Origins

I walk back to the office aware that people had seen and heard the conversation with Scott, I shake my head and walk into the office picking up my bag and apologising for running out. Mr Connor accepts my apology and we all walk down to a room in the school. He sits us down and tells us to wait here for the kids to come and get us. I turn and see another boy who looks to be my age. I smile at him and decide to introduce myself.

“Hey, I’m Frances,” I smile at the boy.

“I’m Corey, I’m in year 11, what about you?” He asks me with a smile. He has black hair and soft Asian features, I note that he’s pretty good looking and has a really nice smile.

“I’m in year 10 and my sister Anna here is in year 9,” I tell him, we have a really lovely talk until another boy with jet black hair and full Asian features walks into the room. He sits in the chair in front of us and puts his head on the desk. I frown and move to sit in the seat next to him, “You tired?”

“Yeah, but most people call me James,” He looks at me smiling.

“Well I’m Frances, this is Anna and this is Corey,” I tell him, “You want some coffee?”

“Sure, what grade you in?” James asks accepting my coffee cup.

“Corey is in year 11, Anna is in year 9 and I’m in year 10,” I tell him.

“Sweet I’m in grade 10 too,” He smiles and seems to perk up after he takes a few mouthfuls of the coffee.

“You can drink it all,” I tell him and he thanks me before finishing the coffee. Soon a girl and the cute guy from before walk into the room and look around.

“Either of you people Francesca or James?” The girl asks.

“That’s us,” James grins and we both stand up.

“Well come with us we’re looking after you today,” The boy smiles warmly, he is way taller than me and has black hair and a pale face. I say good-bye to Anna and Corey and grab my bag, and then James and I walk out with the girl and boy.

“My name is Aimee by the way and this is Benji,” Aimee introduces us.

“I’m Frances,” I smile.

“I’m James,” James grins and we all walk up towards the top of the school together.

“So Benji and I decided that instead of going to class and showing you the stuff during recess like we’re supposed to, we’re going to show you now,” Aimee grins and looks at me, “You have lip piercings, that’s cool.”

“Umm thanks, the principal told me to take them out, and to redye my hair, this is my natural colour but I had to dye out the blue, pink and black,” I tell her touching my mouth where the piercings had left holes.

“That’s so awesome, you got photos?” Aimee asks as we walk together, James and Benji were having their own conversation.

“Yeah, in my wallet,” I go to get it out but she stops me.

“Show me at recess yeah?” She asks and grins at me.

“Sure,” I smile at her, she seems so cool, like the girls, I can tell that we’re going to be good friends.

“So Frances, if you don’t mind can I call you Frankee? ‘Cause I think Frances is a little…sweet, you seem more like a Frankee to me,” Aimee asks.

“Sure call me Frankee, my friend’s at my old school call me that,” I tell her.

“Well you can call me Aimz, no one else gets to call me Aimz but I think we’re gonna be really good friends so you can call me Aimz,” She rambles.

“You know I had the same feeling,” I tell her and reach into my bag and grab my wallet out.

“I told you wait until recess to show me!” She giggles and takes the bunch of photos I hand her, she looks through the photos.

“Want me to tell you who’s who?” I ask her.

“Please,” She nods and we go through the photos.

“This is my more than bestie BJayz, or Blythe as everyone else has to call her,” I point at a photo of me and Blythe, “This is Ereka and Flo,” I point out the two of them in another photo, “This is Alysha and me,” I tell her pointing at a photo we took on the train one time.

“Who’s this?” Aimee asks as she comes across the photos taken the day Bronte was born.

“Umm, doesn’t matter,” I take the photos and put them back in my wallet.

“No come on Frankee, tell me,” She puts her hand on my shoulder and hugs me when she realises that I’m crying.

“This is Izack and Bronte, the day Bronte was born,” I tell her handing her the photo of me holding Bronte just after she was born, Izack sitting next to me in the bed, “This is her last month when we went visiting,” I hand her a photo of Bronte in Aunty Emmalee’s pool with Izack.

“She’s so beautiful, and gosh he’s a hottie, are they your cousins?” Aimee asks.

“Bronte is my daughter, Izack is the father,” I tell Aimee and take the photo back.

“She’s gorgeous, how old is she?” Aimee asks hugging me again.

“She’ll be a year in July, don’t tell anyone, I came here to start fresh without all the taunting I got from people about Bronte, Bronte lives with me still and Aunty Emmalee is staying with us to look after her until she takes her up to Baraga next holidays,” I tell her and look at her. Aimee has dark brown hair, brilliant green hazel eyes and is my height and my build.

“I swear I won’t tell anyone Frankee,” Aimee smiles and hugs me again, “Here I’ll show you where the bathrooms are and you can fix yourself up.”

We walk to the bathrooms and I fix my face and wipe the tears away, satisfied with how I look we walk around the school and I learn where everything is, then she takes me to all the staff rooms so that the head teachers know who I am and they sign a piece of paper.