Go easy on me, I was still a child, didn't get the chance to feel the world around me
"When you get married, promise you'll have a disco like this." Missy said to Nas, Evie laughed.
"Stop talking about my wedding!" Nas exclaimed.
The trio were dressed in burka's, drinking cider outside the school where Mr Qureshi's wedding reception was being held. The girls danced along to the music they could hear coming from inside the building.
"Oh my god." Evie whispered looking as she caught sight of something through one of the windows.
"What?" Missy and Nas asked together. They followed Evie's stare and saw Mr Qureshi and Miss Keane kissing.
"Dirty dog." Evie whispered with a laugh. "On his wedding night too."
Mr Qureshi caught sight of the three girls before they rushed off.
"We're finally 16 Zack, no more secrets." Evie smiled at her brother.
"You don't get it Ev." Zack mumbled. The twins were on their way to school, it was the first day after the Christmas holidays. "We might be 16 but we shouldn't really be living alone should we?"
"Don't matter, it's the law that we can." Evie said back before parting ways from her brother to go find her friends.
They turned 16 on Christmas Eve and had a huge party at their house. Although it was cut short after neighbours complained of noise and the police showed up.
"You two alright?" Evie asked Missy and Nas who just got out of Miss Keane's car.
"Mrs Paracha's learning to drive." Missy cringed.
"I see." Evie laughed at them before her attention was taken by Miss Keane running past her.
Jordan Wilson was currently in some altercation with an older man. Zack intervened, shoving the man, who clearly knew Jordan.
"Oh bloody hell." Evie mumbled as Miss Keane sent the man away.
"Evie!" Cory Wilson called, running up to the younger girl.
"We'll catch ya inside." Missy winked at her friend, pulling Nas away with her, leaving Evie alone with Cory.
"Can we talk?" He asked.
Evie and Cory had been friends for years and she'd never seen him the way he was now, he was nervous and visibly anxious.
"About what?"
"You know what Ev." He whispered. "You and me."
"We were both drunk Cory, just leave it." She retorted.
"We have something, you can't tell me you didn't feel anything." He looked hurt, but Evie just rushed off.
She didn't know what to feel. She had too much to deal with without a relationship, never mind one with Cory Wilson.
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"So how's this gonna work then? You and Naveed?" Missy asked Nas. The pair and Evie were in the school bathrooms.
"Well he's my boyfriend Missy."
"Yeah but he's gay and you're-"
"I know what I am thanks." Nas said to Missy with an eye roll.
"I know it's kind of a solution Nas but I don't think it's right." Evie said. "You shouldn't have to hide who you are, you both should just be yourselves."
Missy nodded in agreement while Nas gave a frustrated groan. "I can't be myself!"
Evie and Missy shared a look before the trio left and walked down the corridors.
"Oh here he is!" Evie grinned, spotting Naveed in front of them.
"Ackley's answer to Tom Daley." Missy added with a laugh.
"Nasreen." Naveed said with a wave.
"Can you two just give us a minute?" Nas asked the girls.
"Who are we to stand in the way of true love." Evie winked with a giggle before her and Missy left the two alone.
Elsewhere, at the end of lunch, Zack and Cory were walking through the halls, Cory telling his best mate all about how his brother got banged up over Christmas for selling drugs.
"Zack, can I have a word?" Mr Bell called. He was stood near an empty classroom.
"I need to get to get to class sir."
"Well I'll give you a note." Mr Bell smiled.
Zack sighed. "Catch ya later." He said to Cory before he approached the teacher.
"Mon' in." Mr Bell lead him into the classroom.
"Can I help you with something sir?"
"Just wanted to check in, see how you were doing."
"Fine." Zack said, but Mr Bell wasn't convinced.
"You can talk to me you know that don't ya?"
"Thanks sir, I need to go." Zack left the room in a hurry leaving Mr Bell sighing.
Later, Evie sat in the exam hall. Her brother hadn't shown up yet and the exam was about to start. It was their year 11 mocks.
"Missy, you seen Zack?" Evie asked her friend.
"Uh... no." Missy looked nervous.
It wasn't long into the exam that Missy got up and left, Miss Keane quickly following.
"I've finished sir." Evie said to Mr Simpson, leaving as well before he could stop her.
She roamed the halls for a while before bumping into someone.
"Cory." Evie sighed. "You seen Zack? He didn't show up for his mock."
"He ain't in a good way Ev." Cory said gently. "He were looking for Mr Bell."
"What do you mean he ain't in a good way?" She asked, alarmed.
"He just weren't himself, he were upset, looked like he were about to have a breakdown. I tried to follow him but he told me to leave him alone."
"I need to find him." She said before walking away.
"I can come with ya if you want me to." Cory offered.
"No... it's okay." Evie said. "Thanks though."
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"Zack! How'd the mock go?" Mr Bell asked when the student entered his office in the PE Department.
"I can't do it sir." Zack exclaimed, not caring that Mr Simpson was in the room too.
"Do what?" Mr Bell looked up at the boy and his face fell at the sight of him. Zack's eyes were glossy, his cheeks were flushed, he was sweating and breathing heavy. "Hey, hey, hey, sit down mate."
Mr Bell tried to guide the young boy into a seat but Zack just shook his head and paced the floor.
"I can't do it anymore." Zack said louder. Tears streamed down his face. Mr Simpson quickly shut the door, knowing Zack wouldn't want people seeing this.
"I can't do it." Zack whispered collapsing to the floor, against the wall, curled up into a ball. He put his head in his arms and sobbed.
"It's alright, Zack, everything's going to be okay." Mr Bell said as he sat next to him pulling the boy into his chest, rubbing his back.
The two teachers shared a worried look as they watched their student break down.
Evie arrived home to see her brother pacing the kitchen.
"Oh thank fuck." She said, rushing to hug him.
"I've been looking for you for hours."
"Not very hard." Zack chuckled, he'd been in the house for hours.
"Shut up." Evie laughed at him before her smile fell. "What is it?" She asked seeing his serious face.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm so sorry Evie, I had to tell him. I told him everything."
"Tell who what?" She was confused.
Mr Bell then walked out from the hallway. Him and Zack both had a sheepish look on their faces.
"Him?! You told him?!" Evie exclaimed.
"I thought we were cool, you and me." Mr Bell joked.
"All the times you told me I can't tell anyone, just this morning you told me I can't tell anyone, I've kept my mouth shut for months just so you could tell someone anyway? How do you know we won't get taken into care?!"
"Evie, I'm sorry. I'm a hypocrite I know, but I couldn't take it anymore, I couldn't handle it. We're 16 now, they can't take us into care, that's what Mr Bell said anyway."
"And you think I could?" She shouted back. "Do you think I've been fine this whole time? He thinks I'm a fucking alcoholic for fuck sakes!" She pointed at the teacher who stayed quiet, knowing the twins needed to talk... or shout.
"You could've talked to me." Zack said, ashamed he never noticed that his sister was struggling.
"I could say the same to you." His sister retorted.
"We're 16 Ev... just." Zack sighed.
"He's right." Mr Bell said, deciding it was not time for him to intervene. "You two shouldn't be paying bills, doing a food shop, cooking for yourselves, you need to let me help you both out Evie. I just wish he'd told me sooner, I can't believe you two have been living on your own for months."
"Not like we had a choice... and we don't need help, we have money our Mum left." She said back.
"I'm not talking about money." Mr Bell sighed. "You two have exams, you need to study, you're kids, you need to have a life. I'll help you two out with the boring stuff like food shopping and maybe even cooking if you're lucky." He chuckled looking at the twins. Zack smiled but Evie still looked unsure. "And I won't say to anyone, legally, we're doing nothing wrong."
"I said I'd meet Missy." She mumbled, leaving the house, not sure what to think of everything.
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what do we all think of Zack
telling Mr Bell and Mr Bell's reaction?
thank you for
all the love
🖤🤍