|Into the Unknown| ~ by Daniella Thompson.

The Beginning.

"You're seriously not thinking of fully dropping..right???"

She looked at me bewildered, like I had just grabbed a pair of thongs and wore them on my head. Penelope was always proper..well what I call her. Long, blonde, perfected heatless curls and her grades..absolutely astonishing.

Then there was me. Named after a bloody reward that Pirates used to find. My hair is brown, a bit of red peeking through from old hair dye, which was a stupid decision because I get mistaken for ginger..not that it's a bad thing but I'm clearly brunette. My false lashes hanging on for dear life and that also signifies my grades and attendance which is far from hanging on for dear life. It's now in a whole different nation of hanging.

"Schools not for me Nel..I'm finally content with that decision. In a matter of fact I'm overjoyed." I say with a relaxed smile on my face..but internally I was trying to convince myself that it was the right choice, in a matter of fact it feels like the papers and forms are still in my hand and I'm stuck contemplating, everything.

"Treasure..you do realise there is only two months left of school..right?" She replied, her eyebrows furrowed and face that looked of concern? Of confusion?

She's right..there is two months of school left..but I'm afraid I couldn't be in this shithole any longer.

Ms Marg complaining that her favourite red lipstick was out of stock and had to convert to flipping purple, which makes it look like she's eaten a purple crayon, Mr Curb showing videos of his dog doing tricks and saying "Isn't he brilliant?" every five blimming seconds and then Ms Loopy Lowe coming into school high and her excuse is that "I need to be to deal with all of you."

I look at Penelope dead in the eyes. You would think it was funny really looking at it, but I was very much serious.

"Penelope, I am leaving, rather there was 2 weeks left or two days. I'm out."

She looked at me with uncertainty. Penelope is a good friend, perhaps one of the bestest friends I ever had. She helped me cheat in a lot of my exams, always spoke good about me to her parents after they were convinced I was a bad influence and even helped dug my earring out of a toilet one time in a backstreet club after having a couple of beavies. However, I can no longer rely on her for my future anymore. I'm 18 for god sake. An adult. I need to find a new chapter for my life and what will suit me and help me in the long term.

"If that's what you want, then I'll support it either way but please do not join some weird gang on the street or even start a business where you sell those weird looking dolls. Get a good job treasure." She advised with a maternal tone.

"Wait what's wrong with my dolls?" I replied, offended.

"They look bloody disheveled and creepy.." She retorted, her nose scrunching up with disgust.

The dolls she mentioned are one of a kind. Monster high dolls and they stood high up on my shelf above my desk. They are ones from what I have collected as a kid and thought of possibly selling them to get spondoolies but I've decided to keep them as they are my childhood heirlooms.

"Well for your information, they would do hundreds on eBay! Do you see the amount of people that was bidding on them? Hello?" I state, simply and utterly factual.

"Whatever, just do well with yourself okay? I'll miss you, and now I'll have to put up with Ms Marg by myself for good." She leans in for a hug with a sad smile on her face.

I felt bad. Truly I did. She had other friends of course, but with me she could be her true self and not the mask of proper and preppy Penelope. To me and her she was just Nel. 

I hugged her back tightly and the situation hit me more. I had been in this school for majority of my life and I felt a lump form in my throat. One of discontent and one of also reality.

---------------------------------

A week later.

"Okay so I'm definitely going to be unemployed for the rest of my life." I say out loud to myself. A packet of Doritos sat crooked on the left side of my bed. My school uniform, which I had tried to burn, laid on the wooden floor half in tact. My bedside table which consisted of 3 bottles of water, mostly empty and then there was my disheveled self sitting in bed on my pink MacBook, searching for jobs. 

Last week I had applied for a few. A barista job, down a shady alleyway down my street and a manager that told me herself they needed to restock on their Chamomile teabags because she ended up drinking them all while working. Then out of fear she declined my job application as I playfully told her "I love Chamomile tea as well, I don't blame you." A waitress job, but I was immediately declined after the woman interviewing me had beef with my mom in high school after my mom refused to give her a spare cigarette during break time. Lastly, a flower shop assistant and the man working there made me cut a stem of a rose. It ended up getting cut too short by exactly one centimetre and he kindly told me "Your eyes are not good for measurements dear, perhaps a visit to the local eye shop will do." What. The. Fuck. 

So here I am, scrolling online. Looking at jobs and descriptions and realising that they all require certifications and qualifications. It made me rethink my decisions of dropping out. That I maybe should have stuck the two months out..then suddenly my thoughts were interrupted.

"Oi, Mom asked for you to peel the potatoes and carrots for the roastie." My annoying 14 year old brother, Jack announces.

"Can't you do it? You're always sat on your gaming chair, playing playstation you lazy twat." I respond not looking up from my MacBook.

"No I'm not doing it, and I may be a lazy twat but you're the one sat on your arse in bed for the past week and to make it worse an unemployed dropout. See ya!" He slams the door with satisfaction and I groggily pull myself out of bed and slump down the stairs.

"Finally!! Hurry up I've already got the chicken on!" My mom ushers, as she runs around the kitchen like a madwoman. I sigh heavily and realise that this could possibly be my life. Forever.