Meet Me On Thames Street

Monday. School. Alex.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t too worried about the remarks that I would receive. In fact, I was looking forward to them, as I knew that they didn’t know the truth. Alex loved me. I’d shout it out but I’d most likely acquire odd looks from my peers as I walked down the winding hallways to my first class. History with my least favourite teacher, Mr Thornton. He’d made me cry multiple times but today, he had no chance. My mood was sky high and I walked into class with a proud stance and a beam upon my face.

“You look… pleased,” Holly commented as I took my usual seat next to her.

“I am,” I smiled as I pulled my books out of my bag and arranged them neatly on the heavily graffitied desk.

“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” Holly asked, referring to Alex as ‘him’ because she knew that saying it aloud would surely cause trouble.

“Correct,” I grinned as Mr Thornton told us bluntly to ‘shut up’ and open our books to page 236.

The class went by without much bother. Mr Thornton tried to get on my nerves, but failed miserably, much to his despair. But it wasn’t until Mr Thornton left the classroom for five minutes that things went rapidly downhill.

“I heard that Baker slept with Gaskarth again, or is my information incorrect?” Penelope Hayes asked as she stared at me, waiting for my pathetic response.

“And you care why?” I replied, deciding that simple was best.

“Because the people need to know, Addison,” she smiled wickedly.

“Well, maybe the people should live their own lives instead of delving into other peoples,” I smirked.

Penelope’s face change from smirking to complete horror. No one had ever spoken to ‘the princess’ like that before. Her mouth hung open like a goldfish, gasping for water for a few seconds before the wind changed and a satisfied smirked graced her plastic face.

“Was the sex good, Addison?” Penelope asked, and evil glint in her false blue eyes.

“You’d know,” I scoffed.

“How does it feel being used? It is fun?” she smirked.

“Excuse me?”

“We all know the story, Addison. And we all know Alex. He lies like a murderer but fucks like a star, you’d know,” Penelope said, loving the effect her words were having on me.

I’d make a comeback but the sad truth was, she was right. Alex lied and fucked. After all, they were the only things he was good at. I thought back to what he told me earlier, ’I love you Addison’. The conversation flowed through my mind like silk as I remembered every facial expression. His words seemed so true but I was hung over. Alex had the unfair advantage.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Penelope grinned like the Cheshire cat; if only she’d disappear.

“No,” I seethed before I ran out of the classroom, tears streaming down my face like a waterfall.

I had no idea where to go so I just let my feet carry me somewhere, anywhere. Anywhere that was far away from Penelope. I slowed down and realised that my feet had carried me to the real problem. Alex.

“Addison! What are you doing here?” he asked, shocked.

“I could ask you the same thing,” I answered sourly.

“Oh. You’ve been talking to Penelope haven’t you?” he frowned.

“More like arguing, but yes. Yes I have,” I replied honestly.

“You know she’s lying, whatever she said,” Alex replied, hope pouring from his honey brown eyes that I had come to love.

I sat down next to him and began playing with a stray acorn.

“She seemed pretty positive about what she was saying. ‘Specially when she said you lied like a murderer and fucked like a star,” I said, not convinced by his attitude.

“Well, she got one thing right,” he chuckled.

“Wrong time, Gaskarth,” I replied stonily.

“Addison, please. Don’t be like this. You’re talking about Penelope Hayes, when have you ever listened to her?”

“Never,” I muttered to my feet.

“Exactly. Why believe her now when you know the truth?” he asked.

“Because… because,” I stuttered suddenly realising my huge mistake.

“Because you don’t believe me,” Alex sighed.

“It’s just, you did all these things to me and Penelope and – “

He cut me off my placing one finger on my lips.

“Remember what I told you?” he asked.

“You mean about when you were younger?” I replied.

“Yup. Why would I lie about that?” he asked as he leant in and kissed me directly on the lips.

“You wouldn’t, you know why?” I asked, smiling as I pulled away.

“Why?”

“Because I trust you,” I smiled as I leant in and pecked him on the nose.

“Ahem,” he coughed, pointing to his lips.

“Sorry,” I beamed as I kissed him passionately on the lips.

The second he ran his hands through my hair, I knew he wasn’t lying.