Guilty Indulgence

Chapter 1~ Autumn Term

Monday 2nd of September:

I place my school bag off my shoulders and onto the pavement as I lean against the bus-stop sign. Waiting for the orangey-yellow school bus to arrive for my first day of Year 11. A few students who are younger than me; some kicking their heels and some in idle chit chat await to start this years' education. Not me. I can't wait for this year to be over and done with so that I can get out this rut of a town; onto college, which sounds way more interesting than here.

Others around me pick up their belongings and move closer to the bus stop sign. Ew, closer to me. I look in the direction that our ride appears from. Sure enough, the bus comes around the corner looking unforgettable like always. It screeches to a holt and the doors swing open like a gaping hole, swallowing each student in one at a time. Here I go. My bag over my shoulders, I too get swallowed up into the bus. As I navigate myself down the aisle, I'm hit by the smell of freshly polished vinyl. It smells so good but I know it won't last; as by the end of the year it will smell like all the pubescent boys in which it contains. If only to get rid of them. I make my way over to my seat, which is two rows from the back; occupied by my best friend and my boyfriend; Caleb (my devilishly handsome boyfriend) always saves me a seat next to Samira, even if there isn't another seat for himself, he always gives it up for me. Aren't I lucky?

"Good morning, Muffin." Says Caleb as he rises out of the seat and gives me a peck on my cheek. Yes. You heard him right, I'm his muffin. I think it's quite adorable that nickname, even if it sometimes makes me a little conscious of my weight. I'm not 'fat' but I've got a good amount of love handles and curves on my waist.

"Morning, stranger." He isn't a stranger to me and he was at my place last night for a cuddle and movies. You know the usual.

I smother Caleb with a few kisses, then sit next to Samira. She's multi-racial; Half-Scottish and Half-Sudan like me, but I'm an unusual blend of Filipino, Korean, Irish/Scottish and we connected over both being in the minority, because of having almost all white peers. Then our friendship blossomed from there on and continues to bloom.

"Lou, I admire your hairstyle today" she declares. I flung it up into an elegant up-do with wispy bang pieces falling towards my cheeks, but 'what' makes it stand out is my natural summer highlights that emphasise my thick wavy auburn hair.

"I've got nothing on you,"

She really does. She has a teeny-weeny platinum blonde afro with a shaved undercut; it is without a doubt a statement-making style, and it's just like her.

"Oh, stop it, I know I'm just to irresistible but keep the compliments flowing!" she says confidently.

"Girl, you don't need no compliments. You're a fine specimen, but we both know who's going to get that crown. Now move that ass over so I can fit between you two," Rowan says whilst brushing pass me to sit between us. He is also one of my best friends; we appear as a trio like Harry, Ron and Hermione but with more spice; you don't think about one without the other.

"You're on Rowan and when I get my crown, I'll make you bow to me," Samira chuckles.

"Please, you know I'll curtsy. Have you two got your new timetables?" says Rowan.

"Shit, I forgot to look... I heard we'll have a new English teacher." I say while I scroll through my emails to find my timetable. There, I find it in the junk section; typical. My first period is English, brilliant as it gives me a chance to get creative with my writing this year as Mr Maudsley (old English teacher and I mean old with an exclamation mark) wanted us to follow his sentence structures and what not. He has a voice of a wound-up talking toy doll. It was that bad. I wonder if the school swapped an ancient artefact with another one or someone who's just started teaching within this decade.