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"𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙎𝙊𝙍𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙎𝙄𝘾𝙆 𝙅𝙊𝙆𝙀 𝙄𝙎 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎?"
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"Know each other?" Elle scoffed, looking her up and down as if she didn't know her but the truth was she looked no different from the day she left. "I only know her as the deadbeat mother who left her own children for another man who I'm guessing is him." She said, referring to Mr Bell.
"You know I love you, Jacob and Zac millions, I'm sorry it had to come to this." The girl's mother tried to be sympathetic, placing an arm on her shoulder.
"Don't even try and touch me." The girl flinched away from her mother, with Riz naturally stepping close to her side.
"Come on, let's get you out of this school." Mr Bell said to Zac, removing the pair of them and Mandy from the situation.
"Elle, I'm sorry for all those years ago. Can't we try and make up for all the lost time over the years now?" Claire tried once more to reason with her daughter.
"No, no we can't." The blonde shook her head, trying her hardest to hold back her tears. "Who do you think you are trying to come back into my life all these years later like nothing ever happened?"
"If only you knew what me and your dad we're going through, maybe you'd understand this a little bit more." The woman carried on to explaining, receiving looks from the two teenagers as if to say they were already done with this situation. "I want to step up and be that mum I was all those years ago again."
"From what I know it wasn't enough to run off with a man who turned out to be my PE teacher and start another family, forgetting about the two kids you already had." Elle shook her head, not believing a word Claire had to say for herself. "If anything, I hope Zac has a better upbringing than I had and a mother who wouldn't walk out on him quicker than you could say gone."
"C'mon, Ells." Riz tried to pull her away from the situation before any more damage could be done between the two of them. "Please, before you say something you regret."
"I wasn't finished." She huffed, although she couldn't compete with Riz's stronger grasp which turned and pulled her away, with the two teenagers ready to leave the school grounds together.
"Tell Jacob I dropped by and send him my love." Claire chanced her luck once again as Elle and Riz slowly but surely disappeared out of her sight.
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"Thanks, Riz. You know you really didn't have to take us out." Jacob kindly thanked his best mate, who had offered to take them out bowling to try and lighten the spirit, with things not exactly going for the pair of them. "You know we both really do appreciate you."
"It's nothing, I just wanted to try and get you both up and out. No mumps and no moans about what's going on at home." Riz said in reply, as he bowled a strike with the first shot in. "I think I'll have beaten the pair of yous already."
"I don't care, it's a change of environment for me really." Elle shrugged, as she watched the the boys swapping around turns with Riz now taking the empty seat next to her. "But seriously, thank you for this."
"Not being funny, but is that your mum a few aisles down?" The boy hesitantly said, pointing out a woman who looked exactly like the one who they were faced at the school gates. "We can leave here if you're wanting too."
"I'll be fine, I doubt that she'll actually even see us." She shrugged once again, with everything that needed to be said was already done that afternoon. "I'm at the point where I'm past caring now."
"Have you at least told Jacob about it?" Riz questioned with Elle shaking her head in return. "Wouldn't it be wise to at least make him aware?"
"Make me aware of what?" Jacob furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the two of them. Before either of them could give him an answer, he looked up to find his mum waiting there with open arms. "You knew about this? What sort of sick joke is this?"
"I can reveal the mystery man from the affair was Mr Bell." Elle sat there, giving her mum a disapproving look. "Isn't it, mum?"
"Come here, Jacob! You've absolutely sprouted." Claire chimed as if nothing had ever happened, although it was clear J wasn't taken by this at all either.
"I've felt more of a connection with a stranger." He shook his head, backing away from the woman. "I don't understand why you're suddenly wanting to be apart of our lives now."
"She doesn't, she was caught dropping the sprog off to it's dad." Elle sarcastically explained. "Saw me and all of a sudden she's mum of the year."
"That's not how it was like at all, Elleanor." Her mother frowned, which could only have worsened the situation. "Why won't you two just hear me out?"
"Because you walked out of our lives all those years ago and think everything can be solved with a smile." The older twin argued back with his mother.
"In this case, you're no mum of mine." Elle shook her head in reply. "Nobody wants you around here, why can't you just accept that?"
"I bet your father would take me back in a heartbeat, wouldn't he? The poor sod."
"The damage you did to dad doesn't even come close, you can try all you like with us but don't even try dad." J warned her. "Thing's might be complicated but he's not an absent fad and would do anything for his kids, unlike you."
"You two just can't shut me out like this." Claire shook her head, looking as if she was close to admitting defeat. "This isn't over." She said, finally walking away.
"You two alright?" Riz finally asked, bearing the awkward silence after a minute or two. "We can leave if you like."
"I'll be fine, what about you, Ell?"
"Fine." She said forcing a wide smile on her face. "Even better once you help me move my things back to dads."
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"So, the parks all our get a way place?" Cory chuckled as he walked into the park with his brother Jordan by his side. "Our kids been doing some really good murals round here, haven't ya?"
Not giving an answer, Jordan quickly shrugged in response as if he didn't care no more. From what the boy had been through, nobody could blame him.
"You ever thought about that posh art college just out of Ackley? You should do something to do with art when you leave school." Elle perked up, taking a look at one of Jordan's paintings.
"Don't put ideas in his head, he needs to stay at home with me where he belongs." Cory sternly said. "Ain't that right?"
"As long as dad's not there, I suppose." Jordan bluntly replied, still taking hardly any interest to it. "And as long as Elle stays."
"I'm sorry about what happened to you, Jord." Elle sympathised with the younger boy, as he lured himself into a hug with her. "Unfortunately the me staying isn't gonna last no more."
"You're seriously going back to your dads?" Cory questioned, taken a back from what his girlfriend had said. "Not when we both need you."
"Why do you have to go back?" Jordan also questioned, looking down at the smaller girl.
"Mum's back on the scene, despite everything my dad needs us more than ever." Elle explained. "One wrong move and he could be back on the drink."
"You're only telling me this now?"
"You've had a lot on your plate and I'm still trying to understand everything. Neither of us needs the extra grief."
"We promised not to let anything else come between us and here you go again." Cory piper up.
"Stop arguing the pair of you." Jordan said, pulling away to look at the young couple, receiving two eye rolls back.
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omg i've completely abandoned this book but we're back!! enjoy <33
all my love, b x