Secrets And Demons

Chapter 1

Hello everyone, I just want to say, I will be basing this story on how my country's education system is with maybe a twist, but mostly it will represent some of my own experiences with the system. I am based in South Africa, so I will be using South African Rand and the schooling system will be based mostly on what we have here.

Another day at school and it's just been a miserable day for me. First I had a very late shift at the fast food restaurant I work at... I'm the waitress... yippee, right... Then it rained and I was the lucky one to be drenched in it because I really can't afford a bus nor do I have a car.

I try to not let anyone know just how bad, mine and my aunt's financial situation is. Oh and to top it all off after looking like a drowned rat. I am also late for my first class.

I walk in and of course all eyes are on me. I put my head down and walk to the back of the class where my one and only friend is sitting, Sara. "Ah Mia Pierce? You've decided to finally join us..." my Afrikaans teacher says sarcastically as I take my seat.

I mumble my apologies and quickly scratch through my backpack for this classes books. "Anyways class... this is Ryan-" she leaves the statement open and I look up. It's only then I notice the guy standing next to her. And wow. Some eye candy, yeah.

He has dark brown hair, that is left to do it's own thing and gorgeous greenish eyes. I can't see the exact color seeing as I'm sitting at the back as well as his eyes are downcast. "Ryan Harrison..." he mumbles and Mrs van Zyl quickly carries on.

"Ryan Harrison." She echoes his name and points to the open seat right in front of her desk. "Take your seat." He moves to the table and sits down. She gets a textbook for him and passes it to him. "I trust you will get the required stationary as well as the correct uniform." He nods his head and she begins to teach us about what do you know... common mistakes made when writing in Afrikaans...

I groan and stare at the new guy. I don't know what it is about him but all I know is I'm intrigued by him. "Psst." I look to my right and see Sara looking at me worried. "Are you okay? You look like shit."

"Ah thanks for the compliment..." I bite back at her and she takes the hint to let me be in the foul mood I am in for a while.

Mrs van Zyl talks about how tenses are very easily confusing to students. I lean my head against my cheek and before I know it, I'm fast asleep.

I'm awoken by the bell. Sara looks at me with concern written over her face and I wave my hand at her. "I'm fine..." I say meekly.

"I can fetch you... really Mia... you'll get pneumonia if you carry on like this." I pack my stuff away and shrug my shoulders. She has a car but I don't want to accept her offer because I know that the extra gas to fetch me will just put more strain on her own family.

"I'm fine... really... I just had a rough start to the day..." I say in my own defense and she nods her head.

I head to my next class and what do you know... Life Orientation... I groan once more and head to the gym.

Once there, I see our coach/teacher there already. Except he isn't in his usual attire, instead he is in swim shorts, a white shirt and flip flops. We all look at each other in confusion and I see Ryan is in the class as well. He looks so lost. Like a sheep in a herd of cattle.

"Good morning everybody!" He says oh so cheerfully. We all mumble a greeting back and he completely ignores our lack of enthusiasm. "I know the weather is not ideal... but it's on the syllabus for today... sooo... we need to do it..."

"Great... what are we gonna have to do..." I mutter to Sara. I imagine us having to run on the wet grass or do a team building challenge or something.

"Well... everyone please go to the lockers and put on your swim clothes... it's swimming day!" He claps his hands excitedly. There are so many grumbles from most of the other students but he completely ignores them. "Go on now... I'll give you five minutes..." everyone heads to the locker rooms except for Ryan.

"Um... sir?" He says softly. I slow my pace as the others rush to get changed.

"Yes new kid?" He asks while tapping on his clipboard.

"I don't have swim clothes..." I realize it's just about clothes and I can't help him there, so I go change.

Once I'm in the change room, I grab the mandatory one piece and my towel. I go to the one room and change into the swimsuit and the 'gown' us girls have to wear, I put my clothes in my locker and walk back out to the gym. Everyone is there including Ryan, he has swim shorts on so I guess coach made a plan and he's still wearing his navy shirt. Which I thought is odd, but who am I to judge, right?

We all walk from the gym area to the pool room. And we line up next to the pool like we always have to. "Alrighty, girls, gowns off, boys, shirts off." He commands us and everyone complies except Ryan, it looks like he has seen a ghost.

"New kid? Did you not hear what I just said?" He hisses at him and walks towards him. Ryan on the other hand begins to back away from him..

"Please... sir... let me keep my shirt on... please..." he begs the coach. The class begins to snicker and talk about why he is so scared to take off his shirt.

Coach Davis is infront of him now, I move closer, not to be nosy, but because I feel like I'm hypnotized by him. Sara calls me repeatedly but I ignore her and move closer. "Ryan... I said take it off!" He shouts at him.

I see Ryan cower away and he begs again. "Don't do this... please sir... please!" He sounds like he is on the verge of tears and the fear is written all over his face and throughout his body language.

Coach grabs the bottom of the shirt and pulls, Ryan struggles and tries to keep the shirt on by turning away from him, but coach ultimately wins. The shirt flies to the right and onto the floor, I see his chest and wonder why he didn't want to take the shirt off.

"What the f-" coach catches himself as his eyes widen. Ryan hangs his head in defeat... it's a long pause before coach speaks again. "Put it back on."

Everyone begins mumbling again and I watch how he carefully walks to his shirt without turning his body too much, he turns to picks it up and when he stands up straight everybody in the room gasps including me.

His back. It's full of scars. Long ones. Short ones. Thin ones. Fat ones. All the different sizes a person can imagine.

He pulls the shirt on but doesn't look up again, he knows everyone has one question on their mind...

'How did he get them and why?'

Hello everyone, fun fact about my writing style. I never fully have a set out plot with twists. I get an idea, start writing and as I write, I figure out the plottwists. So when writing, I'm just as excited as when you read. As I myself never see where the story is going. Tehehe. How do you think he got those scars?



Mia Pierce



Ryan Harrison