Keeping the North

Prologue

Before the War

I hand my homework in, just as the bell signalling the end of the school day rings out. A smirk spreads across my face. Avoided detention by mere seconds.

Mrs Germain looks down at me with pursed lips, clearly unhappy that I've outsmarted her. She has no way to prove that this is what I've been doing for the entire past hour. After all, she doesn't know that Rosie, the girl beside me, did the class work for me. And even if she does, she can't prove it.

"Thanks for a great lesson, Miss." I smile at her before sweeping out off of my stool. She doesn't say a word so I widen my grin before closing my Science book and sweeping it into my bag. "See you next week."

Barely even glancing at any of my classmates, I head for the exit, ducking out of the lab and starting down the corridor. My heeled slip-on black shoes clack loudly against the linoleum floor as my black pleated skirt swings around my legs. It's rolled up at the waist, only falling to mid-thigh, despite the knee length rule. If I see any senior management, I'll tug it down. Not that they ever care. They have bigger fish to fry. Worse kids to worry about. 

Only last week a boy threw a stool through the Science lab window. It only took them two days to fix the entire thing. Sweep it under the rug. Pretend it didn't happen. Mrs Germain is good at doing that. She enjoys it.

Clearing up the mess and pretending that it never existed in the first place. Moving on and reasserting herself as more important than before. I'm surprised that she hasn't overthrown Mr McCready for headteacher yet. Give it time...

I'm one of the first students out in the corridor and I sweep past the hordes that start pouring out of every doorway, ready to get outside and find my boyfriend.

We have plans this evening. There's a new horror film on at the cinema and he promised to come with me. None of my friends would agree, so I turned to him. I wasn't even surprised when he said yes. This weekend is our five month anniversary.

Smiling to myself, I stop off in the ladies toilets and re-apply some lipgloss before plumping up my blonde, shoulder length hair.

"Let's go, Kayla." I give myself a quiet pep talk before leaving the bathroom and heading towards the entrance of the school.

It's sunny, a bright, clear day and I smile at the warmth that instantly covers my skin. Shifting my hands, I push the sleeves of my jumper up to my elbows and coil my fingers around the straps of my bag, holding it in place on my shoulder. I didn't bring a change of clothes today. I don't care about going to the cinema in my uniform. I'm more excited about seeing him...

Rayden promised to meet me at the bike racks so I head left, following the edge of the main building before turning the corner in anticipation.

I stop with a start.

Freeze. 

My lips part.

My hand drops from my bag. Jaw clenches. Eyes blaze.