New Beginnings
by
Lauren Zavan

The car drives into our street. All around it faces are peering into the car, trying to find out who is behind the darkest tinted windows they have ever seen. We get to the end of the street where a big maison is standing out amongst the small suburban houses. Our chauffeur stops in the driveway and opens the door for my parents and then me in turn. I ignore the open door too busy texting my long time boyfriend who lives back at home. Home, I wish I was there right now instead of stuck in this lower class suburb. I wish I was in my apartment right now, enjoying the company of my many, many friends instead of being forced into some house that my parents call ‘our new home’. After a promise of calling my boyfriend as soon as possible I get out of the car and look around are all the designer shops and cute boutiques? You said this would be exactly like our old place.” I accuse. “Well honey.” My mum began in that annoying voice she uses when she tries to reason with me. “We didn’t say that the whole place would be exactly like New York just the house. It’s as big as our old one.” My dad cut in. 

“So what!! I don’t care if it’s as big or as beautiful, it’s not home!!” I felt like screaming at them, trying to tell them how I feel. But they just don’t understand. My parents turn away from me and start to walk up the winding path through the gardens instead of just following the normal path leading straight to the house as if they were going for a stroll in the botanical gardens. Frustrated, I storm into the house and upstairs into my grand suite. ‘At least it’s got the pool and the massive wardrobe.’ I thought. The place wasn’t that bad. At least I have my T.V., stereo not to mention all the gorgeous new clothes my parents brought me to bribe me into coming here. Wait what I am saying? This place isn’t half as good as my home. There was that word again, home. If the saying ‘home is where your heart is’ is true, my home is back where my heart is, in New York City, with my gorgeous hunk of a boyfriend. Speaking of which 
I better call him... After a very long talk with Jay, my boyfriend, and a night of completely no sleep it was time for me to go to school. I’m dreading this day. It’s not even a private school!! No mum just had to send me to a public school know some normal people, dear’. Ahh!! I can’t believe this after all things she has put me through; this is at the very top of my horrible things that my mother has done to me list. Again our chauffeur drives me to school. Every-one stops and stares at the car, again wondering who is in it. When they see me they are disappointed and they don’t even hide the fact that they are. ‘They probably hoped I was some major rock star or something.’ I thought bitterly. But with as much dignity as I could muster up, I walk straight past them all and up towards the principal’s office. I got up o the front desk, stated my name and asked to see the principal. The secretary led me to the door and called out to the principal. She held out the door for me and then closed it behind me and walked away. I hesitated before sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the desk and patiently waited for the principal to speak. I cleared my throat quickly before the principal turned in his chair to face me. “Listen, you may be rich and wealthy but at my school you will be treated like every-one else and you will treat:treat every-one else like they are your friends.” 
  “Umm...okay,” I was scared yet annoyed. How dare he assume that I want to be treated like I was royalty!! 
 “Just fill out these forms and then you may leave for class.” 
  
Hurriedly I filled out the forms and practically bolted out of the rooms. Despite the previous disappointed the students were staring at me left, right and centre. I couldn’t escape it. I was relieved to hear the bell signalling the start of classes. I raced into that to class and sat at the seat near the back corner of the classroom hoping to escape notice. But, much to my dismay, the teacher announced that I was here and forced me to come up and tell everyone a bit about myself. After mumbling a few lines I sat down and continued on my work.
 
 By the end of the day, I was already sick of school. I dreaded tomorrow and decided to fake a sicky to get out of school. I got home and jumped onto my computer and checked my e-mails. I had about a million from all my friends but none of them were from Jay. ‘That’s strange.’ I thought, usually I would have about twenty from him stating the obvious, he missed me. I opened msn and checked to see who was on. There was Stacy, Sarah and Jess my three best friends plus hundreds of random people who I had met either at parties, school or functions. The only people who weren’t on were some people who I didn’t really care about and Jay. ‘Where the hell is he??’ I thought. Quickly I clicked on the link to Jess’ msn and sent her an IM.
  Where is Jay?? I typed. Umm....she replied. Straight away I knew something was up. Well. Where is he?? I was getting frustrated. He’s...He’s away. I think. I don’t know where he is. She quickly changed her messenger to off-line but I knew that she wasn’t. She was probably IMing "Stacy, Sarah and anybody else she could about what I had said to her. 
 
I logged off and jumped onto my bed. I couldn’t believe this was happening. If I was back at home, Jess would have told me by now. ‘But you’re not back at home.’ I reminded myself. Suddenly everything had changed. I was no longer in power nor was I in control. Since I moved all my friends have been acting like I no longer exist. I decided to take things into my own hands. Telling mum I was going out, I got into my car, which was driven here by the other chauffeur, and drove to New York. I was going to find out once and for all what was going on with Jay.

I got to his apartment, nobody lived with their parents, only the losers did, and let myself in with the key that I had so I could come and go as I pleased. As I looked around, I immediately noticed that all the pictures of us were gone. I walked into the bathroom and saw that all of the make-up I left behind had gone too.

Dread filled my body as I walked towards his closed bedroom door. I didn’t want to open it but my body acted on its own accord. Before I even saw what lay in his room, I knew that I wouldn’t like it. There sleeping on Jay’s bed was a girl, Stacy, and lying next to her was Jay. I couldn’t believe it, my best friend and my boyfriend, both betraying me. Jay looked up to see me there staring down at him. I turned around and ran down the hall, wanting to get away from this place as fast as I could. I could hear Jay’s footsteps chasing me, his voice calling my name. But I kept running. I didn’t want to talk about it.Without realizing it, i got into the car and drove home. I pulled up in the driveway and suddenly realized what I had witnessed. Bursting into tears, I ran into the house and up into my bedroom. I quickly deleted my entire phonebook and then all my IM contacts. I had decided that I would forge about New York all together and start a new life here. I would past behind a locked door and I resolved that I will never open that door again. I woke up the next day feeling good, until I remembered everything that had happened in the last 24 hours and broke into tears again. Calming myself down, I got ready for school and ate breakfast. As I closed the front door behind me, I heard the chauffeur pull open the car door for me. “Sorry for the late notice, but I have decided that from now on I am going to drive to school in my car," I announced before bouncing over to my car and getting in. As I drove to school, I could feel a wave of optimism roll through and was suddenly very cheerful. I got to school and parked my car in the school car park, something I would have never done before. As I bounded up the steps I smiled at everyone around me. They just stared back, wondering what had happened to the girl that they first met, when I first came to this school. At my locker, I started to talk to the girl next to me. “Umm...hi.” she replied, warily. My name’s Lilabeth.” 

“Hi, I’m Leann.” 

“Do mind if I hang out with you today? I’m new here and I don’t have any friends yet.

“Sure! Meet me back at the lockers at lunch, ok.” She smiled at me before turning around and going to class. Feeling happy, I smile crept up on my face and I walked to my class feeling as though everything was falling into place. Classes flew by quickly and before I knew it, it was lunch. I met Leann at the lockers and she guided me towards the area that her friends had taken over. Leann introduced me to her friends, Tom, Stevie, Shaunee, Erin and Mike. They all smiled at me and said hello as I sat down on the grass. 

“So, Lilabeth. Where did you used to live before you moved here?” Asked Mike.
  
“I used to live in an apartment in New York City, but I don’t talk about it anymore. Or at least not until yesterday. Something happened there and I’m now trying to forget about it and move on.” I replied. A wave of sadness washed over me but I quickly pushed it back.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Asked Shaunee tenderly.“Nah. What’s done is done and it’s now firmly locked away never to be opened again if you know what I mean.” I replied. “Yeah, I get you. You just wanna start over again. Anyway, the sales all start today and I’m dying for a killer pair of shoes.” Moaned Shaunee. Erin and Leanne started to giggle while Tom and Mike groaned. 

 “Don’t you have like, ten million pairs of ‘killer heels’ already?” Tom complained.  

“Yes but you know that for me, shoes are happiness. And anyway we have to celebrate!!”

“Celebrate what?” I asked.
 
 “You joining our group of course, what else would it be?” Erin exclaimed. 
 
“I know, let’s go now!!” Yelled Shaunee. She pulled us up to our feet and led us towards the front gates. At the front Shaunee linked arms with Erin and I and pulled us along. I wriggled out of her grip and stopped for a few seconds. ‘I actually have real friends now. I guess public schools aren’t as bad as they seem!!’ I thought. I laughed out loud before running after my friend feeling as though I could finally free to be who i wanted to be.