Chapter 1 - A page of Britney Jacobs

Britney watched as all the girls walked off in a different direction. Her so called best friend, Brigitte, was one of them. She’d reject her for the popular group any day, and make fun of her. They’d call her emo or Goth or loser. They didn’t hurt, but when they chucked scissors at her and said “use these, they’re sharp” as in, dig them into her skin and leave scars on her wrist... that hurt. She didn’t cut, not even when they kicked the ball at her on purpose in sport and left bruises all over her skin. She didn’t care, they could think what they want, and she wasn’t trying to impress them. But now she was left with no friends. Brigitte was just a follower, she once followed Britney and pretended she liked all the same music, but she’s where she’s meant to be now. With Ashley, Anna, Emma, and that whole group. They all “worshipped” the Queen Bee, Daniela. She had long blonde, straight hair that had been straightened way too much. She walked around with her chest stuck out, and thought everybody loved her. Half the grade loved her and the other half hated her, but never to her face. They were scared that she would do something to her. Britney was the only one ever to stand up to Daniela, now she was bullied every day. She stands up with the criticism she gets during art on her work pieces, which were quite talented, and in music she puts up with them chucking picks at her when she’s trying to learn music on the piano. In English they chuck pieces of paper at her and in Math’s they chuck compasses. The worst would probably be when she was in Geography and the teacher left to collect all the books and when he came back Britney was in tears, the boys had chopped off some of her hair off. That was the reason she had to get a haircut, finally. Her original hair had just been plain and boring. It was dark brown and very long and straight. Now it was shoulder length with a big side fringe going over her face, she had admired people with that hair cut now she admired herself. She felt good about herself. She didn’t feel she was fat or a complete loser; she still had her family. Her brother was the only one who stood up for her at school; he was in the popular group in year 11 and knew what it was like to be bullied. He used to be bullied, and then they realized he was a nice person. He kept trying to get that point through to all the year 9s (Britney’s year) but they didn’t get it.
Britney pulled out her half eaten nutella sandwich that she had snacked on during woodwork due to the fact that their teacher was going on about absolutely nothing. Suddenly, a piece of fruit came down and hit her leg.
“Yuck,” she mumbled, as she wiped it off. She stood up and went to the bathrooms to wash her hands. As she walked in, she overheard a conversation between Ashley and Daniela.
“Look, everybody hates me,” Daniela said, crying. Britney tried to hold back her laughter.
“Who’s there?” Ashley said, looking out of the cubicle door. When she noticed Britney, she laughed.
“Who is it?” Daniela asked.
“It’s only the emo...” Ashley said and looked straight into Britney’s eyes with her cold grey eyes.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Nothing, I was just washing my hands,” Britney went to the sink and applied soap to her.
“Watch this,” she heard Daniela’s voice then in the mirror Britney saw Daniela sneaking up on her.
“What are you doing?” she said, quickly turning around. Just as she did Daniela stuck a piece of wet toilet paper in her mouth. Britney spat it out.
“What was that!?” she exclaimed, almost puking.
“Toilet paper that I just dunked in the toilet water.... it hasn’t been flushed,” she flicked her head around and went back to the cubicle. Britney quickly ran to the cubicle, pushing her out of the way and then vomited in the toilet.
“Oh, so she’s bulimic now, too. No wonder she’s a stick,” Ashley said, laughing. Daniela smirked.
“I think she liked it...” she shut the cubicle door on Britney and held it shut.
“Let me out,” Britney said, pushing as hard as she could, but it wouldn’t work. She put the toilet lid down and sat on it, putting her head in her hands.
“You know, it’s really not funny. You’re just being immature,” she said, sighing.
“Yeah, we’re being immature. But, it’s fun. I saw little Brigitte rejected you, finally, for our group. I was wondering when she would,” Ashley said, laughing.
“Get a life,” she pushed against the door again and this time it knocked both the girls into the wall.
“Ouch,” they said, grumbling. Ashley helped Daniela up, and they both quickly looked in the mirror.
“Is my hair okay?” Daniela said, patting it. Ashley nodded.
“What about mine?” she asked, checking her layered brunette hair. Britney picked up her bag and left.
“Hey,” her brother said, noticing her walking out in almost tears, “What’s up?” he asked.
“They stuck toilet paper in my mouth... from the toilet... that hadn’t been flushed,” Britney said, feeling tears coming to her eyes. She couldn’t cry, she couldn’t let them know that they had got to her.
“Who?” he asked.
“Ashley and Daniela,” she said, beginning to walk off. She didn’t feel like talking about it, especially to her brother.
When her brother saw that she didn’t want to speak about it, he continued going to the canteen.
Britney started walking in the direction of the school office again; she was going to say she felt sick, which she did.
“And why do you feel sick?” the receptionist asked.
“I just vomited in the bathrooms...” Britney said.
“Do you have any idea why you might’ve vomited?” Britney nodded, “Why?” the receptionist asked.
“Uh... I think my bread was moldy that I had for my sandwich,” she lied.
“Oh dear, I’ll phone your mum. What’s your name?”
“Britney Jacobs,”
The receptionist dialed in the number of Britney Jacobs.
“Oh hello, is this Mrs. Jacobs?” she asked, “Hello. We have your daughter here, she’s just vomited. She thinks her bread might’ve been moldy. Would there be a chance of you coming down to the school to pick her up? Excellent, ten minutes? Good, we’ll see you then,” she put the phone down, “Your mother will be here in 10 minutes,” she continued working; Britney went and sat on one of the couches that was in the office. The principal, Mr. Conley, walked in.
“Why aren’t you in class?” he asked her.
“Uh... it’s lunch, sir,” she replied. He smiled.
“I know, I was just fooling around. Why aren’t you outside?” he asked.
“I feel sick,” she replied.
“Oh, why? Was it... those girls... again?” he asked. She nodded.
“But I actually do feel sick, they stuffed toilet paper in my mouth that they dunked in the toilet that hadn’t been flushed,” she said, pulling her knees up to her chest and holding them there with her arms. Mr. Conley shook his head.
“I’ll speak to them when I next see them, they’re beginning to get out of hand,” he said. Britney nodded. She had been telling the principal over the last few months everything that happened. He had taken her to the school counselor and taken all the girls through a bullying system, but none of it seemed to work. They had got afternoon detentions, and even community service, but that didn’t prove anything.
“Honey, come on,” Britney heard her mum’s voice from behind her.
“Hi mum,” she said, standing up and leaving to her car.
“What did they do this time?” her mum asked immediately, “You can’t keep leaving school saying you’re sick. I know you only do it when something serious happens, but still. You have to learn to deal with it,” she explained. Britney nodded.
“I walked into the bathrooms because someone chucked a piece of fruit at me, so I walked in to wash my hands after cleaning it off my legs, then they started talking to me and as I washed my hands Daniela snuck up behind me, but I could see her through the mirror so I turned around and she stuck a piece of wet toilet paper in my mouth,”
“Why was it wet?” her mum asked.
“She had stuck it in the unflushed toilet, so then I asked what it was and she told me, then I actually did vomit, and when I vomited they called me Bulimic, then I left. I ran into Phillip and he was nice to me,” she twiddled with her shoelaces.
“Those girls are never going to get it, are they? You should brush your teeth when you get home,” her mother said. She nodded.
“As if I wasn’t going to,” she said. Her mum indicated left at the next street and they started driving down the long road, which led to their street.
“Maybe we could have that discussion now...” Britney said, hoping her mum would consider her moving schools.
“I... well; your father and I spoke about it this morning. We both think you should change schools, so we’re sending you to a boarding school...” her mum said. Britney looked at her.
“A Boarding school? So I won’t see you all term until the holidays? I... I suppose that would be alright. I will miss you and dad... and Phillip. And Ellie,” she said. Anna was her little sister; she was 2 years younger, so she had just started high school this year.
“I know, but we think it’s for the best. Hopefully there are some nice people there,”
“Where?” Britney asked.
“Oxford Falls Boarding School,” her mum said, “We enrolled you there this morning. That’s why your father missed work and you had to walk to school,” the car stopped in their driveway and her mum stood out of the car, leaving Britney speechless in the car.

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