Things are not always as they seem:chapter 1

She could feel their eyes burning into her back getting more intense with every clack of her heel on the polished wood floor. They couldn’t believe she was walking away from this, from him in particular but none of them knew him not really. They knew the face he showed the world but that was under no circumstances the real him. No one knew the real him not even her completely. And this was why she was walking away from him, from all that he offered. It may be amazing, fantastic, phenomenal even but it wasn’t worth the risk. It wasn’t worth the pain she would feel. She heard him call her name “Katie” it echoed softly through the hushed hall. Not a hint of anger in his voice, not even remorse or sadness more like a command that anyone would even admit. They never would say anything against him, never so much as utter a bad word about him. She remembered the days she once would but then he charmed her and once he had done that you would never find anything in anyway wrong with him. He was pristine, perfect as any one person could be. It had once amazed her, his effect on people, but once he had charmed her she no longer noticed .1

As she got close to the door she could smell the freedom, the cold wind was blowing and she almost wished she had her jacket, or now she realised his jacket. She stepped through the door, the wind hitting her immediately feeling more like a slap in the face than she had ever known before. 2

She could taste the smoke on her tongue , the bitterness filled her mouth and made her think of him once again. When she was kissing him she didn’t notice how vile the taste was but now , alone, she realised how much she wanted to be sick. The weakness finally got to her and she leant up against the rough brick wall sliding down feeling the brick scratch at her skin, ripping and tearing. The release was immense as the blood dripped down her arm and the tears finally fell.3

She sat not noticing how the blood soaked through the soft white cotton of the vest she wore, the one she loved. She looked up as a boy maybe her age, a little older shuffled by. He seemed confident in himself but he was acting as though he didn’t want to disturb her. She silently stared looking from head to foot. His dirty blonde hair hung over his face ever so slightly shielding his deep blue eyes, his worn jeans hung just so on his hips, so you could see a think strip of tanned skin below his white billabong t-shirt. His jacket was slung over his shoulder beneath the strap of a black gym bag. He wasn’t muscled, lean with broad shoulders. Just as she considered whether to get up and go home he looked up straight into her eyes. Dropping them immediately and reddening softly with embarrassment until she heard his voice “hey, are you okay ? Is that blood ?” his voice was husky and deep but had not a shred of anger. She looked up to find him standing directly above her. His eyes were full of concern and she felt the last tear roll across her cheek. 4

“Blood ?” she asked her voice quivering. Her hand immediately flew to her top feeling the moisture, looking down to find the white cotton was now a deep red.5

“what happened?” he asked pulling her from the daze.6

“Oh, erm, nothing. I’m fine.” she replied falling all over her words. She then tried to stand up feeling slightly drowsy. Then it all went black. 7