The room was loud and chaotic as young couples danced and socialised. A blonde girl followed by two brunette minions and their three dates walked into the room. The entire room came to a halt as they stared in admiration at the girl's arrival as though they were royalty. The girls indulged in the attention they were getting from all the room they slowly began to descend the stairs making their way into the centre of the dance floor. Up on the balcony hidden in the darkness a slight silhouette rushed around frantically.
"Do you think this is still a good idea?" said the second person
"Don't back out on me now. We agreed this had to be done right?"
Hesitation loomed for a moment before the second person agreed "Right"
The three girls lead by the beautiful blonde arrived in the centre of the dance floor. The house lights went down and the room stood sombre waiting for the spotlight to shine on the three girls as the spotlight hit the three girls so did heaps of slimy, smelly manure. The shrill screams coming from the girls echoed through the deadly silent room before the room filled with laughter and the regurgitating smell of manure that saturated the girls.
Two slender girls came running down the stairs in hopes of making a getaway they flew through the doors at the bottom of the stairwell to be stopped in their tracks by an angry man who stood with his arms folded.
LATER
The brunette stood nonchalant dressed in baggy pants and a hooded green jacket. She stood with her hands in her pockets waiting for the reprimand to come to an end.
"I'm sorry Mr and Mrs Collins but this is just one of a long list of incidents since Tegan began attending our school and I'm sorry but we have no other option than to expel Tegan effective immediately"
"Mr Alonzo please let's talk about this" pleaded Mrs Collins
"I'm sorry Mrs Collins but there is nothing more we can do. We have tried everything to help Tegan but I'm afraid she doesn't want to be helped"
"That's because there's nothing wrong with me" snarled Tegan
"Watch your mouth" shouted Mr Collins
"I'm sorry Mr and Mrs Collins I wish you all the best with Tegan and your futures"
Mr Alonzo left and the Collins turned to Tegan who was still very nonchalant about the whole thing.
"Why do you insist on doing this to us?" asked Mrs Collins
"To you?" screamed Tegan
"Lower your voice when you speak to your mother"
"She isn't my mother!" snapped Tegan pointing out a fact "Do you really want to know why I keep pulling this crap? I'm miserable, I hate it here. I want to go back home to Baltimore where my friends are, where they get me"
"You didn't even try here"
"Look at me…do I really look like I fit in with those toffee nosed little princesses? I'm from Hampden not Manhattan and I will never fit in here…I'm completely out of my depths here"
"So are we" stated Mr Collins "When we were back in Baltimore we put your bad behaviour down to the people you hung around with, we thought that if we moved to New York it would help calm you down and that these people would have an effect on you but you're still the same rebellious, screw the world because the world screwed me, Tegan. We've tried with you Tegan we carried on trying and hoping when everyone else gave up on you. Our friends told us to put you back in the system and let someone else deal with you but we didn't want to let you down, we wanted to try and help you and Tegan we've tried but you just keep letting us down. I'm sorry Tegan but we can't deal with this anymore, we're trying to make something for ourselves here in New York and…"
"I'm in the way" said Tegan finishing her foster father's sentence "Don't worry about it…Doug…just put me back in the system where I belong. You'll be better off without me" Tegan then ran upstairs leaving her foster parents in anguish
A Little While Later
Tegan packed as much as she could into her bag. She then ran to her dresser and opened the top drawer where she pulled out a tin. She opened the tin and grabbed all the cash inside it shoving it in her pockets. She then picked up the picture that lay in the bottom and looked at it. The picture was of two children, one girl and one boy with happy smiles on their faces, not forced photo smiles but genuine happy smiles. Tegan placed the photo in her jacket pocket. She closed the empty tin, placed it back in her dresser drawer, she then heard screaming coming from downstairs, she stood next to her door and listened.
"She's been expelled from four schools in New York the only reason they didn't expel her in Baltimore is because compared to some of the kids in that school she was an angel"
"She just needs some love" argued her foster mother
"She's had love, we've given her love and all she's given us is hell. She's a nobody Maggie and she's never going to be anything else because she's happy being a nobody just like her deadbeat brother"
"Doug…"
"No Maggie I've had enough. I'm not making this decision lightly we have given her chance after chance after chance…"
"Then just give her one more chance"
"How many last chances have we given her Maggie? She's right she will never fit in here, she needs to go back to where she came from, but we're not going with her. I'll call social services in the morning"
Tegan stood solemn after listening to her foster father picking her apart and her devoted foster mother once again defending her always wanting to see the good in her, but Tegan wondered if there was any good in her or if she would be a nobody for the rest of her life just like her foster father had predicted. Tegan closed her door quietly and she moved towards the window picking up her bag as she went. She threw the bag over the side of the fire escape watching it land on trash bags below she then proceeded to make her way down the escape in hopes that she would indeed…escape.
THE NEXT DAY
The door to Tegan's room opened slightly and a sweet call came through.
"Tegan darling, it's time for breakfast" said Maggie completely opening the door to Tegan's room to find it abandoned. "Doug!! Tegan's gone"
IN BALTIMORE
A bus pulled up and Tegan stepped off she looked around her at familiar sights and smiled as finally she was home, all she needed now was a familiar face. She began to walk the familiar streets to find the one familiar face she wanted to see.
A Little While Later
Tegan opened an unhinged gate and walked up to the door. She stood for a moment before she knocked on the door. Soon the door opened and looking back at her was the familiar face she had wanted to see, her brother Tyler. Tyler took his sister in his arms and hugged her tight.
"I've been worried about you" said Tyler thankful that his sister was ok "Maggie and Doug rang and said you'd run away"
"Ty…" began Tegan pulling away and looking up at her brother "Please don't make me go back. I want to stay here with you"
"Te…you can't keep doing this"
"I hated it there I just wanted to be with you"
"Lena and Bill have a full house"
Tegan felt her heart sink as her brother turned her away
"I can't go back into the system, I swear Ty I'll keep on running before I go to another foster home"
Tyler looked at the desperation in his sister's eyes he could see she was at breaking point.
"Get in, we'll figure something"
Tyler held the door open and Tegan walked in and Tyler stood taking a breath when he heard Bill, his foster dad.
"We're not taking in anymore kids Lena"
"Bill shush this is Tyler's sister"
LATER
Tyler stood out on the veranda adjoining to his room. He looked out at the neighbourhood and wondered to himself why his sister would give up New York to come back to Hampden. Tyler turned around as he heard the door open and he looked at his sister who approached warily knowing she wasn't in her brother's good books because of what she'd done to Maggie and Doug.
"You had it, you had the life we've been dreaming about since the first day we went into the system and you threw it away"
"It wasn't all that"
"It was better than this"
"How do you know?"
"Cos it don't get any worse Te, you got away from this and you came back"
"It was a nice dream Tyler but the reality; it was different. We didn't just dream that we would live that life, we dreamt that we'd be apart of it. I wasn't apart of it. I wasn't one of them, I wasn't a pretentious, egotistical little daddies girl. I was Tegan Gage from Hampden, I was the poor little foster kid who nobody wanted…including them. I had one friend there and she wasn't really a friend she was an outcast just like me. They didn't want me there"
"You could have tried harder"
"I did try! I didn't go in there with intentions of making enemies of them all. I tried Tyler, I even pretended to be one of them…I changed everything about me to fit in and they treated like I was something they'd stepped in. After that, I decided to treat them with the same respect they treated me…I hated it, I hated them…and they hated me, but I did try. I didn't just throw it away; do you seriously think that I would throw it away to come back here?"
"If you don't want to be here then why did you run away?"
"To be with you. You're the only person whose never given up on me no matter how much heartache I caused; you always stood up for me"
"I'm your brother"
"Family should stick together"
Tyler could see his sister was intent on staying put and he knew her threat of running away would ring true if they tried to move her from Tyler again.
"If you want to stay here you gotta change your ways. You can't be pulling these stunts, you gotta go to school and get good grades"
"I will…"
"You gotta help around here, Bill don't lift a finger and Lena needs all the help she can get"
"Ok…"
"You gotta stay clean, I've put Lena through enough, she doesn't need you causing any trouble"
"Ok…"
"You gotta bunk with Camille and Malcolm"
"But I can stay?"
"Yeah you can stay but you gotta be convincing to social services"
Tegan smiled and wrapped her arms around her brother necks and jumped on the spot as Tyler smiled at his sister's happiness.
A FEW DAYS LATER
Tyler and Tegan stepped off the bus and Tyler led his sister in the direction of MSA.
"So you're hanging out with all the rich kids now?" she asked
"It ain't like that, they're cool"
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because I know you, the only way you're gonna understand this is if you see it, it's not all rich kids, there's scholarships, kids from our neighbourhood are in here"
"How did you get in here?"
"Cos I can dance"
"Like a mad uncle at a wedding" Tyler smiled at his sister and got her in a headlock playfully fighting with her. He let her go and ran away and Tegan did all she could to keep up with her brother. She finally caught up with him outside of MSA.
"Come on" he said walking inside followed by Tegan
A Little While Later
As Tegan took in all the surroundings including the ballet class, the acapella boys in the halls and the odd mime dork in her face, Tyler was greeted by Miles.
"Miles my man" Tyler looked at Tegan "This is Miles he grew up in McCullough Homes"
"Oh yeah? I lived there for a while, don't remember seeing you around"
"I don't live there no more, haven't for a while and I don't remember seeing you either. Who is this Tyler?"
"This is Tegan, my little sister"
"You got a sister?" Tyler nodded "How come we've never seen her before?"
"Different foster families she's been living in New York for the last three years"
"She came back here?" he asked curiously as he watched Tegan observing the people around her
"Are these freaks for real?"
"They ain't freaks, they're highly talented"
"If that's talent then I should be here cos I got more talent in my baby toe"
"Will you be joining us here at MSA?" asked Miles
"God no"
"Te!"
"He asked"
"Be nice" laughed Tyler
"I gotta go man I got some sounds to lay down"
"I'll catch you later man"
"Nice meeting you Tegan"
Tegan didn't respond she just raised her eyebrows in amazement and sheer horror at the madness.
"I think I'd rather be in New York" admitted Tegan.
Tegan then noticed a cold look between Tyler and a girl across the room. The girl gave Tegan a cold look also and then walked away.
"Who's that?"
"Just some girl" replied Tyler
"That girl has a problem with you. Bad break up?"
"Te shut up and move" Tyler ordered his sister as he walked away with Tegan closely following behind.
LATER
Tyler and Tegan were walking home after visiting MSA. As Tegan mocked the people in the school they heard a shrill whistle come from behind them. They turned to see an old face from Tegan's past.
"Teg just visiting I hope?" said the tall angry guy who stood toe to toe with Tyler
"No I'm back Gabe and my name is Tegan; not Teg, not babe…Tegan"
"Would have thought we'd be beneath you now, you know you having lived the high life in New York"
"You've always been beneath Gabe that'll never change"
Gabe stepped into Tegan's space and looked her dead in the eyes.
"That's strange cos as I remember it the last time I saw you, you were beneath me" Tyler shot a look at his sister "Oh did big bro not know about us?"
"Tegan come on" said Tyler pulling his sister away
"Oh going back to school and meeting all my old 'friends' is gonna be fun" stated Tegan who didn't get a response from her angry brother "Tyler it was years ago"
Tyler stopped and turned to his sister "You're only sixteen Te you moved when you were thirteen, I thought you were better than that" with those harsh words said Tyler walked away leaving his upset and ashamed sister behind.
THE NEXT DAY
Tegan walked down the stairs and Tyler appeared from the kitchen with a slice of toast in his hands. Still not talking to his sister he placed the toast in his mouth and threw on his jacket ready to set off to make his way to MSA.
"Ty come on talk to me. I was a stupid little kid who was happy to get any attention from anybody. I was an idiot, I know better now"
Tyler still couldn't bring himself to talk to her and he walked out of the house.
"Ty!" she screamed after him. She collapsed onto the stairs.
"Have you finished screaming now?" asked Bill
"Shut ya fat ass" snarled Tegan standing up and collecting her things before leaving the house.
Tegan soon caught up with Tyler who was making his way to the bus.
"Tyler"
Tyler looked back to see his sister chasing him he stopped and turned to her "Go home"
"No not until we talk. I can't stand you not talking to me"
"I just need time to…"
"Think? You really want to think about this? Ty it was a million years ago I was in a completely different place, I was weak…I'm stronger now and nothing like that is gonna happen again. I promise"
"Go to school Te…just go and work hard…don't screw it up"
"That's what you think of me isn't it? I'm a screw up. Mr high and mighty now he's attending the snobby school of arts?"
"No" Tyler shook his head "I'm not high and mighty I'm living proof that you can make something of yourself no matter where you're from. You're a smart kid Te you always have been, never sensible but you always had the smarts, you could do anything you want but all you want to do is cause trouble. Go to school, get good grades, show all those non-believers that gave up on you that you're not a waste of space like they think. Show them, show me"
Tyler then ran away from his sister as she stood and watched him run to catch his bus.
LATER
Tegan walked out of the school office after filling in a thousand and one registration forms, forms she'd filled in a thousand and one times, she was tired of filling in the forms and tired of having to make new friends. She was determined to make this the last school she registered at, she was determined to prove everybody wrong, she was going to make something of herself and make her brother proud. Tegan walked down the corridor looking at the numbers on the doors, finally finding the one she'd been looking for she opened the door and walked inside bringing the lesson to a halt.
"Yes?" asked the hassled teacher
"I'm new" she said handing him her paperwork as he looked through it Tegan eyed up all the people in the room, a few familiar faces stood out.
"Ok well lets start with introductions, tell us a little something about yourself"
"Do I have to?" she asked
"Yes"
Tegan looked at the room "I'm Tegan Gage originally from Baltimore but I've been living in New York for three years"
"Why did you leave New York?" asked the teacher
"Cos I wanted to"
"I heard its cos her twelfth foster parents didn't want her. Twelve? That is right isn't it Tegan?" asked the familiar face "Now she's onto thirteen, unlucky for some. Then again one through twelve weren't lucky for you"
"Ok thank you" said the teacher trying to restore order within the class.
"But no let me be serious we should welcome Tegan with open arms…although come to think of it maybe she'd be more comfortable with the rejection…nobody wants her and she knows that so confusing her with compassion may not be the best thing for her"
"Still all mouth and headlights then Aliesha? I suppose it could be worse, you could be a drug addicted street walker like ya mama"
Aliesha jumped out of her seat ready to attack Tegan but was restrained by her friends.
"Ok, lets calm down now. Tegan I think you should leave and go see the Principle" advised the teacher
"Me? What about her? She's the one whose been mouthing off at me, she deserved that"
"I don't believe either of you were in the right but please do as I ask"
"This is bullshit!" screamed Tegan storming out of the classroom slamming the door behind her.
LATER
The door opened and Tyler appeared. Tegan sighed and threw her head back she then looked over at the Principle.
"You called my brother? I haven't done anything"
"Only because they restrained her. Your first class?" asked a furious Tyler
"Oh why don't you go back to MSA"
"You told me you were going to try"
"She was pissing me off"
"Tegan you know these people and you know what they're like. You should have expected this, you should have been ready for this. Instead you walk in guns blazing and I'm called down here"
"She had no right to call you, nothing happened" she screamed
"Tegan you have to stop this, you get expelled from here you're back in the system. Stop being a delinquent and do something with your life"
"Tyler Gage formally of the bad boys and car thief's club is telling me to wise up?"
"The keyword there being 'formally'" said the Principle "Tyler's turned his life around now"
"Well all hail Saint Tyler"
"Tegan you have to rise above them, forget Aliesha you know she's all mouth and so are her friends who you know are waiting out there to confront you. Rise above them"
"Tell them" said Tegan looking at the Principle "to stop making an example of me. She started giving me attitude and making an idiot of me then I stand up for myself and I'm the one who's in here being reprimanded. How am I suppose to change Ty when people can't look past my record. They won't let me change" Tegan stood up and stormed out of the office leaving the Principle and Tyler behind.