Shadows of Darkness

~Chapter 2~

I wake up early Monday morning, absolutely dreading the fact I have to go to school.

Each day that I attend Arizona State High School my life just seems to get worse. I'm very advanced for my class due to all the extra studying I do, making everyone around me seem like a complete bunch of idiots. But don't get me wrong, they are. Everyday the 'popular' kids feel the need to push me over on the way to class, graffiti 'LONER' or 'DORK' on my locker and spread horrible rumours about me. I remember hearing one about me being pregnant to the homeless guy that lives in the alleyway down the street from my house. Everyone believed it of course, everyone believes every word the 'popular' kids say.

I hesitantly jump out of my single wooden bed, and make my way across the hall to the bathroom. I look in the mirror to see my dirty blonde hair in knots and massive purple bags sitting under my bright blue eyes. I grab a plain orange t-shirt and khaki pants to wear to school. I don't even bother to put make up on or do my hair nicely. I stopped bothering to look nice a long time ago.
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After a 20 minute bus trip (my aunt and uncle never drop me off at school) I finally arrive at the front gates to hell. I had no idea that after today I would never step through those front gates again.

I walk inside and go straight to my locker. I grab out my books and head to class, I was the first one there, as always. I have no friends at all. I've never had any friends, I've always been too shy to go up to kids and talk to them; too shy to introduce myself or even say hello.

The day goes by in a blur, and before I know it the bell to end the day has already gone. Today wasn't so bad I thought to myself. But as I'm walking out of my last period class I feel a pair of hands collide roughly with my back. I fall face first on the cold, stone ground.

"HAHAHA! OMG! Little Cassie has had a little fall." Screams someone from the large crowd that had gathered around me.

"Aw poor Cassie! No parents, no friends and now none of her perfect little books." The perpetrator says as he and his friends pick up my books and rip out the pages.

I lie on the ground, letting them rip up my books. I feel so defenceless against them, they try to make my life a living hell and there is no point in stopping them. It'll just make everything worse.

After 5 minutes they just give up and walk away from poor old me, leaving me there with a bruised body and ripped books. The crowd retreats and I find the remaining strength inside me to get up and pick up my books. The pages are scattered everywhere so I just collect them and stuff them in my book bag, hoping I'll be able to fix them later at home.

I run outside the school and decide on walking home instead of taking the bus. The walk is 40 minutes long but I'd rather do that then face my so called "peers" so I head off, tears streaming down my face, hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.