Difference (*Ackley Bridge*)

TWENTY SIX

A whole year had passed since I was at Ackley Bridge studying in the college department, my play was performed to the whole school and even though Missy had passed away and therefore couldn't play the part of Grace I decided to step in and take the role. The scouters from Oxford came to see the play and when it was all over they congratulated me in such an amazing performance that I had put on as I stepped in last minute but they also congratulated me on actually writing and directing such a personal play that was loosely revolved around my life at the school and the people who I had interacted with at the time that I had spent within the school itself.

Cory and I have been together for a little over a year and everything was going fine, he had been really consistent on coming up to visit me while at the weekends when I was at Oxford and also when the holidays came around he had been coming to see me, when it came to Cory's education he didn't get the grades that he needed to go to university but I don't think he seemed that bothered when we spoke about them, yet the school offered him to redo an academic year in order for him to get the grades and I was surprised when he accepted this offer. Riz was offered the same thing because around the time that the exams were happening it had all come out that his dad who was also the schools sponsor had actually had an affair with Miss Carter for a short period of time so that had really put Riz off his exams— buy just like they did with Cory he was offered to retake the year and he also accepted the offer.

When it came to me studying at Oxford I had actually proceeded to excel in extra areas meaning that if I kept this up I would be able to graduate early which I was excited about doing and that gave me a lot of focus and determination to do so, also since proceeding to try and get a degree in performing arts, part of my course was to teach and help out in a school and obviously I chose to go back to Ackley bridge since I knew the place so well along with knowing all of the teachers that were there as well, although Riz told me that there were two new members of staff who I knew I was going to end up meeting when I started doing my work course.

As for my relationship with Nas, since the death of Missy and the two of us now attending Oxford we saw each other all the time and our friendship had gotten so much stronger over the last year. Nas and I were obviously best friends whilst we were attending Ackley but we feared that our friendship would distance when we both went to Oxford to do different things but also having a different class schedule so that did worry us a little bit, but once we got talking over text messages we realised that most of our hours were the same during the day so when we both finished classes we would go back to each other's dorm rooms and hang out together like we used to do when we were both in college together.

My mum still lived in the same house on the same street as Nas' family and she was really doing well for herself now that she had gotten her life back on track, she had got herself a job in the local shop which she said that she was enjoying and she was even dating men again which I was happy about. I was especially happy that she had managed to turn her life around in such a short amount of time it made me proud. While I was doing my work experience both mum and I agreed that it would be stupid for me to rent out a place in the town so for the next month I was going to be living back at home with her until I had finished my work experience course and then when that was done I was going to move back to Oxford to carry on my studies there.

Today was Monday and it was the first day of my work experience, Cory texted me last night and said that he would come over at eight so we could go in together which I was glad about because I didn't really want to be going in on my own I'm my first day. When I looked at the time I realised that I had slept in and it was five to eight in the morning meaning Cory was going to be here in five minutes but I also had to leave the house at eight thirty so I could get to the school by eight forty five, where I would go to the staff room and be introduced to the staff.