Scorch

Scorch.

That's what they call me. It's the identity that I have taken on for longer than five years. I like it a lot better than my actual birth name. It's the real me, who I was born to be. Truth be told, I honestly can't even remember what my real name is. Well I can, but it seems to be irrelevant to me, among many other things.

Like school.

School is a place that I haven't been in for about five years now. Not because I'm now older and working and living my adult life. No. That is way out of the equation and not even close. I just didn't need it. I'm not a stupid human being who needs to be in compulsory education. I learnt everything elsewhere and that proved to be a worthy enough asset to get me by.

I narrowed my eyes at the ground as I was remembering all the events that now resulted in me sitting here, waiting for the head teacher to come and talk to me. How could I fail? Failure is a word that has never been associated with me and it should never be. I'm surprised the director hasn’t even taken my side on this case. No matter, I wasn’t going to let that anger me. Maybe I need this experience again. Interact with others my age.

I heard a door open and the woman called my name very hesitantly. She was clearly trying to work out if my name was actually Scorch. I could see it now, she was most probably ready to let the words "what kind of a mother names their child Scorch?" Well my mother didn’t, I did.

"Scorch?"

"That would be me." I stood up and followed her into the room.

I sat down without even waiting for her to invite me to sit at her desk. She had some files out in front of her and I knew instantly what they were. Files from my other life. My life of five years ago. A life that I never really thought I would have to go back to. 

"So it states here that your name was Rose Chisholm. Why is it now Scorch?" I shrugged at her, my expression calm and cool.

"And why not? I'm sure you've been well informed of where I have just come from." Surprise lit up in her eyes, but it wasn't obvious like when most people's eyes go wide. I spoke to her as though this were a business meeting and I am beyond sure that she wasn't expecting this from a teenager. I smirked.

"Ah yes I have. But why would you come to school when your life has clearly been set up securely elsewhere? To say I was surprised when I was told about you is definitely an understatement. And of a girl your age? It is most definitely unheard of."

"Well sometimes you get a bit too comfortable when you think you that everything is sorted out ahead of you. You forget that life isn't a set template and twists and turns are bound to happen, making one blind to the harsh reality of life. I am still a teen so I have that niave mindset. I made that mistake, making me return to a setting I never thought I would have to come back to. School."

I stopped when I realised what I was doing. How was I giving an outsider information about me? I stared at her face with skeptical eyes. She looked worn in but in a way that showed she had been in this job for a good part of her life. She looked motherly, her grey eyes showing she could either be fair or she could be the mother of all nightmares.

She seems to be the sort of woman I would hold respect for. I had nothing to lose anyway. I was going to be spending the next two years here unless I got my name cleared.

"Besides I want to get my days in while I'm still young. Hang out with peoole my age, sass some teachers, get wild at parties, talk about the music and celebs and who knows. Maybe do a little dating." I crossed stretched out my legs in front of me and sat there, the smirk still lingering on my face. That made her laugh a little.