Another World

Nine

Jackie 

It’s weird to think that four years ago there had been no Melissa in my life at all. I can’t believe it’s only been four years, it feels like a lifetime. Four years ago I was just a popular rich girl who attended a posh private school and whose daddy did everything to please her, or at least that’s what other people thought.

People expect your life to be perfect when you’re rich. They think it makes everything so much easier. If you’re one of those people, you are wrong on so many levels.

My name is Jackie Erikson. I’m an only child. My mother is a lawyer and my father is the CEO of Shell. When I was twelve years old I lived in Miami. My life was absolutely perfect. I had a wonderful boyfriend, I got good grades at school and my parents were happily married.

Then all of the sudden, my father filed for divorce and my mother started drinking huge amounts of tequila every night. My mother was furious; I could hear them screaming at each other, usually drunk, every night. From there, everything just went downhill. My parents got divorced and I became extremely suicidal. I was diagnosed with depression. I used to sit at my desk and scratch my skin with scissors until I bled. It didn’t hurt at all, it made the pain go away and for a second or two I would be satisfied. My stupid mother dragged me off to London with her. I wanted to stay with my dad, but I was only twelve at the time so I had no say in it whatsoever.

I had to be homeschooled until September as we had left America in May. I felt more alone than ever. After my boyfriend dumped me for my best friend I began cutting myself even more. I haven’t spoken to either of them since.

At my new school, I became known as a whore because I liked to hang out with the boys. They were so much nicer than those anorexic Justin Bieber obsessed pancake-faced girls.

I was thirteen years old when I met Melissa. At the time, she was one of the most popular girls at my school. Most of my guy friends fancied her. She was insanely beautiful and seemed absolutely perfect in my eyes. At the time she was going out with a guy called Chace. The first time I spoke to her was just before Christmas.

--Flashback--

“Chubby Bunny” Alex muttered as he stuffed another marshmallow in his mouth. The table was surrounded by Christian, James, Dallas and Daniel and Joseph. The boys were all cheering him on. It was absolutely hilarious. Alex was half-drooling as he began to cough out the marshmallows, having just beaten Dallas in their bet.

“Mate, look over there!” Joseph said as he pointed over to the girl sitting by herself in the corner of the lunch hall. She was wiping her face with a tissue and her skin was all red. From what I could see, she looked absolutely devastated.

“Is that Melissa Evans?” I asked

“Of course not, she’s never by herself” Alex muttered as he wiped the spit of his face

I looked over at the table where the popular people always sat. She wasn’t there.

“It’s her!” Daniel whispered

“DIBS!” Christian shouted as he stood up to go flirt with her now that she was all alone.

“Dude” I moaned “that’s disgusting.”

“Oh come on, it’s a once in a lifetime chance” Christian urged

“No.” I stated “I’ll go talk to her”

The boys all began to whistle and wriggle their eyebrows as I stood up to leave.

“That’s not what I meant” I laughed as I walked over to her