Hey! So, this is my first story. I finally gathered up the courage to write my own story and put my own spin on Naomily. I would love some reviews and suggestions are always welcome. Be mean if you want, I appreciate any feedback, no hurt feelings :) I really hope that I depicted the characters well, I want to maintain their personalities from the show. I plan on this story eventually being up to 100,000 words, give or take a few thousand. I also promise that I will finish it... because I've experienced falling in love with a story, only to have the author bail before it's done ... but sometimes they have a good excuse, so no judgement. :) I'll give no promises on update times, but they won't be too far apart, I just want to make sure what I post isn't horrible, I want to give it my best... because that's what you lovely people deserve. ;) Here goes...

Oh, and I don't own Skins! I know it's suprising but you'll have to learn to accept that fact. ;)

Chapter 1: Trapped

Have you ever felt completely trapped within your own skin, surrounded by an unwanted, yet self imposed barrier that prevented all of your true thoughts and emotions from coming to light? Because what would happen if they did? What if just for a moment you showed the world the real you? The answer cold, plain, and heartbreaking echoes through my mind… rejection. I'm not strong enough to handle that, I'm not strong enough to risk the little happiness that I have to chase after something that might not even be tangible. So here I am, content with living my life like a prisoner in a cell, desperately screaming for someone to accept me, the real me, not my stupid shell of protection.

"EMILLLLYYYY!" a voice shouts, inches from my ear, causing me to almost fall out of my bed. I look up at my sister, feeling quite irritated that she finds it necessary to wake me by imitating a tornado siren.

"Bitch…" I trail off as she continues her tirade with a flourish.

"If you don't get up now, you'll have no time to get ready. If you want to show up to school looking like a total ming, that's fine, but don't expect me to be seen within a 20 meter radius of you." Katie states simply, no hint of a joke in her voice.

Katie is my twin and, basically, I'm her shadow. I know it sounds pathetic, but I'd much rather let her take the wheel and be adventurous for the both of us, and trust me; there are few things in the world that Katie Fitch has not done or hasn't planned on doing. All of the Fitch family confidence went to her I guess, and being her lapdog is better than being a loner, which I would inevitably be without my popular sister's company. Even though she pretends to be burdened with me, I know that she needs me just as much as I need her, because she knows I'll always be there in the morning when everyone else left her the party, with some aspirin and a cold glass of water.

After throwing on a pair of grey skinny jeans, some worn blue converse, and a bright purple sweatshirt, I throw my flaming red hair into a messy ponytail and look at myself in the mirror. Everything about me screams safe, my cloths, my smile, even my deep brown eyes…everything… except my hair. My hair is the one part of the true me that I allow the world to see, it is the one part of me that shouts, "I'm more than this, just dig a little deeper!" After one more quick glance, I bolt out of our bedroom to join Katie, who has been making huffing noises from the bottom of the stairs, trying to make me move faster so we could leave.

"Why do you even bother getting dressed if you just end up looking like a ten year old boy in desperate need of a haircut?" Katie asks.

"Well, I think that you're showing enough skin for the both of us and I'm trying to maintain the Fitch to Fitch leopard print ratio. Seeing as you are wearing enough to completely eradicate the entire species, I was left with no alternatives." I reply quickly as I look her up and down. She is dressed in an extra short mini skirt, with her shirt buttoned down low to display her cleavage to all of Bristol, looking like a slutty jungle cat.

"Fuck off." Katie says dryly and we jump into our, well mainly my, car. We both saved up for it but Katie's "saving up" and my "saving up" apparently are two compleatly different concepts. In the end, I paid for the car while Katie paid for the air freshener to hang from the mirror…therefore... MY car.

We get to school after a short drive and Katie and I make our way to the common room to hang out with our friends. The gang consists of Katie and me, Freddie, Effy, JJ, Cook, Panda, and Thomas. Although I am now "part of the group" I know I would not even be here if not for Katie's outgoing personality. But I have grown to deeply love every one of my friends, even Cook, who is currently burning holes through my tits with his eyes, and I think that they have all grown love me back. I think that any one of them would do anything to keep me from pain, and that's one of the things that gets me through the day, knowing that what happens to me matters to someone else... that they care.

Effy puts out her cigarette and flicks it to the trash can. It's not fair how effortlessly beautiful she really is, even as she tosses something in the garbage. She is wearing an oversized The Who tee-shirt with a thick leather belt and sheer leggings, her brunette hair in a messy braid and her bright blue eyes masked with dark, shadowed makeup, announcing to the world "Fuck it, I don't give a shit". Her image shouts it, but I think that she has a shell up just like me. I think she cares more than all of us know. I think that beneath her intimidating, careless exterior she really loves us all, more than she can handle, and it scares her shitless.

"Emily stop acting like such a tit and let me copy your politics coursework, I forgot to do it last night." Sure, I think, she "forgot"…what a joke. In spite of my internal desire to tell her to fuck off and not "forget" to think of a good excuse for Kieran, our politics teacher, I diligently slide over my notebook and she quickly begins to copy my work.

"Why do you just let her shit on you like that?" Effy asks quietly, her head slightly tilted off to the side, digging into my soul with her piercing blue eyes. "You're braver than you think, you know; you just need to get some balls." She says as she continues to stare into me and discover truths that only she could ever find. That's one of the things about Effy that I absolutely hate, yet honestly love at the same time. I know that doesn't make sense, but I don't think it's supposed to, because nothing about Effy does. She knows everything, there's no point in trying to keep something concealed, she always just… knows. That's why she's the only one who knows my secret, the only one who really knows who really I am. Before I can say anything in response she is already gliding towards Freddy, her boyfriend, leaving me with an open mouth and questioning stare.

We are all about to leave for class when Doug, one of the deans, walks into the room and loudly clears his throat. We all love Doug, but love to give him shit at the same time. He's a pretty great guy, so we have a tender spot for him, but we are still teenagers, so we automatically have a penchant to disrespect all authority.

"Oggy! Oggy! Oggy!" Everyone blankly stares at Doug and wonders for the millionth time why he still tries to incite any enthusiasm within us about this shithole of a college. Doug seems to ignore the lack of response and continues on with his purpose. "I would like to introduce you all to your new classmate; she just moved here from London and will be in need of a few guides around the school." He says in a heavy Welsh accent.

"I can show her around, give her the special Cookie monster experience!" Cook says over Doug and proceeds to wiggle his eyebrows and grab his cock. Cook has his own special way of expressing that he finds someone attractive, he's pretty blunt and not particularly romantic. Despite his disgusting demeanor, we all love him. He's like a puppy, pissing all over your carpet and then looking at you with innocent, heart-melting eyes. He's actually a pretty great guy underneath his asshole exterior; he just hasn't been treated right by the people who are supposed to be there for you when no matter what.

My eyes drift to the new student that is now standing by Doug's side, my interest having been peaked by Cook's comment. Everything stops. Time, sound, emotion… everything… becomes completely meaningless as I lock eyes with her.