The entire ride, I don’t say anything to the girl next to me. I don’t feel at ease with her and I secretly hope she doesn’t got to the same school. She is the first one of my own age I meet in this town-what if they’re all like this?

The bus stops and I get out as soon as possible. I have a meeting with one Ms Kennard, she will be my mentor and if I have problems in the beginning, I have to go to her. My dad took care of that. I really think he’s being serious with Kirsten. He moved in with her and the fact he has set up this gives me a sparkle of hope he thinks it’s a long term thing.

I agreed with Ms Kennard we would meet at the front door. The teachers never hang around, they always go straight to the teacher’s room, so I should easily recognise her.

I do indeed. I see a blonde woman wearing a charcoal trouser suit with a white shirt underneath. She’s wearing glasses and looks kind. I walk towards her and she smiles at me. Of course she doesn’t recognise me since we never met.

“Hello, I’m Bette Porter. I’m the new student,” I say as I offer her my hand. She smiles broadly and shakes my hand.

“Hello, Bette. I am Emma Kennard and I’ll show you around. Today you aren’t attending any classes yet. I’ll tell you everything about this school. If you have any questions today or later, you can always come to me. We’ll pass my room.”

She goes inside and gestures I can follow her. I walk behind her. I don’t see the treshold and almost fall over it. I just manage to keep my balance. That would be an entrance – falling in.

Ms Kennard goes through some corridors and she walks really fast. I have to run to keep up with her. The corridors are really crowded and some students give me an annoyed look, others laugh at me, probably thinking I’m a weird geek. I pant as I get to Ms Kennard, who has stopped in front of a door. She turns around and smiles again.

“This is my small office. Don’t expect to much of it, I only got it because I am more at school than I am at home.”

She opens the door and I follow her in. I look around and get the feeling I’m in a cupboard. Ms Kennard points at a chair I can sit in.

“Tell me, Bette, do you know anybody in town?”

“No, nobody at all.”

“My daughter attends this school as well. Her name is Tina.” Ms Kennard looks at the sheet in front of her and back up at me. “You two are probably on the same bus. Haven’t you met a beautiful blonde girl with her sister who looks exactly like her this morning?”

It dawns on me. “Yes, yes I have.”