Broken by Vic Johnson (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

My name is Elizabeth Cooper. I am 16 and live in Leeds, England. Tonight is my last night here. Tomorrow my grandma is sending me to America to live with the mother who abandoned me when I was 3. I’m sat in a small café near the end of my street. It’s the end of July but raining outside - typical for England. My friends are with me begging me not to leave.

‘I have no choice I have to go’ I say willing them to understand.

‘Your 16 you can do what you want’ says Miranda who has been my best friend since we were 5.

‘I failed school, I have no qualifications and no chance of getting in to college after the things I did’

‘Go back to school then’ says Amy who even though I have only known her for a couple of years looks the most upset.

‘Would you go back to high school and repeat your last 2 years?’ silence. ‘I didn’t think so. Look this way I get to go to school with people my own age and I get a fresh start where nobody knows me or what I did. I have thought about this over and over and this is my best option. I wouldn’t leave you guys if I didn’t have to’

‘This is really what you want?’ asks Miranda

‘Yeah it is’ I lie.

There is silence for a few awkward minutes and then Miranda says ‘ok then. If this is what you want then I’m behind you. I’m leaving in 3 weeks to go to uni anyway and I don’t want you here by yourself. Plus American guys are hot!’

‘That settles it then’ I say with a smile. ‘I love you guys and im gonna miss you like mad but I have to do this’. My phone rings in my pocket. I take it out and it’s my grandma. ‘Hey’ I say when I answer ‘Im fine. No im not getting into trouble. I know grandma. Ill be home in half an hour. Ok bye’ I hang up and feel sad inside. My grandma has been amazing to me and I’ve let her down so many times. She is the real reason I am leaving. I need to make something of myself and make her proud and I can’t do that here. The people round here know too much about me.

‘What time do you leave?’ asks Shaun.

‘Im leaving my house about 6 in the morning. Actually I should go its getting late and I still have things to do’ I say getting up from the table. They all hug me and I leave. I walk home in a daze and don’t even realise I’m at my house. I notice someone sat on my front step and my heart skips a beat when I notice who it is. Preston had been my boyfriend for 3 years and he loved me so much. I felt horrible for not loving him back. It was hard to love after the things I had been through. We broke up last week and he wasn’t taking it well.

He stood up when I got to him.

‘Preston why are you here? You’re making it harder for yourself’

‘I had to see you’ He said. He looked so upset but been mean was better for him. Or so I told myself. I guess really it was easier for me. ‘Please don’t break up with me’

‘I’m leaving for 2 years. We can’t be together and live that far apart for that long. It would never work’

‘Beth I love you. You can’t tell me after all this time together you don’t love me too’

He needed me to tell him I did but I couldn’t. I couldn’t lie to him ‘you’re my best friend and I’m glad we were together but’

‘But’ he cut me off

‘I’m sorry’ I said and I really meant it. I did love Preston just not in the way he wanted me to.

‘You’re so heartless. Your mum fucked you up big time’ There was so much hate in voice I took a step back. ‘You think you’re the only one who’s ever lost anyone or been hurt. You’re a coward Beth. I hope one day you know how this feels’

‘I know how it feels you prick. I lost the only person I ever loved. I’m sorry I cant love you like you want me to and if been harsh helps you to feel better then have at it but don’t tell me I don’t know what loss feels like’ I was about to start crying when he kissed me. I kissed him back but as quick as it started it stopped and he was walking off.

I went in the house and my grandma had obviously been listening.

‘You ok?’ She asked

‘Spiffy’ I said walking past her and up the stairs. She followed me.

‘Have you finished packing?’

‘Almost’

She asked some more questions I wasn’t really listening to and then left. I sat looking round my room. All packed up in boxes. I loved this room. It was where me and Miranda decided to be best friends. Where me and Preston had our first kiss. Where my dad used to read to me to get me to sleep. It also had bad memories. I’m pretty sure this is where my mum told me she was leaving and it was where my Grandma told me about my dad. I was going to miss it though.

I packed up my last few bits, got a shower then got into my bed for the last time. I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning my Grandma woke me up with a cuppa. It was really early. We were up before the birds. I ate some toast and drank the tea then packed up the last of my things. Things I had used this morning. Toothbrush, hairbrush etc.

Most of my things were been shipped but I had 2 suitcases full of things I would need straight away. They rest would arrive in a few weeks.

We walked out the front door and my friends were waiting for me. We hugged and cried and hugged some more. I really was going to miss them especially Miranda.

‘Email me ok? Straight away’ she said her eyes full of tears

‘I will I promise’ I said back just as teary.

I got in the car and waved goodbye.

My Grandma was silent all the way to the airport and I didn’t feel much like talking either. When we got there she waited while I checked in and then we said our goodbyes.

‘I’m so sorry’ I said to her

‘Don’t be’ she said welling up ‘I love you ok’

‘I know’ I said hugging her ‘ill be back at Christmas’

You will?’ She said looking shocked

‘Of course! Nobody make Christmas dinner like you’

She smiled. We said more goodbyes and hugged some more and then I left her. I walked around waiting for my plane to be called and when it was I made my way to the gate.

I got on the plane and sat down. When the plane took off I silently started to cry. I was about to embark on a new life that I didn’t want with a mum who I didn’t want to see and it was my own entire fault.

The last day of school. Finally! 6 weeks of freedom. The last day was always boring, Teachers telling us everything we had already learnt in 1 hour sessions. Kill me now! I only came because I needed to clean out my locker before I got a new one next year. Bye bye Sophomore year hello Junior year. We got Lockers in the other building next year. It was sad knowing that was all there was to look forward to.

At the end of the day I cleaned out my locker and went and waited in the car. Charlie, my best friend, always parked his car next to mine. I saw him walking over and waited for the abuse.

‘Hey Connolly’ He shouted as he got near. I had my window down so he rested his arms on the door. ‘Are you really gonna do it?’

‘Yes’

‘Can I watch?’

‘It’s not funny’ I was about to dump my girlfriend which was not going to go down well.

‘Rather you then me’ Charlie said with a smirk.

‘Thanks’ I said sarcastically

‘Seriously though, good luck’ I smiled at him and he got in his car and drove off.

Two minutes later I saw her coming out of the gym. She was in her cheerleading outfit which I used to really dig but now not so much. We used to have so much fun but now there was too much drama.

We had been dating for 3 years and about 6 months ago she told me she loved me. I didn’t say it back and since then things hadn’t been right. I think she has loved me for a long time but was afraid to tell me.

‘Hey babe’ she said as she got in the car. She leant over and kissed my cheek.

She babbled on about her day all the way to her house. When we got there her parents were loading up the car. She sighed

‘I’m totally getting out of this’ she said ‘I don’t even want to got to Florida. I’m gonna see if I can stay with….’

‘….we need to talk’ It was now or never. She looked up at me and smiled and then her face dropped.

‘You’re breaking up with me’

‘I’m sorry’

‘No your not’ tears filled her eyes ‘this is because I said I loved you’

‘You deserve to be with someone who will say it back’

‘Why didn’t you?’ she asked almost pleading.

The truth was the best answer ‘because I don’t’

‘Three years Jack three fucking years’ she got out the car and slammed the door. I know she has a right to be angry but I was so relieved it was over. I drove off without looking back.

When I got home I noticed Bitchfaces car in the driveway. She didn’t like me and I didn’t like her but she was my mum’s friend. I closed the door slowly so I could sneak in without been seen.

‘How am I going to cope with a teenage girl in my house’ I heard from the kitchen. I moved closer so I could hear more.

‘You’ll be fine’ my mum replied ‘just don’t get too worked up’

‘I left behind my life in England, and now part of that life is joining me here. What if she hates me?’

‘You will deal with it and it won’t always be awkward between you’ my mum did not sound hopeful though. I wondered casually for a minute who they were talking about and then lost interest. Bitchface was just saying she better go and pick her up as I left to go upstairs. I checked my phone and I had 12 missed calls and 17 text messages. I deleted them all and turned off my phone. I decided to play Playstation for a bit then shower and go find the guys.