Accused

Chapter One

So this is an updated version of the first chapter so if you have already read it ages ago you may want to reread it.

Ruth

-1-

-20 Months Ago-

I bit the top of my pen, watching the clock. Tick, tick, tick. The sound was driving me insane. It was like it was taunting me, playing with me until I cracked.

Why can’t they turn the sound off or something?

The faint noise of pens scribbling on paper around me was also driving me to the edge of breaking point.

Why can’t they write quieter?

I was sat a tiny table that wobbled slightly whenever I wrote; rows and rows of them surrounded me, adding up to about a hundred of us.

Chairs squeaked constantly and the radiator was wiring even though it was already baking in the exam hall. All of us still in our blazers, stupid school rules making us keep them on, it was like a sauna in here.

I looked down at the exam paper that sat before me. I had already answered all the questions, checked them twice each and I still had ten minutes to spare; I smiled slightly to myself though, sometimes I was just too clever.

I pulled at my collar- the heat was getting to me.

Why do they keep the radiator on, it may be winter but it a hundred degrees in here!

I felt my forehead go moist with sweat. I guessed that even though it was baking in here exams always got to me but I always managed to get at least an A.

I groaned to myself silently, no wonder people called me a geek.

Looking around the room, seeking out who was around me. Lee- the fittest guy in school had sat one seat to my left and three in front of me. He turned round just I had looked at the back of head. He caught my eye and flashed me a seductive smile.

I felt myself blush and looked down.

He didn’t just smile at me, did he?

I felt a rush inside me. I was so happy, thoughts flashed through my mind. Maybe he liked me. Me? No, I was nothing. I wasn’t cool.

But then again I wasn’t uncool. I was just stuck in the middle. The other day some girl asked me what my name was, I mean it’s not like I hadn’t been at that school for five years.  

That didn’t matter though. I had my friends; we were a small group, just me and four others. It’s me, Holly, Amy, Nancy and Annie. The called themselves ‘H.A.N.A’. My name didn't really work; but I know they love me; without them I don’t know what I would do.

“Right put your pens down and close your papers.” The large man at the front bellowed across the room. I fidgeted in my chair, eager to get out of the exam hall.

“First row, you can leave,” he continued. The row stood up and exited the hall, chairs squeaked as they scraped along the floor making me cringe. The next row stood up, I watched Lee stand up, running his fingers through his hair and turned to look at me.

He caught my eye immediately, smiling broadly; he lifted his hand and made a wave gesture. I stared back at him, my mouth hanging open. I turned to look behind me, but there wasn’t anyone else there he could be waving at.

He actually waved at me?

My row walked out the door, I pushed eagerly through the double doors, grabbing my bag off the floor. I looked to see if Lee waited for me but he was nowhere to be seen. “How easy was that!?” Exclaimed Holly, snapping me out of my daze.