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I never anticipated my first couple of days of high school to be anything like this. I didn't want to be the new queen bee and don't expect to be homecoming queen either. I never wished for that. I just wanted a normal high school experience.

Why is everyone so hostile?

I was aware how everyone knew who I was and I instantly gathered how much they disliked me.

Yeah, I'm the kid who had drug-addict parents -- that spent most of their fortune getting wasted. I was the kid who watched her mother fall apart after her father killed himself and ultimately hurt all his fans in the process. People hate me. I know I have a reputation, still, I never thought it would follow me for the rest of my life. It's not my fault.

After the incident in the cafeteria caused by some dumb jock who thought it was hilarious to dump his lunch on me -- I told him to go fuck himself. I think he was a little shell-shocked, at my confidence to talk back to him. He was lucky I didn't knock him on his ass.

I stayed clear from anywhere that might cause any more exposure. I ate my lunch alone in my car and frequently kept my head down in the hallways and class.

My first week passed by without any more confrontation.

I still had the odd glares and whispers, though nothing too bad.

After history class, I grabbed my textbook and headed toward my locker. I flinch when I pass a bunch of jocks and cheerleaders on the way. I decide to keep walking, avoiding their heated gazes.

Ignore them, Marnie.

"Look guys, it's the psychotic freak." a tall girl with dark glossy hair snickers.

"Marnie the maniac." Wow, I love how original these airheads are.

I decide it's best to bite my tongue and move along, not once glancing their way. That's until one boy steps in my path. It's the sandy blond jock from the cafeteria and he still wears his evil, intimidating smirk.

Great.

"Where do you think you're going little girl, going to cry over daddy?"

He rubs his eyes, pretending to weep as his group of friends laugh. Heat rises in my face, my teeth clench in frustration and my eyes sting.

Who says shit like this?

I bite my lip, keeping my chin up.

I won't let him say stuff about my dad.

Walk away, Marnie.

I can't let him talk to me this way.

Trying to control the fury that takes over my body, I stare at those stone-cold, malicious eyes.

"My dad was loved by everyone, though I'm guessing you don't get enough love from your parents if you're making fun of mine. How sad."

I hear a few gasps behind me, I zone them all out. I refuse to look at anyone else but the tall, bulky guy in front of me. He narrows his dark navy eyes, his nostrils flaring.

I suddenly make sense of my mistake. I look for the easiest escape in this situation. Unfortunately, I'm blocked by his friends.

He steps closer to me, I have to crane my neck up at him due to his towering frame. "Yeah everyone liked your father until he went off the rails and became a trampy cokehead. I guess he didn't love his family enough to stop using, or maybe you were the reason he did it, right? And your mother, well, she's just an old, trashy slut. I mean she looked hot years ago but now I wouldn't even pay for... that." he looks down at my body, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You're just the same ugly bitch she is."

My eyes sting with unshed tears. I won't let him see me break, I will not look weak in front of all these students.

I slap him hard against his cheek, which caused an echo due to the impact it left on his skin. "Fuck you." A few more gasps of horror break out around me.

I'm guessing no one has stuck up for themselves in front of this asshole.

My heart rate doubles when his cold, stormy eyes meet mine.

Really Marnie? Why do you get yourself into this mess?

"You're going to regret that, slut. You better watch your back." he whispers coldly.

He walks through the sea of students, his shoulders heaving. I carry on walking down the corridor -- unaware of where I'm looking and walk straight into a brunette girl.

She looks up at me with her doe brown eyes.

"I'm sorry." her voice is soft, timid.

"No, no... I'm sorry I wasn't looking where I was going." I look around the hallway frantically, making sure I wasn't being followed.

"It's okay, hey, you're Marnie right?" she stares up at me, clutching a copy of Dorian Gray in her arms.

"Yeah." I smile.

"I'm Sky, it's nice to meet you." Wow, what a pretty name, I think to myself.

My face softens, this is the first person to welcome me with open arms. Could this be my first friend?

"That's a pretty name." I'm so bad at initiating a normal conversation.

She beams at me. "Thank you, people call me Skylar but I prefer Sky. So are you liking school so far?"

My lips turn down. Does she know how everyone talks to me? Did she see what happened in the cafeteria?

"Umm... It's okay, everything is... new."

She frowns, her dark eyebrows drawn together as if she's thinking hard about something. Her brown orbs turn warm, like melted dark chocolate.

She loops her free arm around mine. "Come on." and we walk towards the cafeteria.

Oh no.

This can't be good.

It's like I'm being led into a room full of wolves, waiting for their next meal.

"You can sit at my table." I shake my head furiously.

"I don't think that's a good idea." We stand in line, I feel a few glares burning a hole through my head.

"Don't worry you're safe with me. I promise." my nerves disappear. I don't know why, but I feel I can trust this girl. She doesn't seem threatening and I think we could be great friends if I made the effort.

After we grab our food and sit at an available table in the corner of the room, I exhale. I feel relieved to have company while I eat my lunch, however, I don't want to let myself get used to this. After all, it could be a one-time offer.

"So, have you made any other friends yet?" Sky asks while she eats her strawberry yoghurt.

I fidget in my seat, I knew this would come up sooner or later. "No."

Sky doesn't seem disgusted at my honesty. Thank goodness.

"No worries, I can be your first friend and I'll guide you." she bats her eyelashes, smiling and I grin.

At the same moment, we hear loud cheering coming from a table not far from us. When I look over, I see two stunning girls and three handsome boys wearing mostly black. The girls are wearing heavy dark makeup and their hair is unnaturally coloured. They are beautiful.

The first girl has long jet-black hair and fair skin, while the second girl has a bob-cut blonde head with blood-red streaks. They are dressed in the same short black skirts, black tights and boots with dark red crop tops.

The guys are hot in a punk-rock/bad-boy way. The first boy is pale, skinny, with messy golden hair. The second boy is lean, tanned, with spiky raven hair, his arm wrapped around the black-haired girl.

The third boy has chestnut hair, sun-kissed skin, and full red lips. He's more muscular and taller than the other boys.

I must have been caught staring as Sky speaks up. "That's the rock squad." I burst out laughing at her name for them.

The rock squad.

"Are they in a band?" I stare at the group with curiosity.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't heard of them. They are practically famous in this town." she nods her head in their direction. "There's JJ, Matt, Roxy, Harley and lead guitarist and singer -- Reese."

She points at the boy with chestnut hair as the lead man.

Reese. His name suits him.

"Have you heard them play?" I ask her.

Sky shakes her head. "No. Clubs are not my scene. I have heard they're pretty awesome, and they have a huge fan base in this town. They could be getting a record deal, though it could be gossip." she opens her bowl of salad and pokes her plastic fork into a cut-up tomato.

"Huh," my eyes wander over the group as they chatter rather animated. My eyes linger on the cute, dark-haired boy. He seems the leader of the group.

He has a dark, mysterious, bad-boy aura. His features are sharp and strong. He has a piercing on his left eyebrow and ear, his lips are full and pink and his eyelashes are long and dark.

I feel my face heat up, realising I'm checking this guy out. I don't usually stare so much, it's beyond embarrassing.

Sky chuckles. "I know, Reese is hot. I wouldn't fall for his charms, he's the biggest player in Westfield. Every girl, mainly groupies, end up heartbroken after a week with that guy."

I tuck my lower lip between my teeth, looking down at the table in front of me. "I don't plan on dating anyway."

Especially since everyone hates me. That guy will no doubt hate me too.

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