Demi

Chapter Two - Newbie

After enduring a morning of moaning from both Beatrice and Trixie about how they couldn't sleep with the other snoring, I finally had time to myself to fully check out my new room. I had been given the attic which meant more stairs but a beautifully big slanted window that allowed me an amazing view of the sky. The room was blue and had a steel frame bed - placed directly under the skylight - meaning I could gaze out at the stars at night. Beside the bed was an old wooden bedside cabinet (the wardrobe in the corner seemed to match it) with a dusty tinted-blue glass lamp placed on top of it. Even though it was a bit dated, I found myself smiling at the décor in my room. The blue shade really matched the fact that the skylight was showing off nothing but, well, sky. My eyes falling to the wall at the bottom of the bed, I gasped. I'd not noticed that before! Sitting flush against the wall was a large wooden desk with a small plasma screen television perched on top of it. I knew that the previous owners had won big cash in the lottery and so they'd left a lot of things behind but this was a pure surprise to me. Quickly unpacking all of my clothes and belongings, I settled into bed with a Pot Noodle and flicked through the T.V until I landed on a channel airing reruns of Friends.

I'd only finished watching one episode when I heard rapid footsteps on my stairs and my name being called. Looking away from the screen, I watched as Trixie burst through my door and into my room.

"Jasmine, can you come and take a look around the village with me? Mum says that I can only go if you come too!"

"Fine," I sighed, "just don't embarrass me in front of anyone because I have no idea how long we'll end up living here for." Grabbing my grey jacket from the bedrail, I followed Trixie out into the front garden and down the street full of detached houses. Our street was a long one and so it took a few minutes to get onto the main road where we found that the only shops there was a newsagents, a jewellers called Hinchcliffe's and what seemed to be a bakery. A red sign further down caught my eye and excitement bubbled up in me, until I noticed the windows boarded up. Heart sinking, I remembered my mother telling me that the Post Office was closed for refurbishment. A shame as Caleb's birthday was coming up soon and I'd wanted to send him a 'real British card'.

Heading back home after taking a long and saliva-filled look at the cakes and pastries in the bakery window, I noticed a barn house stood on its own on the hill about a mile away. As we got closer to home though, I realised that it was a ghost of one as it looked to be abandoned and derelict. Taking one last glance, I headed into the house to the familiar sound of Lee and Beatrice arguing.

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Waking up early Monday morning and shoving on my make-up and the horrid uniform I had to wear, I flounced down into the bathroom to admire my work in the mirror. I would be in the last year of high school here (year 11, I believe they call it) and with complete strangers so I had to make a good impression. Running a brush through my brown wavy locks and pinning it back into a high messy ponytail, I looked in the mirror to praise my look. Green eyes with voluminous coal black lashes framing them glinted back at me with nervous excitement as I realised that this was a chance to start over. A new school, a new me.

Waltzing downstairs and into the kitchen, I found my father reading a newspaper whilst eating toast.

"Morning dad" I smiled, grabbing the box of Frosties from the back of the cupboard.

"Good morning Jazzy, how are you this morning?" He returned the smile, then went back to reading his paper.

"Okay, I guess. I wish we'd never left America though. This place doesn't feel like home to me. Plus do you know how hard it is to make new friends?" I poured milk into my bowl of cereal and went to join him at the table.