𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 ⇀ 𝗍𝗌

two

// CHAPTER TWO:: welcome wagon //

AUDREY sighed to herself, cringing at the fifth outfit her mother bought her while she was away. They were all preppy and more of her mother's taste than her own, which was one of many reasons why she despised them. She glanced at the time on her phone and saw that she had school in an hour, which she didn't really care for if it weren't for her mother forcing her to go.

"She didn't say I had to go on time," Audrey mumbled to herself and went back to her closet and skimming through her clothes once again. All she saw was mini skirts, button downs and simple tops- everything she didn't wear or let past her mind.

Purposely, her mother hid her old clothes away, telling her daughter that it was time for a change and that dressing like boy wasn't the trend. At the thought, Audrey rolled her eyes, angrily grabbing a navy blue skirt with a white slightly oversized shirt to toss onto the bed.

She then went over to her shoes and saw that the only thing to go with the outfit was her fit slip on vans, so she grabbed those before putting on her outfit. When she got dressed, she stood in the mirror and held a frown, thinking that the last time she wore a skirt was in her fifth grade graduation pictures.

Audrey then put on her shoes and when she grabbed her phone and bag, her mother knocked at the door, "Aud, breakfast is getting cold."

"Okay," Audrey grunted and opened her door to see her mother standing in front of her, surprised at how pretty her daughter looked. Audrey let her hair hang, her curls falling over her shoulders.

"You look-"

"Please, don't," Audrey huffed out and walked past her mother and downstairs to the kitchen, her mother closely behind.

"I thought it would be nice to drive you to school today," Roxanne suggested and Audrey hummed as she grabbed the bacon that rested on her plate and stuffed it in her mouth. Her mother eyed her with disgust, "Audrey, please. You think all those months away would teach you common mannerism."

Audrey froze at her mother's words, her chewing slowed down as her demeanor changed. Audrey picked up another piece of bacon and eyed it as she finished off the last piece, "Well, I was motherless for over 152 days- no actually, 16 years, so excuse me if I don't have 'common mannerism'."

Her mother met her fiery eyes before sighing and glancing down at her plate, "Aud-"

"Don't drive me," Audrey seethed, "I'll walk." She was about to walk away, but stopped to eye her mother as she shoved another piece of bacon in her mouth before leaving.

She stomped down her stairs, but she stopped walking when she saw Harry exit his house. He noticed her and smiled, giving her a wave which she didn't return. He eyed her momentarily and took in the fact that she wore a skirt, a smirk rising on his lips. At his reaction, Audrey quickly bowed her head and kept walking, thankful school was only a couple blocks away.

Audrey prayed Harry wouldn't pop up beside her in his fancy car, asking to drive her to school like he always did. That's why they're in this mess. Though just as expected, he was driving behind her, but he thought of the last conversation they had and how uneasy it was. Eventually, he drove past her and she thanked the heavens as she put in her earphones and kept walking.

When she reached school, the late bell already rang and she groaned to herself, hating how this is how her day back begins. She remembered her old classes, so she headed to her first class English, her most hated class since it was early in the morning.

She stood in front of the closed classroom door, her hand ghosted over the doorknob. I doubt people knew about her arrival back, so she knew there would be wandering eyes and whispers if she opened the door. Though, she knew this town was small enough for her business to roam.

She glanced down at her outfit and groaned slightly, before forcing herself to open the door. It creaks open and the teacher snaps her head over to Audrey with a curious look as Audrey slowly walked over to her.

"Ms.Stewart, glad to see that you're doing okay and that you're back," Her teacher, Ms.Beckham, commented and Audrey nodded, "You can sit in your original seat."

Audrey nodded again and looked out to her class to see everyone staring at her as if they saw a ghost. It was a surprise to West Ham when the secretary's daughter had to be rehabilitated- convinced that only the junkies and lunatics went there, though there wasn't many of those in West Ham anyways.

Audrey let out a sigh and walked down the first two rows to take her seat, which was a couple rows away from the window side of the room. She silently sat down and took out her pen and notebook to get ready.

"Okay, as I was saying, Personal Statements are a very crucial part for you to get into college," Ms.Beckham continued, "Which is why I want you to start one today and soon perfect when you're seniors."

Eyes still wandered over to her and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, only knowing that her main watcher was Campbell. He was diagonally across from her, and he smirked as he watched her shift under his gaze. The teacher continued to talk, but he didn't care.

All he cared about was how pretty she had gotten over these past few months and how rehab had done her justice. He leaned over his desk and called her quietly, "Audrey."

She heard his voice, but stayed facing foreword as he called her a few times more. She was ignoring him to the best of her ability until the person behind her tapped her shoulder and handed her a note. She took the note into her grasp and glanced back at Campbell, seeing him smirking, a pen resting on his bottom lip as he eyed her.

She huffed and turned back in her seat and cautiously opened the note, fearful of what it might hold. When she fully opened it, she rolled her eyes as it read;

I LIKE YOUR SKIRT

She folded the paper back up and shoved it in her notebook, choosing to ignore everyone until the bell had rang. She quickly gathered her things and walked to the door, but seen Harry leaning against the lockers right across from the classroom, clearly waiting for her. He could let her avoid him because knowing her, he was convinced that it could last a lifetime.

Audrey groaned and was about to walk toward him until she was gently pulled back by Campbell. She rolled her eyes again and gave him a stern look, "What do you want, Campbell?"

"No 'nice to you'? Or 'I miss you'?" He asked teasingly, a smug look on his face. Audrey huffed and glanced over at Harry to see him staring at the two before hesitantly walking away. Audrey watched him go until she felt Campbell grab her hand, "Even though you won't admit it, I missed you."

"What do you want me to say to that, Cam?" She wondered and he shrugged.

"I don't know, but maybe end off with 'let's go hook up in the janitors closet for old time sake'?" He suggested and she clenched her jaw as the late bell rang.

"What we had... that was before," She paused and sighed, "That was before everything went to shit."

"And today is a great way to rejoice," He exclaimed, clapping his hands.

She shook her head in frustration, "You're a dick." Without another word, she walked away from him as he still kept his smirk, but raised his hands.

"Hey, where you going?"

"To class. I'm late." She dismissed, but she thought she was going to choked on his next words before she turned the corner.

"Okay, I'll see you later, Pill Popper."