Losing you

Chapter 1- The new girl

My name is Eliza Underwood. I am 14 years old. I love reading. Anything. Give me a newspaper and I'll read it. Thats most of the problem. I put reading first and don't realise that I'm pushing people away. My dad walked out on me when I was 6. My mum is nearly at breaking point. "Will you put that book down and be social with everyone?" She would moan like that most of the time. But I love reading. I find authors amazing and everytime I open a book I get lost in the world of which it's set in. I go on adventures under the sea or in sandpits or inside a woods or climbing up fantasy trees where they are all kinds of creatures living inside. I can visit these worlds all in my room. In class, I've always got my head in a book and I have the teachers screaming at me, 'will you put that book away?'

I go to Hopedean Secondary School in Folkestone. It's horrible there. It's so annoying how all the cool girls get all the help. Not that I need help. I'm extremely bright according to my teachers. I still get headaches from the noises of 'MISS' or 'SIR' screaming accross the classroom. Why? Just put your hand up. I was a quiet, independent girl. Whenever the teachers asked me to answer, I would softly give the answer until another annoying girl would scream it to the teacher and they would nod at me and I would faint smile back. The girls in our class were annoying. The main leader was named Darcey. She had many friends, Georgina, Amelia, Roseline, Anya, Emma, Jaydi and Alexias. They were very popular with the boys in our year. They were known all through the school. You would never catch them reading a book. They are much better than that. I love reading.

I never tried to fit in. What was the point if they found out about my reading secret?

There was however one girl who loved reading but not quite as much as me. Her name was Jemima. She seemed nice but she was good friends with Jaydi. I wondered if she would ever be my friend but then I thought 'No don't be stupid.' I really wanted a friend. Just one. One that I could say was mine. But I knew it was never going to happen. I used to be best friends with Roseline. We went to primary school together. Fairlight Primary School. It was a good school. We met each othet in Year 2 when Roseline moved into my class. From then on, we were inseparable.  Until the first day at Hopedean Secondary School.  We went to tutor together as we were in the same tutor group. When we got there, another called was standing there. 'Hello,' she said. 'You must be Roseline and Eliza, I'm Darcey.' I didn't like the look of her however Roseline did. 'Hey Darcey, you have such a cool name, I love it. Are you in Mrs Fowlers's tutor group?' Roseline looked like she had found out Christmas and her birthday were everyday. 'Why yes I am' she replied. From then on, Roseline never spoke to me. She spoke to me once last year and said 'Get your head out of that book, if Darcey sees you it will ruin my reputation'. I didn't really mind though. I liked being alone with no one to talk to. There are never any arguments or bitchy fights when you are on your own. I spent most of my free time in the library. The student librarians, Kate and Ashley would often come and make sure I was alright. I would quietly answer 'Yeah, I'm fine thankyou'. But I wasn't. I had an iPhone like everyone else. I had designer clothes like them. Roseline didn't. She had four older brothers so she never got the attention of her mum. Roseline seemed okay when she used to come over for sleepovers. She always used to call my mum her mum which I thought was really lovely. She just had clothes from Primark and the occasional H&M top.

I was in the same class as them all. They was this girl that wasn't like them. She was new. I knew the popular girls were going to love her. But for some reason she came and sat on my table where I was quietly sitting alone. This never happened. I felt it quite odd but quite nice as well. I suffer from Low Self-Esteem issues and also Social Anxiety. I find it hard to talk to other people. 'Hi, my name is Lilley. I saw you sitting here on your own. Are you okay?'

'Yeah im okay, none of the girls are friendly to me. So I sit here alone. My name is........' and I stopped. I thought to myself what the hell was I doing? I haven't spoken to anyone at school before. This was all new for me. I was quite worried about what Lilley was going to say next so I sat and waited.

'Its okay. Im not a secret agent. I've moved from a school in Ambrigton. I got bullied there. I was like you. I understand what its like to be scared but I'm definitely not like one of these girls thankgod. They seem awful. I hate them already.' She then winked at me. Soon after, Darcey and Jaydi came over to our table. They gave me a dirty look before starting their conversation with Lilley. 'Hey, I'm Darcey and I'm queen of our year. And this is my bae, Jaydi. Come over and meet everyone else. They may be mental idiots sometimes but its better than sitting here with...... Little Miss Innocent.'

Just then, Miss Avaryi came over. She was our Science teacher. 'Darcey, go back to your seat; you too Jaydi. Leave Eliza and Lilley alone.' Darcey looked at Lilley, then me, than back at Lilley before taking her seat. 'Grrr they're idiots. Still at least I now know your name. Eliza is such a cute name. I've always loved it.'

'Thankyou, I've always hated it. I never understood them. I used to be friends with Roseline, see the one with long, black hair. She dyed it that colour. She used to be blonde. Sorry I'm mumbling' I replied not sure what to say

'Its okay, I like it when people mumble. It means I can get to know them better as a person. Your hair is gorgeous. I hate my hair.'

My hair was curly and brown. I hate the curles but Lilley insited it looked nice.  Science came and ended. Our next lesson was Geography. I sat on a table with Jemima, Anya, a boy named Riley and another girl named Lucy-Mai. They was a spot on the table next to me. I was hoping Mr Sayer said that Lilley could sit with me. Instead she got put on Darcey's table along with Emma, Ben, Alison, James and Ewan. I felt really bad for her.