way that they treasured Louisa above all others.
I dried my hair before I tied it up into a ponytail, and then I put on my school uniform, which Gloria had left out for me on the seat. I looked at myself in the mirror, at my wide eyes and pale complexion. I wasn’t beautiful, not like Megan. The girl staring back at me was different somehow. Her looks didn’t stand out, but there was a glint to her eyes, and the way she curled her lip up to the side made her seem to stand out. I was different and there was nothing I could do about it; it was just the way I was.
I slung my school bag over my shoulder and left my room. I walked into the kitchen and put my bag down by the door. Louisa and Terry were already sitting at the table as Gloria refilled Terry’s mug of coffee.
‘Hi darling, would you like some toast?’ Gloria smiled over at me.
‘Yeah, that’d be great,’ I said as I walked over to the table and sat down by Louisa.
I was worried about whether Gloria and Terry would be okay with me after I’d mentioned Jake last night, but they seemed to be acting as normal. I was trying to act normal too, even though inside I was hiding the fact that tonight I planned to leave. Maybe that was just what people did, they went through life pretending that everything was just fine when really it wasn’t.
‘I wouldn’t mind a round as well, Gloria,’ Terry said before he took a sip of coffee.
Gloria placed a plateful of buttered white toast in front of Terry and took his old plate away. It didn’t surprise me that Terry got his toast before me; feeding him up seemed to be a part of Gloria’s job description.
It wasn’t long before Gloria brought a plateful of toast and a glass of orange juice over to me, and I thanked her. I finished my breakfast whilst Louisa went on about the netball match she was competing in and Terry moaned about the boring meetings he had to endure all day.
I knew that I would miss them all, even though they weren’t faultless. Maybe it’s the faults we have that frame who we really are, that make us alive.
‘Come on girls, else you’ll be late. I’ll give you both a lift.’ Gloria smiled at us as she headed towards the door.
I said bye to Terry and followed Louisa out of the room, picking my bag up en route.
I glanced back at Terry, who was wiping crumbs off his white shirt, and I found myself giving a knowing smile.
This would be the last time I had breakfast with the Prestons.
***
Veronica was talking to Rose as she rooted through her locker. I stopped, still in the corridor, and contemplated turning around and walking back the way I’d just come. I wasn’t going to do that, though, not on my last day here. I was going to face them both.
‘Look who it is,’ Veronica smirked, and Rose sniggered. ‘Crazy, crazy, crazy,’ she taunted.
‘Nice to see you too, Veronica.’ I rolled my eyes.
She closed her locker door and took a few steps forwards so that she was stood right in front of me looking down at my face.
‘Watch your step, weird girl, as I’m coming to get you,’ she whispered before turning around and walking off up the corridor with Rose by her side.
I tried to calm myself down as I watched her walk away. I was leaving today, and then I’d never have to see Veronica or her friends ever again. I was leaving today. I was leaving- the anger overpowered me, my eyes focused on her back. She fell forwards and landed hard on her chest. She screamed out, screamed out my name. That was when
I dried my hair before I tied it up into a ponytail, and then I put on my school uniform, which Gloria had left out for me on the seat. I looked at myself in the mirror, at my wide eyes and pale complexion. I wasn’t beautiful, not like Megan. The girl staring back at me was different somehow. Her looks didn’t stand out, but there was a glint to her eyes, and the way she curled her lip up to the side made her seem to stand out. I was different and there was nothing I could do about it; it was just the way I was.
I slung my school bag over my shoulder and left my room. I walked into the kitchen and put my bag down by the door. Louisa and Terry were already sitting at the table as Gloria refilled Terry’s mug of coffee.
‘Hi darling, would you like some toast?’ Gloria smiled over at me.
‘Yeah, that’d be great,’ I said as I walked over to the table and sat down by Louisa.
I was worried about whether Gloria and Terry would be okay with me after I’d mentioned Jake last night, but they seemed to be acting as normal. I was trying to act normal too, even though inside I was hiding the fact that tonight I planned to leave. Maybe that was just what people did, they went through life pretending that everything was just fine when really it wasn’t.
‘I wouldn’t mind a round as well, Gloria,’ Terry said before he took a sip of coffee.
Gloria placed a plateful of buttered white toast in front of Terry and took his old plate away. It didn’t surprise me that Terry got his toast before me; feeding him up seemed to be a part of Gloria’s job description.
It wasn’t long before Gloria brought a plateful of toast and a glass of orange juice over to me, and I thanked her. I finished my breakfast whilst Louisa went on about the netball match she was competing in and Terry moaned about the boring meetings he had to endure all day.
I knew that I would miss them all, even though they weren’t faultless. Maybe it’s the faults we have that frame who we really are, that make us alive.
‘Come on girls, else you’ll be late. I’ll give you both a lift.’ Gloria smiled at us as she headed towards the door.
I said bye to Terry and followed Louisa out of the room, picking my bag up en route.
I glanced back at Terry, who was wiping crumbs off his white shirt, and I found myself giving a knowing smile.
This would be the last time I had breakfast with the Prestons.
***
Veronica was talking to Rose as she rooted through her locker. I stopped, still in the corridor, and contemplated turning around and walking back the way I’d just come. I wasn’t going to do that, though, not on my last day here. I was going to face them both.
‘Look who it is,’ Veronica smirked, and Rose sniggered. ‘Crazy, crazy, crazy,’ she taunted.
‘Nice to see you too, Veronica.’ I rolled my eyes.
She closed her locker door and took a few steps forwards so that she was stood right in front of me looking down at my face.
‘Watch your step, weird girl, as I’m coming to get you,’ she whispered before turning around and walking off up the corridor with Rose by her side.
I tried to calm myself down as I watched her walk away. I was leaving today, and then I’d never have to see Veronica or her friends ever again. I was leaving today. I was leaving- the anger overpowered me, my eyes focused on her back. She fell forwards and landed hard on her chest. She screamed out, screamed out my name. That was when
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