Harley Shaw

Chapter 1

Harley sits contently where she has been for the past half an hour, in the walkway underneath the main road roundabout. It has a big, circular opening for the middle of the roundabout, with pitiful grass bed in the centre where Harley is. It's called Ainsdale Underpass.

It's loud. Well, collectively loud where it's easy to drown out and talk to others without having to repeat yourself. Harley looks at the attempt of joyfulness painted onto the walls, placed just behind a messy row of full and half empty, tied securely and not tied at all rubbish bags, which will not be collected until someone who lives nearby possibly does it for them.

No one thinks about this place. Almost as if it's off the radar. The only people who really come here are kids and teens who are old enough to be out on their own who want to skateboard and seem cool and retro and a few homeless people nearby. But still, no one really looks at this place; except for Harley.

She's analysed the area before, knowing it might be a good place to finally kill someone. She'll keep looking though. The underpass was about half an hour walk from the school; so she starts heading back after a seeing that lunch was almost over.

Harley mainly looked down at the floor for most of the way back to school, as she does normally, only looking up if she heard or noticed something unusual; and there were a few things, but nothing to get her thoughts wrapped up in; like when the newer worker at the café on the Highstreet nearer the school was being told what a small boy wanted by their mother because the boy was too nervous to say themselves. Harley just quietly sighed in disappointment as she walked past when most would see it as a cute little boy, dependent on their mother, whispering to her in that high, un-broken voice a five-year-old would have, what he wants because he was told not to talk to strangers.

So Harley continues her walk back to the school, in her beat up old Vans shoes with somewhat new laces, and her plain jeans and white t shirt with her plaid hoodie-jacket, her hands subtly swinging beside her as she nears the end of the journey back from Ainsdale Underpass.

Harley signs in at reception, the lady sitting at the desk giving her a nod of recognition before continuing whatever she was doing.

She walks down the green and white colour block corridor to her year twelve form room. Half the class was already sitting there, talking to each other as they waited for their form teacher. Harley takes her assigned seat which was near the front and watched the other students as she waited.

It was barely been a minute before the teacher walked in. He's quite a relaxed teacher; newer to the school and to teaching in general, the sixth form being his second school he's taught at. He'd only stayed at the other school for two years before applying at the sixth form. Mr Ellis teaches Harley's physics class and has her for form. He knows she can be controversial at times like all her teachers.

Mr Ellis was just beginning the register when a few other students came into the room, muttering a quick, 'sorry for being late' before taking their seats and Mr Ellis continued. The register soon finished, and everyone's now free to do what they want (within reason) for the next half an hour. "Harley," He called after he finished speaking to the rest of the class. The class didn't go silent, but there was a small quieten in volume. "Could I speak to you outside for a minute." The class returns to its previous volume but now dominated with hushed whispers.

Harley follows Mr Ellis out the door and watches the door slowly close with a small thump as it hits the door frame. Harley turns her gaze to Mr Ellis, who was looking at her in sheeted worry. "Why am I here?" Harley asks impatiently as she leans her back on the wall beside the door.

Mr Ellis ignores the phrasing she used, "I want you to start coming to the physics clinics at lunchtime."

"No." She responds simply.