It had been a week since I arrived in Summerville and, as I made my way through the Richmond High School gates, I saw a bit of Summerville that I had yet to see...SMILES:) Everywhere I turned there are smiling pupils running around and chatting to their mates, there are even TEACHERS SMILING! You'd have never seen that in my old school. I carried on walking up to the big, red entrance only to find that there are security guards and machines looking for guns and other weapons. I tried to get through quick enough for them not to search me, but it was too late. The guard had already put his hand on my shoulder. I was so frightened I turned round and kicked him in the leg. "AWWWWWW" He started hopping on one leg, the surrounding children started laughing, and a teacher came through the doors. "What the hell is going on here?" Shouted a very young, handsome man as he ran across to make sure the guard was alright. "Dave, Dave are you okay? What happened?" Dave, the security guard stood up straight and pointed at me. "She's to blame, she kicked me in the leg for no reason at all." The teacher now had a very stern look on his face. I was about to reply when he put his hand in the air. "Save it and come with me." So I did as he said and me and Dave went off with him... to the head teachers office.

5...4...3...2...1... "Get in here now!" shouted the head teacher. I slouched my way through the door and into the office. Dave was sitting on a couch to the left of the door, the teacher who lead us there was leaning up against the back wall and the head teacher was sitting at his desk frowning. "What do you have to say for yourself?" I folded my arms and stared blank at the head. "GO ON, EXPLAIN!" I had never heard such a sound. "He touched me. I was walking past him and he touched me." Dave stood up about to defend himself. "Where? Where did he touch you?" her hand flew back up at Dave to stop his mouth from opening. "On my arm." I muttered. She laughed and Dave sat back down. "So you kicked him because he touched your arm." I knew that was not a question and therefore I did not answer. "What's your name?" Think, think, I need to think. What was it I decided? "Chlo. Chlo Ryan. It's my first day." I spoke loudly and confidently just like my dad had taught me 2 weeks previously. "Well, Chlo Ryan this is not the best start to your first day, and I didn't know that we had anyone new starting." I pulled out of my bag my papers and school paperwork. While the headmistress flicked through the folder, I glazed out of the window looking upon the school grounds. "Well, Chlo Ryan, I am sure you can start Richmond High School. However, it is the middle of term. I don't know whether now is the best time for you to start." "Please Miss, I'm begging you. I need to start and I need to start now." Miss Bangles searched my face for a clue of what I was talking about. "Why? Why are you so desperate to start now?" Think...think...think. "I'll be too far behind on my school work, and I won't have a clue about what the teachers are going on about. Please." "Rebecca?" a slim, blonde haired girl poker her head around the corner. "Yes Miss Bangles?" "See to it that Chlo has a timetable and is placed in sets she'll feel... comfortable in." "Yes Miss Bangles." And off she went tipping away at her computer. 5 minutes later Rebecca was back and handing Miss Bangles a piece of yellow paper. Miss Bangles rose from her chair, walked over to me, and gave me the paper. It was my new time table. "Come along Chlo and I'll take you to your first class." I did as she said and followed her out of her office and down the corridor until she stopped and knocked on a door. Knock, knock, knock. "Come in." As the door opened there stood a small, dump man standing in front of a desk. "Mr Dean, this is Chlo. She will be in your class from now on." "Oh, right. Well, Chlo if you would like to sit there. Next to Luke." He pointed his finger towards the desk far left at the back. As I walked to my new seat I heard people in the class turn, stare and whisper.

"Hey." Said the boy, Luke, I was sitting next to. He had long, ragged, brown hair and he wore a black leather jacket over his school uniform. "Hi." I replied. He smiled. "Luke Evens." His hand was held out. I shook it and answered "Chlo Ryan." "Okay then class where were we? Oh yes. Who here can tell me what Romeo and Juliet is about?" No one answered Mr Dean. "How about you Chlo?" I looked up. "Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It is among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers. Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. Its plot is based on an Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562 and retold in prose in Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1582." Everyone turned and stared at me. "Very good. I take it you have read the book?" Mr Dean asked. "Yeah. I've read it, but I've also seen the film and the performance at the Globe Theatre." I replied. Luke leaned over and whispered, "How'd you know all that?" I looked at him. "Like I said, I've read the book, seen the film and watched the performance." Luke looked confused, "I thought you just made that up." I shook my head, "Nope."

After English I made my way to science. "Hi, I'm Chlo Ryan." The teacher looked up. "Ah yes Chlo. Miss Bangles told me you'll be joining us. I'm Mrs Remand, deputy head." I shook her hand. "Take a seat next to Edman." She pointed at the front desk where there was an empty chair. I sat down. An hour later science was over and I headed to find my locker. Once I found it I opened it up. It was empty. I stuck my books that I'd been given in and went outside. Looking around I sat down under a tree. "Hey." I looked up. It was Luke. "Hi." I smiled as he sat down. "How was science? I heard you have Mrs Remand." "It was good. What about you?" He looked at the ground. "Boring. Hey, I was wondering if you..." "Aw look at that. Luke has a girlfriend." We both turned around to see Edman and four other boys standing there staring. "Bugger off Edman and get yourself a life." Luke said standing up. Edman come closer to him. They were inches apart. "Or what." Edman responded. "Oi!" it was the teacher who took me to Miss Bangle's office earlier this morning. "What's going on here?" He walked over and I stood up. "Ah, Miss Ryan lovely to see you again. Boys what's the issue today?" Edman smirked after saying, "He started it sir." Luke looked at sir, "It wasn't me sir. I didn't do anything." The teacher crossed his arms. "Mr Wheel I'm being serious I didn't do anything. Ask Chlo." Mr Wheel turned and looked at me, "Chlo?" "Luke didn't do anything sir, it was Edman." Edman glared at me, "Sir are you seriously going to believe her? A skiving, little cow who no one even knows anything about." "Leave her out of this." Luke snapped. "Luke, Edman and Chlo. Miss Bangle's office. NOW!"

"Chlo, we meet again." Miss Bangle's looked down at me. "Miss Bangle." I said under my breath. "Twice in one day. And I see this time you have company." I smiled, "Actually I haven't done anything, so I'll be going." I grabbed my bag and began to walk to out the door. "Wait right there young lady." I froze and then turned to face Miss Bangle. "I haven't done anything, so you can't keep me here." "Oh is that what you think." "Looks like your girlfriend has a temper." Edman sniggered. "I'm not his girlfriend!" I snapped. "Blazed." Edman laughed. "Will you just shut your face for 5 minutes?" I shouted to Edman. "Miss Ryan I think you should be quite this instant. Otherwise I might have to rethink about you being place at this school." Miss Bangle's shouted. I shook my head. "No, no please Miss please. I need this school. Please." "Well then sit down and be quite." So I did what Miss Bangle said and sat back down next to Luke. "For the next three days you will ALL be in the cooler. No ifs and NO buts." And with that Luke, Edman and I left the office and made our way to the cooler.