Fearless - Ackley Bridge

three

A few days had passed and Ariana was back at home, avoiding her father. She did all her chores, which was everything and then she heard the door opening.

"Ah, Lindsey! Come on in!" Her father cheered.

"No Nora today then, eh?" He asked Lindsey.

"No, she's at school! Got to pick her up at two." The woman replied. Ariana felt annoyed at her voice. She picked up her bag and headed for the door, brushing past them.

"It's Ariana, isn't it?" The woman asked.

"What's it to you?"

"Well, I'm your step mother! I've got to know you!"

"No. you don't. and you won't get to know me ever. I don't need another mother, so just back off!" She huffed, before meeting the girls outside.

"You alright? you seem down?" Nas asked Ariana.

"It's just that witch. She's trying to fill my mum's shoes but I don't need a new mum. when will my dad see that?"

"Well, maybe your dad wants to move on?" Nas suggested. This didn't sit right with Ariana.

"Trust me, he's had enough girls to move on!" Ariana joked. Missy stayed silent.

"They were married for ages though, and that's not something easy to just get over. we all have our ways of coping." Nas explained.

"Why are you sticking up for him? He's a pathetic loser and if you're gonna keep sticking up for him then so are you!" Ariana cried, walking ahead of the two girls. Missy shot Nas a dirty look and walked to Ariana.

"Not you too!" Nas called, they ignored her.

In school, Missy and Ariana were sat beside each other. Mr Bell was teaching the class.

"And so, Pythagoras theroem is simple!" He cheered, trying to make the class engaged.

"It's bloody boring, sir!" Missy said.

"Ah well, Missy if everything was fun, then we would never get anywhere, would we?" Mr Bell replied. Missy rolled her eyes and the bell went, signalling it was lunch.

At the Lunch Hall, Nas was sitting on her own, looking glum. Ariana and Missy looked at each other before sitting down at her table.

"Ariana, I'm sorry for this morning." Nas said.

"Nah, it's fine. It was just me being a cow."

the rest of the day went well and Ariana went home happy, the first time in a long time. That was until she'd heard that woman in her house.

"How was school?" Her father asked her.

"Good, yeah." She muttered.

"What did you do?" He asked her again.

"Can we not do this? Pretend to be a happy family? It didn't work then and it won't work now!" Ariana said, heading upstairs. Her father stopped her by grabbing her arm forcefully.

"Listen here, you cow. I don't know where you think you are or who you think you are but you're in my house, and you will do as I say!" He bellowed. She looked at him before he let her go.

She fled upstairs and stayed there for the night.