hellbound; cory | ACKLEY BRIDGE

BIRTHDAY GIRL

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑
angels and devils
they're talking to me
┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

JORDS
usual place @ 8 ??
JORDS
please ell
JORDS
i need u. x

ME
u do me bloody head in
ME
i'll be there

"this better be good," i murmured, approaching the youngest wilson where he stood just ahead of the patch of green we would normally meet at.

"i couldn't afford to buy you anything," he gulped, nervously watching me as i came closer. "uh, turn around."

"oh...oh...my god," i said, stuck for words as i looked from the painting to him and back and forth. "you did this?" i asked, admiring the artwork and the lettering "jw" he'd signed it with. "it's beautiful."

"you used to always tell me i was good at all this shite," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "and i remember you said, uh, you said that ya dad took you an donté ta spain once. i never been to a beach. i hope it's alright, like," he tried to explain.

"it's...it's really, really beautiful jord," i just about managed to say without my voice cracking. i was holding in the tears. "this must've taken ya forever. it's way better than a poxy present."

"so you accept my apology?" he asked, hopefully. "cause i do get it, ya know. everything with ya brother. i get it. i wish i never done what i did. but i were desperate. an all it's done is put me in more flamin debt. should've listened to ya."

"didn't you get that money back?" i asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

"nah," he sniffed. "those crazy burka women were throwin it off the roof. wackos."

oh my god. not what i had in mind, nas and missy!

"i'll do what i can, okay? i'll try. it's hard nowadays, all his spare cash he locks away now cause he found a couple of empty vodka bottles, an he stopped my direct monthly allowance into my bank account and cut my credit car—" i stopped mid sentence, realising how entitled i was being, yet again. "right. whatever. never mind. i'm gonna try and help ya. we'll find a way, mr wilson, i promise ya that. i love you."

"save that for cory," he grimaced, pulling me into a hug. "happy birthday, ells bells. you're the best friend i could ever ask for. and don't ya dare tell anyone that i'm soft."

*

"makeup, miss avena!" mrs carter demanded, standing at the front doors with a box of makeup wipes in her hand.

"you're jokin," i groaned, rolling my eyes as i protested. "i hardly have anything on!"

"oh, what a shame. not all of us are naturally beautiful," alya spat as she strutted past.

"speaking from personal experience?" i replied nonchalantly, taking the wipe from mrs carter and smearing off my pink lip gloss.

"no, just observation." she smiled sarcastically.

"oh, that sucks. which one was it, the mirror or the camera?"

"girls, that's really enough," lorraine said, as mrs carter was busy dealing with hayley's protesting.

"hey, hayles," i nudged her. "who let the dogs out?" i sung loudly, chuckling.