Evie Walker had had more first days than she cared to remember. She was so used to them that she almost didn't feel nervous- there was just a faint flutter in her tummy. She was used to the starched, crisp new uniform, the clean A4 exercise pads and the rattle of new pens, and starting a new school felt as natural as breathing to her now.
She was naturally very pretty, and she only enhanced her good looks with a slight touch of makeup. Her glossy brunette hair tumbled down her back in waves, and she wore black framed glasses or contact lenses depending on her mood. She slung her soft leather bag over her shoulder and inspected herself in the mirror. She hated the fact that Waterloo Road's uniform was a skirt- although she was slender- almost too slender- she hated the way she looked and much preferred to hide her body underneath baggy trousers. Anyone else would have said she looked beautiful, but looking at her legs shown of in tights, she pulled a face and left the room quickly.
Jogging downstairs she gulped down a glass of water and a paracetamol, slipped her feet into her ballet pumps and locked the front door behind her. She didn't want to be late on her first day- if she'd learnt anything from being constantly jiggled around it was that everything was much simpler if she didn't stand out.
She was unsurprised to see no note from her dad- he'd slept out for the past two nights and apart from a text asking her to do the washing, there had been no communication. Since her mum had died two years ago, Evie's relationship with her dad had been fraught to say the least. More than a few times now he had stepped their arguments up to the next level and hit her. Her bruises, safely covered by her green school jumper, were big and stood out on her fragile body, and sometimes made her wince in shock when she caught sight of them in the mirror.
Evie slowed her pace as she got nearer to the entrance of the school. She was tired- she was barely eating, her sleep was snatched and fitful, and the walk was a good half an hour. Her dad had suggested a bus, but hadn't offered to pay, and as she was struggling for money as it was, she had declined, saying she'd be happy to walk. She didn't particularly mind, she could use the time to clear her head and listen to her iPod, but she knew it wouldn't be fun on rainy days. She wasn't too early or late, so she quickly headed in to the building, avoiding the looks from other girls. She knew she had bags under her eyes, little black circles that wouldn't go away, and after making a beeline for the toilets, she desperately rubbed concealer in, hoping she might look a bit healthier. She slipped her makeup bag back into her school bag, and paused to finger the bottle of cheap vodka she'd carefully placed in there that morning. Before she could stop herself, she'd locked herself in a cubicle, and with shaking hands, taken several large gulps. Smoothing her hair, she walked out and headed for the main reception.
'Hi...' she said tentatively to the woman in the office. 'I'm Evie Walker. I'm new.' The woman peered over her glasses and tapped a couple of keys. 'Hmm. I can't seem to find you on our system. You are enrolled aren't you?' She asked. 'Yeah,' Evie replied, 'I might be down as Genevieve. That's my full name, only nobody ever calls me that.' 'Ah. Well, you should have said!' The woman said, slightly snippily. 'Right, here you are. This is a copy of your timetable. If you'd like to take a seat through there, somebody will be here to welcome you.' Evie followed the woman's pointing finger, and sat down to study her timetable. It was only a few weeks into the start of the year, so she wouldn't have missed too much. She smiled as she looked at her lessons- she had somehow managed to secure an impressive set of GCSE results, which had allowed her to choose difficult A Levels- History, English Literature, Philosophy and Ethics and French, as well as compulsory Games and PSHE lessons filled her timetable. A pretty woman dressed in a smart pencil dress interrupted her thoughts. 'Hello. My name's Miss Mason- I'm your headmistress. You must be Genevieve?' she said, a warm smile on her face. Evie struggled to her feet, which did not go unnoticed by Rachel, who was looking closely at the girl, her sharp brain already trying to pick up clues about her new pupil. 'Hi. Yes, but everyone calls me Evie.' The teacher apologised, and led her into her office. 'Take a seat,' she said. Evie followed her, her head swimming with the alcohol, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of fear.