Just a Gallagher Girl

Summery: What if the Gallagher girl academy for exceptional young women was exactly how Virginia and the rest of the world saw it? After being thrown out of her last school, Macey has to attend the Gallagher Academy and hates it there. Could a mysterious boy at the Roseville town carnival give Macey a new perspective? Macey xx Josh. Rated T.

Chapter one: Risks with Scarlet Lace

Okay so what I was doing had risks. Big risks. But so what? Everything has risks. I just had to get out of there and find some place to breathe. It's not my fault anyway. It's my parents for even enrolling me into Lancetown 'Boring' school. It's a top-notch Military prison that keep their students living in the basement –okay not true, but that's practically how I see it and every other school I've been to-.

So that was why I felt absolutely no guilt for standing at the back of a club at two in the morning with my third cocktail that night.

I swayed with the up beat tune people years older than I was grinding to, wondering when the effects of the alcohol would sink in.

"Another glass honey?" the tattooed bartender asked as he slid a beer to the drunken man a metre away. I gulped down the contents in my glass then slammed it on the bench, awaiting its refill.

"Who you calling honey?" I slurred, automatically feeling drowsy and useless. Not that I already wasn't. I was so tired of being the daughter of a senator and his wife the cometic airhead. Always having to look, act and be perfect. Never moments to do something normal or klutz-ful like falling down the stairs. My parents only ever used me for votes.

"Take it easy there sweetheart" said the bartender as I collapsed on a fluorescent green stool. I eyed him ignorantly and fiddled with my refilled glass. I bet he never had to deal with the pressure of being a fifteen-year-old celebrity. I bet he could wake up causally in the morning not knowing or expecting what the day had in store whereas everyday I get a long agenda from some random assistant of my father, telling me which classes I had to ditch for which occasion or interview or what ever. I didn't want to miss my classes for some lame ol' political party, honestly I liked learning. But I fall so far behind in work because of the lame ol' political parties and garbage that I don't give a rats about it any more. I don't give a rats about any thing any more. I was born into this world of glamour, autographs and votes that –no matter how hard I rebel against it- I will die in this world.

I bit my million-dollar lip covered in cherry flavoured lip-gloss and stared into space. The creepy bartender however, kept staring at me with dirty eyes. Remind me never to raid through his thoughts. Like ever! I glare back at him and tugged up my revealing scarlet lace dress worth more than the income the bartender could ever earn in a lifetime.

Suddenly a fight began between two drunken males beside me and I was flung off my chair when one of hen ran into me.

"Watch it!" I yelled but the two men had already been escorted out of the club to take their fight out side. I griped the edge of the bar counter and slowly stood up.

"Aren't you a bit young to be out here? What are you, fifteen?" the bartender inquired as I took a sip of my cocktail. "Come on darl' lemme drive you home. My shift ends in a few mins."

I graciously placed my empty glass on the bench and slid into my stool. The bartender tried to help me but I shoved him aside. "Aren't you a bit old to be hitt'en on young girls!"

The bartender smiled a knowing toothy grin and pulled the cloth from his shoulder and shoved it under he counter.

"I am only offering…" he took both my perfectly manicured hands that were resting on the bench into his stone cold one. "…A beautiful young lady such as yourself, a safe ride home."

My eyes shot open as he gently rubbed the back of my hand with his irregular shaped thumb. Like seriously, EW!

"Argh, disgusting!" I cried, scrunching my nose and pulling my hands away from the 50-year-olds grip. "I can get home myself."

The bartender refused to listen to me. He gripped my thin hands tighter and tighter looking thoughtfully into my eyes. I yelped in pain as he dug deep into my hand, forcing me to rethink my answer. But no way was I ever stepping out of this place with a creep like him.

"Let go!"

His ugly green eyes suddenly filled with realisation and he loosened his grip. I tugged my hands free and soothed the pain away.

Stuttering with fearful eyes he said "You're... you're McHenry!"

I tugged my leather jacket and ebony purse from the counter then sprung from my stole, already knowing where this would lead. Having to escape, I took off from the bar just as the feral bartender called out my name. "MACEY MCHENRY!"

I ran through the disturbing 'couples' taking it out on the dance floor and tried to stay away from the wandering multicoloured spotlight as the bartender jumped over the counter. The entrance-slash-exit soon came into view and I made a beeline for it while the bartender chase after me.

"Leave'n so soon mamm," the club bouncer asked. He tried blocking my groggy path but I ducked between his long legs and shot down the dodgy red carpet girls in skimpy mini skirts and low tops were lining up in. My large charcoal combat boots skidded against the damp concrete, splashing muddy water over my short scarlet dress. Behind me the bartender must have got caught in the crowd because no longer was I being trailed through the eerie alley home. I tripped numerous times to the effect of the alcohol but still managed to make it back to the Lancetown school grounds safely.

I cut across the long weedy lawn, along the mismatched brick walls and to my suite window. The night was obviously pitch black at two in the morning, so I had no trouble of not being seen when I began climbing up the dented frozen water pipe that was clinging to the brick wall.

I hauled up the water pipe without breaking a sweat till a sudden loud tear echoed through my stealthy night. Oh no! Oh please no! I glanced cautiously down and cursed violently as I saw that my thousand dollar mini dress was torn off from the waist and now swung on a loose nail below. Damn! Although the dress has only lost five centimetres worth of material, only very thin pair underwear were hiding what that it was supposed to be hiding as well.

Did I mention I went to a school for girls…AND BOYS? Just suppose I get caught!

I didn't have time to continue thinking this as, of course, the suite window below me flicked it's light on. I swore under my breath while scarlet lace dangled helplessly in front of the clear glass. Floorboards creaked slowly and my boots scratched at the windowpane, desperate for support.

I held my breath, praying. Sure I'd do anything to escape this Military hellhole, but I was hoping to do it with a bit more dignity.

For a few minutes the light stay lit, my cover stayed threatened and I stayed still, but then after much paitence and perspiration, darkness once again filled the room.

I breathed a sigh of relief. A very short sigh of relief since next thing I know the windowpane was thrown upwards and my school principal's overly huge head squeezed through.

"MACEY MCHENRY!" Ms Houseton yelled in her pink nightcap and dirty grey curls. I squealed as my hands and feet slipped and I fell to the ground.

Ms Houseton shone her torch over my brutially bruised body that layed half dead on the ground metres below. Windows of suites all over the building lit up and faces appeared at each window.

I stared up at one girl in red pigtails in my suite window and scowled at her nerve to mouth "Busted."