final show- an ackley bridge story.

september.

  The 5th of September 2019. The dreaded day that all school kids loathed as it marked the start of a new, dragging school year. As for the Ackley Bridge Year 11's and 13's it marked the final year of their journey at the surprisingly good attempt at mixing the two divided sides of Ackley Bridge together. As for Freya Booth her alarm was set for 5 am that morning. She was so ready to get this year over with as her milestone was the 10 week summer she receives at the end of it all.

Freya walks out of her bathroom with wet hair and began to blow dry it as she watched out her window as the sun began to beam over the town she calls home. It was a sense of melancholy for her. She walks away from her window with her now dry hair and begins to straighten it until her phone starts to ring.

'D X' is calling.

Freya taps the decline button on her phone as she knew that meant her best-friend was outside her door. She groaned as she got up and grabbed her North Face coat before heading downstairs.

"Bye Mum!" Freya called out, but to no surprise she received no answer from her probably under the influence mother. She rolled her eyes before leaving the house, seeing her friend Delilah at the gate.

"Never ever decline my call again." Delilah scolded as she linked arms with Freya, the two began their walk to school for the last first time ever.
"I knew you was outside, no biggy." Freya shrugged as she reached in her blazer for her vape.

Delilah rolled her eyes at her friend before the two made it to the alley just down their road, Freya noticed Delilah take a breath in as her ex Jordan Wilson typically hangs around here. Low life.

"I doubt he's here D, it's way too early for him." Freya laughed as she walked into the alleyway first, and she remained right, Jordan was not there.
"My saviour." Delilah dramatically said before skipping to catch up with her friend who was practically leaving her behind.

The two gossiped and laughed about the same things they'd gossiped and laughed about all summer with each-other before they were faced with the familiar smiles of teachers pretending to be happy their back at school and the already violent words leaving some students mouths. It was particularly comforting to them though.

"First period?" Delilah asked her friend as the two walked into the school, trying to avoid Miss Carter who introduced the no jewellery policy.
"English, Bell." Freya said as she scouted the corridors for anyone walking towards English.

Delilah let go of her friends arm and gave her a sympathetic look before doing a 180 spin and walking the other way.

"Geography." Delilah shouted as she walked away from her friend, leaving her stood laughing before she too began walking to English.

Freya began walking to English, admiring the pathetic attempts at the new paintwork to cover up the graffiti done by the year nines last year. She continued to walk until she heard chants from boys and laughs from what she could only assume to be a large group.

Man whore.

Freya rolled her eyes before attempting to walk past them, which of course it was impossible to go unnoticed by Cory Wilson. The boy was like a leech to girls. And not in a good way.

"Frey, good to see you in uniform." He smiled as he pulled Freya in close and wrapped an arm across her shoulder.
"You'd be so lucky." Freya said as she took Cory's arm off her and smiled up at the tall boy, ignoring all his friends provocative "Ooo's".

Cory playfully pushed the girl before making room to let her pass, however he couldn't understand why Freya was the only girl who didn't fall for his overly flirty charm. I mean it was the only thing going for him. Literally.

Freya spent the whole of English organising her flash cards that Mr Bell handed out which took up most of the lesson as well, Freya's class wasn't the most well behaved. Most of the time. She rushed out of English in desperate need to find her literal only friend in this school but was out of luck as Geography was on the other side of the school.

"Stupid fucking school." Freya groaned as she leaned against the wall, scrolling on her phone.
"Language Frey, it's unlady like." That stupid familiar voice from earlier says, unannounced.

Freya rolls her eyes and puts her phone in her blazer pocket before meeting eyes with Cory. Again. She hates his stupid smirk. She hates his stupid well kept hair. She hates his stupid charm. She hates him. She thinks.

"Oh no what ever will I do?" Freya asks sarcastically.
"You could swing by my house? I'll teach you proper etiquette." Cory says as he swings an arm over Freya as the two begin to walk.
"And interrupt your worldwide shag fest that you have to attend? No thank you." Freya laughs.

Cory dramatically acts offended before shoving Freya and looks up at the ceiling and smiles. Freya notices the little things about people, D says it's one of her best features but when Freya can't help but stare at Cory's one dimple she scolds her brain for it.

"He's still trying?" Delilah says as Freya sits down at the table the two assigned themselves at the start of year eight, when Delilah first moved to the school.
"He can try all he wants, it ain't happening." Freya says as she stabs a whole in her Capri-Sun a-bit too aggressively.

Delilah rolls her eyes at Freya before getting her phone out and begins typing with a smile on her face, before her gaze falls on Riz Nawaz and Cory queuing up to get food. Freya follows her gaze and nearly spits her Capri-Sun everywhere.

"Poshie? You said you can't stand him because he "acts too big for his boots" Freya says in a mocking tone.
"Things change." Delilah says as she ignorantly returns to typing back on her phone.
"Clearly." Freya says as stabs her chicken.

Have things changed?

                                    Will Cory keep on trying?

                  Keep on reading to find out.

                            Final Countdown.