Stella's POV

"Good morning, class! Just before I start the lesson today, I have some really good news to tell you all!" Miss Cooke announces, all smiles.

I ponder how this teacher can be so positive when it's a Monday, half-term is over, the weather outside is gloomy and it's only 08:45! I should be in bed, buried beneath my duvet, sleeping if Jake, Josh or the twins hadn't miraculously woken me up! Miss Cooke mentioning that she has good news to notify doesn't brighten my mood because from my school experience, when teachers state that they have good news, it usually means that there's a surprise test(this is the cue for students to groan) or they have planned something 'fun' to do(which means hard work). I think I can conclude that my mood has darkened.

"Because we are studying Romeo and Juliet, we are going to go to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London to watch the play!" Miss Cooke exclaims.

Ok, sorry, Miss Cooke, maybe I did underestimate your classification skills. This is actually good news! We are going to watch a famous play...at one of the most famous theatres in the world...written by the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist! All the negativity that has been clouding my mind since I woke up this morning has been cleared away just like you do after a meal.

Now, my English class is no longer full of sleepy students, struggling to stay awake but fascinated learners. As soon as the words leave Miss Cooke's mouth, everybody is out of their seats asking questions.

"When are we going, Miss?"

"Are we actually going to London?"

"Miss, please tell me you're not joking?"

The questions wouldn't have stopped if it wasn't for Miss Cooke's frustration.

"If all of you would stop asking me questions and sit down, then, maybe I'll have the opportunity to go into further depth about our school trip!" our English teacher snapped.

Like robots, immediately, everyone who were currently out of their chairs took their seats, eager just like the rest of us to learn more.

"First of all, let me clarify that no, fortunately, this isn't a joke and yes, we are actually going to London. The whole year group are going to take the train but this means you'll have to be up early because the train leaves at 8. Anyway, neither of you can complain because we're taking you to London," Miss Cooke starts to explain.

Oh yeah! How can I forget the fact that we're going to London! Up until the summer, I've spent my whole life in Bristol so it's going to be an exciting experience to be in a new city, especially the capital! I can predict that most of us are more ecstatic about being in London(even though we're going to spend most of our time there at the theatre)than actually seeing the play.

"The train journey will last for four hours so there's a not so exciting part. That means we will arrive in London about midday so we'll have our packed lunch at a nearby café before we go to the theatre and watch the play. After we finish watching the play, we'll take the train back at about three so you'll arrive home at seven. I'm going to hand out the consent letters that I need back ASAP!" Miss Cooke finishes explaining before starting to go round the classroom, giving each student a letter.

Once everyone has stuffed their letters into their bags, my English teacher returns to the front of the classroom to start teaching and although my body is in the classroom, my mind is elsewhere...

Storm and I are leaving our English classroom and all she keeps on doing is buzzing about the school trip.

"For once, the school is actually taking us somewhere interesting! I've been begging my parents to take me to a theatre but as usual, they're working! Surprise! Surprise!"

Storm rolls her eyes and even though she's trying to give off the impression that she doesn't care, she's failing. Deep down, I believe that she feels like her parents don't love her as they don't give her much attention but it can't be true: she's the most popular person in our year group and everybody wants to be her friend!

"Anyway, apart from going to a theatre for the first time, we're going to London!" Storm continues after she takes a short break to recover.

"Yeah! I heard it's a great city!" I agree.

"And the city I'm going to move to one day!"

"Wow, you're an early planner!"

"Why, does it surprise you that someone like me doesn't always just go with the moment and sometimes has a plan?" Storm chuckles.

I have to admit that was exactly what I was thinking. I don't answer but I think my facial expression must communicate my thoughts because Storm continues to laugh.

"I want to be an actress when I'm older and a big city like London is the perfect place to pursue my dream so I'm planning to move there for uni. Even if I didn't want to be an actress, I still would have moved to London. Apart from you, Sophie and Emma, Minehead is boring! I'm more of a big city girl!" she explains.

"You seem like the type of person that doesn't like the quiet, calm and peace of this place," I chuckle.

"If I were to live in Minehead for the rest of my life, I would die of boredom. My gravestone would say: Here lies Storm Jackson. She died of boredom."

My smile vanished in a second and my expression clouded over.

"That's not a funny joke, Storm!" I admonished.

"Well, I'm sorry that you suddenly lost your sense of humour!" Storm scoffs.

"How can you judge someone's sense of humour when you tell them a joke that isn't funny?"

"How is it possible that one minute we're having a nice conversation, the next we're on the verge of arguing?"

"I'm sorry," I sigh, rubbing my forehead," I've been having my grumpy moments this morning."

"Totally get you, girl! We all have those mornings, especially on Mondays!" Storm remarks.

We have now entered the playground that is crowded with students, all of them in their different friendship groups. Some of them are are standing up, some are sat down on the wooden benches, which has paint flaking, while some are playing football and table tennis. Sat on the only bench in the not-so-warm sunshine are Emma with Sophie standing next to her, munching on nachos bought from the canteen. As we approach them, we greet each other and Storm takes the opportunity to attempt stealing one of Sophie's nachos while she's not looking. Just as Storm's fingertips brush one of the nachos, Sophie turns around to realise what she's doing and swats her hand away as if she's dealing with an annoying fly and not a human being.

"Just one!" Storm whines.

"I'm not falling for that trick again, Storm! Last time you told me the same thing and you finished my nachos," Sophie says, her hand acting as a defence for the bowl.

"There were only a few left!"

"A few is more than one!"

"Fine then, let me rephrase that: can I have a few nachos?"

"No!"

"Please!"

"No!"

"Meanie!" Storm grumbles, folding her arms.

"Children!" Emma mutters, rolling her eyes.

"Looks like I'm the only one who hasn't woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!" Storm murmurs under her breath.

"Well, having English first thing in the morning doesn't help my mood!" Emma answers back after hearing what Storm had said.

"Has your teacher told you about the school trip?"

"Yeah," Emma replied in a monotone.

"Wow, you sound very enthusiastic!" Sophie remarks, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, who is? Romeo and Juliet is way too dramatic, I don't understand Shakespearean language and London is so overrated!"

"Romeo and Juliet is supposed to be dramatic; it's a tragedy! Shakespearean language wouldn't be too hard to understand if you actually put some effort into understanding it and used a glossary and have you ever even been to London?" I blurt out before thinking better of it.

Storm raises her head and turns to stare at the sky as if watching flocks of birds during flight interests her, Sophie is trying to look awkward but she's not successful because she still hasn't managed to wipe the smirk off her face so that instead she looks like she's enjoying this moment while Emma has narrowed her eyes, scrutinising me. I think it's safe to say that I've landed myself in a lot of trouble.

"Stella, can you come with me. I'm going to the canteen," Storm breaks the uncomfortable silence.

"Get me some popcorn while you're there," Sophie tells her before lowering her voice to whisper," I need to be prepared in case there are any more moments of tension."

"Of course I won't, greedy!"

I'm unsure whether or not she heard the last part of what Sophie had stated.

"Why can't you go to the canteen by yourself?" I ask, the question coming out more aggressive than I wanted it to be.

Storm grabs my arm and drags me away from the bench towards the canteen. I struggle but she's far more stronger than I thought. The canteen is empty apart from a short queue of a few students buying last minute snacks before break ends; we join the end of the line and in the space of a short time, Storm has paid for the bowl of nachos and we're making our exit. She munches on the snack loudly and I give her a dirty look to demonstrate my irritation.

"Want one?" Storm asks.

Seriously! This girl is unbelievable: she has the nerve to drag me here forcefully and she thinks I care about eating a nacho.

"You know that's not what I want!" I snap.

"What do you want, then?"

"You know exactly what I want: why did you drag me here? And don't say because you wanted nachos!"

Storm sighs.

"I just wanted you and Emma to have some time to calm down before you two end up in an argument," she says.

"Neither me or Emma need a coward to act as peacemaker!" I insult.

Storm flinches as if I've just slapped her: I've taken her by complete surprise and to be honest, if it was any other day, I would have the same emotion registered on my face...but today is not like all the others. 

"Coward?" her voice is dangerously low.

"Yes, you heard me!" the volume of my voice is getting louder by the second," You were practically skipping about when we came out of English! I've never seen you so happy like you were when you were talking about the school trip yet you couldn't even tell your friends that! That's not friendship, Storm!"

"Friendship! What would you know about friendship? If I hadn't made the effort, you would have been spending your break and lunch, alone, in the library!"

I don't even notice that tears start to sting my eyes until they start to stream down my face uncontrollably.

Stop crying, Stella! She'll think you're weak when you're so much stronger!

"You, know," as soon as I begin to speak, Storm looks up at me, her face full of remorse," I've got to thank you."

Now, Storm looks confused.

"For showing your true colours."

The bell from inside the building rings and I walk away...

Author's Note

What do you think? Is it the end of Storm and Stella's friendship? Who do you think is in the wrong?

So sorry that it's taken me so long for me to update! Just over a week until half-term so there'll be an update soon!