Change

I

When I ran from home, I went through every possible scenario that could happen on the run. I could get kidnapped, raped, mugged. But also I could finally get away from my father, the constant bullying, and my life. Starting over is never easy, especially when u only have the clothes on your back and a few hundred dollars that I stole from mums emergency secret stash that she thinks I don't know about.

Now a year and a half later, I'm still on the run. I've been to eighty-seven different towns. I want to finally find somewhere to stay, get a permanent job and go back to school. That's when I decide the Northern Mill is as good as any.

After getting a job at Millers Cafe, I need to get back to school. St Johnsons is the only school around and I've done my research in enough Internet cafés to know that they aren't too strict about seeing parents. Lucky for me.

Sitting in the principal’s office and filling in my enrolment sheet is a different matter. Should I lie about my parents’ names and phone numbers? If I don't then will they call them up, notifying where they are? I decide to lie and give them my boss’s number. Surely he'll understand.

"Mia Clarkson. Welcome to St Johnsons." Principal Thornton shakes my hand and hands me over my timetable and locker combination. He isn't a talkative guy. Works for me cause neither am I.

Leaving his office I make my way down the hall in hope of finding my locker. Scanning down I find my locker. Punching in the locker combination, I open it, I start shoving my books in and notice a guy come up to the locker next to me and starts memorising my face and body.

"Can I help you?" I ask politely, but put an edge of annoyance into the words.

"Just enjoying the view," he says flirtatiously.

I roll my eyes. The old Mia would've blushed and scurried away, embarrassed that a boy would even notice me like that. Unfortunately I've experienced a lot of encounters of boys that want to get in my pants and enjoy a shy girl. You've just got to grow a pair.

"Isn't there anymore boobs you can stare at? Move along you perverted prick."

He raises his eyebrows at my witty response, obviously surprised that a girl can even talk to him like that.

"None that is as fine as yours. I'm Jackson by the way, but everyone calls me Jay."

"Like I care. Move jerk face, you’re in my way."

"Not until you tell me your name."

Pissed, I just sidestep him and bump his shoulder.

"Bye, Jackson," I yell from behind as I hear the bell ring and get to class.

When you change schools, you always have to do the awkward stand up and introduce you speech in front of the class while your new classmates watch on like your life is the most amazing thing they've ever heard.

I hate being the centre of attention. So standing up is like the worst thing.