Natasha: Trust Issues

Chapter Two.

October 07 2012

I always hated Sundays, it meant school the next day. Tomorrow was my first day at my new school. Lucille and I had gone to buy my uniform yesterday.

My new foster carer was called Lucille. I'd been living here for a little over a week and I'd gotten to know her and her other foster daughter, Bree.

Lucille was in her late fourties, though she looked a whole decade younger. She was super nice to me... I could almost see myself living there for a long time. The house was massive, it had four bedrooms; which meant I had my own room. A large dining room with a mini bar and a study on the ground floor.

She taught in a junior primary school in Addiscombe, not too far from where we lived in South Croydon. Whilst talking during our journey to the store she told me more about herself. She told me how she was born in Johannesburg, South Africa & came to the UK with her parents as an infant. And she went through a divorce ten years ago. She had the most beautiful pecan coloured skin, she was short and chubby and had such silky, soft curly hair.

I always heard about her two children. Adrianne, who had started her first year of uni in Manchester; and her son, Darryl, who worked with his father in Luton.

Her life seemed so in order...

-

"You ready for your first day Tash?" Bree asked as she wrapped her arm around my neck.

"No."

She sat next to me on the living room sofa. "It's alright, you know. There's a lot of school trips in year nine so you'll have fun."

"But, I'm not good with people... Like, I don't have any friends."

"Just relax, be yourself. But if that doesn't work, you can always hang out with me."

"But you're in year eleven" I said as I fiddled with my fingers. "You can't be seen with me."

"Don't be silly, of course you can. If you want to hang out with me and my girls, you're free to join. And if you can't find me, text me. Anyways, I'm going to bed now, see you in the morning."

"Bye" I said as she walked away.

Maybe tomorrow would be a good day. I hadn't had one in ages. I turned off the television and made my way up to my bedroom.

- October 08 2012

I look like I'm attending Hogwarts, I thought to myself as I checked myself out in the wardrobe mirror. The uniform was fairly basic. It consisted of a black blazer with the logo on the breast pocket, a grey jumper and white shirt underneath. I wore it with a black skirt, though it was kinda long. I put on my brand new kickers and went downstairs for breakfast.

"Morning, Tash." Bree said to me.

"Good morning."

"Lucille's gone to work, she told me to tell you good luck for your first day, and there's french toast in the oven."

"Oh, okay." I wasn't really much of a breakfast person, especially as I was so nervous. It was common for me to catch a case of the shits when I was nervous. But Lucille had put in effort to make breakfast, so I might as well eat at least one.

"Our bus comes in ten minutes, hurry!" Bree said as she was rushing around the room organizing her stuff for the day. I was onto my third piece of french toast. Damn, these tasted good. I'd normally have cold coco pops or just plain bread and butter on the days when I would eat back at my mums. I put my plate in the dishwasher and doubled checked my bag to make sure I had everything.

"Oh Lord...."

"What?" I asked Bree, wondering what she was stressing about now.

"Your skirt..." She laughed, "You need to fold it up. Looking like a nun and all sorts."

I took her advice and folded it up, grabbed my black side bag and walked out the front door after Bree.

We just about made it to the bus stop when our bus arrived. I followed her to the top deck and sat down beside her. I imagined every possible event that could happen, ranging from making a ton of new friends or me shitting myself as a result of pigging out at breakfast.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the school. Oh shit, I thought to myself as I saw what looked like hundreds of teens flooding their way towards the entrance. This would be a long day.

-

"Quieten down boys and girls... We have a new student joining us today, Natasha please stand.

Fuck.

I stood and felt the class' eyes eat away at me.

"This is Natasha. Please be nice to her, you all know what it's like to start a fresh. You may take your seat now."

I sat back in my seat as my new form tutor directed me. He looked like Wally from the book 'Where's Wally (Or Where's Waldo)'. I was sat next to a pretty Asian girl, her hair was so long, I actually thought it was a weave at one point.

"Hi, I'm Rajani. I'm in most of your classes" Said the gorgeous girl next to me as she nodded towards the timetable in front of me.

"I'm Natasha - Tash."

"Cool, I could show you around the school after break if you want."

I smiled, knowing I had bagged myself a new mate.

-

I was now at home. My day hadn't been as bad as I thought it would. I didn't have a bunch of new friends, I had one friend, however.

Rajani.

We had spent the day together. I didn't even need to text Bree to bail me out of loneliness.

She was fourteen too, and her parents were from Pakistan. She didn't really have friends because she was always in the library. I would never have guessed, a pretty girl like her, a library monger with no friends.

"Tash sweetie, how was school today, did you get on well?" Lucille joined me at the dining table where I was doing my science homework.

"It was good." I gave a weak smile.

"Did you make a lot of friends? I know how young people can be these days."

"Just one."

Lucille took my hand and placed it within her soft palms.

"Look, Tash; I know things were difficult at home with all that went on, but you really have to loosen up and come out of that shell. The times we're living in now overlooks shy, quiet people, you have to be bold, maybe even a little eccentric, Tashy. I really care about you, and I want to see you excel in life." Lucille kissed my forehead and left the room.

Her words sunk well into my heart.

It was time I came out of the shell my mother and step-father drove me into.

I was going to show the world what Natasha Williams was really made of...

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