SKYFALL, Johnny Kavanagh

Fresh new start

January 10th 2005 - 17 years old

"Come on Shan, hurry, I have to get ready and you've been hogging the bathroom for the last thirty bleedin' minutes." I said desperate to get my cousin out of the bathroom the both of us shared.

Today was our first day at Tommen College, a private, ridiculously expensive school. Shan's Mam had finally decided to move her there after countless years of relentless bullying and, not to leave her alone, I decided to work hard to win the scholarship offered by BCS to complete the last two years of my education there.

Though I would be in fifth year and Shan in third, I could at least watch out for her in the not-so-remote case the bullies decided to follow her here too.

"Coming" said Shannon, and as she was walked out and I all but threw myself into the bathroom. It was 6:05 and the only bus that brought us to the school in time was the 6:45 one, which meant that to get to the bus stop on time I would have to get ready in thirty minutes max.

Silently cussing Shannon out for taking so long, I began to get ready and to wear, for the first time in my life, a uniform, which consisted in a skirt, black tights, a shirt and a tie.

Staring at myself in the mirror I fought the urge to cut my hair with the kitchen scissors sitting across from me, knowing I'd probably regret it and that Tadhg, the eleven-year-old little menace, would never let me live it down. My hair, like everything about me, was strange, it was raven black that shone almost blue in the sunlight. I was tall and too skinny, thanks to the lack of food in this house, with an oval shaped face and black eyes which were shaped a bit like an almond.

Trying to get ready in time I ended up putting on only a bit of mascara before running into mine and Shannon's room to find a suitable pair of shoes. I was usually not very picky about my wardrobe, but this was the only piece of clothing that I got to wear today that was actually mine and not the school's so I ended up deciding on a pair of the dark blue mary janes that Joey, my eldest cousin, got me for my birthday which matched the blue Tommen jumper I had on.

Deciding to finally head down to the kitchen to have breakfast at 6:30 I saw Joey talking to Shannon and handing her a ten-dollar bill.

"Come on Shan, it's only a tenner. Take it, I don't want you going in there without some cash" said Joey trying, and failing, to give Shannon the money.

Knowing where this was going, I grabbed the money from Joey's hands and put it in Shannon's backpack before she had a chance to protest.

"If we don't go now, we'll miss the bus" I said feigning innocence.

Knowing that fighting was a lost cause, Shan quickly gave up a headed down with me to the front door.

"Maeve, wait, I need to talk to you for a minute" said Joey blocking my path.

"Alright but make it quick, I have a bus to catch" I said, already knowing what this was about.

"How are you doing, Maeve, seriously?"

"I'm grand, Joe. Couldn't be better."

"Cut it out with the bullshit, I can see what you've been doing lately and I'm telling you it's not a good idea." He said, referring to the rapid decline I'd had the last couple of months.

Recently, as a way to cope with the shitstorm that was my life, I had begun to turn to less than conventional methods. Nothing hardcore, just the occasional weed and sleeping pills when needed, so almost everyday.

"Says the guy that was snorting cocaine up until last week."

"And I'm telling you that you don't want to end up like me."