UP IN FLAMES - Lydia Martin

002. Flasback to when you met me

It didn't take long for the class to fill up. She could see Lydia Martin sitting at the front, her ginger hair pulled up in a ponytail.

"Class..." started the teacher. "We had a new student join us today. Everyone, this is Skylar Argent."

Everyone's eyes snapped to the only unfamiliar face in the room. Skylar smiled at the teacher before she looked at Lydia Martin, making eye contact with the ginger. A smirk grew on her face as she studied the ginger's surprised expression, and she cynically sent her a small wave before turning back to the teacher.

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FLASHBACK, 10 YEARS AGO

SKYLAR'S VERSION

"I love it!" Skylar squealed, twirling the pink and blue ends of hair around her fingers. "Mommy, can I keep this FOREVER?"

"We'll see, Skye, how 'bout that?" Her mom said, and the two looked at each other through the mirror.

"Do you think people at school will like it?" Skylar asked, suddenly calm.

"I think they'll love it!" Her mom exclaimed, fixing the second pigtail.

"Yayyy! I actually can't wait. Malia said she dyed her hair purple. We're gonna be so coo!"

"So cool!" Her mom repeated and laughed along with Skylar.

Her mom's phone which was laying screen down on the bathroom counter suddenly chimed and she picked it up. "Mommy, someone texted you."

Her mom ripped the phone from Skylar's small hands, accidentally scratching her arm.

"Mommy! That hurt!"

"I'm sorry, Skye, but mommy is urgently needed at work. Can you go down to Malia's house and get a ride with her mom?"

"Sure." Said Skylar, disappointed. This had been the first interaction she had with her mom in over three days and she was already going back to work.

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"C'mon Skye, it'll be fine!" Malia said as the two walked up the steps to their school. "Everyone will LOVE our hair! I'm sure!"

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I'm ALWAYS sure." Malia grabbed Skylar's hand and dragged her up the rest of the steps and they burst through the doors of their school.

A few people glanced in their direction but no one seemed to be particularly interested in them.

"See?! Everyone loves it!" Malia exclaimed.

"I don't know..." Skylar muttered.

The two made their way down the corridor to their first class when their math teacher walked out of the classroom they passed. "Tate! I need to speak to you about something."

Malia groaned. "Oh nooo. She's gonna kill me. Go to our first class, I'll meet you there."

"Okay...." Skylar said as she watched Malia walk into the math classroom.