Searching For Rebecca

Chapter 1: Tick-tock goes the clock

Hey guys, welcome to my new story! if you have read Spirit, its completely different just to warn you! if you haven't (you should! lol) WELCOME!!!! so enjoy my little girly indulgence! ;) (oh and by the way, the town in which she lives is completely fictional, I made it up) ;)

dedicated to Bryonymagee because her book is such a fabulous read!

Chapter 1: Tick-tock goes the clock

I wasn't really paying any attention to Mr Rees. In fact my unending focus was on the small, plastic wall clock mounted above his head. It read a ten past three, only twenty minutes left before I was out of this particular hell-hole forever. In fact I had the whole summer to work on my confidence before starting my new school, a certain deluxe private school my parents had worked their butts off to get me into. And I swore to myself we were not going to have a repeat of this school year.

My mind was shocked awake from its daydreams when Mr Rees said my two least favourite words in the entire English language. Partner up.

Already the class was giggling and calling dibs on their best friends. But I just sat there, mouth closed, hands balled into fists, wishing I could make time go faster. A little over a minute later (I was watching) Mr Rees called out, asking if everyone had a 'buddy'.

There were murmurs of agreement around the class before Kaylee Bennet aka the Ice Bitch let out a shrill giggle and drawled not-so-quietly 'Yeah, everyone has a partner except wacky Becky!'

The class started laughing and I felt my cheeks colour to muddy pink. Furious I turned round to meet her sparking sea-green eyes and shot back: 'You know that doesn't even rhyme right? Maybe you're in the wrong class Kaylee, the kindergarten is that way.' I pointed with my finger suddenly feeling victorious.

Her eyes narrowed and a potent silence swept over the class. 'Drop dead bitch' she said to me, her voice dripping poison.

'On my last day? No thanks, whore'

'Ooh Kaylee' one of the thickest jocks, a boy called Cole said. 'You just got owned by a nerd-girl!'

Kaylee mock slapped him. 'Shut up Cole!' she turned back to me lowering her voice into a poisonous whisper. 'Look here bitch, you might think just because today is your last day here that you can just say whatever you want and there will be no consequences. But I swear to high heaven that I will find your new school and turn them all against you so you will never be able to make any friends.' She said all of this is one foul breath.

'Ooh I'm scared' I spat and thrust my pencil case in my bag and exited the class room quickly.

I didn't even think Mr Rees noticed, or at least if he did he didn't care. Practically running I reached the parking lot ten minutes before school officially ended. It was only a short walk/run but I winded. New goal, I thought, this summer I'm going to take up running.

To be honest the thought filled me with dread. I hadn't taken gym class since freshman year, and since I never did any sport of my own volition I was grossly unfit.

Thankfully my mom arrived early, rolling up in front of me in her glossy black Fiesta. Relieved I swung open the door and slid inside.

'Hey honey, how was your last day?' she asked with a smile.

Um? Crap? Rubbish? Threatening? I settled on: 'Okay'.

She tutted 'Well dear I do hope you like your new school better'

I grinned, she really had no clue just how much I hated it here. 'So do I mom, maybe I'll make actual friends there! Shock horror, imagine that!'

'Oh sweetie, don't be hard on yourself I'm sure you have friends'

I just gave half hearted shrug as we swung into our driveway. We lived in an inland estate in the town of Miriam, West Coast California. Our house was nice enough I suppose; set back from the road with a decent pool in the back garden. It was made of a warm brick with wide bay windows and a sign on the cream door that said beware of the cat.

'Hey dad!' I called out, before heading upstairs to my second story room. It was painted baby blue with a polished wooden floor. I had spent most of spring break refurbishing it and hanging various vintage signs on the walls that said things like smile, you're beautiful! And Don't hate me because you ain't me!

I had a pretty, full length vintage cream mirror on the wall in between two windows. However what I saw, didn't make me want to look in it that often; my own reflection glowered solidly back at me. Copper red hair that couldn't quite decide whether it was curly or straight, boring brown eyes and a slightly chubby physique was the image that frowned back at me.

And it was in that second when I decided that I was most certainly not going to look like this next year. I began to make a list of things to do. Losing weight topped the list, shortly followed by a decent haircut and investing in some brand makeup.

I lean closer to the mirror and use my fingers to pull my cheeks up slightly so I could see what they would be like when I was slimmer. I could be pretty I thought surprised.

Then a small idea began to form in the back of my mind. Within a minute or so the spark had reached an inferno and I began to construct an idea, one that would change my high school life forever: The Popular Project.