Chapter 1
Chapter One
I stopped believing in happy endings a long time ago. They belong to someone else's story — as if my life could ever be that simple. Everyone kept telling me that a new location would mean a fresh start, that I needed one, especially after everything that had happened. Everything I'd been through.
Seven years ago, my dad left England for another woman, leaving us stranded. And it wasn't just that he left — he also stole a significant sum from Mom's account before he went, forcing us to rebuild from nothing. Now, here we are, dragged back to where it all began.
I can't say we're poor, though. My mom turned out to be a smart woman — she never puts all her savings in one place. And I'm sure that if that man had known she had other accounts stashed away, he would have taken those too. So we're not exactly poor, but we're not rich either.
Mom became the talk of the town after that. People wouldn't stop staring at us with pity, so we didn't stay.
I never agreed to move to London to start afresh — or at least, I thought I had it all figured out. But I had no idea.
"Hey Maddy, I'm off to work. Don't forget to pick up your sister," Mom says as she walks past my room.
"Buy me pizza on your way back!" I yell, and I hear her shout an okay in return. I flop onto my bed and sigh. Maybe London wasn't such a terrible idea after all. In just under three weeks, Mom landed a job and made a few new friends who sometimes stop by — though I'm not always eager to meet them.
Mom keeps telling me to go out and make some friends, but I'm not ready for that. Not yet. And since I haven't started school, I don't think I need any. Friendships can be overwhelming, and I'm not ready to get tangled up in that kind of emotional weight. Still, I'll admit — the people here seem nice, and the atmosphere is peaceful. Clear enough to give your mind room to breathe and think straight.
The people living next door are somehow always loud — always out in the yard with music blasting and men laughing too loudly. Sometimes it gives me a headache, so I close my window and just try to sleep.
Today, I planned on doing some sightseeing before picking up Teddy, my little sister, from school. I got dressed in a shirt, free-flowing palazzo trousers, and sneakers, grabbed my phone and headset, and stepped out of the house. I strolled around for a while before settling down by the lakeside, watching the scenery and the birds fly freely around me.
And now, I find myself wishing I could be like them — free to fly without being held back.
I glance at the time and realize I need to get moving. Teddy's school isn't far, and I don't want to be late.
"How may I help you?" a woman I'd been seeing around for the past few weeks asked. I figured she had to be Teddy's teacher. She looked to be in her late thirties, with long blonde hair that fell past her waist and bright, wide blue eyes.
"Oh, Maddy — you're Teddy's sister," she said before I could even answer.
"Sure," I said, and she smiled.
"Right this way, then," she said, leading me through the classroom. Teddy was seated at a small table, scribbling something onto a sheet of paper.
"Teddy, your sister's here to pick you up," the teacher said.
"Maddy!" Teddy shot up from her chair and stretched her arms out toward me.
"Let's go, munchkin," I said, pulling her into a quick hug.
"Bye, Teacher Lucy," Teddy called out, and we stepped out of the classroom together.
I gave her a look on the way out.
"What?" she asked.
“ Nothing ” I shrugged.
“you know, there was this boy in my class," she said, before I'd even gotten the question out.
She paused, watching for my reaction.
"A boy? What about him?" I asked, smiling and patting her head.
"He kept staring at me while I was eating. So I stopped."
"So, a boy stares at you and you just stop eating?" I asked.
"Yeah, well — his staring was weird. At first I thought he wanted my lunch, but no, he had his own. He was eating too."
"Then you should've just kept eating instead of worrying about some boy staring. Unless —" I grinned. "— you've got feelings for him?"
She gasped and smacked my hand.
"No way! What is wrong with you? Why would you jump to a conclusion like that? Well…" she added, quieter, almost to herself, "…he is kind of cute, though."
I gave her the most knowing smile I could manage.
"Stop smiling like a witch," she said.
"Excuse me — did you just call me a witch? How dare you," I said, already breaking into a run after her.
"You're not gonna catch me!" she shrieked, laughing, taking off ahead of me. I caught her anyway.By the time we got home, my arms were sore from carrying her half the way and my stomach was growling. I made us lunch — toasted bread with a fried egg, and warm milk to go with it. Teddy settled onto the couch, cross-legged, glued to Barbie and her friends in a mermaid tale. We'd both come to love that cartoon, thanks to her.
"Why aren't you eating?" I asked, a piece of bread still in my mouth.
"I'm eating — you know, Mom said always eat slowly," she replied. I shook my head and turned my gaze to the TV.
"Maddy?" Teddy called.
"Hmm?"
"When are you going to school?"
"I don't know yet," I said, chewing.
"You're in your final year, right?" she asked, turning to me.
"Yeah, definitely."
"That means you'll be graduating soon, right?" she asked again, and I nodded.
"I heard it's stressful — being in high school," she said, and I turned to look at her.
"No, who told you that?"
"Well, yesterday I heard some of my classmates talking about high school stuff," she said, waving a spoonful of cereal — she'd started on a second bowl. "What high school stuff?" I asked, getting interested.
"You know — bullying, detention, and so more," she said, and I tilted my head in curiosity.
"So what were your classmates talking about?"
"One girl named Elena was telling her friends how her big sister in high school is always bullied. Sometimes she came home with bruises and injuries. If her mother asked, she'd lie and say it was an accident," she said. But I could tell she wasn't done yet.
"Wait — let me ask you something," she said.
"Go on."
"Have you been bullied before?" she asked, catching me completely off guard.
