***

Bette Porter

“Dad, I’m home!”

My father comes from the kitchen and smiles broadly.

“How was your first day, honey?”

“Fine,” I lie. It wasn’t fine. I just don’t make friends and I have the feeling everyone looks at me all the time, judging me for something, but I don’t know for what. Wrong clothes? Am I supposed to talk in a certain way? Should I do a certain sport?

“That makes me happy, Elizabeth.”

Kirsten comes in and wraps her arm around my father’s waist. They do make a nice couple.

“Hi, Bette. Dinner is ready. I made you chicken, your father told me you love it.”

I get hungry only hearing it. “That’s wonderful, Kirsten.”

She disappears into the kitchen and I go to my room to drop my bag. I let myself fall on my bed. I look at the empty wall in front of me and decide there should be a poster there. I make a mental note to look out for one tomorrow.

I go to my desk and open my laptop. I look at my IM, but there’s nobody there. I have nobody to talk to, since I don’t make friends. I look around on the Internet and finally open the folder with my music. I dream away on the sound of it until Kirsten cruelly pulls me out of my dream world by calling me for dinner.

After dinner, I decide to practice a bit. I get out my guitar and pull the snares a bit, but nothing comes out the way I want it to. I keep on thinking about the girl on the bus this morning. She was really good looking. In the beginning, she was arrogant… but she was nice afterwards. I hope she’s on the bus tomorrow again.

My dad appears in the door opening and he scares the hell out of me. He has this annoying habit of always sneaking up on you without you noticing it.

“Dad! You gotta stop doing that!”

He smiles. “I’m sorry. Are you really okay, Elizabeth?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, dad. How are you?”

“Very well. Did you make any friends yet?”

“No, I haven’t had any classes. Ms Kennard showed me around. Tomorrow I’ll have courses with my fellow students.”