Hidden In The Shadows

4. Making My Mark

School was just starting, yet it felt like the days were dragging me along for eternity. The buzzing of my alarm forced me out of my dreaming where I could feel sorry for myself all I wanted and into jarring reality where I didn't have a single soul in this lonely world.

I sludged down the stairs after dressing myself and forced myself to look at these people claiming to be my guardians. I didn't say a word and only distracted myself by forcing a piece of toast down the hatch.

Standing I said my goodbyes and was about to leave the house to walk to college when my mother spoke:
"Come back straight home. I expect you here at 4PM the latest. We have to sort out some things for next week."
"Okay." I replied sighing
I almost forgot about what was dawning on me in 7 days. The day I get proposed to. Yay me.

For all those wondering 'why 2 years early?' For a traditional wedding it takes at least 2 years to get everything ready including clothes (which take a year by itself), booking 3 different wedding halls, booking makeup artists to make sure you are the best looking person in the wedding and too many other factors I can't seem to comprehend at the moment.

I sighed not knowing what else to reply and then turned and walked out the door. I trudged to college, but then remembered what I had promised myself the whole of the previous summer. I would unleash the real me. I pushed the thoughts of the engagement to the back of my mind, forced my shoulders back, lifted up my chin and breathed deeply. "I am going to make my mark."

I entered the college through the same gates as yesterday and noticed that the tape was still around the crime scene, but the body had gone, probably to the family of the desceased.

Today was going to be no lessons again as they have a whole week of introductions, which means what? Oh yeah more bloody ice breakers. But we are also going to sign up to join societies and any extra-curricular activities we would like to do while in college. I want to do so many things: Learn to play the drums and piano, join a film club and join a team sport. You probably think I'm stupid, but I like what I like.

I join the rest of the year and caught sight of my friends from high school.
"HEY GUYS!" I screamed while hugging all of them at once.
"HIIII!!" They all replied back.
These guys honestly make my day. I can't live without them.

"Omg did you hear..?" One of them started after we broke from the hug.
"A girl called Jasmin from the year above us was killed."
"Yeah I saw her dead body.." I replied "it was pretty terrifying."
"If I saw that I'd be out of here quicker than you can say 'murderers'." Another commented.
"Nah I have a higher tolerance than you, plus I've already forgotten about it." I lied.

We were all sent to the allocated forms we were put in yesterday and fortunately I wasn't with anyone I knew. Don't get me wrong I love them, I just don't want them judging me if I do something wrong or change even.

Looking down at the sign on sheet in front of me was like which faction to go into in Divergent. We were only allowed to pick 1 and I wanted to go to 4. I breathed deeply and ticked 'film club' abondaning my desire to learn a musical instrument. I handed it in without looking back to make sure I didn't doubt myself change my mind.

Lunch time came around too quickly and I was looking around the crowded hall wondering if I was happy with this place being my home for 2 years. It just felt empty, even though it was full of people. Like there was an underlying tension boiling beneath the surface and on top everyone keeps their mouth shut and fakes a smile.

Well it isn't as if I don't do the same, but I doubt every person in this room is secretly betrothed when they were born to a person they have never met before. I got up from this desolate place and found my feet carrying me across the corridors and up the stairs.