Goth Kids Posing
The Punks
" Panic attacks? Your mother never mentioned that," Doctor S says, putting her head to one side again. I wish she'd stop doing that. It irritates me.
" No, well, I never told her," I mumble, drawing my knees up and hugging them. My Converse are dirty, but Doctor S doesn't mind the scruff marks on the pale fabric of the chair. She seems more interested in my panic attacks.
" Why not?"
" I didn't want to worry her. I've been a big disappointment as it is."
" Do you think so?"
" I know so," I argue. " I'm a freak. All I wear is black, I watch Star Wars videos and I have to be sent to a shrink because I'm too insecure to cope with a thing everyone goes through."
" But we're not talking about everyone else. We're talking about you. A girl who has panic attacks."
" She doesn't know that, though. And I'm not telling her, either. It's no big deal."
" Is it a big deal to you?"
" Well, yeah," I struggle. "I lost my best friends, and my boyfriend and my dignity in a week. I'm a leaper, and I never used to be."
" Leaper?"
" Someone who doesn't have any friends. Franklin was a leaper. But then Hunter took all my friends for him."
Doctor S sighs, and looks at me over her glasses.
" Tell me more about this."
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I thought Hunter was evil. I thought she was back-stabbing witch who stole my boyfriend, even if she swore they didn't do anything until I got ditched. I didn't want to go to school the next day, but Mum hauled me out of bed and I got the bus.
I only had four friends-Stocker, Hunter, Belle and Trxie. I was one down for sure. But she acted as though nothing ever happened. They smiled and said hi cheerily to me. I stonily ignored them.
" Fliss, what's wrong?" Hunter asks, putting her arm round me. I flinched away.
" What do you think? You stole my boyfriend!"
" But I didn't!"
We had a huge arguement and Hunter stormed off, dragging Stocker with her. Belle and Trixie gave me weird looks.
" She's not back-stabbing, Fliss," Belle said slowly. " She was good about it."
" Shut up, Belle."
" Don't you dare tell me to shut up!" she flared, cheeks pink. " You're the back-stabbing evil one, Flissity Wheelan."
She stalked off angrily. Trixie sighed.
" You're not being fair."
She went off too.
" I'm not being fair?" I screamed. " What about you?"
I was lonely, and I almost had another panic attack. I walked it off, and bumped into The Punks.
The Punks weren't punks-they were Goths, but that was our title. They consisted of four kids-Kat, Victoria, Will and Brent. Will and Brent were OKay-they mostly sat on the table outside the hall, laughing loudly and head-banging along to HIM on Will's iPod. Kat and Victoria were more fun. Kat was Hunter's sister, and they looked the same, except Kat had black spiky hair and silver hoops running along one ear. Victoria was quiet, with redish-brown long hair and pink fishnet gloves and wore black lipstick to school. The stayed around the table outside the hall, all on their own. I started hanging round with them because I was desperate. I guess Kat felt sorry for me. We were friends, and they walked home with me and we once went out to the cinema but that was it. We weren't real friends.
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" So you had no friends and no boyfriend?"
" No," I tell Doctor S. " No, I didn't. And that big dance was coming up, too."
A dance, I hear you cry. Yeah, tacky, but I was looking forward to it. We were gonna have a big party afterwards at my boat because the hall was near the docks. Mum was still desperate to go through with it, even if I didn't want to.
Really, I think any girl in my position would do the same.
It wasn't too terrible, right?
" No, well, I never told her," I mumble, drawing my knees up and hugging them. My Converse are dirty, but Doctor S doesn't mind the scruff marks on the pale fabric of the chair. She seems more interested in my panic attacks.
" Why not?"
" I didn't want to worry her. I've been a big disappointment as it is."
" Do you think so?"
" I know so," I argue. " I'm a freak. All I wear is black, I watch Star Wars videos and I have to be sent to a shrink because I'm too insecure to cope with a thing everyone goes through."
" But we're not talking about everyone else. We're talking about you. A girl who has panic attacks."
" She doesn't know that, though. And I'm not telling her, either. It's no big deal."
" Is it a big deal to you?"
" Well, yeah," I struggle. "I lost my best friends, and my boyfriend and my dignity in a week. I'm a leaper, and I never used to be."
" Leaper?"
" Someone who doesn't have any friends. Franklin was a leaper. But then Hunter took all my friends for him."
Doctor S sighs, and looks at me over her glasses.
" Tell me more about this."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought Hunter was evil. I thought she was back-stabbing witch who stole my boyfriend, even if she swore they didn't do anything until I got ditched. I didn't want to go to school the next day, but Mum hauled me out of bed and I got the bus.
I only had four friends-Stocker, Hunter, Belle and Trxie. I was one down for sure. But she acted as though nothing ever happened. They smiled and said hi cheerily to me. I stonily ignored them.
" Fliss, what's wrong?" Hunter asks, putting her arm round me. I flinched away.
" What do you think? You stole my boyfriend!"
" But I didn't!"
We had a huge arguement and Hunter stormed off, dragging Stocker with her. Belle and Trixie gave me weird looks.
" She's not back-stabbing, Fliss," Belle said slowly. " She was good about it."
" Shut up, Belle."
" Don't you dare tell me to shut up!" she flared, cheeks pink. " You're the back-stabbing evil one, Flissity Wheelan."
She stalked off angrily. Trixie sighed.
" You're not being fair."
She went off too.
" I'm not being fair?" I screamed. " What about you?"
I was lonely, and I almost had another panic attack. I walked it off, and bumped into The Punks.
The Punks weren't punks-they were Goths, but that was our title. They consisted of four kids-Kat, Victoria, Will and Brent. Will and Brent were OKay-they mostly sat on the table outside the hall, laughing loudly and head-banging along to HIM on Will's iPod. Kat and Victoria were more fun. Kat was Hunter's sister, and they looked the same, except Kat had black spiky hair and silver hoops running along one ear. Victoria was quiet, with redish-brown long hair and pink fishnet gloves and wore black lipstick to school. The stayed around the table outside the hall, all on their own. I started hanging round with them because I was desperate. I guess Kat felt sorry for me. We were friends, and they walked home with me and we once went out to the cinema but that was it. We weren't real friends.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
" So you had no friends and no boyfriend?"
" No," I tell Doctor S. " No, I didn't. And that big dance was coming up, too."
A dance, I hear you cry. Yeah, tacky, but I was looking forward to it. We were gonna have a big party afterwards at my boat because the hall was near the docks. Mum was still desperate to go through with it, even if I didn't want to.
Really, I think any girl in my position would do the same.
It wasn't too terrible, right?