I Learned To Trust | The Joanne McKinley Diaries 2

12. The Truth Is A Bitter Thing

"Where's Luke Eaton," Mr Henshaw asked.

"In the fuckyboy's room!" Someone shouted, earning sniggers from the whole form.

Mr Henshaw rolled his eyes and chose to drop the subject and continued with the register. Mai looked straight ahead but held her fist out for a fist bump which I returned. The form room door opened to reveal a boy with a black eye, busted lip and a scar near his left eye. And he was still cradling his stomach. Weak much?

"Luke, how nice of you to grace us with your presence," Mr Henshaw said without looking up from the computer. Like rolled his eyes and continued to his seat. He looked at me, fear obvious in his eyes. I shot him a glare and he flinched.

"Sports day is coming up soon and I know our resident track star will bring 9D first place," Mr Henshaw started.

Cheers broke out and Mai nudged me. I gave a playful eye roll but a smirk implanted on my lips.

"Don't be so sure Mr Henshaw," I began. "9B've stepped up."

"Pfft, rubbish," he said, turning to sit on the desk, facing us.

"9B are going down!" Someone hollered, the same someone who had said the fuckyboy's room remark.

"A room of rowdy fourteen year olds, my dream," Mr Henshaw said sarcastically.

"You love us really, sir," Jayleen and Alisha said at the exact same time. The whole class, including Mr Henshaw, let out a laugh. Creepy, oh so creepy.

"Even better, a room of cocky fourteen year olds plus a pair of creepy girls with twin telepathy!" Mr Henshaw exclaimed.

We all shared a lengthy laugh as Mr Henshaw held his hands to his head, playfully. He walked back to his chair and opened up YouTube.

"Song requests. And all clean versions please! Make an orderly line!"

I was first up in the line and I knew exactly what I wanted. My music taste was mixed so no one knew what to expect. Mr Henshaw smirked as he saw my request and gave a slight nod. In no time at all, "GDFR" by Flo Rida was playing and Mai high fived me. As new dance club members, we liked to dance in our spare time and had made a routine that looked average to this song, much to the dance captain's appreciation. Mai got up and dragged me with her onto a table.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, now don't be a chicken. The beats about to kick in," she replied.

I nodded and started to dance. Foot shuffles were done and alright body rolls were made. Moonwalks were executed and splits were dropped. Cheers erupted and even Mr Henshaw was clapping. He didn't seem too annoyed that we had hijacked the tables. We finished and Mr Henshaw replayed the song, giving me an evil smirk. I rolled my eyes and started to dance again.

Pretty live form time if you ask me.

***

"Who knew you two could move like that!" Jayleen exclaimed as we walked to the Snack Shack.

"Joanne does have a dancer's body," Mason said, obviously thinking out loud.

"So you've been checking out my body?" I asked.

Mai and Alisha laughed while Jayleen smirked. Mason snapped up his head and turned red with a sheepish smile on his lips. I leaned forward and ruffled his hair and he smiled and left it like that.

"Dancing does knock the energy out of you, though," Mai sighed.

She was right. I felt like a pancake and it was only eleven am. Maybe more sleep was in order but it was near impossible with my mum flirting with her new boyfriend over the phone every night. It was absolutely sickening and made me want to cry and laugh at the same time due to the sloppy and cheesy things she said to Dylan. They didn't know about Dylan but I was going to tell them sooner or later. Much sooner than later.

"I applaud you both. Dancing in denim shorts and jeans isn't easy," Alisha said.

Me and Mai fake bowed and we all cracked up with laughter.

"What's up in the mum world?" Jayleen asked.

"She got a boyfriend," I gagged.

"Ewwww! A, what; forty year old, getting a boyfriend!" Mai exclaimed.

"Sucking crinkly body parts..." Mason trailed.

I slapped him upside the head. I had a very perverted boyfriend.

"Pervert," Mai mumbled.

"You spoke my mind," I returned and Mason held his heart in mock hurt. I shook my head as I got my panini and walked away from him. Mason caught up to us, eventually and conversation continued.

"I think she's using the boyfriend-" Alisha began.

"Dylan."

"I think she's using Dylan a distraction from the situation at hand," she finished.

"I know but she seems happy and I'm not about to take that away from her. Trust is hard to regain but you can't base you're entire life on getting it back. Maybe Dylan will help her so we can get this shit over and done with," I said, taking a bite into the  cheese and ham. I held the panini up to Mason and he took a bite before passing it back to me.

"Sometimes the benefit of the doubt comes to play?" Jayleen asked.

I shook my head. "I'm doing my part-"

Mai and Alisha scoffed before I could finish my sentence. I turned to glare at them but they shot me the same look.

"You are so not doing your part, Joanne Mia McKinley!" Mai said.

"You're middle name's Mia?" Jayleen questioned. I nodded and turned back to Mai.

"She's giving her heart and soul into this and is trying to become a better mother yet you just shake it off ignore it. I have to admit, you're getting better but it's not working," she finished.

"Yeah, like when we tell you to ask her about something, you just leave it and take our advice. It's like you think she'll lie to you," Alisha chimed in.

"I haven't been around long to witness it all but I have picked up things. You always have you're guard up when she's around. It's like it's been woven into your brain, telling you to beware around your own mother," Jayleen added.

"I'm sorry but it's true, J. This thing is getting nowhere. She's giving it her all and you're giving about 2%," Mason said, wrapping everything up.

I took a step back to look at all of them. Tears were eating away at my retina but I couldn't (more like wouldn't) let them free. I just stared at all four of them in disbelief. They had been with me on this journey and they knew how hard it was for me. They weren't exactly breaking it to me gently. My retinas gave way and the tears came out. So I turned on the heel of my combat boots to bin my panini and to go to Home Ec, leaving behind the people that has just punched my gut.