Real

Chapter 1

I woke up clumsily by the 6 am alarm, which I usually set up every morning for school. I climb off the twin sized bed, grabbing a towel from the drawer, and leading myself to the bathroom. I check on the water one more time before I splash it into my body applying some coconut shampoo .

Feeling the hot water against my tensed muscles relaxes me after a bad night sleep. I cover myself and quickly pad through the hall from bathroom to my bedroom, trying to stay as quite as I possibly can so I won’t wake my mother and sisters up. As I squeeze myself into the black skinny jeans slide over a grey oversized sweater.

I step into the mirror and stop for a minute to realize what the lack of sleep has caused me. The concealer doesn’t seem to have effect on the dark circles underneath the green eyes, causing them to look much bigger than usual. A bit mascara helps along the way and the natural lip gloss helps me find a bit of life in the morning routine.

I reopen my books just for a quick look here and there to refresh what I already have learned. The minute I close my schoolbag my mom appears in the room, with messy hair and an amaranth pink wardrobe hanging down her short body.

She gives me a strange look as if she wants me to say something but instead I close my schoolbag and hang it on my shoulder.

‘Good morning Esme’  she says with a tone like she wants to announce something

’ Good morning mother ‘  I say and pray that it didn’t sound as fake as it was.

.’ Is there something wrong?   ‘She says as she opens the fridge and takes the orange juice in her hands.

I glance at her indifferently before I answer a short and annoyed

‘No’.

'What time will you be home today' … she asked as she threw herself a glass of the orange juice she had been carrying along for a bit.

' Around 3 '

I say as I put on my black boots and look at myself for the last time before I leave home.

She doesn’t bother to say goodbye at me when I salute her, instead she looks away while she prepares her breakfast .

I rush off the flat stairs, and quickly find my way to the bus stop. London is much better than Albania, people aren’t that welcoming, but there is a lot to see here, there is something that keeps me looking at the big old buildings, the majesty of big ben, the advanced city hall, the old fashion Routemasters, the feeling I get when I come close to every red telephone box, it’s like everything I wanted and I never thought I needed.

We came in London almost 4 months ago, when my dad got promoted as the supervisor of his immobiliar transport center, and that was only 2 months ago when he moved out with his new girlfriend and his secretary.

Old story, but it hurts as hell when you try it on your feet. That broke my mom’s heart, even though she has always been edgy, intractable , pushy , now she’s just tired , she doesn’t even looks at me while we ‘talk’ anymore , she doesn’t even argues with my little sisters about chores or whatever . Now she looks at me and seems judgmental, she seems disappointed, her words so bitter full of venom, and almost like it was my fault that dad left. 

I spend the 30 min bus ride left alone with my judgmental self-criticism, and before I know it, I’m a block away from school. ACS international school is the best high school in London for foreign students but not only, I’m finishing my last year of high school here and I feel more than welcomed.

I step into the school building and walk straight to my closet to rest my heavy polo bag there. I scan through my Monday schedule, and relief goes through my system as see literature as the first class. I close my closet, holding a copy of my homework on one hand and the thick literature book on the other.

I was focusing on a misspelled word on my assignment when something hits me. I swing a little and grab ahold of the wall, so I don’t fall. I turn around and a tall figure highers me. I close my eyes and when I reopen them I see a guy with curly dark hair, spread all over his heard like some kind of dark halo, and two emerald eyes shining perfectly as his smiles grows showing two dimples on each corner of his cheeks. He doesn’t even bother to say anything instead he opens his phone which was vibrating and seemed to be the cause of our ‘accident’.

I frown as I rapidly walk through the hall and straight to my class. I sit in the front row as usual wanting to pay as much attention as I can to the professors words, so even though English isn’t my native language I’ll be able to comprehend everything.

The class fills in what seems seconds and I spot my friend Abbey coming in with a smile , her blond hair in a braid as usual and her brown eyes shining as she leads her way to tells me her morning news .

‘I saw him, and guess what he said hello ‘she speaks loudly and I immediately know whom she refers. She has been likening Zayn Malik since her first year in ACE and all she gets from him is a sweet comforting gaze as he walks toward the hall.

Zayn is one of the most popular and good looking guys here in AC, his caramel eyes seems to charm every local girl, and most likely  Abbey.