Everyone was sitting on the bus. Chantelle and Stephen gossiping, sitting in front of Katie and Mitchell laughing at Joe from across from them who had a bag on his head sitting alone in front of Jing reading a book with RemDogg at the back in his wheelchair.

Mitchell and I were laughing at Joe when we heard the bus driver say over a mic "What do you call a black milkman?"

Sir snatched the microphone from him before we could hear the punchline.

"right hello everyone, welcome to Abby Grove's field trip. Next stop the string ink museum and petting zoo."

"Can I say a few words?" The driver asked.

"It's not a wedding!" Sir replied. "Look I only have one rule: there are no rules-"

"Except annoyingly all of the school rules, oh and one other rule," Alfie sighed. "Don't do anything Mitchell or Katie dares you to do. Joe? Joe?"

Joe took the bag off his head.

"Oh cringe!" Mitchell yelled and threw a paper ball at him.

"Smoking is only permitted at the front of the bus so I can suck up all you second hand stuff" the driver continued. I stood up, jokingly, and Sir yelled for me to sit down.

"Now, there's no lock on the toilet so put a sock on the door is you're docking at Quimsby-"

"Right do you just want to put on a video?" Alfie cut him off.

He only had sex tapes so he just put on the radio.

He then began to drive away. "Oi, want some?" Mitchell asked me and pulled a bag of miniatures from by his feet.

"Obviously" I took one.

"What are you- why have you got a bag of miniatures?" Alfie stopped me and Mitchell from drinking.

"Shit Irish airline right, fired my brother because he 'broke company policy'" Mitchell replied.

"How?" Joe asked.

"He helped a customer, anyways he managed to jack a load of these, and a couple life jackets in all"

"Nice" I added.

"Don't encourage him! These are confiscated!" Alfie said and took the bag from Mitchell.

"Why are you wearing those heinous boots?" Stephen asked.

"Their just my hiking boots, why what's wrong with them?" He asked.

"Just those boots and that hair, makes you look like a guard in a women's prison." Stephen replied.

"Or a beginners male prostitute!"

I laughed making Mitchell laugh along. Alfie just rose his middle finger at me and continued talking.

"We're going to the countryside. Bear Grylls said that you have to be prepared for anything, that's why I'm rocking one of these bad boys" and unzipped his coat to show a harness with many things that he would not need to go to a petting zoo.

"Is that a spork?" Joe asked.

"Yup, for all those jobs a fork can't handle" Alfie replied.

"Is it meant to be that tight?" I asked.

"Yep, can't feel a thing." He said.

"Chap slap!" Mitchell yelled and smacked Alfie in the balls.

"Ah! Dick!" He yelled at him as he double over in pain. Mitchell just laughed and snapped his fingers.

Alfie then began talking to Chantelle then RemDogg butted in and said something about paint balling then Alfie went back to the front of the bus.

I tapped Mitchell on the shoulder. "Surprise" I laughed and gave him two miniatures that I hid when Alfie was walking towards us.

"Which one do you want?" He asked.

"You have them, I don't like those ones, they were just the first ones I could get without him seeing" i laughed.

"Can I put my legs here though?" I asked, lifting my legs a little to put them on his lap. He nodded as I turned around with her back to the window and her legs on Mitchell's lap.

Me and Mitchell sometimes acted like a couple, we'd cuddle while watching movies, he'll put his arm around my waist sometimes while walking and he'll let me fall asleep with my head on his shoulder or my legs on his lap like just then. But we know that we're just friends and it's just because of how close we are.

When we got to the petting zoo, it was very depressing, and cold.

"Unfortunately, we've got worms." The owner informed. "Not surprised." I muttered to Mitchell making him chuckle.

"I spent all morning fishing this out of a weasel." The guide said showing a jar with huge worm inside. I gagged and moved a littler closer to Mitchell.

He talked about the look-but-don't-tough policy. Then asked if we had questions.

"Why do cows have so many tits?"

"The cows have udders."

"How come you can call dogs mbitches' but not bitches 'bitches'?"

"RemDogg, behave!" Rosie butted in.

"Would you rather be a dog with a boys head or a boy with a dogs head?" Joe asked as Alfie thought about what his answer would be. "Well, obviously a boy wi-"

"Oi, worms!" Mitchell interrupted.

"Is he talking to me?" The guide asked.

"I'm afraid so" I replied.

"My mate Rasheed yeah, said he found a beak in one of his McNuggets, see I thought a chicken lays a nugget. Does it not lay a nugget then?" Mitchell continued.

"We're you dropped as a baby?" I laughed.

"When the chicken is impregnated by the-" the guide began.

"Old McDonald? Does the male chicken lie to the female chicken just to get into her pants, then break her heart with a text?" Chantelle asked sadly. I walked towards her and hugged her, I knew what Chantelle was talking about unlike Sir who wouldn't listen to her.

"Do all meerkats comes from Russia?" Alfie asked.

Everyone was looking about, very bored. Except for Mitchell who was enjoying making faces at the animals.I walked ahead as I thought that Mitchell was right by me.

"Oi, sir look at his dick it's got shit on it!" Mitchell yelled to Alfie as he was further behind than I thought, I turned around and he said

"he's got shit on his dick." But quieter and snapped his fingers. I grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the poor animal.

"Now kids, prepare to be amazed by the swinonus rhinonium. Or the rhino pig." The guide said and revealed a pig with a fake horn taped to its head.

"Your wife got a name?" Mitchell laughed.

"Alfie! They found your dildo!" I joked making Mitchell laugh even more.

Later on we were all looking around so bloody bored and I saw Sir talking to Miss Gulliver, I eavesdropped (like I always do) on their conversation.

"I just don't want you to be late for your date." Alfie slurred.

"He's been drinking our miniatures" I told Mitchell.

"What? So he can get drunk and we can't? Dickhead" he replied.

"I was talking to inky earlier and he said this he has real fur coats in his gift shop, I was thinking maybe you could pair it with an otter scarf." Alfie informed.

"Right everyone back on the bus! Wake him up take him out! Quickly!" Rosie yelled. Mitchell and I woke up RemDogg and took him back to the bus.

I had my legs sprawled across Mitchell's again and we were talking about parents.

"My mum hates me, if I get one thing wrong, she screams like mad at me." Katie complained. The bus came to a fast stop, like it had hit something, making my head hit the seat in front of me. "Ow!" I yelled in pain.

"Are you okay?" Mitchell asked, he seemed actually concerned.

"Yup, fine" I replied and sat back up. "Jesus!" Rosie yelled. "Was that a person? I'll go look!"

"Is everyone alright?" Alfie asked. We all nodded our heads "if anyone asks, the pig hit us!"

Rosie came back onto the bus with the horn that was taped to the pig earlier.

"Awh, how thoughtful, Alfie! They returned on your dildo!" I yelled, making Mitchell laugh and snap his fingers.

"Not the time Katie. Does anyone know about this? I won't be angry if you're honest with me" Rosie continued.

"they always say that!" Alfie whisper yelled.

"Do you know about this?"

"Uh..." he stared at Joe. "Fine. I let the pig out miss, because it looked sad." Joe lied.

"Well, that's stupid but I admire the gesture."

"You stole my gesture!"

There was no service so Alfie decided to walk to the nearest town. He got Joe, Chantelle, Stephen, RemDogg, Mitchell and I to go with him and Rosie.

"Wasn't there a sign back there saying the next town is that way?" Joe asked.

"This is the only sign I need. Wind sign." Alfie replied and dropped leaves to see which was the wind was going.

"There that's north. Town is the way" He said.

"Alfie, I checked this morning, it's eastern winds all day, so north is this way!" I yelled pointing in the total opposite direction. "Ugh, fine." I gave in after realise no one was listening and followed.

"Lunch anyone?" Alfie dropped a dead bird in front of everyone while the were sitting on logs. Chantelle was on Stephens lap and I was on Mitchell's as there was no more room.

"Did you kill that?"

"Used my trowel."

"Berries anyone?"

"No stop! Those are poisonous!" I yelled.

"No they're not" Alfie denied.

"Katie's right, they're Yew berries, the most poisonous in Britain." Rosie added

"Uh-Uh. They're cranberries. I know that because their red."

"Screw this! I'm eating my rolls" RemDogg have in and began to eat his lunch.

"What?" Alfie asked.

"Packed lunch. Bellend." Mitchell said. Everyone else got their food out except for Mitchell who was poking the dead bird with a stick.

"Want this?" I asked Mitchell offering my sandwich, not seeing his lunch.

"Half it?" He suggested. I agreed and ripped it in half and ate one half and she ate the other. We then shared my drink, we shared a lot of things like drinks and food, that's how close we are.

"Right, how do you gut this?" Alfie asked and took the stick from Mitchell.

We walked more looking for people of the next town in sight. "Alfie?" Rosie asked.

"Where being followed." Alfie whispered.

"Alfie, do you know where we are?" She asked and he just nodded.

"Can someone tell that frog I do not want to smoke his pipe!"

"His eyes look funny" Joe added.

"He looks like my brother when he came back from Ibiza" Mitchell pointed.

"Oh my god I remember that! That's was hilarious!" I laughed.

"People!" Mitchell pointed to two fishermen at the side of the lake.

"Let's get their attention. Hello!" Rosie yelled. "Come on guys, HELLO?"

"I know I'll chuck a rock at 'em!" Mitchell grabbed a rock but I grabbed it from his and dropped it on the floor.

"No we need their help. HELLO!"

"Oi! Over here!" Mitchell yelled along with everyone else yelled "help" "hello" and "over here"

"Miss, where's Sir" I got her attention

"what now" she sighed.

"Shitty harness" Alfie groaned with his trousers half way down his legs. "Don't drink from the river. They were really bad berries."

The fishermen then started yelling and started running to them. They began to run but I just watched them come towards us and laughed.

Until I felt a warm hand wrap around my cold one and pull me along. I looked and saw that it was Mitchell's, his hand was soft and I felt comfortable and normal holding it. So comfortable that I forgot that they were holding ands when we'd stopped running, we both looked down at each other's hands and quickly moved away.

"Sir shit in the river" RemDogg laughed.

"That's was so sick!" Mitchell added, laughing along with him.

"Why do you have to ruin everything? I organised this day and you decided it was rubbish so you made it rubbish!" Rosie yelled.

"You hated the farm too." Alfie replied.

"I told you not to eat those berries and what did you do?" She continued.

"Okay, I admit that."

"You're stupid, you're immature, and you only ever think about yourself!"

"I think about you all the time, that why I let the piggy free."

"You let the pig free?" She looked in disappointment.

"You said you admire the gesture"

"I admire it being made by a child! I can't believe you think I would ever be interested in you. You're just a pathetic, selfish little boy!"

"I think I need a dock leaf, that bog roll was nettley." Alfie said and walked away.

"What?" Rosie looked at everyone.

"You shouldn't have said that Miss!" Katie began, stepping forward.

"And why not?"

"It might have some truth to it but he was trying to impress you, that's all he ever tries to do! Almost everything he does is either for you or because of you! I know what it's like to love someone that doesn't know how much, it's heartbreaking knowing that they'll never love you back as much as you do them! He wants you to know how much he cares! He wants you to see. Hell, he just wants you to at least acknowledge the effort! So just lay off him a little yeah? Because the way you speak to him is disgusting!" I yelled and walked off a little.

"I'll go" I heard Mitchell say and came after me. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Want me to be honest?" I laughed sadly.

"Always."

"No. no I'm not okay. What I said over there was the truth. I was the one that wrote the anonymous note about telling someone I love them. I know how Alfie feels. Not only that, I'm not okay at home, like I said on the bus, my mum screams at me when I do a tiny thing wrong, when she found out that I'd 'failed' my mock exam, she hit me, only once on the upside of the head but she's never done anything like that before! She's been drinking non stop since my dad-" I stopped and began crying at the thought of my dad.

"Hey, it's okay. Shh." Mitchell hugged me tightly. "Jesus, you're freezing!" He took off his coat and put it over my shoulders.

"Is that why you've hated walking home alone lately?" He asked.

"Sometimes. Let's just go back to everyone else, please don't repeat a word of this" I replied.

"I won't" he said.

"Promise?" I asked.

"Cross my heart"

"which one? the big heart that you try to hide? Or the tiny black one you pretend to have?" I joked.

"Whichever one you want." He replied and put his arm around my waist as we walked back to the group.

We sat with the others, Alfie was sat alone. Chantelle and Stephen were talking to him. I decided to go too. I told Mitchel I'd be back and walked towards them.

"Hi, you okay Sir?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Chantelle just told me about Finley." He replied.

"I know it's terrible."

"Katie had a go at Miss for you though sir." Chantelle informed. "Why?"

"Because, I'm sick of her acting like is just some crush." I replied.

"I got it on video so that you could see Miss' face" Stephen chuckled and showed him. "Wait, are you wearing Mitchell's-" Alfie began

"Shh, watch"

I heard my voice come from the phone screaming.

You shouldn't have said that Miss!

And why not?

It might have some truth to it but he was trying to impress you, that's all he ever tries to do! Almost everything he does is either for you or because of you! I know what it's like to love someone that doesn't know how much, it's heartbreaking knowing that they'll never love you back as much as you do them! He wants you to know how much he cares! He wants you to see. Hell, he just wants you to at least acknowledge the effort! So just lay off him a little yeah? Because the way you speak to him is disgusting!

"Thank you, Katie. Who were you talking about?" Alfie asked.

"Bestie personal padlock pinky promise we won't tell" Chantelle added. "Okay, it's Mitchell. I've been in love with him since I met him when I moved here." I gave in. It felt nice to say out loud.

"What do you love about him?" Stephen asked, with a smile growing on his face. "Want a shorter answer? ask what I don't love; nothing. I love everything about him. I love how me makes me feel safe and makes me laugh. I even smile when he's laughing. " she smiled at the thought of his laugh.

"Like butter wouldn't melt for that laugh, you know? But he knows everything about me, and he knows how to make me smile, make me happy."

"Okay that was very dramatic, but it's true" I laughed realising what

I said.

"Oh my god" Stephen began fanning his face as he began to cry.

"Awh, babes, you need to tell him! He's clearly into you too, he gives you his jacket when you're cold, he put his arm around you all the time and I heard how worried for you he was when you hit your head when the bus stopped." Stephen informed.

~~~

"What do you love about her?" RemDogg asked Michell. "What's there not to love? She's adorable, she cares, she's funny, her cute laugh makes me crazy. I spend most my time trying not to kiss her. I think I love her Rem." Mitchell explained.

"Mate we're 15" Rem laughed and Mitchel flipped him off.

~~~

"Why don't you sit with us sir?" Stephen asked Alfie. "I don't think Rosie wants to talk to me."

"We do Alfie" Katie added. They went back to the others seeing that RemDogg and Mitchell what walked off a little. "Hey guys, sorry about the stream and stuff. Don't worry I'll make us a fire!" Alfie apologised.

~~~

"Finally, cars!"

"I'll go ask for help." Alfie decided and walked towards the cars. I think Mitchell could tell that I was still cold because he hugged me tightly from behind.

"Thank you." I smiled up at him. He hummed in response as he nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck.

When Alfie came back he lied by saying that the people in the car were bird watching, but Mitchell and I know what they were doing.

The people helped us out and when they got back to school, my mum was there waiting.

"Where were yah?" She slurred. "The bus broke down, but I'm only like 10 minutes late. Did you drive here?" I replied when I got off the bus.

"Course I didn't. Walked didn't I?" Mum said.

"Can I say bye to Mitchell before we go?"

"Whatever, make it quick I haven't eaten yet because of you!" She spat.

"Thanks for your coat Mitch" I approached him and gave it back. "It's okay. Call me when you get home okay?" He asked putting his hands on my arms.

"Okay." I smiled up at him.

(Their height difference is to cute, even romantic! Mitchell is tall enough to kiss her forehead and she's short enough to nuzzle her head into the crook of his neck. [When Mitchell did that while waiting for Alfie he leant down to do so.])

"Bye"

"Bye"

"Come on!" My mum yelled. When out of sight of everyone else I held onto her properly, she was so drunk.

After I cooked for my mum, I FaceTimed Mitchell like I said I would and we talked for hours on end.

I ended up falling asleep and he just stayed on until he finally drifted off too.

𝔼𝕟𝕕 𝕆𝕗 𝔼𝕡𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕕𝕖