Corrupt

Chapter One

Chapter One

Working at Coral’s One Stop Shop was one thing that got other students talking about Harriet in a rude, spiteful manner. Harriet was used to the constant jibes, the “you don’t even have a proper job” was the most frequent jibes. They found it absolutely hilarious that she didn’t work in a clothing brand like Topshop or Hollister. Why pay for the bumpy and gritty bus ride to Topshop when she can get exercise by walking the ten to fifteen minute walk to the coffee shop?

Today was a Monday, meaning a full day at school. As much as Harriet was dreading the day ahead, she couldn’t wait to put her earphones in and block out the teacher’s constant nagging.

There was once a time when Harriet loved school; she would stay till four o’clock at the library searching every Tom, Dick and Harry until she knew everything about them. Since losing her job and not being able to find another, she doesn’t know what her purpose is anymore. What is the point if everyone hates you, anyway?

Putting on her attire for the day ahead – which consisted of a mustard coloured tie and navy-coloured blazer – Harriet tied her hair back in a ponytail, which trailed down her back. The uniform was hideous, not that she cared, of course. All Harriet wants is to make it through school, six form and then graduate from university.

Since everything feels like it’s caving in, Harriet has been struggling to cope. She even thought about running away but she is not a child anymore. There is nowhere to hide. There is nowhere to run.

Harriet doesn’t have a talent, except she sung at the top of her voice to annoy her parents at eleven pm. She knew that her parents never wanted her. They wanted a strong, dark and handsome boy. Of course, like a lot of other people, Harriet was going to find her special talent. She just had no idea what was coming for her.

So not only does Harriet feel neglected by her parents, she feels neglected by the teachers at her school, let alone the other students. The only people who ever accepted Harriet for her bland self was the girls’ who tiresomely worked alongside her in Coral’s One Stop Coffee Shop.

The only friends she had were Emily, Jessica and Naomi; the three girls who had known her since their small stints at Coral’s One Stop Coffee Shop. They liked her, not only because she done most of the work for them, but because she attracted the customers to come back again and she could hold a pretty decent and interesting conversation.

Harriet knew a lot. She knew about the constellations and was saving up for a telescope. She used to have a best friend who was more like the sister she never had than a best friend. Until, one day, she came into school and told everyone about how Harriet is a ‘boffin’. She told them stories about Harriet, a huge majority of them made up tales. This broke poor Harriet, just like her once best friend wanted. She wanted to break her, make her feel pain that she could have never dreamed of.

That was the time when Harriet fell so low that no one could save her, not even her. The only resort was pain, to feel more pain than before, because she thought that she deserved it. She thought that because she was every rude word under the sun that she deserved pain. So she took a craft knife to her inner-thigh, where no one would be able to see anything, and unfortunately hurt herself so deep that she had no choice but to go to hospital. Luckily, she didn’t lose too much blood, so she survived. She decided to turn her life around by getting a job at Coral’s One Stop Coffee Shop. In some way, the small coffee shop (that was like a second home to Harriet) saved her life.

Her downwards spiral made her mother finally care for her and give her the attention that she needed. She actually started to acknowledge her, and love her like a real mother should. Harriet thought this would be a short term thing when in fact, it was for much longer.