Things for me had never been easy, constantly having to move so mom could escape the clutches of my father, who was a viscious and violent man. As a baby, he had nearly killed both my mother and myself as he drove off a bridge, mom had jumped out before he had hit the guard rail meant to keep people out of the water. She had watched the car sink and went straight home, packing her things and calling a taxi. I don't remember much of my father and I don't really want to. Mom had finally bought a house, after years of spending time living in trailer parks and rental properties that really should have been pulled down, she decided she would no longer live in fear of my father and we ended up in a house in San Diego. I was excited, this would hopefully be the last time I would be the "new girl" at school, the last time I would have to unpack my things only to have them packed up a few weeks later. Finally, I could make friends because I wouldn't have to worry about leaving them behind. I woke with a smile on my face, most of my room was still in boxes but I was happy. I kinda looked forward to starting a new school and meeting the people I could hopefully become friends with. I stood beneath the hot water, it soaking my long, blonde and blue hair that would curl as it dried. I lined my eyes with the dark eye pencil and rubbed some bepanthem on the tattoo of a rose mom had paid for me to get for my sixteenth birthday. Mom had been a rebel when she was younger and fully accepted any body modifications I wanted. I also had a nose piercing and snake bites and mom loved them. She had helped me shave a small part of my hair on my right side and helped put the blue in my ends. Things might not have been easy but my mom was my best friend and I was glad she was still the way she was aftere everything we've both been through. I pulled on a singlet with Nirvana's logo on the front and a pair of ripped jeans, rifling through a coupld of boxes to find my favourite pair of converse I had mistakenly packed away.
"Levana? Are you awake my sweet?" Mom calls out as I slide down the railing of the stairs. "Up and ready," I grin and she pulls me in for a hug, "I can't believe we aren't running anymore, ma. It feels good to know this house is ours!" I take a bite from an apple that I pick up from the fruit bowl. "We've been running for way too long plus, you know Harley? From the police station? He's asked me out for another date." Mom gushes and I laugh, picking my bag up and giving her another hug. When mom had recieved a threatening message from my father, she had gone to the police station and one of the other officers had asked if he could take her and I out for dinner to keep an eye on the both of us and we both agreed. He seemed sweet and now that mom felt protected, she would stay and try make things work with Harley. "I'll see you after school?" I ask and she shrugs, grinning like a 13 year old who just discovered boys are cute. I laugh, closing the door behind me and walking a few blocks to school. It seems that everyone had to stare but I shrug it off, I didn't look this way so I would blend in. "Look, we have a new school dyke." A preppy blonde thing called out and I rolled my eyes. "And look, here we have the school slut. Couldn't find anyone who had slept with more people than you?" I retort, ruffling my curls before continuing my walk to the office. It only took a few minutes for the office lady to give me everything I needed and I tucked my school schedule into my shoulder bag while I looked for my locker.
One the way out, I bumped into someone. "Shit. Sorry." I laughed awkwardly as we kept sidestepping the same way. I look up and I see a gorgeous guy grinning down at me. "No problem." He laughed, stepping around me. I kept walking, looking behind me once only to find he was looking at me too. He gave me a two finger salute and I smiled before looking back just in time to walk into a locker door. I look back at the stranger to find him laughing and I feel my face go bright red as I run into the closest girl's bathroom. I take a few deep breaths before washing my hands under the cool water. "You must be new." A voice said calmly and I spin around to see a short, pretty girl with a pixie cut grinning up at me. "Uh, yeah. First day today." I laugh and she nods, washing her hands. "I'm Levana or Levi for short." I offer and she walks past me, drying her hands and leaving, she stops at the door. "I'm Rhai. I'll see you around Levi." She responds before walking out the bathroom. I look at my phone, gasping when it tells me I have 10 minutes to not only find my locker but also my first class. I barely made it in the door before the bell rung, choosing the last seat which was right up the back. "Class, we have a new student." The teacher annouced, clapping his hands once beforehand. I cringe, I hated the whole we-have-to-announce-and-put-new-students-on-the-spot routine. "Levana, would you please stand up?" He asks and I silently curse before leaving my seat. "Actually, Levi will do just fine." I say and there was a few gasps but I just shrugged them off before sitting back down. "I'm sorry Levana but we do not use shortened names in this class, nor do we allow ourselves to wear the clothes you have chosen to wear." He responds curtly. "Looks like you're going to have to ignore what I wear because there's no way in hell I'm going to wear some prim and proper bullshit just so you can feel better about being a boring ass teacher." I spit, kicking my feet up on the table. He wanted a war? I was going to give him one. "Remove your shoes from the desk Levana." He orders and I just shake my head, leaning the chair back on two legs. A few students stared at me in disbelief while others silently cheered me on. "Principals office. Now!" He screams and I just laugh, grabbing my bag and standing up on the tabletop. I walk along each desk until I reach the door, I jump off, giving the teacher a two finger salute and walk off. I can hear the cheers of my peers behind me and I grin.
