Across The Border

Olive-Skinned Strangers

Dumping my stuff in my new room late that night I didn't bother to look around as I collapsed on my bed, feeling extremely tired but as I finally got comfortable sleep didn't come, I lay awake all night thinking and missing all my friends.We had said a thousand goodbyes but somehow they weren't enough.

I must have fallen asleep at some point because when I woke up light was streaming in my window, squinting I sat up. I stared straight into a pair black eyes.

It's golden body floated behind The glass and I blinked. I guess I had a fish. Getting out of bed I flicked through various names for my new pet.

The furniture hadn't arrived yet, only the basic stuff remained. Walking into my en suite, I gasped, it was massive!

"Eep!" I let out a little yelp, this was bigger than our main bathroom back home. Gazing into the mirror I saw a pair of very tired looking exuberant green eyes looking at me. My eyes.

I began to brush my waist length hair, but ended up having to shower as it was sticky and wet from the tears I had been crying.

Stepping out of the shower I dried my self and my hair and searched through the many boxs in my room for a outfit.

Throwing on a loose patterned tee, and a pair of faded, ripped skinny jeans. I pulled on my leather knee high boots and braided my hair in the complicated style my mother taught me.

"Yum!" I called before I even got to the stairs, smelling the eggs that my mother was cooking, my stomach rumbled in response and I realised I hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday!

Grabbing three eggs out of the pan, and one piece of toast I sat down for my first serving. I had an extraordinary appetite, however I wasn't overweight, my mother always joked about how I should be.

I stood up, patting my belly and announcing I needed to go to school.

"Bye sweety." My mother smiled at me, but I didn't miss the quick worried glance she threw my way as I grabbed my bag and looked inside my lunch box.

"Vegemite sandwich! Whohoo!" I shouted, "Thanks Mum! And Don't worry bout' me, I've been to high school before." I attempted a joke.

"It's not that, I'm worried about..." I listened intently.

BEEP!

"Striking lightning! I better be going, I bet that's the bus!"

I ran outside just in time to see the yellow back of the bus disappearing in the distance.

" Thanks mate. On the first day of school too. Fair Dinkum." Securing my bag on my back I walked down the street in the way the school bus went, I would usually get a map or some thing but we didn't have a printer, we didn't even have a computer.

"Oh! Hey! Oi! You over there!" I yelled across the street, quickly running towards the tall boy with a school bag.

Puffing slightly when I got to him I asked " Do you know where Maddison High is?" Hoping I got the name right.

The boy stared at me.

"Uh... Yeah, It's uh... Just, um next to my school."

"Could you show me where to go? I'm a bit lost and I missed my bus."

"Your Australian." He stated.

" Uh, yeah we moved just a little while ago..."

We walked in silence for a while, I was fine with that, and If I listened closely I could hear the shuffle of small animals in the forest that bordered our home.

"Whats ya' name?" I asked.

" Mark." He answered.

"Cool. I knew a guy called Mark... He was really good at fishing." He gave me a strange look but continued to walk anyway.

We took a turn to the left and I knew that without Mark I would be hopelessly wondering around, well past the end of school.

I took this time to look at Mark, The way he walked screamed he was shy, hands in pockets, hood up and head down. If I wasn't desperate I probably wouldnt've talked to him.

He was tall, and had attractive features on his face, his American accent was the most prominent feature about him for me.

I saw him stiffen and immediately braced myself for danger, it was a habit I had had ever since I could remember.

Found it. I thought, as a group of over-confident loking men walked down the path near us, we were approaching a little store and it seemed they had come from there.

The way the strutted, all spread out screamed power. The way they held their heads, carelessly strolling clad in ripped jeans and shorts. They wore tight fitting plain shirts that clearly showed their very well developed abs.

Even though every one wore different clothes and looked unrelated they all seemed like an item. They all fit together perfectly.

The tallest one in the middle's eyes flickered over me and I felt like cowering under his surveying eyes.

" You might not want to be seen with me." Mark said cautiously.

"Why?"

"Well.. Uh, your um... really pretty and, you look like someone who might hang out with the popular people. I'm not that friendly with them." He gulped.

My eyes twinkled with delight at the compliment, but saddened when I learned he was unpoplular.

"But you don't go to our school..."

"They are very close... They have joint functions and all." He seemed to think for a second as if trying to find the right word. " Your school is more... Exclusive, than ours."

"Oh."

"Well if they try anything now they'll have me to answer to." I said, it wasn't fair that he was being bullied."

One of the boys in the back of the group muttered a comment I couldn't hear and the rest of the group lit up with humour. I had an edging feeling that it was directed towards me. How would they hear anything I was saying anyway? Maybe I had some tomato sauce on my shirt I looked down and checked.

Phew.

None.

The group stopped as they got in front of us.

"So your the new girl?" The leader asked a smirk on his face.

"Yeah." I answered.

"My name's Kaleb." He extended his hand. "What's yours?"

"Hey. they call me Amber, I just moved from Australia."

"I can tell." Another blond snickered.

" Do you have a problem with my accent?" I asked puffing my chest out, trying to look bigger. They were giants.

"No. It's hot." The blond replied, surprising me with his bluntness.

"Uh..." I said blushing. Gee, I was intelligent.

"We've gt to go." Mark said, gritting his teeth. I had forgotten he was there. Something they said had obviously annoyed him.

"Hoo Roo!" I called over my shoulder as he dragged me off in the other direction.

AUTHORS NOTE

Hello! How are you emjoying the story so far? Remember to vote and comment and tell us what you think! I am Co-Writing this book with Brooke_Cowley so yeah.... You may notice some Aussie slang... If you don't know what it means look it up ;)

Keep on reading Beautiful, Beautiful readers.