In Between The Good and Bad

PREVIEW

Ashley-James's POV

"Are you not cold?" I ask Olivia as I sat outside the building on a wall. She had walked up the steps, sat down next to me and threw her legs over. She wore a mini skirt, tanned legs out, heels on and it was the start of winter. The sun had gone down even though it was just shy of 6pm. The cold air was heavy and I was glad to be in my winter coat.

"I never get cold. How many times do I have to say this?" Olivia says as she nudges me. Fashion was way more important I guess.

"You are such a liar, you still have not given me back the jacket I gave you because you were cold last week." Jackson says who sat on the left side of me. He lit up a cigarette as I looked at my phone. No text message.

My first semester at University is coming to an end and everyone is returning home for winter break. Roll on Christmas and New Years... I think I did a pretty good job staying in school and I felt like I was settled. Things were going well in school. I struggled much more in high school so I was a little worried of how I would cope.

"I really do not think I passed my last exam guys." Emilia says walking up to us as she had her arms in the air. "If you fucking failed than what is going to happen to me?" Danny says who walked behind her climbing the wall plopping down next to us.

"I am sure you guys did fine." I say

"Easy for you to say... your name is on that building whether you do well or not pretty boy." Emilia says pointing at the science building we could see from where we were sat. The lights were on.

"Its technically my grandmother's name." I say looking at the letters; Stella Young. She had donated a bunch of money when my aunt attended the School to the science lab. My family name carried a lot of weight everywhere I went in the world. London, New York, Dubai or Hong Kong. My father and his family had build a legacy so huge it was difficult to comprehend. "But you are right, I am good either way." I smile.

Fine, it was not hard to become a cocky bastard. My father is Harrison Young, the cockiest one of them all. He commanded a room by just stepping into it. Money and a name gets you very far.. but it just gets you through the door. Its your own actions that determine if you are staying in that room. I found it extremely hard to stay in the rooms... since being a kid I struggled with managing my emotions and attachments. I feel my phone buzzing in my hand and I look at it, anxiety sparking through me.

Riley: can I use your playstation mine stopped working?

Not the person I wanted a message from. Out of annoyance I text my brother back a no.

"You guys excited for break?" Danny asks as he takes the cigarette from Jackson.

"No. My mom is making us spend it with my grandfather in Manchester. Its so boring." Jackson says.

"My mom is spending Christmas in Scotland with her new husband. My dad said we could spend it together but I have yet to hear any actual plans of him being free." Olivia says sighing.

"Exhausting chasing a dead beat dad." Jackson says. "I let that ship sail a million moons ago." He says. "Liv you can always spend Christmas with my family in Manchester? Its a snooze fest but?"

"Its okay honestly." Olivia says giving him a thank you smile. She was too polite to say she rather spend Christmas staring at Tiktok than sit with his very very boring family. They were the sit up straight, etiquette family where they did not use foul language or discussed anything remotely democratic related.

"Youre going to New York right?" Olivia asks me and I nod.

"And you get to see your girlfriend. Is she not coming to New York with you guys?" Danny says