301 Plus Me

Chapter 1

She had long, fair hair, kept out of her face by a shimmering, silver alice band. Dark denim hugged her legs and the bright pink on her arms was the only part of her shirt that could be seen by on-lookers. Her knees were tight to her chest, kept in place by her small, thin arms. The normal bright green in her eyes looked dull today. The window seat was the ideal place to sit and think.

She was snapped from her thoughts as the sound of the front door echoed throughout the house. She repositioned herself on the seat so that she could hear more clearly who had entered her prison.
"Michael is upstairs," a familiar voice boomed. Light footsteps ascended the stairs. The young girl had no doubt about who those footsteps belonged to.

"Hey, Sabina," Sabina turned to look in the direction of where the voice had come from. She smiled at the scruffy-haired boy stood in the doorway. He had the same brown eyes she had seen everyday for the past eleven years.

"Hi, Bobby," she responded.
How are you?" Concern was laced in his voice.
"Scared," she answered, honestly.
"You should be excited, you can finally get out of here and be a part of the real world. Besides, Michael and I will protect you," he said, whilst showing off his invisible muscles. Sabina chuckled, filling the room with joy.
"What are you scared of?" Bobby questioned her.
"Nobody will like me," she hung her head low, and waited for the response she knew was coming.
"Don't be silly, of course they will, and if not then they are dumb," he tried to make her feel better, but it didn't help very much because her eyes glazed over with tears and her thin, pink lip began to quiver.
"But I don't know anybody, why can't I just stay home. Mrs. Truman can carry on teaching me," she suggested, reaching for her last bit of hope.
"Your dad said you have to, sorry, Sabina." That was enough to send the first tear rolling down her left cheek.

"Bobby," a little voice yelled from across the landing. Sabina quickly wiped her tear, before a head, sharing her fair hair, poked into the doorway. "Bobby, why are you in this smelly room?" he questioned.
"I was just telling Sabina how much of a loser she is," and with that said, he joined his friend and left Sabina alone in her room.

Bobby cared about Sabina, but Michael was his best friend and Sabina was Michael's little sister. It is uncool to hang out with younger siblings, which meant that Bobby couldn't hang out with, or be nice to, Sabina, at least not in front of Michael.

Sabina was left on her own to think. Think about how scared she was. Think about how Bobby was nice to her when they were alone, but mean to her in front of Michael. Think about how tomorrow was going to be her first time walking out of the front door and her first day of public school. The first time people would know that she exists. The more she thought, the heavier the tears fell from her eyes, until everything was just a big blur. 'Why do I have to go to school? Why do things have to change?' She began to question.

"Knock, knock," the familiar comforting voice said. Without even thinking about it Sabina's legs lifted her up and carried her to where the older version of her stood in the doorway.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" the same voice had spoke before said. The older woman crouched and wrapped her arms around the young girl. Sabina rested her head on the woman's shoulder.
I don't want to go to school tomorrow," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Why not, honey?" She pulled back to look at Sabina's tear stained face.
"Nobody will like me, mum."
"Don't be silly, of course they will." She brushed a stray strand of hair from Sabina's face, "why do you think that?"
"I'm a loser," Sabina sounded ashamed and looked at the ground as the words left her mouth, not being able to face looking at her mother.
"You're not a loser, Sabina. Why would you think that," she questioned the child, even though she could make a good guess as to why.
"Bobby and Michael said I am." Tears began to roll down Sabina's face for what felt like the hundredth time today.
"They are just silly boys who don't know what they are talking about. Don't listen to them, sweetheart." Those kind words said in the right warming voice were enough to comfort Sabina and give her a little more confidence to begin her next journey.

The kind woman walked Sabina over to her bed, where Sabina stayed in her arms for a while.
"Mum..." the small voice hesitated, "why do I have to go to school?"
"You need to be with people your own age and Mrs. Truman can't teach you forever." Sabina already knew this, but she thought perhaps her mother could be persuaded to let her continue to be home-schooled.
"Won't Mrs. Truman miss me though?" Sabina had already spent the summer using everything she could to convince her mother that Falcon High Secondary School was not the right place for her, so now she only had pointless arguments, but it was worth a shot.
"Of course she will, Sabina, but I am sure you will still see her around." Sabina's mother knew what the young girl was up to and she was going to give in so easily this time.

"I have to go and cook tea now, but I will ask Allan to come and sit with you for a while, okay?" Sabina sat up and nodded at her mother, her eyes not leaving the older womanise she left the room and walked out of sight. The young girl lay back down on her bed and began to think again. Think about the journey she had ahead of her. Think about how great it would be to finally make some friends, but how hard it will be not knowing anybody.

A boy with dark, scruffy hair and slight stubble on his face placed a hand on Sabina's back, startling the girl. Sabina turned to see her eldest brother's familiar face.
"Don't let them make me go," she begged her brother, "please, Allan." Allan could never normally say no to his little sister, but this time was different. Everyone, including Sabina, knew that Sabina had to go to Falcon High.
"I am sorry, Sabina, but you have to go. Even if you don't want to go now, I promise you will feel differently after your first day," he attempted to calm the girl down and convince her that she would be fine.
"But I don't know anybody there." Allan's first attempt had failed.
"You will soon make friends and get to know people. School isn't all that bad. It can actually be fun sometimes."
Really?" Sabina sounded hopeful.
"Yes, it can be and if you don't go, you will never find out how much fun it can be." Allan had found a way to finally convince Sabina to go to school and he was going to use it.
"I guess I could go, just to see if I can make some friends and have fun." Allan now knew that he had almost convinced his sister to go to school.
"Exactly and maybe you will be cooler than Michael." Allan gave Sabina the extra push she needed to take the plunge.
"Okay, I'll go." Sabina gave in and had even started to like the idea of school to school, even if it was only to be cooler than Michael.

Sabina and Allan stayed in the girl's room, chatting and laughing, until they got called down for dinner. At the table there were the same seven faces Sabina had seen sat there most days for the past eleven years. Today was just like any other, except for Sabina, who knew she had the biggest day of her life so far ahead of her.

After dinner was finished, Sabina said goodnight to her family and lay in bed, tossing and turning, anticipating the big day she had ahead of her.