BLAMED...

Chapter 1. The Morning Before

Even amongst the huge crowd of teenagers waiting at the bus stop, Lani could be picked from a mile away. Lani's bright reddish shock of hair contrasted greatly against the cornflower blue sky and her pale skin was alien amongst the tanned tones of the teenagers around her. She pushed her way through the crowd of teenagers that were boarding the bus, hoping her boyfriend, Alex, had saved her a spot or she was sure she would be left standing. Sure enough, the backseat was full, except for a tiny space – a Lani shaped space - left between Alex and another girl, Tara, to his left. Lani squeezed her way through her peers, who glanced jealously at her as she sat down. Most of the bus was standing in the aisle, desperately clinging onto the safety bar, hoping that the bus driver knew what he was doing. As the full bus groaned itself down the street Lani wondered why she caught the late bus when she could have easily caught the earlier, much emptier bus.

"Alex catches this bus" she reminds herself. People would think she wasn't a good girlfriend to him if she didn't catch the bus with him. As they nearned the school, Lani tried to concentrate on the conversation her friends were having.

"Its going to be a big party, you should come" Tara told Alex, moving as close to him as possible without absorbing Lani's small body.

"I can't – I have... prior commitments" he told her. Tara gave him a confused look. "Lani will go, wont you?"

"I can come!" Lani said in hope that Alex would go if she was. Tara looked at Lani and with a hint of sarcasm, replied "Great," turning away from her and to their friends on her other side. Tara had always been a bit off with Lani, always a bit passive aggressive and sarcastic. When Lani told Alex this, he just shrugged it off and told her that Tara was probably 'jealous'. Lani just sighed and turned back to the window, wishing to get off the bus as soon as humanely possible. Almost before the bus had stopped, Lani shot up and squeezed her way through the aisle and to the front, where the door were opening. She jumped out and breathed a deep breath of oxygen. Even though claustrophoibia wasn't a huge fear of hers, she still hated tight, airless spaces.

Wandering up the staircase, she mentally prepared herself for school. Lani had always hated school, not so much the classes but the people. Noone seemed to like her, at least Lani had never felt close to anyone. She had no good friends, only partial friends she had made through Alex. She had no idea why Alex liked her. Sometimes she worried it was just about her looks, or her seemingly 'popular' status. She didn't even like hanging out with him that much – they had nothing in common. The only thing they ever did was make out or have sex when he was lucky. She lost her virginity over a year ago now. When they first started dating he pressured her a lot, until she gave in. Even now, she wishes that she had waited, that she hadn't rushed into things. The bell of school rang and shook her out of her dream.

As she grabbed her stuff for the period out of her locker, she saw Bella and Tara walking in her direction. She ran over and tried to start conversation with them.

"So, whose going to the party?" She asked Tara.

"Um, like everyone cool. The usual."

"So ill expect to see you there Bella!" Lani said

"Actually, I already have prior commitments but ill see your round. Bye Tara"

Tara too walked off until Lani was left standing alone in the hallway, remembering what Alex had said a couple of minutes ago, she asked herself

"What prior commitments?"

the picture is of the main character, Lani