Confidant

1) Baring Witness

"Seriously Penny!" I grumble through gritted teeth while chucking my pest of a sister off of my chest. She lands on the bed next to me. "That's strike two, one more and you're walking your annoying-as-hell self to school."

"Two?" She asks, amusement clear in her voice. "What happened to what comes before that, you know, one?"

"One, was when you woke me up by screeching in my fricking ears and two is because you just tried to break my ribs, seriously Penelope you're not so tiny anymore, you really hurt me." I complain, rubbing the spot on my chest where I can feel the pain coming from.

I look at her from between the matted locks that are covering my face to see a somewhat apologetic look on her face, although there's still that stupid amusement hiding behind her stupid brown eyes.

"Sorry Char..."

"Just get out of my room."

And she's gone, but not before looking back with a satisfied grin.

I get up with a huff, feeling slightly disorientated. I haven't been looking forward to today, struggling to comprehend that my holiday is actually over. I unlock my phone, looking at the time... 06:33

Still early.

It's day one of my senior year. Every one of my friends have been planning outfits for today and 'bucket list' stuff to do through the school year while I am trying to be something other than a bucket of nerves.

There's a lot of pressure this year. My academics have to be spot on to make it into a good college, my attendance record (which I sucked at keeping up) needs to be perfect and I have to keep my name as spot free as possible.

Dad keeps reminding me that this year determines my future path, it becomes hard to breathe every time I think of it in that way.

This also happens to be the last year that I have to experience the traditional 'high school' stuff, stuff that I haven't been bothered to be a part of before due to fifty-percent disinterest and fifty-percent parental blocks. But this year i'm going to make an effort, and my parents also promised to let go of the rope a little, so I can make the memories i'm suppose to make at my age.

"Freedom, within reason of course." My mum's words pop into my head. "School is still priority though." Dad's add-on follows immediately.

I almost sigh.

How do I be the perfect student and be a normal high-schooler at the same time?

I almost laugh at the thought.

I'm going to struggle to find balance, knowing my friends will not let me skip out on any of the fun this year like I did previously. I'm constantly reminded by them that I need to make the most of this year, and that this is the last year I get to spend with all of them...

I choose not to dwell on my last thought for a second longer, knowing it's going to trigger a whole lot of other emotions that I don't really want to deal with at this present time.

I climb out of bed and sluggishly make my way to my bathroom. Standing before my mirror I notice a new spot forming on my left cheek and I almost scream, feeling frustrated.

Great, what an amazing start this is.

I grab my useless face-wash off of the shelf before heading to my shower.

After a quick shower, I stand in front of my cupboard looking for something to put on.

While digging through the unorganised pile of fabric I start to hear some muffled shouts coming from the house next to mine and I sigh.