1.

Drinn drinn

The obnoxious Monday alarm clock rings...

Lazily I get up and I'm ready to face my first year of high school here in Miami and not like every year in San Diego, my hometown.

Walking like a zombie I go to the bathroom, take a quick shower to wake up and choose my clothes: a white sweatshirt, black jeans, a cap with a visor and my beloved Stan Smiths.

I quickly walk down the stairs and into the kitchen where I find my whole family having breakfast:

My mother Carol, my father Mark and my 18 year old brother Jack.

"Good morning Allison" says my family.

"Good morning," I reply.

I quickly take a bite of a chocolate donut and my brother stops me.

"Ally I'll drive you but it's about time you got your license" he complains while fiddling with his phone.

"Yeah blablabla, hurry up idiot" I reply putting my backpack on my shoulder and giving my parents a kiss on the cheek.

"Happy first day of school" my mother chirps, while my father continues to drink his coffee and fixes his grey tie with one hand.

There is good blood in my parents, we all get along well but because of work, my brother and I are forced to spend a lot of time alone while they are travelling or at some business dinner.

Little by little I have got used to being more independent, even though I often think of some past memories that I wish could come back.

I remember our summers in Malta, Spain. My parents met on those crystal-clear beaches and it was a ritual for them to spend two weeks in August on that paradise island.

We were always together: we went scuba diving off the coast, we went boating and I remember the adrenaline rush in my body the night before I got on the plane.

We were happy and carefree, for them it was a way of making up for lost time and I felt really complete... then back in the city, everything went back to normal. The busy streets, the smog and the coffee always ready in the morning.

In reality I have never demanded much, I don't care about trips and presents, I simply want to have more time with them and they promised me that with this move they would change their rhythms.

This is the only reason why I am here, to have a new start, a new life.

San Diego is still my city, but I've never been fond of it, I don't have any happy memories, I don't have any friends who miss me, so a change of air can only do me good.

07:40 am

My new school is in front of me, the outside walls are pinkish-brown and the American flag is flying in the attic.

In the distance you can see the small football stadium and the tennis courts.

It is quite early, I go to the secretary's office; I am given the combination to the locker and inquire about the weekly schedule.

I say goodbye to my brother and head to my locker, deciding to put in one of my favourite books: The Secret Garden.

I would also like to have my own little corner of paradise surrounded by nature, where I can isolate myself from everyone and be myself.

But for now I am content with the four walls of my room.

At the lockers in front of me there are two girls, the blonde starts to get excited and says to the brunette: "He's coming, check if he's watching me", the other one with a slightly bored expression nods and looks in the opposite direction to them.

I turn to see who they were talking about and I see five guys in football uniforms, posing as if they were gods come down to earth and throwing little glances at the girls.

The usual braggarts picking up girls, with their hormones raging and posters of Zac Efron hanging on the wall of the pink bedroom.

I see the two girls from earlier come up to me, I tuck two strands of hair behind my ear.

"Hey, you're new here aren't you? I'm Isabel, this is Sarah" says the brunette girl.

"Hi, nice to meet you Allison!" I return a smirk that had formed on their lips.

"Oh and those are the guys from the football team...cool huh?" comments Sarah making us laugh.

Isabel is blonde with brown eyes...she's tall and quite curvy.

She looks very energetic and smart.

Sarah, on the other hand, is shy and down-to-earth...she has black hair, blue eyes, is tall and very thin, maybe too thin.

The bell rings and this can only mean one thing, the lessons begin.

I discover that I am with Isabel, but she sits next to a girl I don't know, so I sit in the last row alone.

At a certain point two guys enter together with a cheerleader who is more naked than dressed and acts like a chicken, obnoxious.

She sits down in the third row and signals to one of the guys to come over, but he looks around and fixes his gaze on me, so he comes in my direction and sits down in the empty seat next to me, that's all I need.

The professor arrives and the lesson begins.

During the hour I decide to open the notebook to write down the program that we will do during the year, I am a studious girl and I am interested in everything they teach me here at school, but the boy next to me steals the notebook, writes something on it and then gives it back to me.

Hey, baby girl.

I'm starting to resent him.

I turn around to yell at him but I am amazed by his gaze, his ocean blue eyes are set with mine...they are so deep and seem to hide such a mysterious soul...ok, Ally come to your senses.

He notices my reaction so silly and winks at me, I roll my eyes in irritation.

"I know you like me" he says sending back his quiff.

"But I don't even know your name!" I say without being heard by the teacher who is writing something on the board.

"Well, I'm Isaac" he says holding out his hand.

"Allison" I just say, returning the handshake, I feel a strange feeling...I don't like it.

Four hours pass and I can finally go to the cafeteria and eat.

I meet Isabel and Sarah again and we go to get the food on the counter, I opt for a vegetable burger, some fries and a lemon soda.

We decide to sit outside at one of the tables in the garden where we get the warm sun, at some point I hear someone hugging me from behind.

"Hey" my brother greets me

"Hey Jack...er girls this is my brother" I say slightly embarrassed,

"Hi" they say in chorus, I notice that Sarah is blushing and lowering her eyes.

"Would you like to come to the table with my friends? They're my new football mates and the cheerleaders are there too" he proposes pointing at the large table.

"Ok" Isabel replies immediately, Sarah and I exchange an unsure look.

My brother and I are very different, he manages to integrate himself into the most popular groups immediately attracting attention, while I'm more reserved even if once I become familiar I can bring out my extroverted side, but you have to dig deep to find it.

I would like to be able to trust people more easily, but unfortunately it happens that I bring out my more unpleasant side by responding badly, because of the disappointments I have suffered in the past.

We arrive at the table and there are many more people than I expected, slowly I introduce myself to everyone.

There are two boy from the football team football: Nathan and Jeremia, who is African.

Then the cheerleader Marley and Philip, a very pretty boy.

And then the most disgusting scene I've ever seen in a public place

Isaac making out with a cheerleader who is practically on top of him, I hate these circus acts in a public place.

"You can also go to the bathroom," I say out loud.

They pull away, she gives me a dirty look while he smiles at me and says "hey baby girl".

"I have a name" I repeat with a snort.

"I guess it's not important because you're a nun anyway" says the cheerleader.

"I don't sit 90 degrees on a table in front of the whole school" I say crossing my arms over my chest.

There's a slight laugh in the table and she stands up.

"Isaac, let's go" she orders, adjusting her yellow boring skirt.

"No I'm with my friends," she says casually stealing a chip off my plate.

"Isaac, I'm your girlfriend, listen to me" she repeats nervously.

"Isaac doesn't have girlfriends" Jeremiah says dryly.

The moody cheerleader walks away indignantly.

"So I see you've already met my loudmouth little sister" Jack elbows me talking to Isaac.

"Yeah, very bossy but I love it when it's hard," he winks looking me in the eye.

"Ooh, Isaac shamelessly hitting on the new one," Marley chuckles, pulling a high tail.

"Yeah, yeah... Isaac doesn't hit on her, he gets right to the point," Nathan explains.

"But explain to me, do you have to praise him like he's Zeus... He just seems like a really dumb guy to me," I blurt, maybe I'm being a little too direct.

"You're weird" chuckles Isaac.

"Better weird than dumb" I retort.

"Okay enough, let's resume our lunch in peace," Marley giggles.

So we eat and I get to know everyone better.

After that, classes resume and the day goes by quickly...