Estie Gaumond

Broken River Part 1

7:45. I've got 15 minutes before I need to leave. I'm not even dressed yet. My body is ice and I know I must have had a nightmare. The same nightmare. The one that occurs over and over again like the ticking of a clock. It has the same feeling. The feeling that someone is coming for me. A dark shadow creeping behind me. But I've never remembered the bloody dream. Ever. Maybe one day I will...

There I go being all melodramatic and it's my first day of school too. I need to get up because I've already wasted about 30 seconds trying to recall the same stupid dream that leaves me with the same stupid feeling. 

I look like shit. My eyes have blue bags under them and my lips are as pale as my sour face. I grab the bloody eyeliner and smudge it against my eyelids.The line comes out way too thick but I don't care. It makes some sort of statement. I need to stand out. I know I'll be popular because I'm the sort of person everyone wants to hang out with... right? This is what I tell myself every day and I always feel doubt. 

My mascara has gone dry because I left the top off. Shit. I steal some of Holly's which I know I'm not supposed to touch. She never uses it anyway. Even if she did, it wouldn't do anything. She has naturally long lashes and sweet lips. She's skinny and small, even though she eats loads of crap. She looks about 30 even though she's in her late 40s. Lucky as hell.

I never see Holly anymore. She's away on a business trip somewhere. I suppose it's better than having her bite my head off all the time. I spend most of my time alone in the house because no one's ever bloody here. I'm swearing way too much but it's only because I'm so stressed. 

As I open the fridge a horrible stench engulfs the air. The milk's off. I grab some stale bread from the bread bin and can't be bothered to toast it or add butter. So I just sit on the kitchen table and eat stale bread. I feel a bit sorry for myself, but only temporarily. I perk up when I find a half empty bottle of coke on the floor.

It may seem like we're poor as hell but we're not. We live in a large house but everyone's away all the time. As soon as I reached sixteen they all buggered off and let me deal with my bloody GCSE's on my own... That's a bit of a lie actually. I'm fifteen. We moved here recently and Kevin and Holly are working like mad to pay off the mortgage. Still, I hate being left alone. My only social interaction is on Tuesday with the cleaner. 

I spent the holiday moping about because I don't know anyone in this new, posh area. Finally I'm going to meet some actual living people (apart from the cleaner) and get some bloody qualifications.

Finally I'm out the door and my makeup is messy but I look quite cool with my trimmed short skirt and wonky tie. I'm wearing Kevin's old leather jacket and it's all oversized and edgy. 

People are staring at me as I walk down the street. I'm walking fast because I know I'm going to be late. That's one way to make a great first impression.

Finally I arrive and the building looks like a literal prison, with iron gates and dark windows. I raise my eyebrows and enter. 

A lady directs me to the classroom and gives me a timetable. She explains that I will have form time first. She's looking at me like I'm a prostitute for some reason. This pisses me off.

I storm through the corridors and pretend I know exactly where I'm going. I open a door and sit down in the first seat I can find. It's next to a boy. Shit. Everyone's staring at me. Shit. The teacher is heading my way. Shit. I look at the board and notice her name is written down. "Miss Parfitt."

"Good morning Miss Parfitt," I say. It comes out way too posh and I sound so dumb. She seems pleased for some reason.

"Good morning! You must be Forest Gaumond. Is that right?"