Walking into class the day before my 16th birthday I look like I haven't slept or cared in days.
On Friday I was my normal, well presented self if a dash Bitchier. But now I look like a hobo who has showered. All the students give me a wide berth and whisper about it being THAT time of year again.

My aunt Stevie has sent out all the necessary emails. But a new science teacher means Hassle. I met her this weekend just gone. She is very Hot! And my new next door neighbour!

Bad Mood + Hot Lesbian (who happens to be next door neighbour and science teacher) / mums death - birthday = recipe for disaster. Add a dash of Annoying prat and a whole load of chemistry class and you have a very volatile.

The aforementioned prat is the guy who started at the beginning of the year who thinks he is prince god damn charming. I would rather burn him with acid then have double chemistry with him. Luckily I have additional chemistry after break, with the newbie. But aunt Stevie always sits in on them lessons. She is a Physics teacher after all.

"Hay Princess. Don't frown" Tyler 'Prince charming' Addison says. I ignore him, planting my head on the table.
"Princess" He keeps saying even as the deputy head of science, Mr cowling, walks in. Followed by the one, the only Roxanne Bradford. Mr cowling stops in front of me and leans to my ear.

"Stevie has the flowers. We miss her as much as you do Kiddo" I lift my head and give a weak smile. James cowling has worked here for 15 years. He worked with my mum.

He walks towards the front of the room and the teachers desk after kissing my forehead. All of the teachers who knew mum do it this time of year and her birthday. He faces us and smiles.
"Hay guys so as you know Mr Alkansayer left us on Friday. So you have a new teacher. Sadly not me. I am still stuck with bottom set! I did ask, very nicely but apparently Miss Fisher doesn't trust me enough with your grades. So lets give a ... moderately warm welcome to miss Bradford. Yes that includes you chrissy" He laughs letting Roxanne step forwards. I scowl at him before staring at a blank spot on the table once again. He whispers something to her which I assume is 'Stevie is next door, I will be over the corridor and Nikki is one floor down if anything happens with chrysanthemum'

Throughout the lesson I get the annoying drone of "Princess" in my ear, with a under lay of chatter, Miss Bradford talking and the noises from the crash. This year marks 8 years. It gets to much and I stand up storming out.

I run onto the bridge grabbing my vape out my pocket. Stevie hates the fact that I smoke but still lets me have a vape. She gave it to me this weekend. As a birthday present. we never celebrate on the day. Just as I let the smoke out the doors open and close.
"Bog off Stevie" I say thinking its my aunt.
"Thats bad for you" A voice says standing next to me.
"Says you." I reply. Its miss Bradford she followed me out. "You got through a whole pack the day you moved in. At least I make the effort to try and quit. Well cut down" I say, humour lacing my voice for the first time since Thursday. I offer it to her but she declines and I pocket it. Once I've done that she pulls me into a hug. Channel No. 5 surrounding us. Stevie hates the smell of it. Only when her shoulder starts to feel damp do I realise I am crying.

"Deep breaths. In and out. Follow my heart beat" She says covering my hand with hers and placing it just above her breasts. I feel her heart beat skip a few and her breathe hitch when our hands make contact. The spark obviously travelling through her body as well as mine.

Once my breathing has evened out she pulls my hand away and I do all I can to stop myself Mewling at the loss. She keeps my hand tightly wrapped in hers. She looks at me and raises an eyebrow as if to ask if I'm okay.

"Its the stress. The noises of the crash came back earlier this year. They usually don't come back till the day of the crash. But apparently fate has a sick sense of humour. "
"You were there?" She asks surprised. No one told her.
"I was in the car with her. She had just picked me up from school. Lost my left leg from the knee down" I say moving my skirt to just above the knee, where the join is barely visible under my thick black tights. I drop my skirt when she pulls me into another hug.

She doesn't say anything else, neither do I. You don't need words to communicate. Actions and silence speak louder then words. She pulls away, slinging a arm over my shoulder and walking me back into the class. I sit down as Miss Bradford takes over Stevie's lecture. Before Stevie leaves she drops a kiss to my forehead.