Heaving the last box onto the counter, I looked around at my new home. It wasn't too shabby, considering. Orphaned kids don't tend to get the best of the best. I started to empty the last few possessions I had from the cardboard box, attempting to order it in some logical way. Picture frame, underwear, books and a board game. Nothing terribly exciting. All for the bedroom, I decided, scooping the items into my arms and making my way to the small room to my left. Dumping the stuff on the bed, I thought back over the last week or so.
My 16th Birthday had come and gone. Just a small party, all the kids at the home and my boyfriend Greg had come over. I didn't really have any other friends. Kids in care become their own little messed up family and I struggled to fit in with this dysfunctional family group. Generally, other kids avoided me, but it didn't bother me. I had Greg. Then the news came that I was to move to a half way house, preparing me for the world. I wasn't happy, partly because I didn't want to go and also as I was sure the world wasn't ready for me. But they still kicked me out and here I was nearly finished unpacking. Hands on hips, I surveyed the area. Everything was mildly in a place, nothing struck me as completely in the wrong place. Catching a glance of myself in the mirror, I turned and surveyed myself in the glass. I wasn't anything particularly pretty, with short, cropped dark hair and dark skin, a slim built and quite gangly. I sighed, turning away from myself.
Now that I was unpacked, I didn't really know what to do with myself. Everything was in place, I had no need to go job hunting (the home had set me up at a place for a while) and I didn't really have anyone to entertain. I fished my phone out of my jacket pocket and sent a text to Greg:
Hey, if you've got time meet me at our cafe asap please x
With that I marched out of my flat, determined to stay away from the emptiness as long as possible. Hands in pockets, I walked down the street towards the town centre in Kingston.
I walked along the main road towards the centre of town. I wasn't thinking of anything in particular. My mind wondered between memories, occasionally checking in on the situation. I meandered through the few shoppers along the street, enjoying the evening sunshine and the start of the weekend. I crossed the road. A supermarket was my first destination. I had made a short plan in my head: buy food to prevent starvation, visit boy friend to avoid flat, invite boyfriend back to flat to avoid loneliness, TV because I could and bed. I grabbed a basket and strolled up the isles, looking for something mildly simple. Grabbing various foods off the shelves, I made my way back to the checkout, where a man bleeped my stuff through the machine. Turning away, I glanced at my phone. Nothing. Sighing a little, I shoved my phone back in its pocket, grabbed the bag off the counter, swung around and walked straight into someone. 'Sorry' I said, staggering a little, 'I didn't-' I stopped. The person I had walked into smiled. It was the most dazzling smile I had ever seen. The woman I had collided with was tall and slim. Her sleek black hair was ramrod straight and fell to just above her hips. Her skin was alabaster white, which contrasted dramatically with her hair. She was beautiful. 'I-' I stuttered attempting to find my tongue which for some reason had dematerialised out of my mouth. 'Its fine' she said and walked off. I say walked, really that doesn't do her justice. She glided away, her hair flowing behind her.
As I exited the shop, my mind was still on the woman. Despite her beauty, something hadn't felt right. The hair on the back of my neck had stood up and the smell of bleach was fresh in my nostrils. I shock it off. I was being silly.
I continued my journey down a few streets, occasionally stopping to look in shop windows. I rounded the corner and headed for my favourite cafe. Me and the groceries crossed the road, heading for the door. As I reached for the handle however, a noise caught my attention. It had been a laugh. A throaty laugh. Greg's laugh. It had come from the side alley next to the cafe. 'Why is he down there?' I thought, puzzled. I backtracked and started down the alley but the sight that met my eyes seared them harshly. Greg was up against the alley wall, cooly snogging someone. That person had ramrod straight black hair and ivory skin. I gasped: it was all I could manage. The girls head snapped up abruptly, looking straight at me. Besides the obvious emotions coursing through me at this point (anger, hate, betrayal) I also felt a pang of fear, for the eyes that were starring so intently at me were a dull red. Greg's head turned towards me ' Hannah?' He said blankly. His face had a glazed over look, not really seeing anything. A sob ripped through me, tears of anger welling in my eyes. I turned and fled.
