Never Forget

Graystone High

I look up at the menacing, green gates, looming over my young self. I can hear all the older girls chatting amongst themselves as they sneer at the new year 7's entering Graystone School for Girls. I keep my head bowed down as I shuffle past them towards the entrance door. A few girls barge past me, almost knocking me off my feet. My heart races with each step that I take. What if I don't fit in? What if nobody wants to be friends with me? Taking a deep breath in and out, I push open the red, wooden door to enter the school.

Following the school map, I eventually find my way to my form room. I push open the door and am greeted by a cool breeze and the sound of laughter. I lick my dry lips and clear my throat in an attempt to boost my confidence a little. I take a seat in the far corner of the room and wait patiently for the bell to ring. When it rings, the whole room gradually quietens down as the tutor walks in.

He introduces himself as Mr Simmons, and has to duck underneath the door as he's very tall. He begins by informing us about the high school and tries to be comedic about it, however nobody laughs but me. All heads turn to face me. I look down at my clammy hands, suddenly finding them so interesting. Hearing some girls sniggering at me, my cheeks begin to feel quite flushed. Mr Simmons tells the girls to be quiet as he reads the register. But before he can begin, the classroom door is flung open with such force that it leaves a tiny dent in the wall.

Three girls stomp into the room, making sure everybody knows that they're in charge. They introduce themselves as Erin, Karen and Imogen. It's obvious who the boss is in their group. Erin. She's quite a character, she may be short but she has a side of her that you really don't want to see. Her sandy-blonde hair is in a messy, high ponytail. Her complexion is quite fair. She has a slighty upturned nose and her face is lightly scattered with freckles. Then there's Karen. She is of average height and also has her hair in a ponytail. Her complexion is quite tanned and she has a tooth gem on one of her teeth, giving her a bit of an edge to the rest of us. Last but not least, there's Imogen. Imogen is quite tall and lanky. She has a dark complexion and has a hard look in her eyes. Her hair is in a very messy bun and her hands are balled into fists for some reason. You don't want to mess with her at all.
They're like a pack of hounds, Erin is the leader and the other two just follow and do as they're commanded by her.

The whole room had gone silent. Everyone is watching them as they make their way to a table. It just so happens to be my table. Great. Don't do anything daft to draw attention to yourself!

"A 'sorry we're late' would be appreciated next time, girls." Mr Simmons prompts them.

They don't say anything, but Erin is watching me like a hawk. I glance up at her nervously. A smile appears on her lips, it doesn't quite reach her eyes though. I turn my attention to Mr Simmons instead of her. Although he's talking quite loud, I can't seem to hear him over the sound of my heartbeat drumming in my ears. Everyone stands up and follows Mr Simmons down the green corridor, towards the hall. I can see other students my age sprawling into the hall like little ants. The pupils are all buzzing with excitement of being in our first assembly. A smartly dressed man strides to the front of the hall, adjusts his tie and taps on the microphone. He starts by telling us that he's the headmaster of Graystone High and gives us a brief introduction on Anxiety. I'm not paying much attention to him though. I'm too busy being distracted by Erin - who's tugging someone's hair and kicking the girl's chair in front of her. Man I'm glad I'm not the girl in front of her!

A video starts playing about a girl who suffers from anxiety and the stages of it. I'm intrigued by it. Mainly because of the song that tugged at my heartstrings. This later turned out to be Coldplay's - Fix You. Even Erin was watching it. Once the video had finished, the bell to start lesssons rung. We all stood up and walked in a single line out of the hall, then we were able to scatter into our little groups. I feel a tap on my shoulder and pray that it's not Erin. I turn around and see two friendly-looking girls grinning at me.