1. So What

I live in my mind. My imagination is my escape, my escape from reality. I am different from other 'normal' people, I see and know things, I cannot even imagine to explain. My parents think I am psychotic, and for that I have spent numerous months in mental institutions, even though I am completely normal. I have basically lived in every state, besides my family; who stayed home base in California, while I got sent to a ridiculous amount of prep school, boarding school, oh, and don't forget the mental institutions.But wait is hasn't happened over my whole life, it's just been for the past 3 years. So now, here I sit in Collinton High, my first public school, only because my mother doesn't want to waste her poor daddy's funds on an unstable teenager. Little does she know she is the only unstable one in the house.

My dad, Russel, was in the army, my mother, Anne, is a fashion designer and we are well off, because of inheritance from both my mum and my dad's side. We have a massive house on the coast and Josh has a sweet pick up truck, and I have a bike. Remember mentally unstable, how pathetic can my mum get. So I'm forced to ride my super fast awesome bike to school unless my oh so loving brother feels generous enough to give me a lift. Josh has been attending this school for about a year, he got sick of the prep school, and of course was aloud to transfer, without a fuss. He instantly got first string on the football team, has dated nothing other then cheerleader, but is currently single for like the first time in his life. He got his popularity served to him on a silver platter when he started at Collinton High, he is the idol of so many poor little kids who can't see the light properly.

Stepping back in to reality, at this point of the day I was in my favorite class, even though I hated them all with a passion. This teacher was just plain out dumb, he would always ask "Can you handle it?" or "Do you understand it?", how about "Do you want something easier?", he never learnt that I was top of the class in my first week. So every period I stared out the window fiddling with my imagination, not needing to pay attention because I knew it all. So, yes, I welcome you to my world, I'm.

" Charlotte, what is the hypotenuse of this?" Mr Knolls shouted in my direction, shaking me from my thoughts.

" Err, What was that sir?"

'How dumb can you think I am you idiot, you gave me the easiest question on the board' my mind screamed, I hate teachers at this point a sarcastic smile spread across my face. He gave up and turned to Chloe, the suck up, QUEEN BITCH, the school president, who always wore a pink sweater, with a pink shirt with a pink- she just wears everything pink. She has a fluffy PINK pen, god I loathe - the bell rand as i got interrupted from my thoughts again, I quickly exited the class, "Have a nice trip Chloe" I directed at her as I dashed past, and continued to stroll out the door but not fast enough cause suddenly the room burst in to laughter, then I briefly heard Mr Knolls yell out "Chloe are you okay?", I quietly chuckled to myself as I hugged my books with my bag by my side as I walked to my locker.

You wouldn't call me your usual high school student; you would think that because everyone thinks I'm a misfit that I would try and fit in, typical stereotypical pains in my ass. I don't have a style beside what I found on my floor this morning.

Today was the likings on grey knee length socks that complemented my worn out chucks. My favorite Clash t-shirt, which was always too big, but was shaped by a vest. And my knee length skinny shorts. Always spiced up with a hippie bandanna, and my dog tag that I always wore which was given to me by my dad before he was shipped out to Iraq, stupid army. My body is slender, I'm not anorexic nor am I obese. I'm tall enough to be a runway model but I don't give a shit for the crap they put up with, if I can barely handle my teachers, image me modeling, lets just say its not me that would get hurt. I have green eye's and my brown wavy hair sits about three quarters of the way down my back. I have never dyed it or been the girl to wear make up, like all the other girls at this school, who are cake faces, and peroxide barbies.

I've been at Collinton High for about a week, and lunch time was about as exciting as the day got, I sat at the only unoccupied table, well not unoccupied anymore, reading my books, while all the geeks try to hit on me, because I'm fresh meat. but I'm always one step ahead.

"Hi, Charlotte"

"Hi, Harry" I couldn't help it, a cheesy smile crossed my face as Harry Stanford stood in front of me, checkered business shirt all done up, glasses sitting on the end of his nose, greasy hair and loafers of some sort, and also it looks like he is saving some of his lunch for later, on the front of his shirt.

He didn't reply, "No Harry, I do not want to attended the party in your pants" I grabbed the remaining of my lunch and books and walked to the library, quickly glancing back to see Harry's horrified face. It never gets old. As I pass the "popular " or "does my butt look big in this" or "maybe I should grow a brain" group, who weren't difficult to discover on my first day. Pete Day, apparently supposed to be drop dead gorgeous, yells out "Psycho" when I walk past. Ouch, wounded, he can't come up with anything original, but because this insult comes from Pete is supposed to bother me, but instead it makes me laugh, "Yeh Pete, and you want me so bad" I reply as i wink and continue to walk through the cafeteria doors.

My home life follows the same as my school life, my mother avoids all contact with me and my older brother Josh, who happens to be in the same year as me, is barely home for him to notice me.

"Hello Mother" I greet her every day with, I walk through the front door, dump my bag off at the end of the stairs and grab an apple off the counter and lean up against the island in the middle of our kitchen.

"Hello, How was your day?" She answers never looking at me always busy flipping through the latest fashion magazine, as she sits at a bar stool on the opposite side of the counter.

"As normal, super exciting, how about yours?"

"Good, I wont be home for dinner I have to go into the office, just order pizza" she rushes out as she packs up her magazines and papers and rushes off in the way of the garage.

"Bye" I manage to say all ways to late for her to hear, so I directed it towards the fridge, which has a picture of our somewhat disappearing happy family, my mum hugging a young Josh, which me on my dad's shoulders who has an arm around mum. We were at the fair that day, it was that last time together as a family we were happy.

I spend all my free time which is basically all the day minus school, in my room, my sanctuary. There is not one little inch of wall you can see, it is covered up with photos, poster, drawings and anything that is awesome enough to go up on my wall, I have a queen size bed, that has never been made a day in my life, and I never intend on changing that. My wardrobe is massive with mirrors as doors, opposite my bed is my desk that contains my laptop, printer, stereo, TV, X-box, music and my camera equipment. On its stand next to my desk is my acoutic guitar, which has been bombed with sticker. Opposite my wardrobe is a massive window that have a view of the entire coastline, all I see is beach and forest, my perfect combination. Our house is one of a kind, it has a track to a private beach that everyone else along this particular little coastline know about but because we are at the end of this particular strip of coastline, we basically have a private beach. The side of our house is open to the forest which also connect to the beach. If I'm not spending time in my sanctuary, I visit my ever trusting friend, the forest. Which has witnessed me in my worst and best hours alive, hiding all the secrets it has bared, and only I have the key.