Chapter 37

Jen was still upset about not getting the placement, she knew she'd have to find on soon or she wouldn't be able to get her degree. Although Jen and Liam weren't really on speaking terms he knew something was up and decided he needed to make Jen feel better. "Do you wanna go and get a coffee, my shout?" asked Liam. Jen knew she'd have to forgive him at some point; he was her brother after all. "Yeah, seeing as your paying." answered Jen. She grabbed her jacket and followed Liam to the coffee shop.

Liam went to the counter to order there drinks while Jen chose somewhere to sit down. Diane saw Jen sitting there and came over. "How's the new flat then love?" asked Diane. "It's nice. Liam told me that you found him." replied Jen. "Yeah, he was stood outside the pub looking a little lost, hope you don't mind." said Diane. "No, it's nice to see him again. Even if he is homeless and jobless." Diane and Jen laughed. Liam came walking over to the table. "Oh your Diane thanks for the directions the other day." said Liam. "You're welcome love. How are you settling in?" Jen looked at Diane, it was oblivious that she liked the look of Liam and Jen found it hilarious. "Great thanks, its nice being back with little Jen." said Liam squeezing Jen's cheek, which Jen repaid him with an elbow to the stomach. "You two play nice, how's the job hunt going Jen?" asked Diane. "It isn't, I got turned down for a job yesterday and I haven't heard back from any of the others." said Jen. "Well, I heard Keeler was looking for a new art teacher. So I worked some of my Diane magic on him and he said that you can have the job if you want it." Jen's face dropped. If she took the job at the college she'd have to leave Tilly. "What?" Liam looked at Jen. "I think what she means is thank you very much Diane." said Liam. Diane got up and left.

"What are you playing at Jen? That job is perfect for you." Asked Liam. "I can't take the job Liam." Replied Jen. "This is about your little red head isn't it?" asked Liam. "I wouldn't cope, seeing her every day." Answered Jen. "You're crazy, you can't throw this opportunity away, and the Jen I know wouldn't. She'd jump at the chance for this job." Liam was right. But Jen had changed while he was gone. "People change Liam, I can't take the job." Liam knew he had to convince her, but Jen only seemed to listen when he told her the cold hard truth. "All this for a kid, what makes it worse is she is your student. You could get banged up for this and this kid she'll be known as a victim all her life." said Liam. "She is not a just a kid, she was my student, meaning not anymore. I'm not some sort of paedophile; I don't go after teen girls. This just happened, we didn't ask for this." defends Jen. "I really don't get you. What happened to being safe and choosing what was good for you. But even that never worked out. You need to take this job. It's not like you have a choice, without a job you'll be broke and homeless." Jen handed even told Liam about her degree. She needed more practical hours to pass. "I will work for free, I will work anywhere. But I can't work at the college." Liam couldn't get his head around it; Jen was giving up so much for something that could ruin everything she had been working for her entire life. "She really means a lot to you doesn't she?" asked Liam. Jen nodded, she couldn't put it in words, the feelings she had for Tilly. "You need to do what is best for you and your career, which is to take the job and cool things off with Tilly, at least until she leaves college."

Jen couldn't listen to this anymore. This was the harsh reality she was afraid of. She knew that she couldn't turn down the job. She needed the money and the hours, but she couldn't end it with Tilly. Even if she found the strength to do it, it would be unbearable seeing her everyday and having to treat her as another one of her students. She told Liam to go to the gym, she needed space. As she was paying he seemed happy enough to do it.

When she got back to the flat she sat down and tried to figure out what she wanted to do next. Her trail of thought was disrupted when there was a knock at the door. She tried to ignore it but they just kept knocking. Jen gave in and decided to answer the door, stood there was Tilly. "What are you doing here?" asked Jen. "I saw Liam going to the gym, I thought it was safe to come and see you." answered Tilly. "I don't know when he'll be back." Knowing full well he'd be at least a couple of hours, but she didn't want to risk him seeing Tilly. Jen decided to take Tilly into her room, if Liam did come back he'd walk straight into the bathroom and that would be Jen's queue to sneak Tilly out. Tilly sat on Jen's bed; Jen was stood by the door. "What you said yesterday made me think, maybe life isn't about Hollyoaks. I want to quit school and go travelling, with you. I even wrote Mr Keeler and email." Tilly passed Jen her phone:

Dear Mr Keeler,

I would like to inform you that I will no longer be attending Hollyoaks Sixth Form as of next term.

Tilly Evans

"You can't do this, your throwing away your education, your future." said Jen; she sounded more like Tilly's teacher than her girlfriend. Tilly got off the bed and made her way over to Jen. "You are my future now, we can go travelling and I can take a year out of college and go back next year." Jen knew she couldn't go with her, even if she didn't take the job. There were laws about this sort of thing, if her parents weren't happy about it she could be arrested for abduction of a minor. Even if they did go travelling they'd need money, something neither of them had large quantities of. "We can go before college starts, you don't work there anymore. No one would notice if we just packed up and left. We can be together, no more hiding it anymore." Tilly leant in to kiss Jen but Jen pulled away. Tilly looked at her with warm eyes to reassure her that she knew what she was doing. Tilly leant in to kiss Jen again, Jen didn't resist it.

They both knew what was coming next. There was no fighting it.