Broken Hill Hurt (Broken Hill High 3)

Jesse – Some babies were dropped on their heads but you were clearly thrown at a wall.

Tora – Does your ass get jealous of all the shit that comes out of your mouth?

Jesse – I could eat a bowl of alphabet spaghetti and shit out a better come back than that.

Damn it. He’s got me.

Tora – …

Tora – Damn you! I cave.

Jesse – FUCK YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tora – Well played, sir. Well played.

I put my phone down and get back to tapping my pencil against my drink bottle. I check the clock on the wall. Twenty minutes before lunch. I can do this.

When the bell finally rings, I let out a long sigh of relief. I can’t get out of here fast enough. I grab my phone off the desk and practically run through the door. I leave everything else on the desk, because seriously? Who’s going to steal that crap?

I push my way through the cafeteria door and smile at all the people. I’ve never been so happy to see them in my life. Though, I’m still a bit depressed that none of the faces belong to Nate.

I join the line to get myself some food and soon enough Elle joins me. “Hey,” she says as she moves in beside me, ignoring the protests from the people behind me. “How’s your suspension going?”

“Could be worse,” I shrug as I reach us both a tray.

“What awful job are they making you do?”

“Huh?” I grunt, scrunching up my face. “What do you mean? I’ve just been given my usual school work.”

“What?” she shrieks in outrage. “When I got an in school suspension, I had to do all sorts of bullshit jobs.”

“Like what?” I scoff, not believing her.

She raises an eyebrow. “I had to clean up the teacher’s lounge after their dirty ass lunch and vacuum all the classrooms because the cleaner’s son was sick and she couldn’t come.”

I laugh as I reach for a sandwich. “That’s so funny.”

Elle rolls her eyes. “Yeah, totally funny,” she scoffs as we leave the line and walk towards our table where Brooke and the girls are already sitting. “I swear, if you don’t have to do at least one bullshit job, I’m going to be pissed.”

“What are you going to be pissed about?” Jesse asks as a heavy arm falls over my shoulder.

“Just your little sidekick here getting away with murder on her in school suspension,” Elle explains before launching into her spiel about it not being fair that I’m not scrubbing the toilets or scrapping the gum off the underside of all the desks.

My phone goes off in my pocket as I sit down at the table. Placing my tray down, I dig through my pocket and pull my phone out with a smile, knowing that with both Brooke and Jesse here, that only leaves one other person who’d be texting me right now. And just as I thought, I was right.

Nate – Sorry, babe. I didn’t hear my phone over the music. How’s your suspension going?

I get busy texting him back when Jesse nudges my shoulder. “I bet his texts aren’t as good as mine.”

“No,” I laugh. “Your texts are brutal.”

“I know,” he laughs. “They were pretty fucking good.”

I get back to finishing my text and hit send.

Tora – Boring as bat shit! How’s your holiday?

Nate – Fucking awesome!

I roll my eyes and grin.

Tora – I’m so jealous.

Nate – I’ll make it up to you tonight.

Tora – Is that a promise?

Nate – Always. Enjoy the show.

My eyebrows pull down as I try to work out what the hell he’s talking about, but a commotion across the room draws my attention. I look up from my phone to find Puck standing up on the table and looking over here as all the students in the room start calling out and cheering. “Oh, no,” Courtney gasps in embarrassment as Puck grins at her.

“Oi,” Puck yells out as I hold my phone up and start recording. “Shut the fuck up.” Within the space of two seconds, the room falls into silence. Not a single person is stupid enough to ruin this moment for him. I glance across at Courtney to see her cheeks flaming bright red.

“What the fuck is this daft cunt doing?” Jess groans beside me, embarrassed for his friend.

“Shut up,” I nudge him. “He’s trying to be romantic.”

“It ain’t working,” Elle scoffs.

“Courtney,” Puck starts with the eyes of the whole school on him. “I’ve been trying to figure out a way to do this for the past few weeks and every time I come up with something, I chicken out like a fucking pussy. But not anymore, babe.” Murmurs start all over the room but one fierce look from Jesse, Maxen, or Ty and they all shut up. “You stood by me through some pretty fucked up shit and it’s about time that I start acting like a fucking man and admit, whether you know it or not, that you’re my girl.”