I piled into the front seat of our hot car like it was climbing into an uncomfortable hug. My legs squeaked sweat into the leather. Summer was holding in, apparently missing the memo that it was now September. We pulled out of the communal car park and I turned the radio up.

Ingrid turned it down again. "Are you sure you're going to be okay walking home? I can always pick you up after my biology, if you don't mind waiting." Ingrid was my older sister. A bit of a bitch, a science nerd and way over protective.

"Innie, there are these things called phones. They have maps on them now and everything."

She looks disgruntled. "Well, you can still call."

We drove down streets I didn't know, turned corners I didn't know, drive past students I didn't know to get to a college I didn't know. I shrank further into my seat.

"I have to spit you out here," Ingrid said, looking in the rear-view mirror. With her chestnut hair and blue eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"

I nodded, even though it wasn't the truth. It wasn't here fault any of this was happening. We had to move. It wasn't dad's fault, either. Having no one to blame for being ripped out of my old life almost made it worse.

"Hang on." Ingrid indicates and yanked her out Ford Fiesta into a car space. I opened the door, readying myself for the big unknown. She puts her hand on top of mine. "Are you sure you're going to be okay, Spencer?"

Easy for her to say. Back at our old school, Ingrid was the most popular kid around, even before she left for college. Probably was popular there, too. Easily likeable, charismatic and friendly. Everything I was not.

I smiled for her. "I'll be fine. Have fun in physics." That was Ingrid, studying all three sciences in college and somehow still having time for debate club and further-maths once a week. Those two years that split is a part did her a world of good.

She left me on the pavement in a cloud of fumes and weaved away in the onslaught of cars-late-for-work. I wasn't exactly sure where to go, so I followed the scattering of people my age towards the six-form building.

My skin prickled as a shy-rash erupted across my chest, and I rubbed it with my sweater - that was tucked in to my jeans, to try and stop the itchiness. Gross, I know. It was just what I needed on the first day, too. Across the country from where I lived in Yorkshire, to Cornwall, and everyone would call me the blotchy-shy-girl.

I fell into step behind two other girls and, despite the heat, did yo my denim jacket self consciously. I pictured what was waiting for me in this hellhole.

Wow, how crap I am at human functioning.

The girls in front chatted excitedly and I accidentally caught wisps of their conversation.

"Did you hear Sam's gone full on goth? Does her new boyfriend know she loves Taylor Swift? Should we tell him?" They giggled and my stomach twisted apprehensively. I knew how mean girls could be, but I had managed to wrangle together a close group of friends that were pretty nice. It only took me 16 years; and now I had to start again. Whoopie.

The girls turned left past a co-op and I copied, finding myself face-to-face with the new school for the first time. It was looking a bit run down, with a fresh solar of blue paint here and there to seemingly try and spruce things up. 

Streams of students trickled in the various entrances, some screeching hellos, some tackling in hugs and some shaking hands. My bottom lip quivered. Never had I felt so alone. They were all chatting and laughing too loudly, showing off on the first day. It was a small town. The most they could hope for was a rebrand. Whereas I was entirely new.

There was not one face I knew in this place as I stomped in, in my high top white converse. For some people this would be liberating, - a Chance to start over. But I didn't want to start over. I wanted to go home; back to Yorkshire with Ollie and Jessa.

Jessa

Just saying her name gave me chills. I almost cried, then, in broad daylight at 9 am on a Monday. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. Jessa was my first crush, some could say, my sexual awakening; well, her and Brendon Urrie. We were two peas in a pod, probably closer than that.

I stood to one side in the stuffy hall, a bittersweet smile twitched across my face. A sharp bell rang our and jolted me. I checked the time on my phone. 8:55. I only had 5 minutes to get to SP267 and meet my new form group.

The paper shook in my hands but I managed to find the room, to the right of the stage hall in the performing arts centre.