Walking into breakfast with Chloe, I see him. With his back to me, he grabs some toast and a glass of water. His brown, curly hair looks less tamed than yesterday, but somehow it still seems perfect. I stand still, watching him until Chloe elbows me in the ribs. "Sure you aren't a stalker?"
"Oh, shut up." I blush, nudging her back.
Just as we go up to the buffet, he heads over to a table next to us. "Oh, look, it's the little athlete!"
"Hi," I smile, hiding behind my hair shyly. Chloe darts off, leaving me and Mystery Track Boy alone.
"So, we meet again. Going for a run again later?"
"Uh, maybe, if I have time. I just went for one this morning..."
"Wow! Super committed, so, I guess I can't keep on calling you my little athlete. What's your name?"
"Wouldn't you like to know!" I tease, a smile creeping over my face.
"Yes, I would, actually. I'm Zack, I moved here on Monday."
"Wow, why are you joining so late? Most people start right from tiny little year sevens."
"It's - uh - it doesn't matter. It's complicated." He looks at the floor, avoiding eye contact, "Hey! You totally changed the subject! Not fair!"
"Someone is desperate to discover my identity. But my name's Jessica, everyone calls me Jess, though."
"Finally! All last night I was chatting to this guy I room with, Jake, and I was trying to describe you to him so he could guess who it was!"
"Damn, super desperate." I giggle.
"Oy, lovebirds! Just go on a date already, will you?" Chloe cuts in, dragging me away from him and to our table. I shoot her a glare and smile back over to Zack who's sitting with his mates. Chloe practically chokes on her water laughing at me.
*
I'm next to Rachel - another one of Chloe's friends - in Biology. She looks over enviously at my notes. I have to admit, I'm obsessed with organising and highlighting everything. In all of my exercise books, I've added colour coded keys for what each highlighting colour means. All the effort will be worth it when it comes to revising next year - I'll be able to find everything in a matter of seconds while everyone else pulls out stray scraps of paper here and there. Rachel turns back to her work and sighs: she's always struggled with Biology. "What's up?" I ask.
"These stupid 'monoclonal antibodies' pfft, it's just a fancy term for - wait, what are they again?" I shake my head at her, chuckling to myself. I'm about to explain to her what they are when I hear something.
There's a sharp knock at the door and Housemother Kylie walks into the classroom. What's she doing here? She doesn't work in the main school building. She whispers something in Mr Geffordson's ear and he turns to look at me, a grave look on his face. What's going on? Have they found out about my past? Am I being kicked out?
It feels like time completely slows as she walks over to me. The class falls quiet, staring at me, desperate to hear the latest gossip. I feel Rachel shift uncomfortably in her seat, but I don't rip my gaze off of my Housemother. Her face has paled considerably, leaving a translucency upon her skin. Whatever this is about, I'm not sure I want to know. Sounds in the room leap out at me: the click clack of her high heels, the tick tock of the clock. Everything echoes around me and it's such an effort not to crumple up like paper onto the linoleum floor.
"Jessica, would you like to come with me?" Housemother Kylie looks at me pityingly, her eyes watering ever so slightly. No, this isn't something I've done, but whatever it is, it's not going to be good news for me...