CHAPTER 1.

Today was the first day of another school year and already Bette was dreading what was ahead.

“Angelica, will you get down here right now!” Bette yelled from the kitchen for the 5th time in the past half an hour.

Previous years Bette had enjoyed the end of the Summer break and seeing her daughter back off to school. Angie had always loved school and excelled academically. Over the Summer break, Bette noticed a lot of changes in her 11 year old daughter. The hormones were starting to kick in and her once beautiful little girl had developed an attitude to rival her mothers. It had been a long, tough Summer.

Just as Bette was about to lose her temper and go upstairs and drag her daughter down kicking and screaming, she heard the now familiar stomping of feet heading in her direction. As Angelica entered the kitchen she dropped her bag on the floor with a loud bang. Without acknowledging her mother she went to the fridge and pulled out a yogurt. Bette turned around to chastise her daughter for her tardiness when she was faced with yet another sign of the growing changes in her once innocent baby.

“You are not going to school dressed like that Angie.” Bette spoke as she filled the dishwasher.

“What? Why not?” The child demanded as she took a seat at the bench and started on her yogurt.

“Because it is not something that I want you wearing to school and I’m not so sure the school will be all that impressed either.” Bette replied as she turned and looked at her daughter.

Angie attended a Private School, but it was one that was not overly strict and encouraged individuality amongst the students, so this meant no school uniforms. There were basic rules in place for what was considered acceptable attire for school. Mainly that the students appeared neat and clean, didn’t wear anything that would be offensive to others and not wear anything that may indicate that you belong to a gang or particular kind of group.

This morning Angie was dressed as she had been most of the summer, very Goth looking, even over stepping the rules of both her mother and the school and wearing a little makeup.