Difference (*Ackley Bridge*)

NINETEEN

After storming out of the house I walked down the street and ended up at the park, I sat on the bench with my legs crossed just staring at the young kids not having a care in the world.
"This seat taken?" I heard someone ask and when I looked up Chloe was looking down at me with a smirk on her face, I just shrugged my shoulders so she sat down beside me and pulled out a bottle from her bag, I quickly recognised it as a bottle of vodka and I watched her take the first gulp of it and I saw the discomfort on her face when she swallowed the burning liquid.
"What's wrong Leeanna?" She asked me

"Cory and I have broken up. Missy is pregnant. I'm scared my mum is going to find me. Take your pick my life is pretty messy." I tell Chloe,

"What's happened with you and Cory? I thought you were serious this time?" She asked me with concern and I scoffed with a small smile.

"Yeah so did I except yesterday I skipped school with Ross and we went back to my house, I was upset about my play interfering with my relationship with Cory and I was saying to Ross that I was going to end it if it meant saving my relationship with Cory because that is all that I care about but earlier Cory came round and he didn't look pleased. I told him about Missy and then he said that we should break up only because yesterday apparently I called him by mistake when I was with Ross and he only heard half of what I said, he put two and two together and thought that I was talking to Ross about breaking up with him so Cory obviously thought that he would do it first to save the embarrassment." I explained to Chloe and she sighed heavily taking all the information in,

"I'm sorry Lee." She says quietly and I nod a little,

"Yeah well when I tried to explain to Cory that what he had assumed was wrong he wasn't having any of it and because he is so strong headed and stubborn he wouldn't listen to me." I continued to explain to Chloe who then handed me the bottle of vodka and I downed as much as I could take without trying to feel ill.

"Well mum and I aren't talking at the minute." She told me as she slouched back in the bench,

"How come?" I asked her curiously

"She met my boyfriend. Trouble is he's thirty." Chloe told me and my eyes went wide when she told me his age,
"Oh don't you judge me as well I got enough of that at home." She rolled her eyes at me

"I'm not judging you Chloe, I'm just a little shocked that's all. But why should it matter you're sixteen technically it's not illegal unless you're having sex." I say and I saw Chloe shy away from me and I rolled my eyes at her
"Chloe!" I exclaimed.

"I love him Lee I can't help it! Anyway it's no different from you and Cory." She tells me

"Well yeah it is actually. For one, Cory and I are the same age and two, we never actually had sex and I'm glad that we haven't now." I admitted to Chloe and she looked shocked,

"You and Cory never did it?" She asked and I shook my head at her,
"But what about all those times he stayed round your house?" She asked and I just stayed quiet.

"I guess they were just missed opportunities, and it's not like I didn't want to because I did- do trust him it just never came up in conversation I think we just enjoyed each other's company and didn't feel like we needed to do anything or rush anything either." I explained to Chloe and she nodded her head.

"So what's going on with your mum?" Chloe asked me and I started to laugh at the thought,

"I'm just always walking on eggshells, constantly looking over my shoulder that she is around, watching, waiting to make her move and mess my life up even more than she already has. She won't stop to make my life hell she always knows how to get to me even if that means threatening the people close to me." I told Chloe and she looked slightly scared