*•. Coffee shop.•*

Cami

Cami was going to be late. She chucked on her school uniform and sprinted, Olympic runner style, into the kitchen. She threw her school books in her bag and checked her phone for texts while she grabbed a piece of bread. There was no time to toast it, so she pushed a chunk of butter on it with a knife and put it in her mouth. Then she ran out the door and grabbed a pack of mints on the way out, because she didn't want to go to school with her breath stinking of toast on her first day.

She glanced back at the apartment door as it slammed shut and then whipped her head round, catching herself in the eye with that annoying strand that never stayed in her messy bun. Eye stinging, she jumped down the steps at the side of the building three at a time and went out of the gates to the car park, and stood on the road waiting for the bus. She hugged her puffy coat around her as her cheeks flushed from the cold.

Once the bus had arrived, she escaped the winter air and paid for a return ticket to Paper Hearts Academy, then sat down in the only empty seat next to a girl with a short haircut, shaven on one side, swept over to the other with a fringe in a diagonal line that made her look sort of like she didn't want anyone to see her face. She had biro stained fingers just like Cami. Maybe she was an artist too. She was looking down at her phone.

'Hi... um, my name is Cami.... you look like someone who's read the Stained Glass Throne trilogy,' Cami said in a rush. Agh, why did I say that? Of all the random things, she probably doesn't even know what that series is, she groaned inwardly. But the girl grinned, looking surprised.

'Oh my god, I love those books!' she said. 'Have you read all three of them?'

'The Stained Glass Throne-'

'The Hero's Way Out-'

'And The Fall of the Throne!'

'I've read them all five million times,' Cami said, smiling.

'It was Cami, right?' the girl asked.

'Yep, it was,' replied Cami.

'My name is Alex,' said Alex. They both looked out of the window at the traffic lined up in neat rows, each car puffing out smoke from the back and vibrating gently.

They didn't speak to each other for the rest of the bus journey, but they knew they were already friends. Cami thought that maybe she could hang out at Alex's house sometime, maybe. Once they became good friends, because she somehow just knew that they would. Her house was sort of depressing anyway. Nobody in it. Except for her. 24/7. Every hour of every day. Her brother was always out. He was 23, had a big job in Apple. He kept bringing in loads of money. Her parents did too. They were in Australia, working on some project. So here Cami was, swimming in money, living in luxury in the fanciest apartment in the city she had just moved to, with no friends to share her stuff with. The only person, or, sort of person, that hung around with her, was Crookshanks, Cami's cat who was addicted to cucumbers. She loved Harry Potter, so it was 1st principle for her cat to be called Crookshanks. He always got the best quality cucumbers. There was plenty of money to share.

He was ginger too. Five years ago and Cami saw him in the pet shop. She had run over to him. 'This one!' Of course he was expensive. But that was no problem really. This was when her parents were working in the area they actually lived in, and back then things were perfect. Her brother was always home and he would play with her. But then he got sulky, shut himself in his room. Her parents were at work for longer hours. It felt like she was completely alone for a while. Then her brother announced to the household over family dinner - which was a thing that happened next to never - that he had been accepted for a really good paying job in Apple. And then her parents got on the plane to Australia for their mysterious 'important' project. So Cami felt more alone than ever.

'You'll be fine,' her father had reassured her.

Her mother had hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. 'We'll miss you so much, but your brother will look after you.' Guess what, Mum and Dad? He didn't. In the year and a half that Cami had been alone at home, she had learned to cook noodles, soup, fish finger sandwiches, pancakes, eggs, and loads of simple dishes. It was a good thing too because nobody was ever home to cook for her. She was a lot more independent than other fourteen year olds. But she still ordered takeaway sometimes. You can't be expected not to.

The bus stopped and arrived at Paper Hearts Academy. It was a massive building made out of brick painted white and grey, intimidating to look at. Hundreds of students were pushing through the crowds, slamming Cami around like some kind of weird tennis ball. Then, she felt someone grab her wrist and pull her forcefully through all of the people sticking their elbows out and trying to get into school.

Cami and the mystery person emerged, and she realised that it was Alex.

'The crowds can get too much,' she panted. 'Too many humans.'

'I totally agree,' replied Cami. Someone had Bent her wrist the wrong way round, and she didn't want to make a fuss, but it was throbbing and making her feel sick, the pain was about 8/10 for a rating of pain in her life.

'We'll, here we are. If you're new, you're gonna want to watch yourself around the sixth formers. They are so annoying,' said Alex. 'Oh I need to get to class. It's almost nine.' She was looking at her watch. Then she ran off, waving. Cami waved back, sighed and took out her time table.

'Science...' she muttered to herself, and walked off.