Chapter 1: New Start, New Journey

My name is Annalese Rose. I am 15 years old, slightly obsessed with Tom Daley (who wouldn't be), I love fashion and makeup and I love to listen to music. I also love to draw and paint and when I had a room of my own I used to paint pictures to put up and make it my own place but I don't live anywhere at the moment. I did once. But not now. I was put into care when I was 11 and have been living in a care home ever since but now I have to move away because I am "trouble." But what does trouble actually mean. The dictionary definition is "causes distress or anxiety" but who seriously looks in a dictionary anymore. They are just stupid and false. How can I cause distress and anxiety? I got into trouble a few times but it wasn't my fault! Everyone gets in trouble when they are in care. Its just a natural instinct to be dumped in this place by a social worker who knows nothing about how you feel or what you want even if they tell you they do.

Well now I am being moved to Scotland, to this school's boarding house because they cant handle me in care so I suppose it's a new start for me. A good thing. I could finally make some friends and settle down. But why do I have to move to some school boarding house? Why not some other rubbish care home that puts padlocks on the kitchen cupboards and child locks on the toy cupboard. What is this boarding house going to teach me more than any other care home? They just want to move me to a different city and forget all about me.

I have never even left my hometown before so it's scarring and nerve-wracking moving to Scotland, a place that is different and new. I don't know what it will be like up there and what the people will be like. For all I know they could be kidnapping me and torturing me. They could lock me in my room all day and beat me. All I know is that I hate the Scottish accent.

It sounds strange and foreign to me and I can't understand a word of what people say when they have a Scottish accent. I just hope there a few people who don't have a Scottish accent so I understand what people are saying, then I might actually do well in school up here because then there will be no distractions to stop me from doing well. I know I am behind in school because of my rubbish childhood and the stupid social worker that forced me out of my house when I was merely 11 years old but even though bad stuff had happened in that house, I still loved it there and I especially loved my parents.

None of this was my fault. My destiny was set in stone that I would have a rubbish start in life but I can hopefully change the way my future is planned out to be. I can change it for the better.

I already love Scotland. Its not like back at home in the city where there are blocks of flats and tall buildings covering the sky and blocking out the sun and when you wake up in the morning and the first thing you smell is petrol. Now all I can see is the clear sky with the sun blazing down on me making me feel like I am at peace with the world and myself. For once I feel good about myself. The smell of freshly cut grass and sweet smelling flowers that fills the coach's stuffy air makes me feel like I am in love with something that isn't even a real person. I can't believe that for all my life I have been missing out on this.

I never fall asleep when travelling but there is always a first time for everything as gran used to always say. The coach driver woke me up when we reached the school boarding house, a large old house that you would imagine in a Jane Austin book. Pretty impressive for a school boarding actually! The benefactor of this school must really want this school to be good otherwise she wouldn't of put all this money into the boarding house. When I get inside it looked as impressive on the inside as it did on the outside. It was a plainly decorated but still beautifully furnished. To the left was the dining room and to the right was a reception room with a small TV and a few chairs. I had never seen a more beautiful building.

"Hello dear, I am Ms. Budgen, the housemistress. I will take you to your room now if you want." A small, heavily made up woman started to speak to me as if I was her best friend.

We started to walk up the carpeted stairs and up to a long corridor which had many different doors all specifically placed symmetrically along the corridor.

"Breakfast is at 8:00 and you must be out of the door by 8:45" Ms. Budgen said, friendly as we walk up the stairs and down the corridor "Dinner starts at 7:00 and if your not down here by 7:45 you will have to go hungry. Lights out is at 10:00 and it must be obeyed. We're not that strict around here pet so there is no need to look so scared!" Ms. Budgen laughed. "Now this is your room."

Ms. Budgen opened the door and we walked in. The room was plain white but a good size. The biggest room I have ever had. A large bay window let light into the plain white room and made it a lot brighter and friendlier. Two shelves hung on one of the wall and an oak wardrobe, a desk and a bed sat around the edges of the room.

"Its perfect." I whisper. I have never had a room of my own let alone a room this size so I found it amazing. It felt like home already.

"Now in a few minutes Scout, one of our residents will help you settle in and unpack." Ms. Budgen added as she walked out of the room. I placed my bags on the bed and started to examine my new room.

The door suddenly creaked open "Hello" a timid scouse accent mumbled. A small built girl with blonde hair and blue eyes appeared from around the door.

"Hi" I replied shyly.

"I'm Jodi Allen but you can call me Scout" Scout babbled. "Do you need some help with your stuff. We can probably unpack all of your stuff before dinner?"

"Ok. What's this place like then? I bet it's dead strict and boring," I asked.

"Don't take any notice of Ms. Budgen's humor. She's not very good with jokes but you will have to meet her husband to understand what someone is like who doesn't understand the meaning of fun. He just wants to lock us all up and throw away the keys." Scout whispered as if I was her friend.

We unpacked all of my stuff before dinner, giving every item its own place in my new room. Before we went downstairs for dinner, I looked at my room and I knew it was a new start for me. Everything feels like is in its right place and perfect for me. The desk, which had all my makeup and my mirror on, lay next to my newly made bed. A pink light hung from the high ceiling and my oak wardrobe was full of all my highly fashionable clothes. My new journey is just beginning.