Shadows

Chapter Two

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Chapter Two

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The worst part of our school days isn't being pushed into lockers or shoved into doors or being beaten up by the hockey team or having freezing cold slushes thrown in our faces. No! It's not being able to express ourselves. We have been excluded from the arts programs. We are stuck in the boring subjects like math and science.

No one else seems to care, but I do. I love singing. I love drawing. I'm artistic, okay, is that such a crime? According to the word, it is. I'm not allowed to dream. I'm not allowed to do anything fun.

Even as a child, I was excluded from playing in the parks, there were huge signs stating that we weren't allowed in. We weren't allowed to play with the other kids in school. We were kept separate from them: a different playground, a different section of the classroom - sometimes different classrooms altogether. We had a different section of the lunch hall and the bathrooms. It was ridiculous.

I hated it, I still hate it now. It makes me feel like an outsider, which I already know I am. It's uncomfortable. Humans are supposed to be social but we have been deprived of our basic needs and rights.

And get this; Australia and New Zealand were the first almost completely democratic countries in the world, well, we don't get the right to vote - how sick is that? Would you be pissed off? I am. So could Australia and New Zealand be described as completely democratic? No! We don't get the chance to vote, not that many people care, but I do.

The one thing you have to realize is I care about a lot of things that we don't get to do.

Is it bad that I don't want to go to school? I mean Karla has it somewhat easy because she hangs out with the popular twins and I'm all alone. I'm hoping to see Austin today.

I really miss him. He's my best friend, nothing more, nothing less, let's get that straight.

"Hey Karla!" One of my sister's friends calls out walking over to us. "Dyke." She says looking at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Get lost."

"Don't talk to Ari like that." Karla snaps out, shoving me.

I caught myself before I fell. "She called me a dyke first!"

Rolling her eyes, Karla walks off with Ariana.

I sighed, picking up my backpack and walking off.

"Hey Mila!" I heard from behind me.

Turning, I smiled. "Hey Austin." Lifting my arm, I punched his shoulder. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I was visiting my grandmother in New South Wales." Austin responds, running a hand through his hair.

"You didn't call." I said.

Frowning, the older boy looks down. "I'm sorry Mila,"

"You scared the shit out of me. I thought something bad happened." I said.

"I'm sorry." Austin mumbles again.

I can't help but get distracted by a green eyed girl that walks past us, my eyes dropping down to her butt without my approval.

"Camila?" Austin asked, he waved his hand in front of my face. "Camila?"

Clearing my throat, I turn to look at him. "Yeah?"

"You know you can't stare at them, you'll get a beating." Austin said, he grasped my arm and dragged me away.

There are some rules I should probably tell you about.

Rule number 1: Those with tattoos, the Tats, are forbidden from looking at a Non-Tat. Those who do and are caught will be punished by means of beatings or whippings.