I hear the steady beeping of my alarm and my eyes flutter open sleepily. I roll over and check the time: six in the morning. I start to wonder why the hell I've set my alarm so early, then I sit bolt upright, remembering exactly why: today's the day America's top junior athletes in individual sports/events fly out to Australia for a sporting camp in Sydney, and I'm one of them. I'm in for two events; I'm going for javelin, and 200m. It sounds like an odd combination, but that's just what works for me. I have an hour until the bus gets here, and I still need to pack my suitcase. Ever since I was allowed emancipation from my parents last year, I've had to earn my own money. I couldn't find a job, so I busk for my money in the malls. The only thing my parents pay for now are my school fees and uniform costs, and the bills for my house. I'm a freshman at the Lawrenceville School, the most expensive high school in America. They have a really good sports program there, and it was my idea to go there, my parents just agreed. I was emancipated just after I turned 14, at the end of middle school, so they let me decide which high school I wanted to go to and they didn't really care either. They're loaded anyway, living in a huge mansion, so my school fees weren't really a problem, but I had to find a way to get there and back from my place and I had to pay for it. I bought a tiny house for myself with the money they gave me when I left. They didn't want to, but it was the judge's orders that they give me $100,000 to get myself started. I didn't have time to grab much before I left though, because my parents threw all my stuff outside and threw gas on it and set fire to it. The only thing I had time to grab was my guitar. I had it custom made when I was 13, before I left my parents, costing me about $5000. It's the most valuable thing I own. I left my parents because it wasn't safe to live with them anymore. They were abusive ever since they found out that I had a boyfriend. I'd just turned 14, was still in middle school, and he was 17, and we'd been going out for about two months before they found out. He walked me home from school one day and gave me a kiss goodbye. Neither of us knew my parents were watching, and that's how the whole mess started. They said I was too young and they thought we'd had sex, and he broke up with me the next day. They started abusing me, hitting me and kicking me and swearing at me, and I'd gone to school with a black eye. He asked what was wrong and I told him that they'd been abusing me after they found out I was going out with him, he took it the wrong way and thought it was his fault and I was blaming him for it, and he dumped me. I got home that afternoon and I got in another fight with my parents, and then I requested emancipation. It took two weeks, but it was finally official. I grabbed my guitar and left, moving into the tiny house that I'd bought a couple of days earlier. It took a long time, and it still isn't a real home, but it's better than living on the streets.

I struggle out of bed and walk into the kitchen and make myself a slice of toast. The bread's terrible cheap stuff, but it's all I can afford. I get about $250 a week from busking, but I only end up with around $50 after I pay for my private athletics coaching and psychology sessions. The entire time I've been here, I've been buying the cheapest food, just so I'd have the chance to pay for this trip to Australia. I spread some butter and jam on my toast and pour myself a glass of orange juice. I finish eating in about five minutes, then go back to my bedroom, still in my pyjamas, and quickly pack my suitcase. I throw in some casual clothes and all my training clothes, some shoes, my spikes in their bag, and some other clothes in case we go out somewhere, plus any other little things I need like my phone charger. Then I lay out some clothes to go to the airport in. I grab a skin-tight purple Asics singlet, some grey Adidas trackpants and my black Vans. I look out the window and decide to grab a white Columbia softshell jacket with grey stripes up the arms and zip as well, then go to the bathroom to take a shower. I glance at my clock and see that I still have half an hour before the bus arrives. I take off my pyjamas and step under the water, wetting my hair and reaching for my favourite shampoo. I finish off with my favourite conditioner, then quickly shave and then turn off the water and dry myself off. I still have twenty minutes until the bus comes, so I decide to straighten my hair too. I finish drying my hair and put my clothes on, then grab my hair straightener and plug it in. While it's heating up, I run a brush through my hair and clean my teeth, tossing my toothbrush in my suitcase when I'm done. My straightener beeps, and I go over to it and start straightening.

As I do this, I start daydreaming about what Australia will be like. I remember that it's summer over there, so I make a mental note to pack my bikini in case we go to one of the incredible beaches there. I wince as the straightener accidentally makes contact with my skin, but keep going. As I finish with my hair, I run the brush through my hair again, quickly, then toss the brush in my suitcase and wait for my straightener to cool down. I pull my hair into a high ponytail and pack my backpack to take on the plane as carry-on. I fill my Nike drink bottle with water and put that in, tossing in a muesli bar as well. I take my i-Pod out of my drawer and put that in too, then hunt around for my noise cancelling headphones. Once I find them, they follow the i-Pod into the backpack. I put my passport and ticket in too, and put my itinerary in as well. I slip my phone into the pocket of my trackpants then go back to the bathroom to check on my straightener. It seems to be cool enough, so I put it in its case and put it in my suitcase. I toss a couple of other little things in my backpack then slip my watch around my wrist. I have five minutes until the bus comes, then I realise I'm forgetting something. We were told that we had to wear our school shirts over whatever other shirt we were wearing so everyone else knows what school we're from. I take off my jacket and open the door of my wardrobe and pull out my red Lawrenceville t-shirt and slip it on over my singlet, then pull my jacket back on. I zip up my suitcase and backpack, then pull out the handle of my suitcase. I sling my backpack over one shoulder, grab my guitar in my right hand and pull my suitcase behind me with my left. As I step outside into the cold wind, I turn and lock the front door behind me. A minute later the bus pulls up in front of the house, the doors open, and my trainer, Enobaria, strides out. She lifts up the door underneath the bus, and I find a spot for my suitcase and guitar. She slams the door shut again and holds out her hand. I take it, and we shake firmly, and she claps me on the back.

"Excellent to see you Clove," she says. "Excited about the trip?"

"Definitely Coach!" I say happily. "Thankyou for giving me the opportunity."

"You're the one that trained so hard for this remember. Now hop on the bus and relax until we get to New York. Have you got your ticket and passport?"

"Yes Coach."

"Good. Now hop on."

I have to take a small jump to get on the bus because of my size, but I still manage to get on. I see a seat towards the back and walk down the aisle until I reach it. I swing my bag under the seat and sit down. I feel someone gently tap me on the shoulder and I turn around and find myself staring into a pair of intelligent grey eyes.

"Hi. I'm Katniss. Katniss Everdeen," she says, holding out her hand. I decide to take it, make a good impression.

"Clove," I say simply. I haven't used my last name since I was emancipated; I wasn't proud of it. The school knows it, so does my psychologist and my athletics coaches do too. But I don't use it. I don't want to share the name of my parents.

"Don't you have a last name?" she says quizzically, head tilted slightly to one side.

"I do. I just choose not to use it."

"Well what is it then? You don't have to use it."

"Murphy. My last name's Murphy, OK?" I say, a hint of anger in my voice.

"OK, it was just a question," she says defensively. "Don't you have parents or something? No-one came out to say goodbye to you."

"I do have parents, but I was emancipated when I was fourteen," I say quietly.

"Why did they make you leave?"

"It was my choice; they didn't force me to do anything. They were abusive. I didn't want to be around them any more. I have my own house, and I earn my own money."

"So what school do you go to? If you have to earn your own money…" she trails off.

"Actually," I begin, "I go to the Lawrenceville School. They pay for my school fees and uniform and bills for my house, but I pay for everything else."

"That must be pretty cool, not having any parents."

"It's alright."

"So what are you here for?"

"Javelin and 200m. You?"

"Archery. I'm sixteen, by the way. How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"You don't look it.""Just because I'm small, doesn't mean I'm not a winner."

"I believe you," she pauses for a moment before continuing. "So… do you have a boyfriend?"

"I did, but that's why I left my parents."

"Katniss!" a voice squeals, as I notice we've made another stop. Katniss and I must have been talking for longer than I realised.

"Glimmer!" Katniss squeals in return. "Oh my gosh, it's been ages!"

"I know!" she continues in the same annoying voice. "Who's your friend?"

"Glimmer, this is Clove."

"Hi, I'm Glimmer. Glimmer Anderson," she says while holding out her hand. I take it, again, not wanting to seem hostile.

"Clove," I say nonchalantly, not using my last name. Glimmer looks at me as if expecting more, but then appears to decide that I'm not going to continue.

"I'm here for archery. What are you here for?"

"Javelin and 200m," I say in the same voice.

"Cool!" she exclaims, then starts talking to Katniss. I pull my i-Pod out of my bag and dig my headphones out too. I grab my muesli bar as well and gnaw on that. I plug my headphones into the jack of my i-Pod and slip them over my ears and shuffle through my playlists until I find my relaxing one. It start with Set Me On Fire by Bella Ferraro. It just registers in my mind that she's Australian, before the words surround me.

Set me on fire with,

Endless words,

To show my worth,

You take me to a place I've never known.

Set me on fire with,

Silent kisses,

Like the sunset,

Darkness is our playground we call,

Home.

I wake to the sound of excited yells, and realise we're at the airport. I turn off my music and unplug my headphones then stuff them both back in my bag. The bus pulls up, and everyone starts standing up, until Coach Enobaria stands up and orders us all to sit. It's at this point that I realise I'm not only the only person from the Lawrenceville School here, but I'm also the only person from my athletics club too. Enobaria tells us that we have to be on our best behaviour, and that there's another bus that's just arrived. Once she gets off, we all grab our bags and jump off the bus to grab our other stuff. I spot my distinctive purple suitcase easily, and my guitar's the only one there. I grab both of them and walk back over to Katniss, seeing as she's the only one I know here. When everyone has their bags, we walk into the airport with the group from the other bus in a huge mob. As we walk through the airport, the people at the front of the group stop and stare at something. Whispers slowly spread through the group, and I eventually find out what's going on.

"Nicki Minaj."

"It's Nicki Minaj."

"Over there, by the vending machine."

"It's her for sure.""The hair's a dead giveaway.""Who else has hair that's bright orange and fluffy?"

"What's the hold-up?" Coach Enobaria says impatiently.

"It's Nicki Minaj," everyone whispers together.

"I don't care if the Queen and her corgis are here, we need to keep moving," she says with the same impatient tone. We stay where we are, just watching as Nicki disappears from sight. "Move it!" Coach Enobaria says loudly. We slowly begin walking again, and for the second time today I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder.

I turn around slowly and find myself face to face with an enchanting pair of ice-blue eyes.