Part 1

Chapter 1: Windows to Worlds

"Bess … may I see you after class." Mr Lee said in an airy tone,one rainy afternoon. Bess looked up from her book and sighed. This would be the third time she had been asked to stay behind and talk to the teacher this week. She knew that her grades had slipped s bit since last year but she didn't think that they were that bad. She looked down at her essay that they had received as part of their semesterly assessment. She had gotten a C. She used to be really good at English, but ever since her aunt remarried this absolute thug, her grades have faltered. She guessed that this was because she never had time to study because she was always doing chores for someone-or-other.

Ding Ding Ding

Bess sat silently in her seat as the rest of the class filed out past her. She began to gather up her books and stood up, attempting to sneak out under the cover of the rest of the class. She was getting very pleased with herself, and had almost made it to the door when an arm appeared before her, blocking her way out of the door. She slowly raised her head and looked up into the face of her teacher.

"Planing on going anywhere?"

"No sir. I was just going to...um...the bathroom. Yeah the bathroom"

She looked at him. She knew that she was terribly unconvincing, but she didn't care. He looked at her and sighed, as he sat back down at his desk.

"I would prefer it if you were back in here within the hour Bess."

"Yes sir. Of course."

She scampered down the hall and almost ran into a bunch of senior boys who were hanging around their lockers.

"Ow. Sorry Ben. I didn't see you there."

Bess tried to turn around but Ben had grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. "Hey baby. I haven't seen you 'round here lately. God I forgot how sexy you look when you are in a hurry."

He grabbed a bunch of her hair and began to twirl it around his finger.

"When are you going to forget about what happened and go out with me again?"

She looked at him and laughed.

"You are really pathetic you know that. I am not like those girls that like you. I wont be used and cast aside after you have had your fun. So forget it Ben, I am never going to lower myself to the unprecedented level of going out with you. Have a nice life Ben."

Bess walked back towards the classroom, totally forgetting about going to the bathroom. As she walked through the door, Mr Lee raised his head lazily and looked at her with surprise.

"Well well well. It only took you 15 minutes this time. Well we will start on a good note then. Please sit down."

She gingerly sat on the chair he had pulled up to his desk, and looked at him. This was going to be a long afternoon.

Almost an hour later Bess collapsed on her bed, exhausted. Mr Lee had given her the opportunity to re write her essay and had given her a more general topic. This meant that she could write about whatever she wanted really, which gave her the best chance of getting a better grade. She sat up and walked over to her dresser and the big gilded mirror that was positioned on the wall just above it. The mirror was one if the only things that she was allowed to keep from her parents possessions. She grabbed the silver backed brush from the dresser and attempted to tame her wild hair. But no matter how hard the tried the rusty curls refused to settle. She eyed the straightener in the bathroom, that she could just see through the crack in the ensuite door. She absent mindedly raised her arm to touch the brown scar, which stood out against her pale skin, just in front of her ear; the result of her last attempt to straighten her hair.

"Bess that Charlotte girl is at the door for you, so hurry up!"

The sharp voice snapped her out of her thought and made her take notice of her surroundings. Her eyes flicked to the large clock mounted on the opposite wall. It was 4:35. She knew that her friend Charlotte would be coming over soon. She grabbed her coat and her scarf before opening the hatch in the floor and lowering the ladder to the ground. She could see her cousin leaning on the wall next to the ladder.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

Jane looked up at Bess and narrowed her blue eyes.

"Nothing. I never realised that it became illegal to stand in a corridor at my own home."

As Bess lowered herself down the ladder and landed lightly next to Jane, she observed her cousin with raised eyebrows. "What are you looking at me like that for!"

Bess looked down at Jane, who's head barely brushed Bess's shoulder, and smiled slyly.

"Just wondering why you don't have something more important to do. Like terrorising some younger kids."

Jane pursed her lips and clipped back a stray piece of her dark hair. She turned on her heel and flounced back down the corridor, her hair swinging against the back of her neck.

Feeling rather happy with herself, Bess strutted down the long corridor and out onto the landing that led to the front door.

"I'm off. I'll be back in an hour" she yelled to no one in particular.

She grabbed her keys from inside pocket of her big coat and opened the door. Charlotte was sitting on the old wooden fence that ran along the front of the house. She turned around when she heard Bess's footsteps crunching across the gravel.

"'bout time you turned up. I've been freezing my pants off out here." Charlotte said, agitatedly rubbing her hands together.

"Come on I want to get as far away from this asylum as possible." Bess sighed

The two girls laughed as they got into Charlotte's car and drove off down the long driveway.