Under the Pohutukawa

"It's old gnarled branches drooped as if weighed down by the many red flowers that decorated it. The thick trunk was easy to climb due to the knots and stumps of what used to be branches protruding out of it. You could almost feel the wisdom of the old Pohutukawa Tree. It was one of the only places where I could sit in peace, away from the taunts of the other students."

"But as I approached the ancient tree, I sensed I was not alone in this desolate part of the school grounds. There, under the Pohutukawa, was a boy quietly playing his guitar."

It was the first term of the year at Lake Rotorua Highschool. After a whole six weeks of listening to her sisters argue about clothes, parties and their social statues, Freya Reed was looking forward to the quiet routine of school. Seen as shy and bullied by her older sisters, Freya stayed away from the other students, content to sit and draw, but longing for a friend. When a new student arrives from Russia things start to change in Freya's usually quiet life...