𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐄, ackley bridge

05. THE PLAN

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THE FOLLOWING MORNING ARRIVED, and Marnie was already regretting her agreement to accompany a particular doofus on his walk to school. She struggled to lock the front door with shivering hands until eventually getting it and putting the keys in her school pockets, wondering if it would be long until her mum got back from work to come home to a lovely, warm house.

She just hated these cold mornings.

Turning the corner and cutting across the road, quickly enough, the girl was at the gate of the house, pulling one hand out of her other sleeve to rap on the door.

Marnie felt as though she should have dreaded showing up to Cory's door more than she actually was, or at least have been more nervous. Had it been a few years earlier when his good looks were enough to blind her from his dickhead-ness, maybe she would have, but Marnie was older and wiser and she knew Cory was just like any other person she would come across. There was nothing to be bloody nervous over - he was a twat. The way he behaved around her gave her no other option but to be comfortable around him. He was an idiot.

He showed up at the door and she greeted him once it opened, "you alright?"

"Didn't think you'd show up," he confessed, smiling, clearly pleased. "Give me a second, yeah? I'll be right out."
He was still in the middle of getting ready, with his tie not even on, shirt not buttoned all the way up and his hair messily sprawled across his head.

Marnie nodded and leaned on the black railings locked around his garden, nuzzling her head more into the scarf wrapped around her neck. She watched him rush behind the door of the house, looking for something like his shoes or tie before she directed her attention to the other neighbourhood kids leaving for school. She could just about see Jordan Wilson speed down the path on his bike if she squinted her eyes enough to see the fast movement of purple from his blazer.

She also felt like she should speak to Nas today. Talk to her about yesterday, about Missy's behaviour, but firstly see if she could give her a reasonable excuse as to why she was behaving the way she was.

Unexpectedly, a car rolled up outside the house and she was confused to find Mr Bell jog up the house with an equally confused sight of finding Marnie Cooper at Wilson's. "Good morning," he said almost questionably whilst knocking on the door, "fancy seeing you here."

"Could say the same thing," she said back just as interestingly.

Cory answered the door. "Mr Bell? What are you doing 'ere?"

"Didn't know you two were friends," he greeted the boy with a nod to the girl in his garden.

"We're not," Marnie answered.

"She's my bird," Cory falsely corrected.

"No I ain't!" Marnie defended confusedly as to why he was lying, watching Mr Bell grow amused at the exchange between them both.

"Oh, walks to school and that?" Their teacher nodded along, playing on the girl's irritation towards them both.

"Yeah, most mornings."

"Cory, no you don't!"

Mr Bell laughed and shook his head at the distressed girl, "anyway, er, Mrs Carter . . she's asked 'us to fetch Jordan just to uh . . see if he's alright."

Marnie looked between him and the brunet boy standing at the door, still not ready, suspiciously, and adjusted her stance on the wall. Why did Mr Bell have to speak to Jordan so badly? Why couldn't it wait until school?