Nowhere Girl ~ John Lennon/The Beatles

Chapter Three: Classmate

Being dropped off the very next morning to the Liverpool College of Arts felt like a strange acomplishment to Robin. She'd not been part of formal education for months, not since her father died just before the start of a new term, and as she headed into the administration office of the college, portfolio in hand with her skethbook and her satchel containing every essential suply she could possibly need, she felt a weird sense of relief. She might not be exactly where she wanted to be, but at least she was on track for something.

She looked the part too. Dressed in her leather jacket, a white shirt with a green checked skirt and heeled boots, she felt confident, her hair in a high ponytail with what was once a fringe styled into a quiff and the slightest bit of eyeliner marking her eyes to add to that confidence. On her way into the office, she'd spotted a few of the other students, and none of the other girls seemed to be wearing leather. Robin hoped that would mean she would be avoided by everyone, left to her own company, but she couldn't help but think that wasn't going to be possible, because even she'd noticed the looks she got as soon as she got out of her Uncle's car. She hoped it was just people recognising her as an outsider, something that would soon pass as people decided to leave the new girl alone.

Not that the other students mattered, of course. Robin was there for herself, for an education, something she kept in mind as she headed straight to the front desk, waiting until the receptionist finished her conversation with the student in front of her before forcing a smile.

"Hello, I'm a new student here, I was told I needed to come here to be told where to go?" she spoke, trying to make her strong Yorkshire accent a little clearer.

"What's your name?" the receptionist asked, looking down a notebook rota. "Full name,"

"Full name? Roberta Elizabeth Marian Knight," she spoke with a sigh. "But I'd really like to just be called Robin, is there any way you could write that down in your system or-"

"Oh, yes, your name's written down here, Roberta!" the receptionist interupted, and Robin held back and exasperated laugh. "So since you're going to be going into classes that have already been established for a few weeks we've arranged for someone to show you around the college. We've found a student who's on most of your courses to show you around, he should be getting here soon if you wouldn't mind just waiting for him,"

The receptionist gestured over to a seat in the corner of the office, suggesting for Robin to sit and wait. The thought of being shown around college by another student and having to sit around waiting for them to show up made her inwardly cringe, but she decided not to fuss, and so she flopped down into the seat, folding her arms across her chest as she stared down at the floor. If there was one thing she thought was worse than people staring at her because she was new, it was having someone be specifically asked to show her around. It was embarrassing, and what little pride she had shuddered at the thought of being reliant on someone to show her around.

It turned out though that she wasn't waiting long, not as the door opened and in walked a teenage lad, tall with dark hair quiffed up wearing a pair of sunglasses. His gaze immidiately went to Robin as she got up, and he quickly took off his sunglasses, offering her a welcoming smile, one she tried to mimick.

"Are you Roberta?" he asked, causing her to let out a sigh of a laugh.

"Yeah, but everyone just calls me Robin," she said, trying not to sound irritated at the use of her full name.

"Well, I'm Stuart but everyone just calls me Stu, so it's nice to meet you, Robin," he grinned with a laugh, holding his hand out for her to shake, and as she did she noticed him looking at her portfolio. "They said you're in most of my classes so I should show you around, d'you wanna get going?"