Rayne

Chapter 1

The air was cold and stale. The walls compressed around me, squeezing. My boots clicked the polished floors as the principal led me to class 36B; English. I could feel the heat in my checks from the embarrassment of asking for help but with many classrooms, I was surely a lost rat surrounded by hungry cats. This was not a good idea. Nope.

"Just in here," the principal didn't miss a beat and quickly swung to the left and tapped on the glass panel of a door labelled '36B, English'. A moment later, he opened the door without waiting for a reply and walked in. I followed, making sure to keep my shoulders back and face neutral. All those Hollywood movies about girls being bullied when walking into a new class with a smile flashed through my brain, the scenes of laughter ringing like ghosts in my ears.

"Good morning, Mrs Pickett". His voice was smooth and formal, void of any empathy for interrupting her class. Mrs Pickett was a tall lady. Her square glasses sat on her nose, connected by a chain which hung behind her head. It's funny how that was the first thing I noticed about her. She looked at the principal for a heartbeat, before sighing and closing the thick book in her hands and removing the glasses from her face.

"Good morning sir. How can I help you?" Her eyes swung towards me before she finished her sentence. There was something about the way she regarded me that sent me on edge.

Get a grip Rayne. This isn't the time to freak out.

But already I was. The principal's words became distant jumble of vowels in the sea of faces. I saw their faces; Round, square, short, sharp, chubby. The children's faces as they stared at a new student. Their judging gazes raked over my clothing, analysing. Should I have worn a different jumper? This was my favourite jumper. It had a fox on it; I mean, who doesn't like foxes?

"Rayne?"

I looked up, Mrs Pickett tapping her foot on the floor. Damn. I could feel my heart in my chest, thumping away.

"Thank you for joining my class. There's a spare seat up the front here." She jutted her chin towards the seat. The spare seat. In the front of the class. The principle turned on his heels and with a monotone farewell, left me standing awkwardly at the front of the class. I smiled at the teacher, before hurriedly settled down in the cold seat. She waited for me to get out my books and pencil case before putting back on her glasses and opened the text book.

The next hour flew by. I was told that the first days of school went quickly, due to little or no work to be done. Mrs Pickett read out some requirements and expectations for the year along with forms of what subjects we will be studying. The bell for recess chimed.

Within seconds the class was running out the door, bags unzipped and papers flying everywhere. I waited for the rush to cease before packing up. I had no idea where I was headed to next. I mean, according to the papers in my hand I had Geology next in room G2. From memory the building I was currently in only went from A through to D. Great.

"I mean, Chase isn't that bad. He did let me stay with him while his parents were out." Her voice was rather loud. Incredibly loud to not over hear. "His parents bought him a Mercedes, and he took me out in that."

The owner of the voice sat behind me. She pushed a pencil into the space behind her ear and gave me a side glace; she knew I was listening in. The girls around her looked at each other; their mouths open in what I would presume is shock.

"They're not that good of a car, you know." A tall figure pushed past her, a hood pulled over their head. The voice was from a girl, but everything else about her suggested otherwise. She draped her bag over one shoulder and walked out the classroom.