2

“So, girls, how was the first day back at school?”

Bob was just as cheery as Mia’s mom. She wondered if that’s why they married each other. Just so they could be sickeningly optimistic as each other.

Mia gave much the same response as she had earlier, while pushing the spaghetti on her plate to separate each strand from its twisted counterpart. Bob shot a look to his own daughter, who he then realised wasn’t even listening.

“Honey? What about you? Come on put the phone away and tell daddy how it went.”

Savannah rolled her eyes and pocketed the device before looping some of her dinner around her fork.

“It was great thanks, Daddy. We had our first practice today. We’re planning on tackling a new routine.”

Bob grinned at his daughter. “That’s wonderful!” Turning to Mia he added, “did we tell you Savannah is head cheerleader?”

“Only a bajillion times,” Mia mumbled under her breath. The comment earned a swift kick from her mother.

“Yes!” Said Carla brightly. “I’d love to come and see you at a game soon, Savannah.”

Savannah shot her new step-mom a fake smile.

Oblivious, Bob addressed Mia again. “Were you into anything like that at your old school Mia?”

“Mia looks more like a band kid,” Savannah smiled.

“Oh Savannah,” Bob chortled. “You are cheeky sometimes.”

Mia thought Savannah was less cheeky and more down right bitchy, but she kept her mouth shut.

Guessing her daughter wasn’t going to respond, Carla answered for her. “No not really. Mia is more focused on her studies.”

“Oh, but Savannah is too, aren’t you honey? She get’s great grades. There’s nothing my Savvy can’t do.”

Savannah giggled in a way that made Mia want to vomit. What was it with these two?

The rest of the dinner involved the two newly weds chatting about their days. Mia’s mom had recently started a new job at a local law firm as a paralegal. That’s how Bob and her had met, some boring seminar on contract law.

Mia zoned out, forcing just enough food down her neck to allow her to leave the table.

“May I be excused?” She announced, cutting over the conversation.

Carla’s eyes glanced at her daughter’s plate. “Don’t you want desert? It’s apple pie.”

Mia shook her head. “No thanks. I filled up on cookies. And I need to take Hamlet out for a walk.”

Mia didn’t really have to take Hamlet out for a walk. He was the laziest dog known to man and getting on a bit. She just wanted an excuse to leave.

Not wanting to cause an argument during what had otherwise been a pleasant-ish family dinner, Mia’s mom allowed her to go.

Picking up Hamlet’s lead, she coaxed the dog from his bed in the hallway. “Come on boy. Do me a solid. I need to get out of here for a bit.”

The old dog stretched before padding out of his nest of fleece and followed her to the front door. Mia still didn’t really know where everything was, so she decided just to do a few circles of the block. This place was a far cry from their apartment in the centre of Philadelphia. This was suburban life in all it’s mundane glory. The streets were filled with wooden panelled houses in a variety of pastel shades, each shrouded by the same shingled roof.

When she looped back round to the house she stopped quite suddenly in her tracks. The red convertible was back, although it was parked a little way away from the house this time. The blonde jock was sat in the driver’s seat, checking his phone. Mia debated about what to do. She really didn’t want to run into him, but she also felt like she shouldn’t have to double back either.

The decision was taken away when Savannah appeared. She halted on sight of Mia, and the girls eyed each other for a second.

Wondering what had caught her attention, the jock turned his head. His expression darkened when he caught sight of Mia.

“What’s up Sav? Is the freak bothering you?”

Savannah placed her hand on her hip. “This freak is the one who lives with me now.”

The jock’s mouth parted, and he studied Mia with a new curiosity. “Bummer for you. Are you getting in?”

Savannah’s eyes hadn’t left Mia yet. “Are you going to tell my dad I’m not in my room?”

Mia shook her head. “What you do is none of my business.”

Savannah sniffed, and went to open the car door. “Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

The jock cast another glance towards Mia. “See you in school freak!”

Mia sighed as she watched the back end of the car pull away and disappear down the road. She’d only been in this dreadful place for a week or so, yet it felt like a lifetime. She had to get back to Philly.

When she got back home, she walked past her mom and Bob cuddled up on the sofa watching a film.

“Nice walk honey?” Her mom called out as she heard her walk up the stairs.

“Yep. Going to work on my college applications then go to bed.”

She heard the faint sound of her mom and Bob saying good night as she closed her bedroom door, Hamlet flopping onto the bed after his unwanted excursion.

Mia went straight to the desk and opened up her laptop, pulling up her applications. All of the ones she was applying to were in Philadelphia. She wasn’t even sure she cared which one accepted her, as long as one of them did. The important part was making sure she went back home this time next year. She gave each one a scan through, checking for any errors or grammatical mistakes. Tomorrow she had her first meeting with the college application advisor in school. It was the first step towards her survival plan.

Her hands fell to the top draw, where she pulled out the paper sanctuary. Her diary was covered in navy blue velvet, the sensation under her fingers always giving her a warm feeling inside. Mia used her diary in the conventional sense, i.e. writing out her thoughts and feelings, but she also used it to make lists. She loved lists.

September 8^th

As predicted Valley High is full of uncultured and unintelligent boneheads that are more concerned with football and prom rather than getting a decent education. New sister is a pom-pom princess who hates me. Her boyfriend is a dumb jock bully who thinks he’s god’s gift. Plan to get out:

1. Spend as little time as possible with new ‘family’
2. Focus on school work
3. Get the best grades I can
4. Get accepted by a Philadelphia college
5. Get the hell out of here

Mia looked at the five steps she had written. It seemed simple enough. Now she just had to get through the next year.