CHAPTER 1

One week later

“Get your ass down here Ash” My dad yells at me

“I’m coming, let me put on my shoes, just a minute please” I tell him putting on my sneakers and tying my lace tightly, we don’t want it to come undone now, do we?

“Make sure you tie your lace tightly if you are wearing one of your sneakers, you know how clumsy you can be most times” He tells me, reminding me of one of my weaknesses, if not the only one.

“and get your ass down here now” he adds.

“I know, thanks for reminding me of how clumsy I can be” I tell him coming out of my room to the kitchen, or the sitting room, I don’t know, they are both connected.

“And don’t forget to keep your headphones in your bag at school, I don’t want you to be reported on your first day at your new school” he tells me, seeing me picking up my headphones on the bean bag where I left it at yesterday.

“I know, I will try my best” I tell him, reassuring him.

“And--”

“And make sure you keep your head low and don’t cause trouble, I know dad, you’ve been telling me since the weekend” I tell him, getting exasperated.

“and I mean it, ANY type of trouble” he said looking at me pointedly while emphasizing the any type in his statement.

He can be a pain in the ass, and he knows it also, but he does it unconsciously sometimes, because he does it even when he doesn’t mean to.

“Don’t forget to take your breakfast, it’s on the kitchen table” he tells me, heading outside, “and be fast about it”.

“You confuse me on whose first day it is, is it yours or mine?” I mutter, asking silently, not ready to start another round of exchange of words today.

“What did you say?” he asks me, when he sees me locking the front door

“Nothing, let’s go” I tell him, entering the car with my packed breakfast, which I know for sure is a sandwich.

“Did you pack all the necessary books you need” he asks me, starting the car, driving away from our garage

“Yes, and I will make sure I go to the Principal’s office to get my schedule or whoever I need to go see to get it” I tell him, knowing the next question he was going to ask.

“Good, don’t forget to put your phone on silent mode when in class, I don’t wan’t to be called on your first day” he tells me, again reminding me of the dos and don’ts I need to know, which he already did throughout the weekend.

“Uhn hn” I mutter.

With my response, he knows I do not want to continue the conversation and if he does, that will be the only type of response he will get from me.

Within 10 minutes we got to my new school, which means I am still early. Looking at the school, it is not that big, not like my old school at least, with a 3 story building, while my old school is a 4 story.

A lot of students are rushing inside the school even though there is still time. I look at the big sign at the front of the school “RUSHMOORE HIGH SCHOOL”

“hurry, can’t you see your peers are going in” my dad yells at me, seeing me still standing, looking at the sign.

“There is still fucking time, you don’t have to rush me, and again, I don’t even know why they are in a fucking hurry” I tell him, getting irritated again with the way he makes me feel, like an unserious person.

“have I ever told you that for a 15 year old, you sure do swear a lot, like a sailor” he tells me, looking at me warningly, even though he knows I won’t change.

“Uhmm, maybe, I don’t know” I tell him, pretending to think about it at first.

“Oh God, just go inside, you don’t want to be late on your first day, and please go to where you need to go for your locker and timetable” he tells me, starting his car, preparing to go before giving me a 20 dollar bill for upkeep.

“Thanks, bye” I tell him, bidding him goodbye.

I know a lot of people become so shy or awkward when seen with their parents because of them not wanting to be seen with their parents, but as for me, I don’t fucking care, having my dad without my mum, makes me value the only person I have the most.

“Don’t cause any trouble, be careful, don’t act rashly or irrationally, no love and romance which is the most important thing” I mutter, reminding myself things I should do or should not. Knowing myself, even with this mantra it will still not help in keeping me from flaring up before a bully, which is the least of my problems.

Entering the school glass double doors, the interior is painted with blue on one side of the hallway and cream, or is it off white, I don’t know colours and I don’t bother myself about it. That’s why I mostly wear black, which makes people refer to me as emo or soulless at my old school, or white and black, something that will not make disturb myself on whether the colour matches.

The colour makes the hall look cool and bright? I don’t know and I don’t care.

“Hey” I call out to a random girl on the hallway, tapping her shoulders because she was opening her locker, and she seems like the only sane person in the hallway

“hey, hello, how can I help you?” she asks me, removing her earphones to hear me.

“Please I’m new here, but do you know where I will go to get my class schedule and locker key” I ask her, studying her face, noticing her dressing style and seeing that she is not really bad in dressing, but girly, a pink and white clothe. And she is also beautiful.

“oh, newbie, both the Principal’s and School Admin’s office is at the 4th floor” she tells me, pointing upwards to make her point.

“oh, thanks,” I tell her, adjusting my bag on my shoulders.