Moving schools hadn't been hard in the past, it was change and I hadn't had enough time to settle or become attached. But this time was different. I'd spent five years with the same people at the same school doing the same thing but like things do, that had to change.
All the schools in Devon had shut down and been bulldozed.
The media called it an epidemic, no one knew why this had happened and teachers were just as clueless.
Within a month, there was no sign of education anywhere. For a kid, this was heaven, but then relocation happened. Of course it was bound to happen, the government couldn't just leave all the children without an education but still it was a shock.
I got relocated in a place near London, seven hours from my cosy countryside home, I still don't know the name of it, even after six months of being here. Luckily, Robyn, one of my extremely close friends who was the reason some people were still breathing, got relocated with me. Besides her, we were on our own, completely. I mean, I miss all of my other friends but I wasn't alone. My parents had to stay in Devon to continue their lives and maintain their normality and Robyn's parents, well, they were... indisposed. So, after a words with the government from my mother, we lived on our own in a nice little house within walking distance from our school. I guess we could say, we started out on benefits but not because we needed them, just as a permanent reassurance that we would never go hungry or get frost bite or something stupid like that. It was the governments way of showing the world it looked out for its youngsters!
The school itself wasn't bad, it had a sixth form and a recently added extension that now housed a college, the building surprisingly looked friendly, not in the 'I want to turn up to school everyday' kind of feel, more of a 'warm' feeling sort of place. But there was a drawback - the students. The other pupils instantly took a disliking to us, refusing to talk or interact with us. But being an outcast was something I was used to. Me and Robyn had started off by sticking to ourselves, not interacting, be secluded but after weeks of boredom, we needed something, anything to do. Yes, your average students don't own properties or run shops, but we were far from average.
Yep, we started a pet shop, not in the sense of it being a success, in the sense of we were that bored. It was kind of like a pet shop slash pet salon slash vets, you know? We hired some people to run it whilst we were at school and also some retired vets who were more than happy to help.
The pet shop is still running smoothly and nearly all the locals know us well. We still don't get on with anyone at the school but we couldn't care less. We enrolled as Bobbi Marshall and Fleur Rickard, we got a fresh start and so far - we loved it.
--------------------------------------------------------
Monday. Morning. Two words which should never be uttered in the same sentence unless the sentence is 'Monday morning is cancelled'. Me and Bobbi were sat in our tutor waiting for school to start. We did so every morning, the same thing, whilst we waited we spent about half an hour skyping all our buddies who were scattered across the country. It was the only way we all stayed connected now. When we all lived in Devon, every weekend we would meet up, now that was just a memory.
"Girls, phones away please," Miss Thathira called, setting down the pile of books and her laptop on the desk. "See ya guys," I said quickly before ending the call and putting my phone into my bag. Bobbi took out her earphones and I could hear the faint sound of Lucy Spraggan playing and smirked, Bobbi was one for a country singer. "What lessons do you have today Fleur?" Miss Thathira asked, wiping the whiteboard clean. I poked Bobbi until she pulled out her timetable, rolling her eyes at me. "Uh, Maths, English, Spanish, Art and then Free Period," I read of the sheet of paper, handing it back to Bobbi. Miss Thathira dashed to her desk, obviously remembering something she should have done, and pulled a few sheets of papers out of the draws. "These are for you," she said, cringing. I examined the papers only to realise they were maths papers. "Just curious, but are these due for today?" I asked, looking up slightly. Miss Thathira looked down, turning a vibrant shade of pink and she nodded her head, "I'll write you a note". I rolled my eyes at Bobbi, this was not the first time I had been given work late, Bobbi swatted me with her book and we both laughed.
The bell rang and the class began to fill with the other members of the tutor. Just as I looked up, a bag swung into my face painfully. "Oops, didn't see you there, probably because you're so short," Abigail hissed, "freak," she whispered under her voice. I turned away, at least I wasn't stupid enough to actually give a damn about what a popular kid thought. "So, in free period, I need you to run down to the supermarket and buy some more food, the delivery is late again and I can't wait until tomorrow to feed everyone, cool?" Bobbi babbled on, I nodded on cue. The delivery was always late unless I ordered it, it was kind of ironic that, Bobbi always said she ordered it on time but whenever the bill came through, it was ordered late. I didn't question her though, she had more on her mind than ordering supplies. "Write me a list and I'll get it," I mumbled, scribbling some notes down in my diary as Miss Thathira called them out. "Hey, Freak, we've got English today, gonna fawn over the teacher again?" A girl called out behind me, making her friends snigger. I didn't intend to think the teacher was cute, but he was, at first, I thought he was a pupil, he's nineteen, it didn't make sense at how he was a teacher but he was. I'd accidently told Bobbi in the earshot of some gossiping girls and now half the school knew I liked him. But, to be perfectly honest, it didn't really bother me. Teachers would just think it was gossip and I'd never get looked at twice about it. "It's more interesting to look at him than you're ugly ass," Bobbi called back, standing up for me once again. This time some of the boys laughed and Abigail shut up. "I think we've swapped roles since we moved," I chirped at her, smirking my damn ass off as usual. Bobbi let out her whole hearted laugh which sounded sweeter than birds singing in the morning, she'd stopped laughing for a while and the sound was now a luxury. "Yeah, I think we have," She replied, once her giggles had subsided. The bell rang out and the drag of Monday's began.
Maths had never been something I was good at. Numbers and triangles and theories just confused me, I guess like it did to most children. I never understood the need for it so it never really had a reason to click in my brain, but honestly, I'd got better since I'd moved, not sure why, maybe I didn't have the constant distraction of the boys who I'd once cursed under my breath about around me. I mean, I had obviously got some of it else I'd have never made it through five years of school, but it was like trying to learn a foreign language with no motivation, hellish! "Look, its simple, just draw two arc's from each side over half way, draw in the angle bisector and mark the point," Bobbi explained for about the a hundredth time. My response? I blinked at the paper, the compass, the ruler and then at her. She sighed heavily and slammed her head against the table. "Um, quick question, what the hell is an angle bisector? And who the hell is Loci, I thought he was a God from Asgard" I asked, staring dumbfounded at the teacher who had also resigned at trying to teach me about loci. "Just copy what Bobbi wrote down and we'll pretend you understand," Mrs Jamison said, sighing also. I shrugged my shoulders but copied down Bobbi's diagram and sat there humming, feeling chuffed. Mrs Jamison shook her head but continued.
"I seriously don't understand how you can make one thing seem so alien," Bobbi exclaimed as we left the classroom. "It's easy, it goes into my brain, gets messed up and I say my version, it's a gift of mine," I explained, smiling widely then getting smacked by her maths book. "Sheesh, I'm losing brain cells every time you do that, you want me to be dumber than I already am!" I cried, faking tears and rubbing my sore head. "That would be an achievement," Bobbi said smugly, opening her locker, I frowned at her but opened mine and piled my books into it. "Ohhh, we had homework didn't we?" I said, pulling out a worksheet that was blank. "You, Miss Fleur Rickard, are a royal nightmare, come on, we can quickly get it done," Bobbi sighed, slamming her locker door shut and dragging me down the corridor. Bobbi sighed an awful lot around me, I'm not sure why though....
The bell rang as I filled in the last line. "Done ma'am," I said, waving the sheet around like a trophy. Bobbi grabbed it and gave it a once over. "Good, now hurry up else we'll be late, again, we will be late again," she growled, attempting the pull her strap on her shoulder, "stuck, stuck," she said, spinning round in circles. "Ugh, don't spin," I grabbed her, pulling the strap over her shoulder, "why do you always spin, it's not going to help, you know?" I asked, slinging my back on my back and heading down the corridor again. Bobbi latched onto my bag and we manoeuvred through the throng of people and into out half filled classroom. Abigail and her little trio sniggered as we entered the class. "Hey Freak, I wonder if Mr Summer will notice you today," she laughed. I smiled sweetly before sitting in my seat and pulling out my books. Bobbi went to say something in response but I glowered at her and she sat silently. As the class filled, the noise level rose, making it almost impossible to hear anyone, including Bobbi who was trying to explain what she wanted me to buy. I nodded at parts which I presumed needed nodding at but every word that came out of her mouth was lost before it reached my ears. "Settle down," a voice boomed from the front of the class and within seconds the room was silent. "Morning, I hope you all remembered the homework that was set," Mr Summer stated, rousing some groans from pupils who had forgot. Bobbi elbowed me and I laughed, if it weren't for her, I'd be lost. Mr Summer looked at me and I stopped laughing immediately and he smirked. "Sir, what if we haven't done the homework? Surely, you'll go easy on us poor girls," Abigail flirted, biting her lip. Mr Summer rolled his eyes, "you get the same punishment everyone else does, gender equality and all," he replied sharply.
I wasn't the only one who liked him, I was just the only one judged for liking him. Abigail had threatened me to 'back off' when she found out I had eyed him up. As if either of us stood a chance, he was nineteen and rumours had flown around he was in a relationship. I was just daydreaming whereas Abigail, well, she thought she was a goldmine to boys. "Right, pull out your books, today we're going to do Shakespeare," Mr Summer stated, rousing even more groans this time. "Do we have any actors who would like to make this more interesting, we shall be covering everyone's favourite, Romeo and Juliet". Immediately Abigail's hand flew up, she was more than just a drama queen, she thought she was going to be an actress one day yet she had the social skills of a rat. "Sir, I'll be Juliet if you be Romeo, you do have the voice of a heartthrob anyway," She said in her most 'seductive' voice, everyone laughed and Mr Summer just rolled his eyes. "We're just saying the words, not acting it out by the way Abigail, in case you were wondering," he muttered under his breath. Abigail frowned, crossing her arms over her chest, "then how will anyone understand it properly if we don't, hmm?" she questioned angrily. Mr Summer stood up, "Miss Filton, let me make this clear, I am not going to kiss you," he explained clearly. Again, everyone laughed and Abigail went so pink she got up and stormed out of the class. "Now that has been sorted, anyone else? Fleur, what about you?" Mr Summer asked, looking directly at me. I smirked, "sorry Sir but I don't think I can beat her acting, she's just got the knack for it, you know?", the boys cheered and some of the girls laughed as well, even Mr Summer laughed, "fair enough, I'll just read it and everyone follow along in the books you have," he explained.
By the end of the class, so many of the boys had to timeout because apparently the content of Romeo and Juliet had become a sort of inappropriate joke to them that the class had fallen into a fit of laughter, causing stitches and tears. "Right, before you leave, your homework is to read the whole play, I will be quizzing you all on it next lesson, so be prepared," Mr Summer called over the bustle of the students packing away their books. "My god, I don't think I've ever seen so many people laugh at once," Bobbi exclaimed, wiping the tears off of her face. I laughed a little, showing my book into my bag, along with the play. "Well, hey, at least no one is going to forget the content of Romeo and Juliet now," I shrugged my bag on, "You still haven't written me a list". The bell rang and Mr Summer dismissed us. As I went to head out, he called me back, signalling for Bobbi to go on. "What's been going on with you and Abigail? A lot of rumours are flying around at the moment surrounding you two," he asked, staring me down in his teacher-y business kind of way. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to make it seem like nothing, "just girls being girls really". He looked at me once more before straightening up. "Fine, ok, off you go," he said, waving his hand dismissively at me. I headed out the door and shut it behind me to find Bobbi leaning against the wall. "What was that about?" she asked, pulling herself away. "Just about the 'rumours' flying around, god, I hope he doesn't think their true," I stated, internally hoping he didn't. "Nah, he probably doesn't, you've seen his attitude towards Abi, he'll just think it's another hoax of her's, come on, else we'll be late for our next lessons," she said, bustling me towards our next classroom.
I hope he doesn't, I actually like English and I don't want it to get awkward.... Maybe Bobbi's right about this one....
I hope she's right!