JJ~1

Tess stepped into the careers office cautiously, the last time she'd been here it hadn't gone well. The room looked like a unicorn had sneezed all over it — fairy lights tangled around posters that said things like "Believe and Achieve!" and "Dream Big, Apply Bigger!" There were tiny figurines of frogs, wizards and god knows what sitting on the desk. Above it, a glittery sign in cursive read: "Be daring, try and express yourself without swearing."

Josie — last year's well-meaning but clearly-overwhelmed English teacher, who also helped as a careers adviser — was sitting behind the desk, gluing googly eyes onto a squishy heart-shaped stress toy.

She looked up with a sudden jolt, glue still wet on her fingers.

"Hello, careers needer! I am a careers seeker—" she paused. "No, wait. That's not right."

"Hi Josie." Tess dropped into the uncomfortable green chair.

"So what can I help you with today Tess?" Josie beamed at her

"Err, I need a job. Urgently." Tess answered like it was obvious.

She started rummaging through her collection of colourful binders. "Alright... let's unlock the key to your future, shall we? Ah-ha! Here it is — your career aptitude assessment from last year!"

Josie squinted at the paper. "Right. Let's have a look. First question: 'Describe your ideal career.' You wrote... 'I don't know, one that pays me?'"

Tess sighed. "Not much has changed."

"'Job skills'..." Josie trailed off. "You wrote: 'Talking fast. Carrying six drinks at once. Getting out of awkward conversations without actually moving.'"

"Survival-based," Tess said flatly.

Josie nodded approvingly, as if that made complete sense.

She kept reading. "'Do you like animals?'"

Tess raised an eyebrow. "Bit broad."

"You wrote: 'Yes. Except horses."

Josie made a face like she sort of agreed. "'Would you prefer to work inside or outside?'"

"Inside, obviously. Outside has bugs. And weather."

"'Are you good with a pair of scissors?'" Josie read, hesitating.

Tess shrugged. "I guess."

Josie tried to hide a small laugh, flipping to the results page. "Well, based on your answers, your top three suggested careers were: florist... dog groomer...Strategic consultant."

Tess sat back. "A consultant? How?"

"Well for Hobbies you said debating whether to cut my fringe again." She said matter of factly, "That shows decision-making skills. Or indecision-making. Which is basically the same as being in management."

Tess scoffed "Right. Well I think your test might be broken."

Josie giggled, then let out a small sigh. "See, I didn't want to be a careers adviser either. I just did one of these computer tests and it said I should. I wanted to be a carer—but I spelled it wrong. And they will not let you go back. Can't."

Tess stared at her. "Can't you just... switch jobs?"

Josie gave a helpless shrug. "I wouldn't know how to do that."

"Just use one of these," Tess leaned across the desk, grabbing a handful of pamphlets. "Make a change: Your Ideal Career.' 'Don't Delay—Move for a Meaningful Career Today.'" She held one up. "'Switching Careers? It's for you.'"

Josie looked genuinely shocked. "Oh no. Those are for the students."

Tess blinked. "We can go through them, if you want."

There was a pause.

Josie smiled shyly. "Have you ever thought about being a careers adviser, Tess? You'd be perfect."

"Fuck no."

Josie's eyes darted to the sparkly sign behind her. Her mouth formed a tiny 'o.'

"Think you let one slip there."

"Sorry," She muttered under her breath, "So... this is the bit where you give me a job, right?

Josie chuckled. "Well, technically I help you look for one. But yes. That bit."

"I need money. I need something. Anything. Otherwise I'm gonna end up harassing people with pamphlets for the rest of my life or something." Tess pleaded

"Right. Let's... let's not have that." Josie scrambled through a few more papers, "Here—Hancock's Confectionery? They're hiring. Sweet shop. Uniforms are a bit... orange- I know you said that wasn't ideal. But it's inside and I think there's air conditioning."

"That doesn't sound terrible." Tess shrugged.

Josie started printing the application, like this was a big success.

"We did it! Look at that—career progress!" she said, as the printer wheezed to life.

"Thanks." Tess said, taking the paper "And good luck with your... carer career."

Tess let the door close behind her with a soft click, leaving the faint smell of lavender stress spray and glue in the air.

----

Tess, Naomi, and JJ were seated at a corner table in English, the flicker of fluorescent lights above adding to the dull hum of quiet concentration. The essay they'd been given for English was something Tess would rather shove under a pile of homework she'd never have to think about again. But the trio had made a deal: they would work together for the sake of getting it done.

Tess sighed as she slouched in her chair, flipping through her notebook. "Had my careers advice meeting this morning... I swear, it felt like they were just picking random careers for me out of a hat. It said I should be a strategic consultant, dog groomer or a florist."

Naomi raised an eyebrow but was genuinely amused. "I can't imagine you dealing with puppies...Or sitting in an office all day."

Tess sighed. "Neither can I."

JJ grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Speaking of careers, me and Thomas went for this job interview at Brizview Cinema the other day. We wanted to work there for the free screenings, cooking hot dogs under lightbulbs, and all the pick 'n' mix we could ever want—"

Naomi snorted, her lips curling into a grin. "Oh, right, a dream job. What went wrong, then? Didn't you two get hired?"

JJ rolled his eyes, laughing bitterly. "No, we didn't. We absolutely tanked it. I swear, Thomas—Thomas can't act to save his life. He's never even seen E.T., and when we were improving, he just stared like a deer caught in headlights."

"Really? How crazy!" Tess said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Exactly! It's a classic! And get this—he doesn't know the damage an Incendio spell can cause." JJ's face twisted with disbelief. "It was absolutely not plausible or realistic.'"

Naomi looked at him, blinking. "What kind of job interview did you two walk into?"

JJ said, shrugged it off. "Anyway, after we got rejected, Thomas goes and gets some random job at a... what was it again? The sweets shop on Kingsley Street. So now he's employed, and we didn't even get a chance to work with the pick 'n' mix." He said that last part with exaggerated disappointment.

Tess raised an eyebrow. "Wait, I'm trying for a job there, too. Josie told me about it this morning."

JJ's eyes widened. "Rats! I was gonna beg him for a job after school, now I have competition." He sighed, clearly disappointed.

Naomi laughed softly at his antics. "I can't believe Thomas got that job. He'll probably spend all his time eating the sweets and forget he's supposed to work there." She winked at JJ. "You two are probably better off not working there anyway."

Tess grinned, then shifted her focus back to Naomi. "Speaking of jobs, Are you still thinking about what you want to do after school?"

Naomi hesitated, looking down at her notebook. "I don't know, honestly. Everythings too...uncertain at the moment. And I don't want to pick something just because everyone else expects it." She shrugged, giving a small smile. "I'll figure it out, I guess. It's not like I have to decide today."

Tess nodded, understanding the weight of that feeling. "Yeah, it's weird. Everyone's got their whole life planned out, and I'm just trying to get through the week without losing it."

"Same," Naomi added, her voice softening. "But hey, you've got time. We all do."

JJ, being JJ, piped up with a grin. "You've got 5–6 months, to be exact."

Naomi shot him a look, raising an eyebrow. "Really, JJ? Not helping."

Tess's heart sank at his words. Five months. That was how much time she had before everything would change. Before she had to figure it all out. She felt her stomach tighten, but she forced a smile. "Thanks for the reminder, JJ. Really. Just what I needed to hear."

Naomi glared at him, shaking her head. "Don't listen to him, Tess. You'll figure it out. It'll be fine."

Tess let out a breath, grateful for Naomi's attempt at comforting her, even if her mind was spinning with everything she had to sort out. She focused back on her notebook, trying to push the anxiety away.

"Yeah," Tess muttered, her voice quiet. "It'll be fine."

There was a pause as they all settled into the uncomfortable reality of their homework.

"We've still got an essay to get through," Tess said, gesturing toward their books. "Speaking of which, does anyone actually have any ideas for this thing? Or are we just gonna make up some nonsense?"

Naomi stretched lazily. "Probably make up some nonsense. It's English. They'll never know."

JJ shook his head disapprovingly. "You two are hopeless."

----

Tess and JJ practically raced each other through the door of Hancocks Confectionery Specialist, both determined to get to Thomas first. The bell above the door jingled as they burst inside, their eyes immediately darting to the counter where Thomas was sorting through boxes of sweets.

Tess was the first to spot him. "Thomas!" she called, rushing over to the counter.

JJ wasn't far behind, grinning like a kid about to grab the last packet of sweets on the shelf. "Oi, Thomas!" he chimed in, clearly not letting Tess have the upper hand.

Thomas, looking up in surprise, blinked at the two of them. "What's going on here? Why are you two—"

Before he could finish, they launched into it.

Tess leaned forward, voice dripping with urgency. "Thomas, you know I'm the perfect choice for this job. I mean, look at me—I'm reliable, hardworking, and I can make chocolate sales sound life-changing. I need this. And, hey, when you've got an unborn child in the mix, you've got to hustle, right?"

JJ cut her off, laughing. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second. First of all, that's a maybe child, Tess. You haven't even decided if you're keeping it yet—how can you be using that as your argument?" He raised an eyebrow at her, a smug grin on his face. "You've got no guarantees here."

Tess shot him a glare, but she wasn't backing down. "Don't act like you're Perfect for this job. You couldn't even land a gig at the Brizview Cinema. What makes you think you've got what it takes to stand behind a counter and actually sell stuff?"

"Whoa, hold on," JJ barked, suddenly more serious. "That was technically Tommo's fault,"

"Hey!" Thomas gave him a nudge

"See Thomas! No respect for you." She said, shaking her head but JJ continued

"Customers will love me. And also, I know how to handle candy. I've practically lived on it my entire life."

Tess scoffed. "If anyone's got the right skills here, it's me. I'm totally organised, punctual, and I know exactly what goes into a real customer experience." She lied.

JJ smirked, leaning forward. "Yeah, sure, if you count making people feel bad for you with your 'unborn child' speech. You're really gonna guilt-trip me into giving up the job, huh?"

Tess didn't miss a beat. "Oh, come on. You know I'm not just about the baby. I'm the obvious, responsible choice. You're just here for the free sweets."

Thomas, clearly overwhelmed by their back-and-forth, tried to interject. "Okay, okay, hold up, both of you. I'm gonna have to talk to my manager, alright? I don't think we need to turn this into—"

"Look, Thomas, I'm serious," Tess continued, cutting him off before he could even finish. "I need this job. I've got plans. You can't let JJ have it."

JJ grinned. "You're just trying to make me look bad because I'm the better choice for the job. And you know it."

By now, Thomas was laughing awkwardly, shaking his head. "Alright, alright, I get it. There's clearly a lot of... passion here." He sighed. "I'll talk to my manager. There's probably room for both of you, okay? You're both arguing like you're gonna have to fight for the same shift. Don't worry about it."

Tess and JJ froze, looking at each other, confused. "Wait—what?" Tess blinked, incredulity on her face.

"You're saying we don't have to compete?" JJ asked, slowly coming to grips with the idea.

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, we'll see if we can fit you both in. I'll talk to my manager. So all this bickering was... pretty much pointless?"

Tess and JJ stood there for a moment, the silence hanging between them before both burst out laughing.

"Unbelievable," Tess muttered, walking away from the counter, a little sheepishly.

JJ smirked. "I guess we both win, huh?"

Tess gave him a half-hearted punch on the arm. "Yeah, sure. But don't get cocky just yet."

---

The past few days had been weirdly easy, considering everything that was hanging in the air. Tess and Cook hadn't really talked about anything serious since that night on the hill, and it felt like they were both just letting it simmer under the surface. They didn't know how to tackle the whole pregnancy thing, didn't know how to talk about what came after. Every time the subject threatened to surface, it was like they both knew the other wasn't ready to dive in.

So instead, they reverted to what they knew: being around each other, talking rubbish, pretending the world outside didn't exist.

Tess walked up Freddie's garden, brushing past overgrown weeds and an old football that had probably been there since Year 9. The shed was crooked as ever, but a thin curl of smoke drifted from a tiny incense stick balanced on the windowsill.

She opened the door without knocking.

Inside, Cook was standing shirtless on a stool, holding what looked like a handmade cardboard crown over his head, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Tess blinked. "...What the fuck are you doing?"

"Art," he said simply, stepping down with a dramatic flourish like he'd just finished a Shakespeare monologue. "Also, bored out of my fucking mind."

He offered her the crown. "Made you one too. We could be King and Queen of Shedland."

Tess laughed despite herself, taking it. "What, is that what you've been doing all day? Crafting cardboard royalty?"

"And re-enacting scenes from Braveheart. Solo." He flopped back on the couch and patted the space next to him. "Got weirdly emotional at one point."

Tess rolled her eyes but sat down, settling in beside him. "You're actually unhinged."

Cook grinned. "You missed me."

She nudged him lightly with her shoulder. "Yeah, well. Needed somewhere to escape the house. Mum's still stress-baking, and if I eat one more burnt scone I'll lose it."

He leaned closer. "So you're saying you're using me?"

"Completely."

Cook smirked, a little quiet after that. The light coming in through the shed window caught his face in a warm sort of way, and for a second Tess just watched him, her fingers idly playing with the frayed hem of the cushion.

"Oh," she said suddenly, "I might've actually secured that job. Thomas said he'd let me know for sure tomorrow, but it sounded promising."

"That's great," Cook said, genuine. "Bring me back sweets and stuff will you?"

Tess shot him a look, half-smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe."

They lapsed into silence for a bit, but it wasn't awkward—just that kind of stillness that happens when you're comfortable with someone. Cook's hand drifted to where hers rested on her lap, and he didn't exactly grab it, just touched it lightly, like he was waiting to see if she'd flinch. She didn't.

That's when the door creaked open.

Freddie stepped in, arms full of food—some corner shop bits and two meal deal sandwiches. He dropped them onto the table like it was a delivery and didn't say anything for a second.

Then, without looking at them, he muttered, "Didn't realise you lived here as well, Tess."

Silence.

Cook scratched the back of his neck and didn't move.

Freddie cleared his throat. "Anyway. My dad's starting to get suspicious. You need to find somewhere else to stay."

Cook glanced at him, then looked at Tess. Slowly, hopefully.

She didn't even look at him—just said, "Don't even think about it."

Cook shot her a look, half-smiling. "Really? Not even just for a bit? I'll be on my best behaviour, I swear."

Tess crossed her arms, the grin still on her face. "You can't be serious, Cook. Don't try to pull that 'I've got nowhere else to go' crap."

Freddie stood there, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "I'm just saying, we can't afford to have any extra attention on us right now. Dad's starting to get suspicious, Karen too."

Cook sighed and leaned back into the couch, giving Freddie a half-hearted shrug. "Alright, alright. We'll figure it out." He turned to Tess with a look that was almost teasing. "Don't worry, I won't show up on your doorstep."

Freddie shot them both an exasperated glance before heading for the door. "Just—sort it. Before he starts asking questions."

When he was gone, Cook leaned forward, snatching one of the sandwiches. "He's pissy today."

Tess didn't reply at first, just unwrapped the other one. Eventually she said, "He's still dealing with Effy... or not dealing, really. She's been gone, and he's been left with all this... mess in his head."

Cook chewed quietly, then muttered, "Yeah. Must be strange. One minute she's yer everything, taking care of her, getting her out of bed everyday, went to the end of the fuckin' world for her."

"And the next you can't even see her." Tess finished.

Cook shook his head, "He's lost without Effy. Thinks there's no future, thinks it's his fault."

The shed settled into stillness. Just the soft rustle of sandwich wrappers and the creak of the old couch beneath them.

Tess didn't say anything else. She just stayed where she was, close enough not to feel alone.

----

The orange polo shirt wasn't the worst thing Tess had worn. A bit baggy, a bit bright, but at least it wasn't high-vis. She sat cross-legged on a wooden pallet out back behind the warehouse, half-eating, half-staring at her phone while the sound of JJ's shrieking laughter echoed off the walls.

"Faster!" JJ yelled.

Thomas was sprinting, pushing him full speed on one of the heavy metal trolleys. It rattled wildly over the uneven concrete as JJ clung to the sides, white-knuckled but grinning like a maniac.

"You're gonna fall off," Tess called out, unbothered.

The trolley slammed to a stop just short of the skip. JJ tumbled off dramatically, arms wide like he was in an action film. Thomas doubled over laughing.

Just then, a bike glided past the back gate. Lara, one of the other workers, rode by with her helmet tucked under one arm and a smirk on her face.

"Hi Thomas, Tess. Hi AJ."

JJ blinked. "Holy macaroni, that's... oh man." His eyes followed her as she pedalled away.

Tess looked up. "Stop perving on her, J."

Thomas wiped sweat from his brow, grinning. "You've gotta ask her out."

JJ flapped uselessly. "But... but—"

"But she's out of your league," Thomas added casually.

JJ gaped. "I mean yes but—"

"But you've only slept with one girl, and that girl was a lesbian who felt sorry for you."

JJ opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again. "...I mean yes, but—"

"Bet you've got no hair on your balls."

JJ was now red-faced. "No! I mean—yes—I mean no! There's lots of hair on my balls!"

Thomas had already started walking back inside, cackling.

"And besides," JJ called after him, "mature women don't care about things like that... right, Tess?"

Tess grinned. "Mature women don't care about you, JJ." She joked

Thomas whooped from the doorway. "I don't think so, cuz!"

JJ was now yelling after him. "I do have hairy balls! There's lots of hair on my balls! My balls are hairy!"

Tess glanced up—just in time to spot a family pulling into the car park, their windows still rolled down.

"Uh, JJ—"

"My cock's hairy too! What d'you think of that?!"

"J!" Tess burst out laughing. "You're scaring the customers!"

JJ froze. Turned. Saw the stunned parents ushering two small kids out of the car with wide eyes.

He turned bright red.

"...Oh no."

Tess shook her head, grinning. "Told you I'd be better for the job than you."

----

Inside, the warehouse air was cooler, dimmer, and smelled faintly of cardboard and bleach. Tess was restocking tins on a lower shelf, crouched beside Lara, who was silently unpacking a box of dog food.

Lara was short, maybe a head shorter than Tess, with pale blonde hair chopped blunt at the shoulders and streaked with faded pink that clung to the ends like old bubblegum. Her expression always looked tired, worn down, with a kind of permanent frown Tess had yet to see lift. Still, there was something about her that Tess liked. Maybe it was her bluntness. Or maybe it was that she didn't try too hard to be nice.

They worked quietly for a minute or so before Tess caught a glimpse of something moving through the aisle gaps. A flash of bright orange. A shriek.

Thomas dashed past, ducking behind a display of reduced cereal boxes, with JJ chasing close behind, wielding a rolled-up sales flyer like a sword.

Lara glanced sideways, deadpan. "Are they always like that?"

Tess snorted. "Pretty much. I go to school with them too. It's constant, and I don't think the extra sweets are helping."

Lara cracked a slight smile, the first Tess had seen since starting. "Explains a lot."

Tess shifted a tin to the front of the shelf. "You'd think they were ten. They spent half of lunch arguing about who had hairier balls."

Lara gave her a dry look. "Charming."

"Why do you work here then?" Lara asked, glancing sideways.

Tess let out a small laugh, humourless. "Because I need money and I was desperate."

Lara grinned. "Same."

But Lara's attention had suddenly flicked away. Her face stiffened, frown deepening. Tess followed her gaze to the front door, where a guy had just walked in—tall, unshaven, top dirty and stained with paint.

"Who's that?" Tess asked.

"Just Liam. My ex," Lara muttered. "He keeps coming in here all the time."

Tess frowned. "Tell him to fuck off and stop stalking you."

"I can't exactly," Lara said, voice flat. "We've got a nine-month-old. Albert."

Tess blinked.Something turned in her stomach—not pain exactly, but something closer to recognition. Empathy. She didn't say anything for a beat, unsure why it felt like such a strange relief to hear someone else say the words out loud.

"What's it like?" she asked, as casually as she could. "Managing it all, I mean."

Lara shrugged and didn't stop stacking. "Just gotta keep working my ass off. That's it, really. Doesn't leave much time for anything else."

"Do you get help from him?"

She scoffed. "Surprisingly, yes. Then he gets all weird and clingy again."

Tess nodded slowly, pretending to focus on the shelf. She didn't offer anything of her own.

A loud BANG sounded from behind them, followed by a scuffle and JJ yelping, "Thomas! Get off me, you psycho!"

They both turned around to see Thomas pinning JJ to the ground with a label gun in one hand, slapping discount stickers on his forehead while JJ flailed in protest.

Lara didn't even flinch. She just stared at them for a beat, then said flatly, "When you two have finished flirting with each other, the customer toilets are in a right state."

Tess bit down a laugh, eyes shining. She stepped behind Lara and caught JJ's eye, raising her brows and jerking her head towards Lara in encouragement.

JJ blinked like an idiot, then whispered, "She smiled at me."

Thomas helped him up, grinning. "This is your chance. You must seize it. Go!"

He gave JJ a solid kick forward, nearly sending him stumbling into a display of toilet roll.

As JJ stumbled off with Thomas behind him, Tess turned back to the shelves, her thoughts still half with Lara. She watched her work—calm, steady, unfazed by chaos—and it hit her properly then: Lara wasn't just surviving this place. She was surviving everything.

A teenage mum, just like her. Still standing. Still showing up.

It made Tess feel a little less alone. Maybe even a little stronger.

----

It was too early, too grey, and too bloody cold. Tess pulled her sleeves down as she climbed the school steps, jaw tight against the wind. Her fingers were freezing and she hadn't slept, but whatever—that was just mornings lately.

"Tess!" JJ's voice rang out, chipper in a way no human should be before 9AM. He bounced up beside her, practically vibrating with excitement. "Tess. I did it. I secured the date."

Tess blinked. "With Lara?"

He nodded, smug. "Yep."

"No way." She gave him a rare smile. "I'm actually impressed. How?"

JJ immediately launched in, words tripping over themselves. "Okay, so she was in the break room yesterday, hacking up a lung—like full-on, bronchial symphony—so I slipped a vitamin C tablet into her drink. Not weird, by the way,"

"JJ," Tess cut in.

"—and I told her about the benefits of immunity boosts and how it helps bowel consistency, because honestly people don't prioritise their—"

"JJ. What does that have to do with the date?"

He blinked. "Oh. Right. I asked her over the intercom."

She stared at him. "Like, in front of everyone?"

He grinned. "Precisely."

"No. You didn't."

"I did." He puffed his chest slightly. "And she said yes."

Tess laughed under her breath. "Romantic. Proper fairy tale."

JJ nudged her. "You know who would've been proud? Cook. Wish he was still around—could've given me some killer tips."

"Are you sure about that?" Tess raised an eyebrow. "I feel like Cook's not exactly the best person to ask when it comes to women. Or communication. Or, like, emotional maturity."

JJ paused. "No but he knows how to properly seduce them."

She shook her head, smirking. "Actually, he—"

But JJ's eyes suddenly lit up. "Emily!" he shouted across the courtyard. "Guess who's got a date tomorrow!"

She'd wanted to tell him—about Cook being back—but the words stuck. Maybe it was the timing. Maybe it was the way JJ was practically glowing. Or maybe, deep down, she was scared of how he'd react. With his big date tomorrow, the last thing he needed was Cook showing up with one of his catastrophic tips - ones that had taken a while to work on Tess.