The Markers

Chapter 1

As I hop of the plane, landing in Beaufort, North Carolina. A rush of nerves and excitement rush over me. I am about to start a two year exchange program at the local high school. It's weird to think that I have already finished high school back in England and here I am deciding to go for another two years of it, here in America. 

When all my friends were talking about their plans for after high school, either getting jobs or starting sixth form. I started looking into the possibility of studying in America. I have only been to America once, when I was 13, when we went on a family vacation to Disney World. I know Florida and North Carolina are two very different states but after just two weeks in America, I fell in love and knew I had to find some way to come back. 

Well, three years later here I am in Beaufort, North Carolina. I found an exchange website which helps students from around the world meet and to be able to trade their educational experiences with one another. I originally was only looking for a one year program, as my own personal gap year. But it didn't make sense for Jenna. That's the name of the girl I'm trading lives with, we've never met and probably will never meet, which just makes this whole thing a little weird, but anyways. Since Jenna would be going to England and studying A Levels, she needed to be there for two years to complete them. I'm not complaining, it means I get to live in America for two years but I'm just a little nervous. What if I don't like it as much as I think I will and I'm well.. stuck here.

Oh wait, I haven't actually introduced myself yet. My names Emma Hart, I'm 16 years old and I've just finished high school in England. I'm not the tallest girl in the world, I'm only 5ft3, so most people I meet are usually much taller than me. I have bright blue eyes and blond, naturally straight hair. Apparently I'm sooo lucky to have naturally straight hair as my older sister Kate always tells me, since her hair has a natural wave and she always has to straighten her hair every day. I'd love to have curly hair but every time I try to curl it, it comes out and falls back straight a few minutes later, no matter how much hair spray I put on! 

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to come to America as a gap year, originally the plan was to do this after I finished sixth form, to take a year off before going to university. However, you can clearly tell that that plan has changed, so I better explain myself. I guess you could say that I'm trying to runaway from my problems, its a long story really.. You see, I grew up throughout all of school with the same group of friends. We've been inseparable since the age of 4, but here I am moving away from them all to a different country. Leaving high school with not a single friend left from that group of girls. How? Why? You may ask. Well to be quiet honest with you, they are a bunch of untrustworthy bitches!  

It all starts with a boy, and before you assume anything.. no I didn't let a boy get in the way of our friendship, emphasis on the I! But my friend Sophie however, who's been my best friend for 12 years, was sleeping with my boyfriend of three years, Lucas. Behind my back and the rest of my friends knew and decided to keep it a secret and not tell me! I found out about this on my last day of school. Not only was it our last day of school but it was the night of prom and my 16th birthday. So a very big day for me you'd say. One I thought that would come with a hundred amazing memories to cherish in the future but instead it was the worst day of my life. 

----FLASHBACK----

"I'm going to go play football with the lads." Lucas said as he threw his stuff on the grass, as I sat down. 

"Okay." I smiled back at Lucas, as he went jogging over to meet his friends on the field.