It probably was a bit mean on me to just stop, I'm sorry."
She steals another kiss from him, but he keeps his mouth on hers as he pulls her out of her shorts, discarding them to one side. He pulls away to take his boxers off, and then sits on his knees as he relocates the foil packet.
As he rips the seal, he meets her gaze calmly. "Do you wanna do it?"
Her expression falls, slowly sitting up. "Er... you want me to do it?"
"Only if you want to." He hums, presenting the rubber.
"Do you want me to?" She asks, eyes a little lighter.
He raises his brows, pressing his lips together. "Would be very sexy."
She hums a laugh, taking it from him and cringing at the stickiness of it. "I can try. But it's not a joke when I tell you I missed the condom-banana science lesson."
He giggles, shuffling closer to her. "Really?"
"Yeah. Don't know if they just forgot about my class or if I was ill that day, but I never did it."
Harry hums, a bemused sound. "S'really easy, I promise."
"If you say so." She mumbles.
"Just hold it by the tip, put it on my tip," she snorts, meeting his gaze with a smirk, "and roll it down."
"Okay..." she murmurs, following his instructions to the letter. She gently holds his stiff base, a little less intimidated by it now that she's had it in her mouth without shame, and holds the rubber to the head by the tip, rolling it down his shaft as far as it'll go.
"There you go." He grins, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Very sexy of you."
She screws her face up, breathing an awkward laugh.
He takes her face in his hands, meeting her lips again for another deep kiss, and subtly lies her back down. "Same as last time, yeah? Tell me if you're uncomfortable and wanna stop."
She nods silently, kissing him back.
He dips his head down, taking his length in his hand and lining the head up to her entrance. Adele wraps her hand lightly around his arm where it's placed between her arm and her side, her thumb stroking his skin. He nestles the tip just inside her, looking back to her when she squeaks softly, and he eases into her as he presses his lips back to hers.
She groans into his mouth, a drawn-out sound thanks to the way his length stretches into her core all over again. A sharp hiss leaves him, and he drops down to his elbow as his other hand takes her hip. Automatically, she does what he'd asked last time, and wraps her legs around his waist for a better angle.
"That's it," he grunts with praise, leading her in a tender kiss as he slowly drives himself out and then back into her.
He does this a few times, keeping her mouth distracted. She still smooths her right hand up and down the arm he uses for support, the other with a near permanent fixture in his tangled mess of hair. He strokes her cheek and massages her hip, moving up to her waist, the side of her ribs, and eventually her breast.
Their tongues mingle teasingly between long and sultry kisses, this part of intimacy already well-practiced, and it eases her worry for lack of experience in other areas. She knows it'll come with time.
One part of her mind is constantly focussing on that ache and burn between her legs as his thick length retracts and reinserts itself into her. Every time he sinks a little further, she falls just that bit more into her own head.
"Fucking hell, you feel good." He groans tightly, smoothing his hand back down her side to feel up the back of her thigh.
"Yeah?" She pants, taking a fistful of his hair in her hands.
"Fuck yeah." He laughs breathlessly, sponging kisses across her cheek to her neck.
She rubs her nose into the space behind his ear, and strokes her hand down the back of his neck. "So do you."
He hums loudly, pleased with the news. "Gonna tell me I feel big again? Inflate my ego a bit?" His words are mere drawls - long stringing sentences in deep and lustful tones.
"You don't need it, but you do."
He giggles, pecking his way back to her lips to suck on her lower lip harshly. "Stop it, you."
"You stop it." She huffs, sucking his lip in return.
He growls playfully, gliding his palms up her arms and taking her hands, interlocking their fingers and pinning them above her head. She whines, arching her back so that her pelvis pushes into his, feeling him bury deeper inside of her. She doesn't know what encouraged her to do it, but a long whimper leaves her again.
"Bloody hell," he chokes, his thrusting becoming more purposeful, and a little faster in pace.
He sponges more kisses onto her throat and neck, his hands keeping as tight a grip as possible on hers. The heels of her feet dig into the top of his bum, forcing his drives to become heavier and less coordinated, but it feels nothing short of sensational. Her gentle moans become quieter yet more concentrated, completely lost to the feeling of Harry pounding into her, juxtaposed with his obvious care.
"Keep making those noises," he begs, his next kiss wide, wanton and wet, "please."
"I'm gonna wake your mum up." She worries, voice breathy and high-pitched.
"What are you bringing her up for?" He pulls a face, dropping his forehead against the pillow beside her.
Adele grunts, twisting her head so that her lips hover by his ear. "Would you feel better if I told you I think I'm... close?"
He groans, lifting his head up. "Not because of her, I hope."
"Harry!" She hisses, and if she could smack him she would.
He makes a trail of fervent kisses from the bend of her jaw up to her lips, each one just as desperate as the last. She knows it's all an effort to remove his mother from topic of conversation, which is why she's only too eager to return them.
His thrusts reach a hard and fast tempo, their skin slapping loudly as he tries to do what he failed to do the first time around. Her whimpers shake with each thrust, desperately nipping and sucking on his lips to try and subdue her stress.
She is close. Really close, in fact. That now familiar feeling is sitting right on the edge of her core and is about ready to burst. Her brows are furrows with frustration, hands gripping tightly to his where he still holds them above her head, and she's started clenching her core around his driving cock.
"Harry, I really am-," she cuts herself off as another of his thrusts reaches new territory inside her, a frustrated groan following.
"Tell me." He repeats his request from earlier, pecking her lips and pulling back a little.
"I can feel it." She whines.
"Yeah?"
She nods furiously, pulling her lip between her teeth.
He pecks her lips again, rubbing his nose upwards against hers. "Y'look so pretty."
"Harry," she moans around a laugh, cheeks blushing again.
"You do, y'look beautiful. All the time. But especially right now." He insists, sucking kisses out of her again and again.
"I don't think praise is gonna do it for me, H."
"No?" He asks innocently, pecking softly all over her face again. "Take me so well and look bloody lovely while doing it."
"Harry..." She repeats, a little tighter this time.
"Come on, Ads," he begs into her cheek, pressing his lips and nose into her face, "I can feel how close you are."
She groans outwardly, teeth gritted and followed by a huffy breath.
He teases her mouth with kisses, still driving hard, so much so that sweat is forming on his brow, and traces his tongue lightly over her bloated lips, smirking a little with it.
She whimpers again, arching her back once more, and finally, she's out the gate. Her body feels like it's boiling over - a tide of white-hot pleasure shooting through her from head to toe. An almost painful and choked cry breaks from her, and Harry finally lets go of her hands.
He puts all his weight on one elbow, quickly securing his arm under her back as he clings her body to his. He grunts brokenly as he presses his face into her cheek, his hips stalling and shunting as he orgasms with her.
Adele clings to him just as tightly, with her arms around his shoulders, one hand gripping one shoulder firmly as the other kneads through his hair.
He drags his lips back to her as he begins to relax, keeping her close as his palms massage her hips, arms crossed behind her back. "I don't know about you," he mumbles after a while, "but I enjoyed that."
Adele snorts, and then the snort turns into giggles, before she nods into his kiss. "Yeah."
"Yeah?" He laughs, still insistent on keeping her mouth for his own. "Yeah, what?"
"Yeah, I think you enjoyed it."
He laughs again, from the back of his throat. "And what about you?"
"What about me?" She teases, carding through the back of his hair.
He rolls his eyes, still smiling. "Did you enjoy it?"
"I did." She promises, her kiss softer this time. "What did you say the other day? Fucking marvellous."
He growls playfully, smirking. "Good answer." He pecks her nose again. "Need to clean m'self up, though."
She nods, taking one last kiss before she unwraps herself from around him. He carefully pulls away, scrambling out of bed and to the bathroom with his dressing gown on.
While he's in the bathroom, Adele pulls her shorts back on, and leans down to collect her phone off the floor and check any notifications. There's a text from Bella with her address attached to it:
Bella 09:12
Couldn't remember if you said you knew the way to my house or not so here's my address. Come over whenever you like the house is empty besides me and Beau (le porky pooch). X
Adele 09:53
Thanks! Definitely wouldn't have remembered. I'll probably be with you around lunchtime, but I'll text you when I'm leaving x
Harry reappears a minute later with a grin, and steals a kiss from her before she escapes to the bathroom. From the kitchen she can hear the TV on in the living room, which means Anne must already be up. That's not unusual, though.
She doesn't spend too long in the bathroom, only relieving herself, washing her hands, and cooling her face and neck down with some cold water. When she steps back into the kitchen, Harry is standing making tea and coffee, still in his dressing gown but with his boxers back on as well.
"Tea?" He asks with a beaming smile, pointing to the mug he's lined up.
"Yes, please." She hums, dipping back into his bedroom quickly to collect her phone.
Bella 09:55
Perfect :) my mum sent me some money for food so we can have a takeaway later depending on how long you can stay (and if you want to obvs) x
Adele 09:57
Sounds fab! Can't wait x
"What are you smiling at?" Harry asks, noticing her smiling at her phone as she texts and walks back to the kitchen table.
"You won't believe me if I tell you." She chuckles, locking her phone and setting it down on the table as she sits.
"Try me." His eyes narrow, still smirking.
"Bella."
His smile falters only a fraction, and he glances away in thought before looking back to her. "Well, I wasn't expecting it, but I'm not surprised if you're going to see her later."
"Right." She laughs, taking the mug from him when he hands it to her.
"What was so funny?" He asks, returning to the counter to pull toast out of the toaster and start buttering it.
"She's plotting a murder."
"Ha ha." He deadpans.
"No, she said she's got money for a takeaway if I'm still there at dinner time."
"Ooo," he turns on his heel to face her, "there is a banging curry house around the corner from hers that we used to order from. If you're not too weirded out by the idea."
Adele laughs, shaking her head. "No, it doesn't weird me out. If I thought about it that way I wouldn't be able to think about anything else. It would also be incredibly petty."
"You're not normal." He jokes, sitting beside her with a plate piled with four slices of toast, and sets it between them. "Any other girl would go to the 'ouse and be like 'did they have sex in that bed', or 'he used this toilet before', or 'where did he sit when they had breakfast'. You know, that sort of thing."
Adele laughs loudly, smacking the back of her hand to his chest. "You're ridiculous. I mean, yeah, some girls might think like that, but the only person putting those ideas in my head is you. Plus, it would be stupid of me to go to her house with those kinds of thoughts and be bitter about it, 'cause I know you were together a long time and were bound to have had sex in her bed, and use her toilet, and sat at her kitchen table for breakfast. I never did it here, so why would I do it there?"
"Alright, alright." Harry says exasperatedly. "I get it, you don't care."
"Correct, I do not." She nods once, biting a corner off her slice of toast.
~
Bella's house is a five-bed barn conversion in Wolston village on the outskirts of Coventry. It's a decent thirty minute drive from Nuneaton, so Adele has always wondered why she chose to go to college at St Nicholas when Coventry, or even Rugby, would be closer.
The barn is one of three in a private courtyard development, with a long gravel driveway and ample parking spaces. Adele parks in one next to Bella's car - a brand new Fiat 500 in baby blue, to no surprise. She takes her bag with her from the passenger seat, not particularly worried about theft, but she locks it up anyway.
She rings the doorbell by the underwhelming front door, and waits a minute for an answer. When no one comes, she rings the doorbell again.
Another minute later and she's still waiting, so she digs her phone out of her bag and checks for any messages.
Bella 12:31
In the garden when you get here, use the gate around the side x
Adele frowns, looking around the immediate vicinity. All she can see is the barn and two garages in an L shape. Rather than making a fool of herself in front of the neighbours, she calls Bella's number.
"You're lost." She answers almost immediately.
Adele laughs, looking at her feet. "Well, no. I'm outside but I can't see a gate."
She cackles, suddenly moving. "Alright, I'm coming to get you."
The call ends, and Adele is left looking silly for another minute longer. Finally Bella answers the door, looking every bit the model she is. Her dark hair is pulled off her face by a pair of bulky black-framed sunglasses, and brushes way past her boobs to her midsection. She also appears to have dyed the tips blonde, and it's currently curled like she's been to the beach rather than sat at home. She's got a pink cropped leopard-print panelled vest on, that almost looks like a half-corset, a short tethered denim skirt, not really completing the look with a pair of fluffy pink sliders, and yet she looks annoyingly chic.
"Well done, mate." She chuckles, stepping aside and widening the door with her. "You're the first person that's made it here without getting lost."
"Thanks." Adele murmurs over a tight smirk. "Can't say I would've been quite so successful without the sat-nav."
"At least you know how to use one."
"So, where's the garden gate?"
Bella laughs, guiding Adele into a large entry hall with marble floors in cream, white walls, and cherrywood skirting. An open-plan kitchen spreads out along the left side with pristine white cupboards and black granite worktops. The staircase to the upper floor is dead ahead, with a wide and very modest living space to the right, leading out to the garden accessible by a floor-to-ceiling folding glass door. There's a single door leading out of the living room, but it's closed so there's no telling what it is. A downstairs bathroom, maybe?
"It's like," she points around the side of the house, completely out of sight of where Adele was waiting, "'round the back. My parents are cheap but they've always wanted a barn conversion, so they picked the one with the shittiest layout."
Adele clears her throat. "Yeah, looks cheap."
Bella grins over her shoulder as they head out into the garden, picking up on her sarcastic tone.
Outside the foldable door is a patio with a dining set, on top an empty glass and a choice of drink. Around the patio is just neatly trimmed lawn, perimetered by fencing and neighbouring outbuildings and garages. There's a blanket laid out in the centre of the grass, along with a pillow, Bella's laptop and phone, and her own drink sitting safely on a lap tray. Curled up on the left-hand side, snoozing away and completely oblivious to the world around him is Beau - the Redfern's Alsation.
"Thought it'd be nice to work in the garden since it's so fuckin' hot." Bella adds, pausing by the table. "I'm a crap host so I thought I'd just bring everything out here. You can help yourself to whatever you want."
"Thank you." Adele smiles, leaving her bag on the table.
"Do you wanna sit on the grass or at the table?"
"I honestly don't mind." She shrugs, pulling her notepad, a pen and a highlighter out of her handbag.
"We'll sit on the grass for now." Bella decides, clearly enjoying the sun. "If we need to move we can."
"Sure."
The girls arrange themselves comfortably on Bella's blanket, with Adele writing her notes in her notebook while Bella arranges them neatly in a document for their portfolio, just like they had done on Monday. They don't waste any time making a start, thinking it best to get their work to a decent point before they can think about eating.
They use today to come up with a name for their restaurant, now that they've got a concept down, and also a brand and a logo.
"What about that thing people do when they like a celebrity pairing?" Adele suggests after batting off a few dreadful ideas.
"Oh, you mean like shipping?" Bella pauses her typing to peer at Adele through her sunglasses.
She shrugs. "Is that what it's called?" She laughs. "You know, like um, Brangelina."
Bella snorts. "Yeah, shipping. Is that the only one you could think of? Brangelina?"
"Yeah, I don't bloody know!"
"Celebrity gossip not your thing?"
"No." She scoffs, shaking her head. "Not bothered by it."
"Alright, so what were you thinking?"
"Well," Adele chews the lid on her pen, "what would our names be?"
"Badele,"
Adele shakes her head furiously.
"No, that sounds crap. Or," Bella looks up thoughtfully, "Adella."
Adele lets it sink in for a second or two, lips pursing and eyes widening as she eventually tips her head. "Oh my God..."
"I actually quite like that." Bella nods with an absent expression.
"So do I." Adele agrees. "What would it be, The Adella Bakery?"
She presses her lips together, the look on her face not convinced. "Nah, 'cause it's not really a bakery, it's more a bakehouse."
Adele's eyes bug, and she points her finger at Bella frantically; excited. "Yes! Adella Bakehouse!"
"Yes!" Bella nods, back to typing again. "I like this."
"Me too."
After they've got everything written up, they sit together at Bella's laptop to come up with branding and a logo, using a design website recommended by the college. Adele hates this side of things, only because she's always incredibly indecisive and would take twice as long on it without Bella. Fortunately, Bella seems to be in her element, and already has a few ideas that they toy around with.
They take some of the ideas and save them for their portfolio, but settle on one they're both happy with: 'Adella Bakehouse' written in a baby pink brush-like script font with the tail of the last 'e' looping around the name in a circle.
"I feel like we've done a big chunk of the work already." Bella says as she packs her laptop away into its case. "If we carry on like this we're not gonna have anything to do for weeks until the assessment."
Adele shrugs, reading through the timeline suggestion they've been given. "We still need to come up with a full menu - at least three starters, mains and desserts. Maximum of six starters, ten mains and five puddings, we only have to cook three of each on the day. We need to do research into at least three restaurants in the area, and visit one for a meal. Which they'll reimburse us for, maximum spend £50 per head, and that's students, not guests, obviously."
"Maybe we could take Harry and Ravi on a double date." Bella jokes.
"Yeah, 'cause that wouldn't be awkward as fuck." Adele says in an incredulous tone.
Bella laughs right from the back of her throat as Adele continues reading.
"We've got catalogues coming from the companies with all their samples to choose from, and there will also be physical samples sent in time for the exam, aiming for a deadline of two weeks before. We also need to do a practice trial of all the dishes we want to cook in the exam the week before."
"Plenty of time." Bella snorts, rolling onto her front on the blanket and sipping her drink through a straw out of an expensive-looking glass. "What's the betting one of the companies' samples won't arrive on time?"
"Yeah, and what's the betting it'll be the one we picked all our stuff from?"
"No doubt, mate." She sighs, frowning at something on her phone before idly tossing it aside. "What did Eden have to say about us being paired up?"
"I didn't give her a chance to say anything. I just left when the lesson was over and she's probably forgot about it already."
Bella hums in a high-pitched tone. "And Harry?"
"Wasn't really bothered, to be honest." She lifts her shoulders, pushing her sunglasses back up her nose where they've slipped.
"I'm disappointed." She huffs jokingly. "I'd at least expect a bitchy comment."
"Shall I say he did just to make you feel better?" Adele smirks.
"Yeah, go on then." Bella plays along for a minute. "How's that going, by the way?"
"What, me and Harry?"
She nods slowly.
Adele purses her lips, mind briefly drifting back to this morning, and she finds herself crossing her legs. "Pretty good."
"I heard about what happened on that Wednesday. Ben's birthday, I mean."
Adele's eyes widen, a blush creeping across her cheeks. How could Bella know about that? The only people that know are Harry, obviously, and her mum. She hasn't even told her friends. And it seems unlikely that her mum would talk about it with Doctor Ringwell and then she mention it to Bella.
Wait...
"The fight?" Bella clarifies, perplexed by Adele's reaction. "Ravi told me about it, sounded pretty nasty."
"Oh," She clears her throat, shifting where she sits, "yeah, weren't great. Think Ben could've done without it. And his new step-dad."
"Did something else happen?"
Adele shakes her head tightly. "Nope."
Bella narrows her eyes. "Adele,"
Her cheeks blush more, and she keeps her gaze away, trying to appear ambivalent even though she's never been good at it.
"Oh my God!" Bella claps her hands together. "You did it, did you?!"
Adele huffs in retort. "I've done lots of things."
"Fuck off, Adele!" She cackles, reaching forward to pat her knee. "You and Harry had sex. Tell me I'm wrong."
Adele takes a deep breath and licks her lips, knowing full well that she can't disagree.
"Ha! Knew it." Bella grins.
"Yeah, alright we did. We've done it, we've had sex. Happy?"
"Oh, I'm over the moon for you, mate. Chuffed to bits, good for you."
"Okay." Adele says; withdrawn.
"How was it, was it good?" She asks, sitting up now with a beaming smile.
"Well, you've slept with him, you know what it's like." She mumbles.
"Nah, nah, nah," Bella shakes her head. "Doesn't matter what I think, I'm irrelevant. What did you think?"
Adele keeps her gaze down for a moment, pressing her lips together. She meets Bella's joyous gaze, and just like when she told her mother, she can't hide her smile. "Yeah, was pretty good."
"Ha ha! Knew it! Have you done it since?"
"Just once. This morning."
"This morning?! Even I haven't had a shag this morning! Was it not better today than the first time?"
Adele nods fervently. "Way better."
"Knew it!" She shouts again. "Ah, I'm so proud of you, you massive tart!"
"Hey!" Adele whines, scowling.
"I mean it fondly! And look on the bright side - you'll never have to masturbate again."
She hums an awkward noise, cringing slightly. "Never did it anyway."
"Wait, what?" Bella sits back with a wide stare. "You've never had a wank before?"
"No..."
"Oh my God, Adele. How do you know what you do and don't like?"
She shakes her head. "I don't. Not a clue."
"Wow... You really gave Harry a fuckin' chore, aye?"
"Look, I've just never had, like... a need to touch myself like that, alright?" She pouts, switching her legs over. "I wasn't ready to have sex, why would I be ready to masturbate?"
"Because creating pleasure for yourself, and having some lad stick his knob in you for their pleasure are two very different things. There's nothing wrong with not masturbating, but trust me when I say that having a little play with yourself can be really rewarding."
Adele bites on her lip for a minute, filled with nerves all over again. "Where would I even... start?"
"Porn!" She holds her hands out, palms open and facing upwards. "It takes a while to find a good one, but when you do it'll be a really quick way to get you going. I should add it is gonna feel weird the first few times, but it gets better, I promise. And it's a really good way to learn what you're into and what you're not."
"Okay..."
"Are you seeing Harry tonight?"
"No."
"Perfect! So when you get home, tuck yourself into bed, open up an incognito tab and search up Pornhub, and have a little mooch. There will be some disturbing shit on there, mind, but you don't have to look at it. If any of them take your fancy, have a watch. And if you like it... have a little fiddle."
Adele grimaces. "Do you have to word it like that?"
"What, fiddle?"
"Yeah!"
"That's what it is, mate! S'like playing the violin."
Adele stares at her; dumbfounded. "Maybe you need to go and have a wank."