Three years.

That`s how long they`re forcing me to stay here.

Something about going to live in Italy?

I didn`t pay that much attention. I never pay attention to them.

Them being, of course, my dad, and his bitchy new wife.

Which one is she? Four? I think that`s it.

That`s all she is to me, Number Four. And that`s probably all she is to him, too.

I don`t understand why he keeps doing this to himself.

But it`s not my place to wonder about that. I`m just a child, and a girl. So I have no worth.

My opinions?

Fucking meaningless.

So why should I bother you with them, my dear reader?

But anyways, back to the topic at hand.

Three. Years.

Three years in this shit-hole Bullworth Academy.

But at least I`ll be away from my dad, who hardly even qualifies as a parent anymore, his stupid wife, and their fucking baby.

That`s all I`ve been hearing about lately.

In fact, it`s pretty much the only reason Dad is allowing Jennifer to ship me off to this crummy school.

Because, as Jenny so sweetly puts it: "She`ll be a bad influence on little Tyler! We can`t possibly have her around, or he`ll become a hoodlum, just. Like. Her."

So here I am.

Standing in front of the gates, my bags all but thrown out of the car by Jennifer.

Dad kisses my forehead, tells me he`ll be back before I know it, three years isn`t that long, is it?

I tell him yes, it is.

He makes a face. "You`ll make so many friends! I know how hard it is for you to make friends, darling."

I sigh, tell him to just scram already.

I see the partially hurt look in his eyes, but it steels over quickly.

He straightens, distancing himself from me emotionally, and what he doesn`t know is that it hurts.

It fucking hurts to see your own father standing before you as if speaking to a complete stranger.

You`d think he would be hugging me, but that`s not his way.

Instead he pats my shoulder, tells me to be good while they`re gone, and then quickly retreats to the car, peeling off before I can even blink.

With a shrug, I lift my bags, and swap seamlessly from crushed daughter to indifferent bystander.

A woman opens the gates, and smiles a fake smile.

"Why you must be Iris Starks!" Her false chipper voice irks me, so I just nod impassively.

Her smile falters, but she plasters it back on, looking even more strained than before.

"Well that`s good! Let`s go introduce you to the Head Master!" She turns on her heel and starts clipping quickly to the main building.

I trail after her, ignoring the people who are openly gawking at me, and the occasional snicker.

We enter the building, and she doesn`t even let me put my bags up before we`re in front of the office of the Head Master.

"Doctor Crabblesnitch!" The woman calls fawningly.

I smirk, knowing that tone of voice.

Then the Head Master makes a noise, letting me know to come in.

I walk in, stumbling slightly over the weight of my bags, and then settle in a chair across from him.

He regards me frostily, eyes searching mine, then glancing down at his papers, then back to me.

"I see you have very good grades, Miss Starks." He comments.

I shrugs. "I suppose."

He continues to watch me silently.

Finally I just speak up. "Is that all? Can I go to my room now?"

He smiles, having successfully forced me to break the silence that he had before shattered.

"Oh no, Miss Starks." He says, a small chuckle escaping him. "I`ve read your papers, and although I must say you have outstanding grades, you seem to have a bit of an authority issue?" It`s posed as a question, but there`s no mistaking the slight accusation there. The challenge.

I shrug, still wearing my mask of indifference. "Yeah, I guess so. I seem to sometimes have an issue with who`s in charge." I clear my throat, dissipating the rising emotion. "Because unless you can convince me that you`re in charge, I won`t respect you."

His eyes narrow. "Remember your place, Miss Starks." He stresses my last name a bit, and I feel a bubble of anger.

We stare each other down, and then he straightens, and blinks pointedly.

"Miss Danvers?" He calls.

The woman from before immediately returns, her chipper smile back. "Yes, Doctor Crabblesnitch?"

"Show Miss Starks to her room, please." He isn`t asking.

A brief flash of annoyance appears on her features, but it`s smoothed out. "Of course, Doctor Crabblesnitch."

As I stand to leave, hefting my bags once again, he says, "Obey the dress code Miss Starks, and get your uniform. Also, keep your nose clean!"

I roll my eyes , but nod, without looking at him. "Yes, sir."

Miss Danvers quickly leads me to my room, and then gets the hell out of there, running back to Doctor Crabblesnitch.

I scowl as I think of his pompous attitude.

All adults are assholes.

I unpack quickly, throwing my bags into the closet, and looking at the school uniform.

This won`t do, I decide, and set about making it better, but keeping within the oh-so-strict dress code.

What a bunch of horse shit.

LINEBREAK

After modifying my uniform, I decide to head out and see what there is to do around here.

As soon as I`m out the door, though, I`m ambushed by a bunch of cheerleaders.

They ask lots of stupid questions, and try to push me around, but I still maintain my silent indifference.

Finally they figure out that they won`t get anything out of me, and with scoffs, they flounce off.

"Freak." One says with a scowl.

"What a loser." Another comments, and a couple of them laugh.

I sigh and roll my eyes, smooth out my uniform, and begrudgingly start to walk around the school grounds, checking the place out.

When I`m near the main building I hear someone shout, "Gary!" Then a guy comes running around the corner, a grin on his face.

A few moments later two more kids round the corner, but they stop, and look around, unsure of where he went.

Eventually they just sigh, and give up, instead talking quietly as they catch their breath.

I watch them, a bemused expression on my face.

Then one of them sees me, and narrows his eyes. "What are you looking at?"

I smirk, and shrug. "Just a couple of idiots, I assume."

The shorter one makes a face. "I`m not an idiot!"

The other shoots him a look. "Pete. Stop whining, you sound like a bitch."

I chuckle, and my smirk grows slightly. I realize that I`ve totally abandoned my indifference.

The taller one looks at me. "Wait, aren`t you that new kid?"

I shrug. "I guess. Just got here a little while ago."

He nods, and then stays quiet for a few moments. "What`s your name?" He finally asks.

My lip twitches up in a smirk. "Iris Starks." I offer my hand, and he takes it.

We shake, and he says. "I`m Jimmy Hopkins. This is Pete Kowalski."

I nod at Pete, and he smiles back tentatively.

I clasp my hands behind my back, and shift from my toes to my heels expectantly, waiting for him to say something else as I rock back and forth.

The bell rings, and stops whatever conversation we might`ve had.

I check my schedule, and see that I have Music.

"Hey, where`s the- Jimmy?" But the kid`s already gone, and so is everyone else, leaving me standing there, feeling like a bit of a dunce.

I slowly make my way to Music, getting stopped by prefects frequently, who demand to know where I`m supposed to be, and when I tell them, point vaguely in some direction, telling me it`s over there.

I finally find the classroom, and enter it, making beautifully horrendous music for the next forty minutes.

Then I see that I don`t have any more classes, so I decide to catch up on my sleep.

I haven`t slept in, what? Almost two days?

I trudge to my room, and fall asleep soon after my head hits the pillow, my last thought being: One day here and already this school fucking sucks.