Beyond All Rules ✔️

Chapter Five

KENNEDY

Getting to school today is much easier than yesterday. The subway is faster and even though I had to stand the whole way I didn't mind. Knowing exactly where I am going has saved me a lot of time too. But it also means that I arrive at school before classes start which doesn't quite appeal to me. The whole school has heard about me by now, the girl with the bright red hair so I'm the center of attention the minute I walk through the school gates.

I pretend that I can't see the stares or hear the whispers as I make a beeline for my locker. Day two is supposed to be easier but why does it feel like that won't be the case. Even after getting my books, there's still twenty minutes to my first class so I make a detour for the bathroom. Yes, I am going to hide in the bathroom like a scared little girl. Do not judge me unless you've walked a mile in my shoes. Or in my case through the halls of Pine View with all eyes on you.

Surprisingly enough the bathrooms are clean so I find an empty stall at the furthest end and lock myself in. I manage to get my breath in check and start going over my plan for the day.

Three things I realized when I woke up this morning. One, I need to stay away from Isaiah. He is bad news with the ability to expose the real me to the rest of the school and I am not ready for anyone to know who I really am. It's not like we are friends anyway or share that many classes so that won't be hard.

Two, I need to find a way to fit into this damn school if I am going to survive senior year without murdering anyone or running away from home to live as a hobo or start a career as a stripper. Can red heads be strippers? Am I tall enough to be a stripper? I mean I'm only 5'4 which to me is average height.

Anyway I digress. Finally, I need to find a job. I need more than school. My parents give me a sizeable allowance but if I am ever going to be responsible for myself with any hope of being independent then it needs to start now. I have no idea what job to get or how I'll get it but I will find a way. But first of all I need to focus on the first order of business - fitting in.

I need to fit in on my own terms. I wasn't exactly the queen bee at Oakland but I was loved and respected. That will be aiming too high at Pine View so I will settle for not bullied.

Which is why hiding out in the bathroom isn't the best way to start my day so I resolve to leave my hideout, take the bull by the horns and face my fears.

"Have you seen the new girl?" A female student asks standing outside my bathroom stall before I can get out.

I should leave before they can start talking about me but I find myself staying.

"Yeah, we have math together. She came in really late." A different girl answers.

"I wonder what her deal is. Where do you think she came from?" Girl number one asks.

"I'm not sure but I heard that she's under witness protection or something. Her real name is probably not even Kennedy? I mean who names their kid Jane Kennedy?" Girl number three chides making the rest of the girls laugh.

My grandfather who had a terrible sense of humor is the reason for my terrible name. And I am not under witness protection though I wish I was at this very moment. I wish this was a fake life I was living and not my real one.

They stop talking about me and onto boy talk meaning I have to wait for them to leave now. At least now I know what half the school thinks about me. I know there's more rumors as people speculate where I transferred from and I will keep letting them assume what they want, it's easier than telling the truth. I fell from grace and that is not a story I am proud of or willing to share with anyone.