"I've wanted one thing for my whole life and I'm not going to be that girl who wants one thing her whole life then gets it and complains." - Taylor Swift

                           ☆☆☆

I don't know how or where I lost control. I was always in perfect control of my instinctual actions. I should have kept in mind that this was a high school, with kids that could barely even hurt a finger on me. Yet, even it was a high school. Now here I was, straddling one of said kids because I had attacked him on instinct.

"You," I repeated, sagging and sitting back on his legs with relief. "What are you doing sneaking up on a girl? You looking for trouble or are you just shit stupid?" I asked.

The Lamp Post that seemed to dot my first day of school grinned. "I think I'll go with shit stupid," he said and I rolled my eyes before realising the position we were in. I was straddling him, my hands on his lean chest and his holding my waist.

Making an incomprehensible sound in my throat, I jumped, then fell on my back. Now we were both lying on the floor, side by side.

"What the f...oh," my sudden outburst took Lamp Post by surprise but then he chuckled. Turning on his side so that he was facing me, he looked at me creepily then grinned and got up. What was wrong with him? Holding his hand out, I took it so that he could help me up. I didn't thank him.

"Trey" he said suddenly sticking his hand out. "Trey Summers."

I shook it. "Taylor," I said.

"So..." Trey drawled out as he lazily plopped down in a chair next to mine. "You seem to recognize me, have we met before?" he asked.

He didn't even remember me? Way to wound a girl's ego. I didn't have one anyway so I just nodded, not looking up from the book I was opening. "Yeah, earlier when I was looking for my next or literally first class," I said.

"I see, new girl," he mused. "So what are you doing in detention?"

I looked up, he seemed keen on continuing this conversation but I wasn't. For some reason, my mood was damp, I felt like something was not right. Perhaps it was the aftermath of my little show from earlier in the English class. Perhaps I was forgetting something, but I felt...bad. "I could ask you the same thing," I said. "But I won't, you must be the jock that somehow ends up in here all the time and thinks it makes them look cool." I wasn't one to believe in stereotypes, but if he was smart enough, he would get offended and leave me the blip alone.

Apparently, he wasn't. Yay!

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "A stereotype believer I see." He grinned. "But no, I'm sorry to disappoint you Miss. Taylor but I'm not a bad boy, I'm not even on the football team so whenever you want to date me," he winked. "I'm very much available."

An eyebrow of mine rose at his cockiness.

"Don't worry," putting one palm on his chest and another in the air, he said, "I swear you won't regret it in future, you're not fifteen. And like I said, I'm not on the football team so you might marry me someday."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Not only had I never met a guy that listened to the woman of my life, also known as Taylor Swift before, but he was funny too. Yes, I loved her. Not because we had the same name, but because it was her music that was there for me when no one else was. 

"Yes!" Trey suddenly fist bumped into the air. "See? I made you laugh!"

Oh! "You did, did you?" I didn't understand. Why did he feel the need to make me laugh?

"I did," he nodded to himself, as if agreeing with what he'd just said then pointed an accusing finger in my face.  "Don't think I hadn't noticed how you didn't want to talk to me seconds ago. But I bet you do now." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Don't ya? Don't ya, don't ya?" he sang. 

I did. 
                           ☆☆☆

The rest of the morning rolled around without me noticing. The sinking feeling in my gut was still there but not so much even if Trey was not so fun company anymore, he was busy sketching something in a book and I was engrossed in my The Game Of Thrones book. Until lunch time came around.

"Hey Taylor," he called, finally looking up as he slapped his sketch book shut and shoved it into his back pack. "Wanna grab a lunch with me?"

I pondered on his question for a second. "Nope," I answered. I wanted to see if there was a way to escape detention and attend my remaining evening class. And I could only work it out during lunch. That meant skipping a meal.

"Okay," he said getting up. "See you later then Aqua," he made a mock salute and slang his bag over his shoulder while simultaneously moving out of class.

"Huh?" I muttered at his retreating back, he didn't hear.

A few minutes after Trey had left, Eve came around. It wasn't like I was waiting for her, I just wanted to wrap up the chapter I was reading before heading out. As I had learned, lunch lasted a full hour.

"Hey Taylor!" She chirped. "Wanna grab a lunch?" Eve had this cheerful aura around her, I wouldn't be surprised if she were a cheerleader. Not that cheerleaders are always cheerful though.

"Hey Eve," I responded and smiled at her. "No thank you. But thank heavens you're here. I was actually wondering if I could file an appeal?" I asked but Eve just stared blankly at me before exploding.

"What did you do Taylor?" She gasped. "Are you going to court?" She threw a hand on her chest. "Oh God no! Did you murder someone? Oh my God Taylor---"

Instantly, I felt my face get devoid of every colour. The walls of my neck closed and squeezed around my throat tightly until I could hardly breathe. Everything around me blurred, I couldn't hear Eve talk anymore. How? How did she...? No she couldn't...but...how? I could hardly believe everything I'd been working so hard upon was going down the drain in an instant. All the time I'd spent running, trying to hide from my haunting past was becoming all for nothing. I'd spent days and nights running, until I found a place far enough away from the place I once called home.

Until I found Lakewood.

Everything had been going well, I'd even started smiling, not feeling that overwhelming guilt that used to send me over the edge. And now... Because I'd chosen to start school again, someone knew. Eve knew. I could've stayed a dropout. I could've worked, there were so many people that never finished school but were doing great in life. But that is not what I wanted. I wanted to be normal, I wanted to be a girl my age. I wanted to live.

Well, my subconscious chided. You got the life you so wanted. Deal with it.

Eve suddenly squeezed my arm, bringing me out of my wayward thoughts and looked into my eyes, her hazel ones wide with worry. "Taylor? Are you alright?" she asked carefully, as if I were a ticking time bomb she was afraid of setting off. What was wrong with me? Of course Eve was joking! Why was I freaking out? She didn't know me. She didn't know about my past, and now I was freaking her out. Great.

I playfully glared at her, or at least, tried. She beamed and I felt a huge load being lifted off my back.

"I was kidding silly!" she playfully slapped my bicep. "But seriously, what do you mean by an appeal?"

I started explaining to her what an appeal was. However much I avoided thinking about that school, there was no way to avoid it since I'd started school again. The kids would obviously be asking about my previous school and all.
Not that I was going to tell them the real name, but everything I'd refer to would be exactly from there. In my previous school, there was a policy called an appeal where a student that has been sent to detention had to stay in until whenever the next break is. Then they'd go to the principal's office with the teacher and give their side of the story. It was usually given to latecomers and students who had been in fights. Apparently, Centennial High didn't believe in appeals. So my first day of school was to be helplessly spent in detention.

After Eve had left, my mood wasn't any better. I had only made an effort to smile just so she wouldn't freak out. How come my progress was already getting setbacks on the first damn day?
How was I going to handle the whole remaining part of my school year? Never mind college? Would I always live like this? Was I ever going to outlive my past or was it going to haunt me forever? Then again, had I ever really tried? Working for a newspaper distribution company didn't require that much socialising so I guess school was my first try, and I wanted this. I needed this. There was no way I was going to give up. Not yet. Not ever. I just needed to get my mind off all this. If only for a little while.
So I decided that I needed a distraction. My bike would give me that.

I hoped I'd not ride and lose track of time as I had to get back before my detention teacher came in at two.

I didn't. Yay!

                         .....
              

A/N: yay! ^^A pic of Taylor in blue jeans because I love her 💞 XD
So I swear I just realised when I was in the middle of writing chapter four that somehow Taylor Swift and Trey Summers have the same initials! But again, he's her first acquaintance at the school so...justified. lol and those initials might come in handy... ;)

Tell me what you think of the story so far... HERE