Strangers

Chapter One

Strangers

Chapter One

   How are we to ever fully understand the minds of those around us? To you the answer’s obvious; you can’t, only by analysing their personalities. For me though, well that’s where my story starts – me.

   Let me begin with an introduction. I am no ordinary teenager (or so I’m told). I obviously have a name but, for reasons only beknown to myself and a select few, I cannot mention it. To my friends I am known as Tiffany (or Tif for short). And as much as I wanted to blurt out to them everything in my mind, I couldn’t; not without breaking the promises I had made some time ago.

   You might have guessed, but I live a pretty secretive life. Even who I am to my friends is a lie (sometimes I see it as an illusion). What goes on around me outside school and friends is all I’ve truly understood. Now I’m getting ahead of myself – let’s see now... Ah, of course – school – never what I expected.

   Starting out in a new environment is hard enough when you don’t know anyone, where you’re going or who to avoid. This place though – uh, I didn’t even know the area. After getting out of the taxi, I noticed the building we had pulled up in front of. The sun’s rays bounded off the many windows. My eyes trailed down to the door that obviously must be the entrance. People huddled in groups nearby to it in about a twenty metre radius. Now and again one group would head through the double, glass-panelled doors. I heard the taxi pull away behind me; I gulped, flung my bag onto a shoulder and started off. From experience, I knew the best ways to not get noticed – head down, arms on bag strap and quick paces. Whether I was noticed or not I didn’t know; I was too busy watching my path. Once past the doors, I looked up. Not bothered about detail (I probably wasn’t going to be here long enough to remember anyone’s name); I trekked over to a desk. I looked over the counter and into the eyes of a woman. It was always the eyes; I never looked anywhere else on a person (or a stranger, in my current case).

   ‘Hello, can I help you?’ she asked caringly.

   ‘Hello. Yes please, I’m new in today and don’t know where I’m supposed to be.’ Best play it down, act normal, I thought to myself.

   ‘Ah, yes. I’ve been told to expect you... Miss...?’

   ‘O’Collins,’ I merely replied.

   ‘Thank you. If you would like to follow me please?’

   So I did. She took me through corridors and up a few staircases. We were walking through another corridor when voices sounded from within a nearby classroom.

   ‘Erm... that would be your classmates, dear. I hope you will find someone to show you around the rest of the school, Miss O’Collins. Good day.’ And she headed back downstairs. I followed her with my eyes until she had rounded the corner. As soon as she had disappeared, I then kept my focus on the far wall without taking in any actual details. Then a strange feeling came up my body; turning my head to face the door, I realised that there was a pane of glass between me and the classroom inside to my left, (where there should have been a solid wall). And I wished there was a wall there.

   A couple of pairs of eyes (why the eyes?) were watching me intently. I zoomed out my vision to take in the owners’ faces; not that I took in what they looked like, just the fact that they were both girls. Lowering my gaze and slowly stepping towards the door, I tried understanding what the shouting was about inside. Obviously, the noise was being made by boys, but what it was based around was beyond me. Wondering if my entering would change the atmosphere inside, I took hold of the handle and walked in.