my soul to take

"You up child." Gammy calls through my bedroom door.

"Yeah." I call back as I groan and roll over.

I still don't feel quite at home yet, nothing here is familiar.

gammy took me in last year when my mom passed away from malnutrition, she basically starved herself to death.

My father was stabbed and killed on Christmas day by my uncle Thomas.

right in front of me.

I was Ten.

that's why my mom was depressed, my dad was the love of her life.

we don't talk about why my uncle did it, of what led up to that day.

the memories are just too painful.

I only met Gammy a few times growing up, so when she offered to take me in, I was shocked, but grateful.

I grew up in Texas, a small town called Cinder falls.

now I'm in Nebraska, a small town called blackwood.

today I start at a new school, well, the last Six months anyway.

I was homeschooled before that, because looking after my mother was a full-time job.

"Can you get my medication today on your way home." Gammy asks as I enter the kitchen.

"Sure." I say sitting down at the large breakfast table.

I love Gammy, we have gelled well over the last Eight months.

she's a tall thin woman, with grey hair down past her shoulders.

she keeps it up in a neat bun at the back of her head.

she's not wrinkly, but she tells me daily she's about to die.

FYI, she's not.

"You ready for your first day." she asks handing me a plate of eggs with bacon.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I mutter taking a mouthful of food.

"don't let them get you down. hold your head high, you're a Stamford, born to be tough." she scolds me as she sits down.

I scoff as she takes a seat.

"You listen to me girly. you're a Stamford, through and through. you have more money than any of those other idiots in town. don't get caught up in the drama." she says with a nod.

Gammy tells it as it is.

"I don't plan too. I just want to see this school year finish and then hopefully get accepted into the college of my choice." I reply as she chews her food.

"Even if you did not get accepted, you could just buy your way in." she grins, and I stare at her in shock.

I will never get used to knowing how rich we are.

"Then I would rather not go. seriously Gammy." I scold her, she just laughs because it's funny.

"I mean it Gammy; I will do no such thing." she snorts at me before standing up.

"Well, if you say so, you better get going then, do some learning, so you can get into that fancy college the right way. don't forget my pills." she grumbles as I make my way outside.

I pull on my helmet and sling one leg over Tom Hardy, yes, that's what I called my bike.

he's a matt black Kawasaki ninja; he's a beast and something Gammy bought me when I moved here.

the ride to school is pleasant, the sun warm on my shoulders.

I pass through the main street, it has the usual bars and shops, with people coming and going.

even if it's only now Eight in the morning, its busy.

we have a supermarket. pizzeria. bowling alley.

we have some clothes shops. a church. dentist, a doctor's office.

the middle school and kindergarten are next door to each other.

plenty of mini vans rolling up to the sidewalk to drop off their Presious cargo.

I pull up to the high school and expect to see something run down, but it looks surprisingly new, well, new looking bricks, fresh shrubs.

a huge parking lot, filled with expensive cars.

I swing into the lot and park next to a blue Truck, it's shiny with big wheels.

I look up to the window and swear I can see someone staring back at me, in the end it doesn't matter does it, six months and I'll be moving on.

I sit for a few minutes watching people come and go.

groups gather, friends laughing, boys pushing each other and throwing a ball.

Boys and girls kissing for all to see, like no shame at all.

Three girls stand in front of the blue truck, all whispering and giggling.

Blondie in the middle is stick thin, the total opposite to me, her hair hangs down past her shoulders in perfect ringlets.

Its giving, barbie doll vibes.

the blonde girl to her right is a little chubbier, also, hair past her shoulders, swept to one side with some sort of clip, still skinny, but not as thin as the first blonde one.

to be fair, both girls are pretty, but I can tell they are trouble with a capital T.

the other girl standing with them, has brown hair, cut into a bob. she stands slightly back, almost like she doesn't belong.

again, pretty, probably more pretty than the other Two, but still just as dumb.

I'm not judgmental, really, I'm not but you can tell a mile away, they are your typical high school airheads.

I remove my helmet and face away from the blue truck, stretching my back out from sitting so far forward.

I'm not blind, I can see Two or more Guys in there, all probably wondering who the new shiny toy is.

and smoking weed, really, it stinks.

I walk towards the front steps, the three girls giving me serious stink eye and look up at the school, this is going to be hell.

"Here goes nothing." I whisper to myself, under my breath.

I swing the door open and head inside.

I'm instantly hit with the smell of rosses, sweet and sickly.

girls and boys all gather around lockers, sharing stories of their weekends.

I sigh and walk towards a circular desk.

the whole place reeks of wealth and entitlement. the floors are that shiny, I can see my own reflection.