Playing With Fire - COMPLETED

C2 - Introducing Ari Cooper

I took a deep breath in as I stared at my phone. It was during lunch and i was in the library writing up an analysis for my Media but i took a little break. i was scrolling through my photos and i clicked on one from my friend Elise. It was a selfie she had taken of both of us on my first day at school in the new town. She sat next to me in Geography which had been my second class of the day. She ended up having her phone confiscated right after the photo was taken. she was carelessly on her phone during her next class with me after retrieving her phone from the teacher's open drawer, "what's your last name, I want to tag you in this? it's super cute." my breath got caught in my throat.
"uh, I don't have Facebook."

"Well, I'll just airdrop it to you then." I turned to look at the screen as she scrolled through the results. my phone buzzed a second later.

Elise Montgomery's iPhone would like to share a photo

Decline                                                        Accept

She looked over onto my phone to check if it had sent.

"Why does it say Ari Cambridge. I thought your last name was Cooper?"

"Yeah, it is. Cambridge is my dad's last name. I took my mums and forgot to change it. my parents moved because of their divorce I'm with my mum now."

"Oh okay. sorry to hear it." I let out a breath. she believed it. I wish my family issues were that easy to describe.

it was a good day. I made my first friend after the move but I also recalled the slip up about my name. you'd think after changing it so frequently I'd get used to lying. That was my life. New City or Town, New Name.

today I was Ari Cooper at the age of sixteen.

three years ago I was Lacey Cambridge as a thirteen-year-old.

six years ago I was ten year old Lucy Campbell

nine years ago at seven, I was Alessia Clayton soon enough I would change my name again.

I had learned to adjust to a new life every time my name changed because with a new identity came with new characteristics. but that was my life and I had got used to it, well that was what I kept telling everyone but I was the only one I couldn't convince because I knew deep down it wasn't true. I wasn't used to it, not even a little, not even at all. I still remember when Elise and I went shopping after school that same day. she wanted to give me a new look as that was the one thing I hadn't got to when beginning to become Ari Cooper instead of Lacey Cambridge, a new wardrobe. i was still wearing my old clothes. Elise had taken me to her sister's hair salon to get a new look. gone was my light brown hair and in came a dark red coloured hair. it was cut into a bob and curled. as I stepped out of Elise's bathroom where I had changed into my first outfit, Elise jumped up and down, obviously proud of her work.

"Wow. Look. At. You. Hello, world. I introduce Ari Cooper."

Lunch ended after I was reminiscing and soon enough I was midway through my English oral when a knock at the door interrupted my speech on the sexist views of the 1960s. I was frustrated, not only because someone had interrupted but I was already a nervous wreck when I spoke in public. Weird because I had no problem talking to people but as soon as memorising lines can into the equation I was done for. Our Principle stepped through the doorway, along with a parent I assumed right behind him.

"Sorry to interrupt Mr Kentworth but I have a matter to discuss with you. It will only take a minute. Mr Kentworth excused himself and closed the door behind him. so I was left awkwardly standing at the front of the class, gripping my cue cards like holding them was the cure for cancer or to save the end of the world. To make matters worse I had zero friends in my English class so there was no one to encourage me. When what felt like an eternity was over Mr Kentworth entered the room again, then asked me to pause my speech.
"Class this is Noah Perkins. Now Noah if you could just take a seat next to Seb in the back that would be great. We are just finishing presentations and we are at the moment in the middle of Ari's. You can continue Ari." Noah hadn't looked at me yet but as my presence had been announced, I tried desperately through the final part of my oral to kept my gaze away from his side of the room.

As soon as the clock read 10:45 am, I grabbed my books and sprinted out of the classroom. he probably didn't even notice but I had to get away. I had successfully made it to my locker without any contact with Noah. I chucked my folders onto the shelve and put my laptop next to my bag, slammed my locker then rushed up to Elise.

"Hey," I breathed. "Can we go something else and sit." She gave me a look of confusion in return.

"Uh yeah sure but why?"

I clenched my fists then relaxed and breathed deeply.

"I just don't want to deal with everyone else at the moment."

"Of course me too. let's go." I let out a sigh. I looked down at my palms, a subtle hint of blood trickled out. I immediately dropped my arms to my sides and run after Elise who was far in front of me, I must have stood still for longer than I thought.  we passed through the usual place for our year level to hang out and saw his blonde hair in the distance, that in itself made me quicken my pace to get away from him.