Safe and Sound (Watty Awards 2012).

Chapter Five.

Author's Note: After the first paragraph, there is a flashback in italics. If you are reading this on your phone then you won't see it as being in italics. Just thought i would let you know that it is a flash back. (:
As always, I hope you like it.

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Chapter Five.
Madeline's point of view.

The words that the girl had mouthed to me were sticking in my mind like toffee sticks to peoples teeth.

'Watch your back, whore.'

I didn't understand; I hadn't done anything wrong to her or to her friends. I was confused as to why she didn't like me already. One, it was my first day at the school. Two, I didn't even know her. At all. I couldn't even tell you what her name was if you asked me. Exiting the building, I went straight out onto the school field to find a lone bench that I could sit on. Finding one, I dropped my bag down on it before sitting down next to it with a sigh.

I looked out over the field at the other students that were milling around. Some were playing football, running around like maniacs whilst others were cheering them on. Some were sitting on the grass eating their lunches and chatting away to each other. I looked at the football players as they kicked the football around. They were using their blazers, coats and bags to mark the goal posts. Looking at the screaming fans, I took in the fact that they were all girls.

As I looked closer, I realised that one of them was the girl that had already decided that she would make my life hell. My thoughts strayed to Kyle as I spotted him amongst the guys playing football. A sigh left my lips as I thought. I knew that I couldn't be friends with him. Having friends was a bad thing for me. Friends would ask questions, they would pry into my life even when I tried my absolute hardest to keep it separate from them.

Even if I had wanted to be friends with Kyle, I would not have let myself. I saw the way that the girl had thrown herself at him in the hallway. She had kissed him in front of all of the other students and had a full make out session with him. They were clearly the 'it' couple. The popular people. A jock, and a slut. And all of their friends. I had never been popular, and I knew that I never would be. Not that it bothered me or anything.

I would rather be lonely and be myself rather than be at the top of the world and be fake. I'll be the first to admit that I thought Kyle was nice. But I also knew that he probably wasn't nice to others when he was around his group of friends. I had met enough popular people to know that if they befriended someone from the bottom of the heap, then they wanted something. Sometimes, they wanted you to do your homework for them. But whatever they did want, it never ended well. They would bully and manipulate you and crush your self esteem until you felt worthless. Then they would leave and admire their handiwork from a distance while you tried to pick up the pieces of your broken life.

Even without bullies, my life was broken. I didn't think I could have put it back together if I tried. It was too far gone for that.

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"Mummy, look what I found!"

I held out my left hand toward my mummy. In the middle of my palm sat a small red creature with little black dots on it. A ladybird. I was ecstatic that I had managed to pluck it from the plant in the garden without it flying away. I took another step toward mummy who was sitting at the table, facing away from me.

"Mummy?"

I curled my little fingers around the baggy material of her sleeve and tugged on it, wanting to get her attention. She didn't answer, and there was silence for several moments. All I could hear was the heavy sound of my mummy's breathing.