The music of the echoing halls of Cadebury Hills High school filled his ears, a shriek of nervous laughter, a swear word being called out in frustration as a lock fell in defeat onto a metal locker and the constant babble of excited voices from year nines to sixth formers all with the same unknown face as he was concerned. This playlist did not drown out the defining silence of one factor that bellowed over them all like an override switch on a computer, his mind settled on that one thing that was imprinted onto his brain. He was alone, lost looking for some else who was supposedly lost and now the tables had been turned with a sickening flick of fate’s hand.
Lowering his head he looked at the floor, feeling the straps of his backpack dig into his shoulders tightening like his own anxieties, fears and worries. Soon all of them would be a noose round his neck and his mind would be dead from the overwhelming feelings that this new place gave him. Deep down inside, he would never admit it, his black blazer was too big on the shoulders, his gleaming shoes were too tight round the ankles and his confliction was like a kick me sign to anybody who was malicious and smart enough to notice it. Good thing nobody had.
Yet.
A rough shove pushed him headfirst out of the sanctum of his mind and into the cold of the echoing school hallway. Lunch would be finished soon and then where would here go? Joe had his timetable, it was day two at his new school furthermore he hadn’t had time memorize his tutor’s name, let alone what he was due at next period. In the vain hopes that something in his lunch box would help him he slung the new rucksack off his back, making a mental note to un-tighten the straps before he put it back on again. Carefully leaning against a door he started to unzip the back and pull out the small plastic box that was serving as a lunch container. Holding it up in one hand he was greeted by his own name staring back at him. Benjamin. Unknown to his friends they were already loosing the boy they'd once met.
