Read Me Like A Book

Chapter 1- First Day Of School

(this is the first story I've ever written on wattpad, it's a sort of british secondary school AU. I hope you like it!)

Frank looked in the mirror, examining his reflection thoroughly. Today was the big day, the day he'd been both ecstatic about and absolutely dreading for weeks. Come on, Frankie, he said to himself over and over, you can do it. First day at a new school. It's enough to give anyone nightmares. But it was worse for someone like him. After what happened at his old school, he'd learnt that, in secondary school, secrets don't tend to stay secret for long... he shook his head violently, attempting to clear the thoughts from his mind. He wasn't going to think about what happened at Verity Bridge Comprehensive School. Not today. No, today was a day for positivity. Today he wasn't going to mess things up. Katherine Wood Secondary Academy. The name was a bit of a mouthful, and it sounded a bit poncey, but this was a new school, a better school, with new people, people who didn't know about his... issue. Or why he couldn't stay at Verity Bridge.

He had spent hours that morning fixing his hair and clothes to look just right, so as to make a good impression on both the teachers and students. People at school, they notice these things. Like, tie length. Too long, and the students though you were a nerd, and the teachers liked you, possibly an even worse fate. Too short, and the teachers had you down as a bad kid. Frank wasn't exactly a genius, but he worked hard and got pretty good grades. He occasionally joined in with banter in class, but he knew where the line was, and never got punished worse than a few detentions. He wasn't one of the idiots who thought they were drug-dealing rappers, but he wasn't a teacher's pet either.

He was very thin, having been running a lot in the past few weeks, and dieting strictly, but he didn't look unhealthy. He had pale skin, from literally never going outside, and dark hair. In an attempt to make a good impression, he had taken all his piercings out. Being only 14, he wasn't old enough to have most of the piercings that he did, but often, given enough cash, anyone at a tattoo shop would perform the necessary deed. His new uniform was decidedly ugly, a dull and depressing compound of navy blue and red, hanging loose on his slight frame. His mum had, despite his protests that he was starting Year 10 and didn't want to look like a Year 7, bought everything 3 sizes too big, insisting that "You'll grow into it!" He doubted that. He was very short, having never truly experienced the promised teenage growth spurt, and at nearly 15, had given up hope.

Frank walked downstairs, still lost in haze of worry about the day ahead, and grabbed a box of whatever supermarket saver brand of cereal his mum had bought at Aldi. Crunchy-O's. Taking a moment to sigh at the shamelessness of the most obvious rip-off in the universe, he poured cereal into the vague direction of a bowl. Within seconds, his mother was swarming around him, dustpan and brush in overly fake-nailed hand, scolding him for being so careless. He sighed as he began to eat his cereal, while his mum fussed about him, wiping his face and fixing his tie, until he leapt up from his chair, noticing that he was about to miss his bus. He quickly hugged his mum and sprinted up the street, still worrying about his first day.