City Life

Chapter 1

Libby POV

Finally, after I don't even know how many hours, I was all unpacked. As I took in my surroundings, it looked like my old room however in my heart I knew it was not. I did not want to move but as my mum kept saying the whole journey here I was only 17 and I had no choice.

'Libby can you come down please' I heard my mum shout from downstairs. I had spent the whole day, even the whole weekend, up in my new room. I walked downstairs to find my mum standing in the kitchen with labeled boxes still all around her feet.

'Will you go get a pizza for us all please' She asks as she hands me some money

'Just order one' Sometimes it's like my mum still lives in the 70's, I dread to think how she is going to navigate the tube when she starts her new job.

'I tried but they said they would be over an hour for delivery'

'This is why you don't live in the city' I mumbled as I took the money and left the house. All my life I had lived in the quiet seaside town of Torquay so to say my first night sleep in the city last night was difficult would be an understatement. I felt on edge all night, there was noise from cars and people.

I put the local pizza place into my google maps and began my journey. It said it was only a 8 minute walk and I should probably get used to where I will be calling "home" for the next year. That's all I will be here for. One Year. Then I can go back to my real home, with my friends and where I feel safe and comfortable.

After waiting 20 minutes in a dodgy looking pizza shop I was on my way home. From the looks I was receiving it was obvious I was a stranger to this place. I did not fit in, from my looks to my voice, I was dreading college tomorrow. I put our new address back into my phone and began the walk back with hot pizza boxes in one hand and my phone in the other. Walking along I felt like I was turning down many streets and lanes. Something did not feel right. I didn't recognize any of these streets from my walk before. I could hear voices from around the corner and knew I had to gain the courage and ask someone my way back to the high street. 

However, once I turned the corner the people didn't seem the friendliest from afar, they looked like they were confronting one another, there were 2 boys facing another 2 and it was obvious who was the dominant pair. I could sense the tension in the atmosphere but for some reason I couldn't take my eyes off them. Something about them seemed dangerous but there was one in particular that seemed in charge. He had his hood pulled over his head so I could not see his face but I could tell he was angry from the way he was hovering over the other two pushing them further against the wall and his fists were squeezing close.

One of them must have said something to get him even angrier as his hand was no longer empty, instead there was a knife in it. Watching the scene in front of me, I was shocked with what I was witnessing, you hear about things like this in the news but I didn't think I would ever witness it. The angry boy moved the knife to skim the others neck, almost teasing him, then without a word of warning, the knife was in his neck.I let out a loud gasp and then all eyes were on me.

'Sort this out' The angry boy said to whom I'm assuming is his friend. My eyes drifted from the boy now lying on the floor with blood running down the side of his body, to the boy who had caused that. Thankfully my senses clicked on and it was time to run for my life. Literally. I turned around in the direction I believe I came from and began running, my phone kept repeating 'wrong way turn around' but at this point I didn't care how long it took me to get home as long as I got there alive. I felt my mouth beginning to dry from how fast I had been running and decided this lane was bright enough to see if anyone was following. I squatted down low to ensure I was hidden and catched my breath.

'I think you forgot something' As I opened my eyes and looked up to where the voice came from, it was the last person I wanted to see. It was the boy I had been running from with my pizzas in his hands. I was unsure if this was a joke and he was secretly hiding the knife under his hoodie still ready to use it on me. I could not tell how old he was from the bruises on his face, maybe 20's. His eyes were dark blue, they looked like they were looking straight through me, there was definitely no emotion in them. I stood up and stuck my hand out to take the pizza's but he was quick enough to move it away

'Hey, I payed for those' I opened my mouth and quickly regretted it

'Well you clearly didn't want them when you were running from me' He dropped the pizza boxes to the pavement and moved a step toward me, pushing me even further against the wall, just like I had seen him do to someone else only a few minutes previously

'I should probably kill you' He whispered in my ear, making my body shudder 'but you look shit scared and you're clearly new to this city life so I'm going to let you go but believe me when I say if I see you listening in on one of my conversations again, you won't be going home with your pizza' He took a step back and looked down at the pizza boxes. I slowly bent down to pick them up unsure if this was a prank. I cautiously began to walk away but not fully turning my back on this boy. I was shocked that he was allowing me to walk away after I had clearly seen him kill someone. It was fair to say my first outing in my new town was not the best, I had heard on the news all about gangs and how dangerous cities are but I never thought I would be in it.

When I turned back around to see if the boy was still watching, he had gone, and I hope it stays that way.