A fresh start is exactly what London McLaren needs in order to forget the demons of her past. A new last name, a new town and a new school.
She's about to start her final year of high school, ready to obey her parent's orders to keep her head down a...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020
"Miss Hall?"
My parents were dumbfounded when I had woken up this morning and informed them I was going back to school.
They had told me I could have more time off, whilst they worked out what was going to happen. They weren't sure what the plan was yet, whether we'd stay in Bakley. But I didn't want to live like this anymore.
For the past six months, I had been hiding who I really was. Nix's death controlled me and I was done with being a passenger in my own life.
If people were going to stare, they had every right to. My brother was a murderer and I knew everyone would be sceptical about who I might be too. But let them stare. It wasn't going to stop me from getting an education.
"The answer is 3901, Miss Valenti," I respond. Someone sniggers in the back row but I ignore it.
Harry wasn't here. I didn't know if that was better or worse. Probably better. He didn't have to see me. I didn't have to see him and wonder what he truly thought of me.
"That's quite enough," Miss Valenti warns the back row.
"What?" someone calls out. "She's the one who probably helped kill—"
"That's enough!" Miss Valenti shouts. The back row falls silent.
"I don't want to hear another word about what happened at school on Monday. It was not right to defame someone like that without them being able to speak up about it," she continues.
I felt overwhelmed and slightly in awe that she was defending me when she didn't need too.
"Now, open your textbooks to page 345. Do questions 1-6. I'll be checking," she warns, pointing around the room, her eyes glaring at everyone.
I go to open my textbook when Miss Valenti's heels click over to my desk. She waits until I look up at her, smiling at me.
"Could we have a word outside, Lonnie?"
"Oh, um—"
"I promise you aren't in trouble," she assures me.
I follow her outside the classroom, apprehensive as to what she might want. I lean against the wall, fiddling with my hands.
"Is everything alright?" I ask.
"That's what I want to ask you," she speaks. "I just wanted to check-in. I think it's very brave of you to be back here."
"I wouldn't say brave," I mutter. "But I'm tired of living in the shadows. It isn't a life when I'm always hiding."
"I just want you to know that not everyone is against you. People shouldn't blame you for what happened."
