The Broken Ones

Chapter One

The tram was over crowded. Alesia sat in the back almost hidden by the crowd of people. She had been one of the first people to board, so she had managed to gain a seat at the back.

She looked out the window to watch the change of scenery. Her backpack was on her lap as she hugged it to her chest.

As the noise of the tram become too loud and overpowering, Alesia squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her breathing. Over the years, Alesia had become good at hiding panic attacks. Maybe it was to do with having them so often as a child.

The tram screeched to a stop. The majority of the people on the bus moved towards the exits. Alesia opened her eyes quickly. She looked out the window. This was her stop. She stood and held her bag close to her. As she moved towards the door, she searched through the bag front pocket for her myki card. After a few seconds of searching, she found the myki card and pressed it against the myki reader by the door. After she had touched off, she ran down the three steps and jumped the small distance between the last step and the platform. The tram door shut quickly and the tram rushed down the tracks.

Alesia watched the tram leave as she placed her myki card back into the front pocket of her backpack. After zipping up the zip, she flung the bag onto her back.

The other people that she had been on the bus with were already at the traffic lights as they waited for the traffic light to turn green.

Alesia looked up at her new university.

Edinborourgh University. It wasn't as exclusive or as well-known as Melbourne, Monash or  RMIT. Alesia's end of year marks was high enough to give her a place at Monash, but she had decided not to go. The majority of her former classmates were going to be attended Deakin this year. Alesia wanted to get away from all of them, to avoid the horrible memories of her high school years, she wanted to attend a school where no one knew who she was; I chance to start a new.

Even if her former classmates were here, would they even recognise her?

Alesia had dyed her hair bright red at during year eight. She had kept redying it well into year twelve. Alesia had cut the dyed hair off into a pixie cut after she graduated. In the three months since then, her hair had slightly grown out. It was in layers with the longest part just past her ears.

At High School, Alesia had been one of the 'popular' girls who had worn too much makeup. However the only make-up she wore today was brown eye-shadow. She had applied it in the morning in an attempted to hide the dark bags under her eyes.

Instead of the tight, revealing clothes the old Alesia used to wear; Alesia was dressed in jeans and an oversized hoodie.

It was a new year and a new Alesia. No more worrying too much about what other people think and no more letting another person control her.

Alesia checked her watched. "Shit," she mumbled. She was late! Her first day of proper classes and she was already late. Great start to a new year, Alesia!

Alesia had already come to the university for O week; so she sort of knew her way around the campus. She needed to get to lecture room one for her first lecture.

Alesia had decided to do a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Criminology. Her core subject for this semester was Introducing Crime and Criminology (which was the class that she was late for). She also had to pick three elective subjects. Two had to come from the Faculty of Arts, but the last one could be anything she wanted. Alesia had decided to choose all of hers from the Faculty of Art. She had chosen Philosophy, Psychology, and Media Studies.

Alesia began to run she wasn't really looking where she was going. Her lecture started in two minutes, and she was too forced on making it there in that small amount.

Alesia found herself causing into something hard, she fell off balance and onto the floor with a thud.

"You okay there Jaffy?" someone asked.

Alesia looked up. A girl stood above her. Alesia assumed it was the person she had run into. The girl was Asian. She had jet black hair that was dead straight and reached her waist. She wore black skinny jeans with rips at the knees. She also had a long black singlet top with Slipknot printed over her boobs in thin white letters. Her long lace up leather book stopped just below her knees. Large black circles of eyeliner were around her eyes, making her brown eyes look even bigger and brighter.

A year and a half ago; Alesia would have laughter at the girl. Angelica thought Emo and Goth culture were stupid. So Alesia being the good little sheep that she was would have agreed with her. The two would have proceeded to make fun of the girl for the rest of the day. Maybe the rest of their friends would have joined in as well.

But Alesia wasn't Angelica's slave anymore. Now with the opportunity to finally have her own opinion she could admit that the girl looked amazing.

"I asked if you were alright," she repeated as she held out her hand.

Alesia took the girl's hand as she helped Alesia to her feet. "I'm all right," Alesia told her.

The Emo nodded. "You need to watch where you are going, Jaffy," she told her.

"I am so sorry," Alesia told her. "But I'm late for a lecture." She moved past the girl and ran the rest of the way to the lecture theatre.

Alesia managed to find her way to the lecture hall. She opened the large door. The lecture hall was basically full.

Avoiding the eyes of her new classmates, Alesia made her way to the back of the theatre. She took a seat in the middle of the back row. Alesia wasn't the last person to arrive. In the few minutes after she entered, a couple more students wandered in and took up the free seats new the front.

It was just the introduction lecture. So nothing was actually learnt.

The most surprising thing that happened in the one hour was when the door opened again; ten whole minutes after Alesia had come. It was the last late comer. It shocked Alesia who it was. It was the Emo Girl that she had run into. As the girl walked up the stairs to the back of the lecture, she recognised Alesia. She grinned as she walked towards the girl and took the seat next to her.

"Fancy seeing you her Jaffy," she told her, smiling.

"What does that even mean?" Alesia asked her.

"Just another fucking first year," the girl answered.

"Delightful," Alesia mumbled.

The Emo girl laughed. "I like you, Jaffy," she told Alesia. "I'm Frankie."

"Alesia," she answered. "You're in a first-year class, so doesn't that make you are Jaffy as well?"

Frankie shook her head. "I'm a second year," she told Alesia. "I transferred from a Bachelor of Law to a double degree in law and arts. My art majors are criminology and visual arts."

"Same," Alesia smiled.

The two girls talked for the rest of the lecture. When it came time to finish, they packed up their books and walked out together.

Frankie reached into her bag and grabbed her phone. She handed it to Alesia. "Enter your name and number into contacts." Alesia nodded. She took her phone from her jeans pocket so Frankie could do the same.

After they had switched numbers, that handed the phones back.

"I have a law lecture now, but we should hang out some other time," Frankie told her.

"I would like that," Alesia grinned.

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I hope you like. I am aware that it has a different feel then the Hate List had. Edinborourgh is not a real university.

Alternative cover by channelpink20