Pattern

 “Prudy!”

Hearing the sound of my name, I turned around, my hair flying and hitting my face. It made me regret not tying my hair up, but I always lose hair bobbins and elastic bands hurt. Plus, rule of a mixed high school – guys like long hair on show.

Madison was calling me, as usual. She was making her way towards me, through the crowd of nervous freshmen and evil-looking sophomores. Her hair was somehow perfect, as per usual, afro-like long brown curls that just seemed to stay in place regardless of what she goes true. Her eyes were so brown they looked black, and her lashes were thick with mascara, reminding me that all I was wearing was freaking tinted moisturiser. I probably looked like a red-haired potato among fashion models.

I had dyed my hair over the summer to a vibrant red – a permanent reminder to everyone that I would not be ignored. Madison had helped until the hair dye had somehow ruined her manicure.

She hugged me, smelling like strawberries and I patted her back awkwardly, not sure why she was being so dramatic considering I’d seen her thirteen hours ago. Her sallow skin was very soft – something I was uber jealous of. When I was fourteen, I had a case of mild acne and had been chasing perfect skin ever since.

I was sixteen now, a junior. And today was the wonderful first day of school.

“Prudence Knightley.”

Our new homeroom teacher was pretty, pretty enough to take the male attention from Sandy Capshaw, the tall blonde who sat twirling her hair in the middle row with her skirt hiked up her thigh. The teacher’s name was Ms. Lawless (cool name, right?) and she had soft brown eyes. Her hair had a little curl to it but it fell neatly past her shoulders. She was dressed simply but well – a black pencil skirt and a white shirt with black heels. She wore a pretty pink necklace.

“Here,” I replied loudly. In case, you know, she was half-deaf or something. Which was unlikely, considering she didn’t look a day over twenty-five. Madison rolled her eyes. Ms. Lawless looked up and smiled at me. I hid a smirk – I had got her attention before anyone else had. Okay, so that wasn’t the best thing to ever happen to me, but you know, it’s the small things.

Ms. Lawless, we were told, also taught us English. I liked English already. She had a kind of shy enthusiasm and I had a feeling she wouldn’t give much homework and we’d all love her even more.

A half hour, I was right. After summarizing what we’ll be doing over the course of the school year, having us repeat our names and interests and reading a passage from her favourite book, she announced that there would be no homework. No homework on the first day was usually expected, but it was still welcomed gladly. The bell rang and we all shuffled our books into our bags and set off for the next class. Madison caught me at the door.

“She is so sweet!” My best friend said.

“I know, right?” I grinned.

I departed from Madison and went to my next class - Maths with Mr. O' Brien. Maths could be confusing but I survived the class. I lived through the next few too, talked for America at lunch and waited impatiently for the final bell to ring. When it did, I leapt out of my seat and, like most high-schoolers, swam through the crowd to find my friends. Madison, Esther and Dylan were chatting animatedly. Esther was the 'new girl' last year until she befriended us and is now part of the group. Dylan was an awkward yet cute sixteen-year-old who'd been Madison's friend since second grade. He's possibly funniest person you'll ever meet without meaning to be. "Heyyyyy," I said, edging into the conversation. Esther took three steps over and silently hugged me and Dylan grinned. "Hey, Prude. How was your first day back?"

I shrugged. "Shit. But whatever, I've got you guys. Come on, I really want to go home." We all walked home together - Esther lives three blocks away and Dylan and Madi live two houses down from each other but they're about ten minutes from me. Me and Esther left them soon enough and talked while we walked towards our houses. "Sooo," I said with a grin. "You and Josh still together?"

She nodded, a shy smile on her bronzed face. "Yup. It's hard though, even though we Skype nearly every day. And when we don't, we still talk. I miss him." She sighed and I patted her back. She had a crush on a boy in her old school, and on the last day, confessed to him. He liked her back, which would have been great but she was moving here the next week. However, they liked each other so much that they kept up a long distance relationship. He tries to visit once every two months and she visits him too. They're both adorably smitten (it makes me sad that I have no one).

We reach her road and she turns with a wave. "Byeeee, Prudy. See you tomorrow."  "Bye!" I smiled and continued on my way.

When I arrived at my house, the first thing I noticed was the lack of my dad's car. The porch door was firmly locked, and I groaned. I'd forgotten my keys and it seemed my dad wasn't there. I rang the doorbell anyway - three times. The only noise I could hear was my dog barking.

"Dammit," I muttered and turned around. I started walking towards the police station. Groups of high-schoolers walked passed me, some whom I recognised, but neither of us said hello. These days, even in our sort-of-small town, nobody bothered being friendly. It took me fifteen minutes of speed-walking to reach the police station. Standing outside, smoking a cigarette, was Gary, a friend of my Dad's. He was very friendly - he always got me presents for my birthday. When I was a kid, he would mind  me when my dad was busy, since he had no family of his own. Gary was very like an uncle to me. "Hey, Prudence! How was your first day?" He grinned, coming over.

I smiled at him. "It was alright. Not very good, to be honest. Is my dad in there?"

He nodded. "Why? Can you not get in?"

I bobbed my head shamefully. "Forgot my key."

He laughed. "Again? I thought you said you'd remember it this year... Anyway, he's inside somewhere."

"Thanks, Gary."

I walked into the station, looking around for my Dad. He wasn't around the reception area, so I went throught the little door to the back of the station. Whoever was at reception either didn't see me or turned a blind eye - the latter being most likely. I'd been wandering around the station since I could toddle.

I did not find my dad, but near the holding cells, I did find a familiar face - handcuffed to a bench.

"So, did you get arrested for not being in school, or were you not in school because you got arrested?" I asked, trying not to sigh.

"Go away, Knightley," He scowled at me, his brown eyes angry (not a big difference to his usual expression). The boy's name was Avery Watts, and he was six foot one inch of pure trouble. He was also a senior who had turned eighteen last week, and had not turned up for his first day. I'd known him since I was ten, and though we may have been friends at some point, we weren't really anymore. Through no fault of my own, of course, he had decided to hate everyone and not talk to me by the time he was fifteen. However, he kept turning up at the station for the same crimes, so he was always around. Except all our exchanges nowadays were like those of two enemies.

Nobody liked Avery anyway - the fact he wasn't too bad looking had only helped for so long. The girls thought he was scary, and the boys thought he was a freak. I'd often felt bad for him, but then we had met again and I'd walked away pissed off. Of course, not everyone had been there that day.

"Why are you in here again?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Ask your dad," Avery said, struggling slightly against the handcuffs (unusual, since he was so used to them now there were always rings around his wrists and he knew they were impossible to get out of).

"I will, when I find him," I grumbled, walking away. "Bye. See you in school tomorrow. Maybe."

He didn't reply.