CHAPTER2
The bell rung,screaming through me as I lifted my groggy head from the pillow. I was over today already. It was my first day, but it felt like the Monday-ist of Mondays ever. Grabbing my uniform out of the wardrobe, I pulled on my pleated green and blue skirt, a fitted white shirt with a black necktie pushed into the collar. Tucking myself in, my look was finished with under the knee black socks and a blazer. It was early spring; the air was still cold, but it was even cooler by the coast where we were. I pulled my blonde hair into a high ponytail before slipping my feet into my boots. I strolled across the bedroom and sighed, looking out the window. The green and blue sea mixed with the white froth of the crashing waves as they hit the white cliffs on the coast. I had to admit, the view was stunning. That was the only good thing about this place.
The second bell rung, indicating it was time to move into the grand hall for breakfast. With a huff, I turned from the sea and headed out of my room. The butterflies were swarming my stomach, my heart racing in my chest. I never got anxious or nervous so why now?
I kept my head down and ignored the hustle and bustle of the filling corridors. I heard the whispers as I walked. I was the gossip of the school. The new girl.
My phone buzzed; random beeps echoed round the narrow halls. Pulling my phone from my pocket I saw a message from West Coast Cove Gossip.
Boys and girls, looks like we have fresh meat walking the halls.
Who is she?
That’s the problem, nobody knows.
Start the guesses… We have all day.
WCG X
I sighed, looking down the hallway as I felt the eyes of every single person on me. I hated being centre of attention, but here I was.
The hot new topic of West Coast Cove.
Brilliant.
Sitting on my bed,my eyes roamed over the timetable that was in front of me. English literature, calculus, Latin, French then finishing the Monday afternoon with algebra. Yuck.
I looked up, my eyes wandering down the busy halls with doors on either side, which people were ducking in and out of.
“Hey, I’m Regina.” A soft voice pulled me from my internal battle with myself. I turned my head to see a brown-haired girl with a dusting of freckles over her cheeks and nose. She was petite, naturally pretty. She had large, black glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose that she occasionally pushed back up again. We looked pretty similar, but I was blonde. She was brown. I also wear glasses, but only put them on when I have to read.
“Hi,” I smiled, my voice quiet as I stood and began to walk to my first class, my eyes casting down to the timetable, so I knew what direction to head in.
I heard her footsteps quicken as she walked beside me. Seemed I had a new friend.
“Where are you heading?” she asked.
“English lit, you?” I said with a sigh, she wasn’t irritating me, but I didn’t like people. I was quite happy by myself now; I had been alone for so long that it no longer bothered me.
“Me too,” I could hear how happy she was.
I smiled but kept quiet as I walked beside her.
“How are you finding West Coast? Are you new to the town too?” her questions felt like an attack.
I nodded; I wasn’t about to tell this stranger my life story. Yes, she was probably just being friendly, but also, I didn’t like to divulge my private life to anyone. My walls stay high, they will always stay high.
I don’t trust easily, and that won’t change.
Our walk continued in silence, Regina taking the hint that I didn’t want to talk. Sitting in the class, I tapped my pen on the open pages of my book as I listened to the stuffy professor drone on about what the first term was going to be about. I liked books, I liked reading, but I felt like this professor was going to bore me to death.
I heard snickering behind me as the professor pointed out for people to introduce their selves to him, he was a new teacher at West Coast so wanted to familiarise himself. I felt myself shrink as his pointer got closer and closer to me.
“Blondie by the window, with her head dipped low… what’s your name?” he smiled as he pushed his hand through his thick, black hair.
“Ivy,” I rushed out, my eyes steady as we stared at each other.
“Nice to meet you Ivy,” he smiled kindly at me. I returned the smile. We were both fish out of water. He seemed uptight, but maybe that was just a persona. Maybe he was nervous like me. This was one of the best schools in England, and we were both drowning in pretentious rich kids.