There's Always Second Chances

Chapter 1

I got ready for school. It was the end of my suspension. "Adrian are you ready?" called Mum from down the hall. I managed to pull on most of my uniform before she knocked on the door and popped her head in. She gave me a knowing smile. 

"This is just for a little while, until we know if they've accepted you or not," she murmured. I wrapped the tie around my neck and knotted it. I took a deep breath. It wasn't even my fault to begin with. I didn't start it. 

It was hectic this morning because we had to get the kids ready too and they didn't want to co-operate. "Everyone ready?" asked Mum as we got into the minivan. A resounding yes came from all of us and she backed out of the driveway. I was up first. I got out of the minivan and took the first few hesitant steps towards the front gates. They seemed intimidating. 

Mum drove off shortly after dropping me off to drop the others off to school. I walked into the school and all I could hear was whispers that I've returned. There was always whispers. No matter what school I went to, no matter what I did or who I made friends with. Someone always just had to talk about how my Mum got cheated on by my Dad and how she's raising us alone. Or that I was just the same as my Dad. 

I wasn't. Far from it. Someone knocked into me as they walked by. The impact knocked my bag on the floor. I bent down to pick it up and then I heard his voice. It was so grating and smug and just reminded me of my Father. If anything Justin was more like my Father than I was. A different girl every week. Promises of loving them forever and then exposing that he got to touch her or all the dirty little secrets that these girls kept to themselves. 

He was taller than me and bigger too. "Adrianne, back for round 2." Justin snickered. Real funny calling me the girl version of my name. I kept walking. I tried to keep a straight face, ignore the cackling buffoons behind me and just get to class. I could deal with him later. After school far away from here where I couldn't get in trouble. 

Aaron was waiting for me at the end of the hall. His face full of sympathy. "Are you going to ignore me Lawson, like your Dad did to you?" sneered Justin. I could hear his goons high fiving him like they did something clever. I grit my teeth and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I tried to count to distract myself from the rising anger. 

I know I shouldn't be getting annoyed but it's all everyone ever talks about. They make fun of me. They ask me if I'll walk out on my Mother too. Or they go the opposite. They make fun of how I defended my Mother or look after my younger siblings. "Hey don't listen to them," Aaron's voice finally reached my ears. It was a welcome distraction. 

"Got your little boyfriend to calm you down Lawson? No wonder your dad didn't want you." Justin seemed to not be able to talk about anything else. I knew him though. I used to be friends with him when we were all kids in Sydney. The he moved and that was that. Then turns out when Mum and my siblings and me moved to here in Brisbane, that he lived here too with his grandparents. 

He was in the same situation that I was but he clearly ruled the school and it was cool that he bullied someone for something they couldn't control. I could ignore him about him talking about my Dad. I could ignore the gay jokes. I could ignore everything that he threw at me by now. I couldn't ignore it when he had a fist in my face and his goons holding me back. 

"Maybe I'll hook up with your sister, Jess was it?, and do the same thing your Dad did to your mother." he hollered as we were near the end of the locker filled hall. I slowly took off my bag and handed it to Aaron who just stepped out of my way. I looked at the floor as everyone laughed at me. "Did I hit a nerve Lawson? Maybe you wanted your sister for yourself?" he mused. It was like he thought of himself as I god. 

Without thinking, I grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him into the lockers. "The fuck did you just say to me?" I snarled. I was disgusted that he'd even suggest that I was into my sister. He laughed like I wasn't pinning him down with a single arm. I raised my gaze to his. I didn't care if he was taller and bigger. I was stronger. The muscles he bragged about all the time must seemingly be buried under layers of fat.