‘What kind of messages?’ Harry presses.

‘It wasn’t even that bad,’ Ben sighs. ‘Like, she asked me what I was wearing,’ Ben pauses. Harry raises an eyebrow and gestures with his hand for him to carry on.

‘And so, like, I just asked what she was wearing and she started telling me about her underwear and shit.’ 

Ben looks at Harry, ‘What?’ says Harry, ‘What do you want me to say?! So then what happened? Did Hayley look at your phone or what?’

‘Yep.’

‘To be fair, that wasn’t exactly your fault.’

‘Thanks, well if you wanna tell Hayley that.’

‘Nah, she’d eat me.’

Ben breaks a smile and sighs, ‘Yeah. Well.’

Ben puts his hoody back up and turns his face towards the window. Harry catches Tobi’s eye a few seats down and gives a double thumbs up accompanied by a wide, sarcastic smile.

Ms Collins takes the microphone, ‘Okay year ten, we’re coming up to the services. We might not stop again so make sure you get lunch here if you haven’t brought it with you.’ Ms Collins takes a breath and multiple voices break out, ‘One question at a time, don’t all yell at me! Kieran.’

‘What food is there?’ Kieran asks and the students are suddenly quiet.

‘I don’t know, probably Burger King, Starbucks, you’ll see as we drive in. Cameron.’

‘Miss, is there a Tesco?’

‘I doubt it.’

Cameron continues, ‘Is there a Tesco where we’re going?’

‘Cameron, we’re going camping in the middle of the countryside,’ Cameron’s face does not change. ‘No, there will not be a Tesco!’

Cameron’s eyes widen, ‘Raah.’

Hayley eyerolls.

‘Miss,’ Kieran’s turn, ‘you know how some, like, whatsit, like, where we’re goin’ yeah, you know how some of ‘em have like an arcade? Has this one got one?’ Kieran’s eyes widen.

‘Nobody is going in the arcade!’ Ms Collins reaches to put the microphone back.

‘Ah yes it does!’ says Harry, grinning at Kieran next to him.

‘How much food can we get?’ Dylan has thrown this question into the now free-for-all.

Ms Collins brings the microphone back to her mouth, ‘What do you mean?’

‘Like, what if I wanted to have two lunches, for example?’

‘You’re paying for it, so, up to you!’ Ms Collins shoves the microphone back in the holder and strides back to her seat, collapsing into it and throwing her head backwards. Mr Burbidge turns to her and asks, ‘What flavour crisps do they have?’ 

Tolu turns towards the aisle to Millie, ‘How long is this gonna take? This is loooooong.’

‘I know,’ says Millie.

‘I calculated it this morning actually,’ Tolu raises an eyebrow and Millie turns around to face Dylan, who goes on, ‘we left at nine thirty-three and we’ve been going one and a half hours at the speed I estimated. I just need to add a bit of time because of the traffic getting out of London,’ Dylan looks towards his brain and chuckles, ‘so I estimate we’ll stay here half an hour which means we should arrive at two o’clock, give or take!’

Millie smiles, ‘Great!’ and turns back towards Tolu who mouths, ‘Love him.’

The coach parks and Ms Collins grabs the microphone, ‘We are leaving at eleven thirty. If you are not back on this coach we will absolutely go without you!’

Prince looks out the window and grimaces. He turns to Jess, ‘What are we even doing here?’

Harry, Ben and Kieran are in the queue scanning the menu boards.

‘What are you gonna get?’ Kieran asks Harry,

‘Fish n’ chips,’ Harry says decisively, ‘I’ve got a packet of biscuits, a packet of Pringles and a baguette in my bag already but that means I’ve got dinner sorted.’ He says ‘sorted’ like ‘sought-id’ and taps his head twice. He adds, ‘Because God knows what Welsh food is like.’

‘Harry, we’re supposed to be the ones cooking the food,’ says Ben.

‘Yeah exactly, that’s worse!’ says Harry, and Ben laughs for the first time all morning.

Ben orders a side of chips and says, ‘This way,’ as he walks to the furthest corner of the dining area with his hood up.

‘I swear every girl on this trip hates me,’ Ben says in a barely-audible mumble to no-one as he walks, head down.

Hayley, Tolu, Millie and Dylan have just sat down at the cafe with cans of Monster. 

‘Is it okay if I hang out with you?’ says Dylan quickly, ‘Samuel said he was gonna come on the trip and then his parents said no or something!’ 

‘Sure-’ starts Tolu,

‘It’s fine,’ smiles Hayley, ‘you’re not one of the idiot boys.’ 

Dylan holds up his Monster can with an elated grin on his face, ‘Cheers!’ 

The girls stare at him. He takes a sip and puts it down.

Hayley looks around, ‘If those bitches try comin’ anywhere near us I swear. Literally if Jess even looks at me I will pull her fucking ugly hair out. And her fucking eyelashes.’ 

Dylan raises both eyebrows. 

‘Don’t think about her. She’s not even worth it,’ says Millie, in her usual pacifist style.

‘Yeah. Well. I dare her to try it,’ confirms Hayley, swigging from her can. Hayley realises that Tolu has spent this conversation staring at Dylan. Tolu now turns to Hayley who is staring back at her, eyes narrowed and head slightly tilted to one side.

To be continued…