Outcasted

Chapter 1 - Meeting Hailey

Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 6076 from United Airlines destination Washington Dulles. We are now inviting passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you.

I hate airports. All the business people running around for their lives, all the giggling families that are about to go on holidays, the couples crying as they say their goodbyes, or reuniting for that matter, I just don't like them at all.

"Lei," he looks at me with a sad smile "I still have to pass security."

"I know." I look up at him trying not to be sad "I guess I'll see you at Christmas?"

"For sure," he says as he strokes my hair playfully "And I'll make sure we do something fun while you come and visit."

*******

I park in the driveway and head to the front door. I feel the light wind in my skin, it brings a calming sea scent with it and brings me back memories of a happier time, happier, yes, but that in the end it would have been better if it never existed.

"I'm back!" I shout as I drop my handbag into the hall cupboard and throw my wedges to the side.

"Hi sweetie, I'm in the kitchen with Malia." I hear mum and so I head into the kitchen. "Where you on time?"

"Yes, we had time for a coffee and last minute conversation at the airport before he had to go through security." I steal a biscuit from the counter "When will dad be home?"

"He said he would come just after his meeting with the Watsons." I groan as I hear that name, the Watsons are the Parents of Stacey Watson, one of the most appraised girls at Ponte Vedra Private School and one of the many enemies I have created during this last year. I hate her, I hate everything here, I hate everyone, this place just thought me to hate, hate, hate.

"What is for dinner Malia?" Malia always cooks really well so I'm hoping that her answer will at least make me slightly happier.

"It's Sauteed Prawns as starters, Bacalhau com Natas° for mains with broccoli and salad on the side and for dessert we have either Apple Crumble with Custard or my Grandmothers recipe of Egg Pudding." She smiles.

"Oh Malia," I smile back "You are the best." She is one of the few things that this country brought me that I don't hate and she is not ever from here. Malia is originally from CapeVerd, but she came to this country last year as my au pair. I know i'm too big for a babysitter, but she is honestly more like a good company and an excellent helper, we always help her with her shores and for us she is like family already, and of course when I say us, I mean my mother, my brother and myself.

"Please don't tell me you are asking about your father because you want to discuss London again?" Mum asks with a worried frown forming. "You know that it was a final decision and he will not backdown on this."

"I was going to try to convince him, yes" I push a chair and sit across her as I speak. "but on the way here I figured that there is no point, so instead I am demanding to change School, put me wherever, there are so many other Schools in this place, I really don't need to stay in this one."

"I don't think that is for the best Heiley." She holds my hands inbetween hers as she speaks. "I know that you don't like the students and that you didn't have the best welcome you were expecting, but you have to think that this is the best school for you, you absolutely love the teachers there, also this is your senior year, changing now could jeopardize your changes of getting into a nice university and we both know how important that it to you." She finishes as I sigh. In the end she is right, I want to become a doctor and I already had to change last year from another country, changing again would be suicide to my future.