The Wrong Choices

1. I'm daydreaming again..

Chapter one

I've never understood why people try to rub everything they have in your face. Look at me, their constant showing-off says, look at me with a good boyfriend and lots of money and loads of friends and a great life. I suppose it just makes them feel better about themselves. I can't help wishing my boyfriend held my hand in the hallways or sat beside me in class.

I'm daydreaming again, I should really be listening but my brain won't allow me to for more than a few seconds.

I'm thinking back on how Ellen Jones was dragging her new boyfriend around after her. He looked like a dog trying, and failing, to resist a leash. She kissed him in the corridors at school, bitch. She held his hand as they were walking to class, arrogant. She-

"Lilli? Are you asleep or something? I asked you a question", Miss Edwards frowns disapprovingly at me, "how do you calculate speed?"

Everyone's looking at me, I can feel my cheeks flaring bright red. I get nervous when people are watching me, and right now the whole of my maths class have their eyes locked on me as I'm frantically trying to remember the answer.

"Distance over time," Jen hisses through her hand, while she pretends to cough.

"Um.... distance over time?" I say unsurely.

"Very good, Lilli, but Jennifer won't be there to help your in your exams. You're going to have to start paying attention in class......"

Whatever she says next gets lost in my head as my attention flicks to her hair. She must have got a haircut, it looks nice. Her hair is a dark brown, I can't tell whether it's natural or not. It falls in waves down to her pointed chin. She must be in her mid twenties, I think. Her fringe touches just above her eyebrows.

"Understood?" she asks, raising her sharp eyebrows.

"Um... yeah." In other words, I have absolutely no idea what you just said.

"Good." she turns around and starts writing on the whiteboard.

It's lunchtime next and I'm starving. I'm thinking about food. Damn, I love food. The pasta that's in the lunchbox in my locker, to be specific. Food is important in my life, like clothes or perfumes are for other girls. I'm always hungry, I try to keep food as close as possible. My stomach is in danger of making a noise somewhat alike to a dying whale and I clench it, attempting to stop the embarrassing noises.

I'm also tired. I didn't sleep until four last night. Even my brain can figure out that that's only three hours of sleep. I had to comfort my little sister, again. She hates when my parents shout at each other. She sleeps in my bed more often than her own lately. She cries for at least an hour then falls asleep as I hush her gently. I then have to comfort myself, my own silent tears, my body shaking.

I wish they'd just break up already because they are obviously not working. It would make me much happier, but what about Bella? My little sister would be torn apart. But she could understand, after a while, my brain argues. I can't figure out which would be better, my parents living together unhappily or them living apart happily.

My head shoots up at the sound of the bell. I shove all my books into my bag and scurry around the tables, desperate to get out of the stuffy classroom.

"Lilli!" Miss Edwards calls.

I turn my head around sharply, flicking someone in the face with my ponytail. "Yes, Miss?"

"I asked you to stay after class."

"Oh." I have no recollection of this. When did she ask me to stay after class?