Walk The Line Before You Fall

Chapter 1: Necessary Introductions

I need to run away. That's the only way I can avoid this. Seriously, how am I supposed to start my junior year at a new high school in the heart of Los Angeles?! I mean, don't get me wrong, school pretty much sucked back in Ohio because everyone ignored me like the plague, but it was a working relationship since I thought that they were all idiots too. Now, I will be stuck with the children of multi-millionaires who will probably treat me like the dirt they over in their Ferraris.

"Come on Clara! You don't want to be late for your first day of school!" My mom yelled to me from the kitchen.

"Coming Mom!" Honestly, that is so easy for her to say because she just has to start her new job at some stupid high end insurance company, where her clients will be the parent of every kid at school.

Sorry if I am sounding like a whining brat at this point. People tell me that I get like that when I am nervous. I truly love my Mom. She has been a complete force of nature since my Dad left when I was thirteen so that he could "find himself" for the first time in his life, despite being held back by us for so many years. Yeah, I'm sure he found himself really well alright in the arms of his coworker Sheryl. Since then I have never spoken to or seen my Dad because of my deep repulsion of himself, the air he breathes, and the ground with which he stands. My Mom was a wreck after being so humiliated by him for leaving us, but after a few weeks, she picked herself right back up again and got herself a much higher paying job to support the both of us. She really is my hero after all that and my only complaint is that she has to work a lot, which leaves me home alone since I'm an only child, but she almost always makes it home in time to have dinner with me.

Soon enough I am running down the stairs and sauntering into the kitchen to greet my Mom before I step into the Warzone, I mean Barker Edge High School of course.

"Hi Mom. What do we have to eat?" I say looking around the nearly empty kitchen. I should probably mention that we moved in yesterday, so the food side of life isn't looking too great.

"You know as much as I do about the food situation." Mom said looking around the box filled kitchen. "Here, have an apple." She tossed it to me and I caught it effortlessly.

I can't help but notice how much my Mom and I look alike with our naturally small frames, long legs and flowing blonde hair. The only real differences between us are the fact that I'm five-foot-nine, while she is five-foot-eight, and our eyes with hers being blue and mine being green (courtesy of my demon spawn of a father, which is thankfully the only thing I inherited from him).

"Alright I better get going. Do you want a ride to school?" Said Mom while grabbing the keys off of the island.

"Sure, unless you want me to stay here and guard for possible intruders or go with you to work for moral support. What do you say?"

"I say nice try kiddo, now let's get going."

"Ugh! Fine." I mutter with a beautiful eye roll I might add.

Next thing I know I am climbing inside Mom's black Ford Escape and I am on my way to my worst nightmare. A big fat yay for me.