Chapter 1: All beginnings have to start somewhere
"Do I have to go to a new school?" Almika whined, her fingers playing with the plait, which fell wispily down her back, "You could teach me at home."
"No I couldn't, not with the baby here now. He's going to need all my spare time and more. I wont have time to teach you properly." Oriola explained, turning the key in the car's ignition.
"Oh fine." Almika sighed, hugging her before she hopped out of the car.
Almika waved goodbye as the car rolled down the street and frowned as she turned to face the school. Instantly she knew shed never fir in, girls in their little skirts and singlet tops with their golden pigtails flying around as they ran after boys in baggy pants and t-shirts. As she looked up on what she wore, Almika groaned. Her feet were covered by black boots with silver laces, black and white striped knee-high socks hid her slim legs, the flared sleeves of a black and white striped t-shirt covered her arms and over the t-shirt sat a small, black, sleeveless dress. Her straight black hair was pulled to the top of her head and plaited all the way down her back to the waist where it was tied off with a simple red ribbon. Looking up again, Almika entered the gates of the school hesitantly and searched for some sort of direction. On the side of the closest building a metal green sign said, "Administration", with an arrow that pointed to her right. Following the various signs, Almika came to a small brick building with glass doors. Inside people ran around, some talking, some just standing around. As she stepped inside, to her left, was a small room with a single woman in it, so Almika stood at the door, leaning gently against it.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked, standing to face Almika.
"Yes, Im new here... I was wondering about school maps and stuff like that." Almika said.
"Oh! You must be Almika. Brenda will be here shortly to show you around, shes one of out other year 11's." the woman smiled, "Im Mrs Tinker... by the way, my son, Tobias is in your year too."
"Miss, excuse my rudeness, but Im late and have things to do before class." A tall, busty brunette in a small blue miniskirt said, fixing her curls as she smiled with painted-on red lips.
"Hello Brenda, this is Almika. She'll help you get settled in." Mrs Tinker smiled.
*Geez! She'd scare the hair off a werewolf!* Almika thought as she forced a smile and nodded politely.
*She almost has.* came a reply.
Almika looked confused for a moment and shrugged before following Brenda outside across the courtyard and into a fenced area labelled quaintly as 'The Senior's Area'. There were two large gates at the entrance, with a padlock hanging from one. Five distinct groups sat in separate areas of the space. Brenda walked her to a group of three girls who looked very similar to her, right down to the makeup.
"Tracey, Jasmine, Katie, this is Almika." Brenda said, "Shes the new girl Mrs Tinker told us about."
Tracey and Jasmine, obviously brushing her off, turned absently to Almika and smiled politely, returning instantly to their private conversation. Katie waved to her, without looking up. Suddenly the bell rand and everyone started to file off.
"Wheres your first class?" Brenda asked her.
"A4, Textiles." Almika replied, looking to her timetable.
"Oh, I'll show you where that is, my class is near there." Brenda smiled.
As they walked towards A block, at the entrance of the school, Almika searched desperately for someone who might be like her. Sadly she saw no-one, everyone seemed to be the same. Almika entered the textiles room slowly, it was already filling with students. She sat up the back, away from the other students, who all kept away from the seats around her. As Almika brought out her exercise book and pens, a young female teacher entered the room holding a pile of books.
"Good morning class." She said, "Today you are going to start looking over the notes that I gave you last lesson. If you don't have them, I have extra copies. Don't forget to highlight and take notes as you go. Any problems?"
No-one in the room said a word, so the teacher took a book and pile of papers from her desk and walked up to Almika before placing them on her desk and signing, 'Hello Almika, I'm Ms Stanley.'
"Hi." Almika said.
"This is all the work that you have to catch-up on. Theres not really a lot there, its just mostly notes." Ms Stanley smiled.
'Theres no use signing Miss. No-one except the teachers knows im deaf, and I lip-read well.' Almika signed.
Ms Stanley nodded and smiled. Not much else happened that class. The students worked quietly and Ms Stanley did work of her own. Almika's next class was Maths, and then came Recess. Almika sat alone during recess and lunch, no-one taking much notice of her. She watched as the ran around gossiping and laughing to each other like everything was just one big joke. By the end of lunch, Almika had started to hate the school and everyone in it. Her last class was Computer Studies, her favourite of all subjects. When she entered the room, it was empty, so she chose one of the front computers and sat down, waiting patiently. Not long after she had settled into the uncomfortable chair, a girl and two guys wandered in. The girl and one of the guys sat across the other side of the room, while the second guy sat beside Almika, although at the time she didn't notice. It wasn't until he tapped her on the shoulder that she turned around to see him frowning slightly at her.]
"Hey, you deaf or something?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yes actually, I am. Got a problem with that?" Almika sighed, annoyed.
"Oh sorry, I didn't realise. Im Jared, youre new right?" Jared asked.
"Yes. Im Almika." She replied, her patience wearing thin.
At that moment, the teacher entered the room and everything became quiet and still....
"Do I have to go to a new school?" Almika whined, her fingers playing with the plait, which fell wispily down her back, "You could teach me at home."
"No I couldn't, not with the baby here now. He's going to need all my spare time and more. I wont have time to teach you properly." Oriola explained, turning the key in the car's ignition.
"Oh fine." Almika sighed, hugging her before she hopped out of the car.
Almika waved goodbye as the car rolled down the street and frowned as she turned to face the school. Instantly she knew shed never fir in, girls in their little skirts and singlet tops with their golden pigtails flying around as they ran after boys in baggy pants and t-shirts. As she looked up on what she wore, Almika groaned. Her feet were covered by black boots with silver laces, black and white striped knee-high socks hid her slim legs, the flared sleeves of a black and white striped t-shirt covered her arms and over the t-shirt sat a small, black, sleeveless dress. Her straight black hair was pulled to the top of her head and plaited all the way down her back to the waist where it was tied off with a simple red ribbon. Looking up again, Almika entered the gates of the school hesitantly and searched for some sort of direction. On the side of the closest building a metal green sign said, "Administration", with an arrow that pointed to her right. Following the various signs, Almika came to a small brick building with glass doors. Inside people ran around, some talking, some just standing around. As she stepped inside, to her left, was a small room with a single woman in it, so Almika stood at the door, leaning gently against it.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked, standing to face Almika.
"Yes, Im new here... I was wondering about school maps and stuff like that." Almika said.
"Oh! You must be Almika. Brenda will be here shortly to show you around, shes one of out other year 11's." the woman smiled, "Im Mrs Tinker... by the way, my son, Tobias is in your year too."
"Miss, excuse my rudeness, but Im late and have things to do before class." A tall, busty brunette in a small blue miniskirt said, fixing her curls as she smiled with painted-on red lips.
"Hello Brenda, this is Almika. She'll help you get settled in." Mrs Tinker smiled.
*Geez! She'd scare the hair off a werewolf!* Almika thought as she forced a smile and nodded politely.
*She almost has.* came a reply.
Almika looked confused for a moment and shrugged before following Brenda outside across the courtyard and into a fenced area labelled quaintly as 'The Senior's Area'. There were two large gates at the entrance, with a padlock hanging from one. Five distinct groups sat in separate areas of the space. Brenda walked her to a group of three girls who looked very similar to her, right down to the makeup.
"Tracey, Jasmine, Katie, this is Almika." Brenda said, "Shes the new girl Mrs Tinker told us about."
Tracey and Jasmine, obviously brushing her off, turned absently to Almika and smiled politely, returning instantly to their private conversation. Katie waved to her, without looking up. Suddenly the bell rand and everyone started to file off.
"Wheres your first class?" Brenda asked her.
"A4, Textiles." Almika replied, looking to her timetable.
"Oh, I'll show you where that is, my class is near there." Brenda smiled.
As they walked towards A block, at the entrance of the school, Almika searched desperately for someone who might be like her. Sadly she saw no-one, everyone seemed to be the same. Almika entered the textiles room slowly, it was already filling with students. She sat up the back, away from the other students, who all kept away from the seats around her. As Almika brought out her exercise book and pens, a young female teacher entered the room holding a pile of books.
"Good morning class." She said, "Today you are going to start looking over the notes that I gave you last lesson. If you don't have them, I have extra copies. Don't forget to highlight and take notes as you go. Any problems?"
No-one in the room said a word, so the teacher took a book and pile of papers from her desk and walked up to Almika before placing them on her desk and signing, 'Hello Almika, I'm Ms Stanley.'
"Hi." Almika said.
"This is all the work that you have to catch-up on. Theres not really a lot there, its just mostly notes." Ms Stanley smiled.
'Theres no use signing Miss. No-one except the teachers knows im deaf, and I lip-read well.' Almika signed.
Ms Stanley nodded and smiled. Not much else happened that class. The students worked quietly and Ms Stanley did work of her own. Almika's next class was Maths, and then came Recess. Almika sat alone during recess and lunch, no-one taking much notice of her. She watched as the ran around gossiping and laughing to each other like everything was just one big joke. By the end of lunch, Almika had started to hate the school and everyone in it. Her last class was Computer Studies, her favourite of all subjects. When she entered the room, it was empty, so she chose one of the front computers and sat down, waiting patiently. Not long after she had settled into the uncomfortable chair, a girl and two guys wandered in. The girl and one of the guys sat across the other side of the room, while the second guy sat beside Almika, although at the time she didn't notice. It wasn't until he tapped her on the shoulder that she turned around to see him frowning slightly at her.]
"Hey, you deaf or something?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yes actually, I am. Got a problem with that?" Almika sighed, annoyed.
"Oh sorry, I didn't realise. Im Jared, youre new right?" Jared asked.
"Yes. Im Almika." She replied, her patience wearing thin.
At that moment, the teacher entered the room and everything became quiet and still....
