I Love To Hate You

Chapter 1: "Is it national 'hate' day?"

My dreams are always the same. Dark, twisted, full of vicious laughter. However, a dull beeping breaks through the torment, pulling me lazily from the nightmare of my memories.

"Beep."

I jump upright, panting, looking around my tiny room with wide blinking eyes. The alarm was still going off. It was only a dream. Bleary-eyed I fumbled for the stupid clock on my bedside cabinet, switching it off deftly and knocking over an empty mug in the process.

I rubbed my sleep filled eyes, trying to remember why I had set an alarm. It was something important...

"Damn it!"

It was my first day as a senior in high school. And I was going to be late.

I somehow get tangled in my bedsheets as I try to dive towards my wardrobe, which, given my ability to fall over flat ground, caused me to hit the ground with a solid thump that I knew was going to leave a bruise. Half crawling, I made it to my rickety wardrobe and manage to dig through it for clothes.

Which is a miracle since most of my clothing is thrown across my bedroom floor and dirty.

Dashing throughout my shoe box home, I manage to get dressed - a white tee and blue jeans- and run to my bathroom. It's small, like most things I own, but it works. Which is very unlike everything I own.

I quickly wash my pale looking face and brush my teeth. Brown eyes stare back at me in the dusty mirror, tired and dull. When was the last time I didn't look so tired? I forget now. Sighing, I brush out my equally tired and dull looking brown hair, the length causing trouble that I quickly gave up on and tied into a messy bun at the top of my head. Curls fell out in odd places. I let them.

My living room is the biggest room I own and it's where I spend most of my free time. A small two-seater couch sits in front of a large double window which looks onto the dusty town of Drumchapel, and in front of the couch, an old second-hand table housed my small television.

It wasn't much but it was home.

A quick glance at the clock tells me I have twenty minutes to get to school. Grumbling under my breath, I slip my bag onto my shoulder; grab my phone and house keys and leave the quiet of my home-locking the door on the way out.

It's a fifteen minute run to my school, River View High if I wanted to make it that is. The wind was cold and harsh on my face but the sun was warm on my head as I pushed on past the people on the pathway. Cars whizzed by freely and I tried not to feel too envious. Tried.

When I could finally see my school my breathing was labored and my legs felt like jelly but, at least I made it in time. I slowed down when I reached the rusty old gates that lead onto the school grounds. The few people still outside gave me quizzical looks and a few swears from the ones I accidentally bumped into.

Finally, I pull open the heavy door that leads to every teenager's hell; and stepped into the warmth of the busy hallway. I'm instantly hit with the excited and bubbly chatter of friends that haven't seen each other all summer.

Taking a deep, calming, breath I pushed my way through the crowds and began making my way to the office for my schedule and locker combo. I really don't understand why we can't all have the same locker for as long as we are all here, instead of being normal every year we get a different locker and combo to remember.

The office is a small room with a reception desk and a few chairs against the walls; it's the small that gets me. All musty and old. I sneezed loudly and the girl in front of me jumps, I tried to smile apologetically and in return, she rolled her eyes. Okay then...