Chapter 1…

"Hey…uh, where are you? I thought you were picking me up for my first day of work?"

"Oh…Ana..I…sorry I forgot…"

"Who's that?"I ask questionably when I hear a female voice in the background.

"Shhh…" I hear Jack mutter and I hear the female giggle through the speaker.

"Who the hell is that?!" I grit my teeth together. He's doing it again.

"No one babe…I…"

"Are you kidding me right now? Are you with another girl?"

"I…Ana…I can explain…"

"It's over Jack, enjoy yourself," I say as calmly as I can before hanging up.

Once the phone has gone dead and I quickly switch it off before he can even attempt to call me back, the tears start to prick my eyes.

What an asshole.

Jack and I have been dating for about 7 months now, he's cheated on me once before. I caught him, there and then in the car lot of his workplace. He vowed and promised to never do it again but here we are.

I'm pretty positive it's been so many more times but It's rare to catch him out.

He always pressured me into sleeping with him, but I never allowed it. He always got super annoyed with me because I would never put out for him, but I guess when he found it elsewhere he became content with me being the doormat, the pushover, the stupid girlfriend.

How could I have been so stupid!

I have wasted so many months of my life.

Something always felt off but as my mother has always said. Life isn't a fairytale. Life is cruel and you have to live with it. There's no prince charming in this world. No one is going to come and save me. No one is going to come along on a galloping horse dressed in shining armor. I have to take what I'm given and deal with it.

Same as she's dealt with the four marriages since my real Dad died. Because she's happy right?

Clearly not. I scoff to myself.

But I'm not dealing with that.

I've been so stupid! So completely and utterly stupid.

I am so so done. I won't be anyone's safe choice or easy choice or doormat.

I'd rather be forever alone than put up with that.

I start a new job today. Today of all days how could he!

I'm so lost, I'm so unhappy.

The tears sting my eyes even more.

I have no idea which path in life to take, I have no idea where or what I'm supposed to do.

Books have always been my favorite thing in the world and that allowed me to major in English Literature at College.

But what do I do now?

Now I've graduated, what am I supposed to do?

Where can that take me?

I've been in such a deep dark hole I've found it really hard to cope lately, I've been so grateful for my step Dad Ray though, he's been amazing.

Luckily for me, the college offered me a teaching assistant course on the side, while I studied English Lit as my major. I took the opportunity because I had no clue what I wanted to do anyway, and figured, at least it's extra experience right?

I ended up passing it with flying colors. It was a pretty decent course too.

Well, it definitely paid off because luckily enough, My Dad's best friend, Jeremy, had managed to speak to his wife who is one of the head teachers of the school, and she has willingly enrolled me to work at the Kindergarten section of the school. The only extra thing I needed was a police check which I ended up getting immediately after meeting with Candice about the job.

I was ever so grateful and even bought her some flowers and chocolates to say thank you.

I wipe my tears away from my cheeks at the thought of Jack.

Come on Ana, he was a jackass.

Time to move on.

Today is a brand new start.

A new life, a new beginning, a new start.

I rush back into my house to make sure my mascara hasn't run and I apply a little more concealer to rid my red under eyes.

"Annie? Is everything okay? Is Jack here?" My Dad calls up the stairs when he hears me rushing back into the house.

I make my way down, biting my lip trying to control the tears stinging my eyes.

"I broke up with Jack, he was with another girl….and…" I try to fight back the tears.

"I'll kill him.." He frowns angrily and I shake my head moving over to him. He would actually kill him too, but I don't want that, he doesn't deserve the attention.

"He's not worth it Dad. I broke it off and it's over…." I say sadly.

"Awww, Annie…." He sighs moving to me and wraps his arms around me comforting, "I never liked him anyway sweetheart, he was a bad one and you can do so so much better" He sighs sadly kissing the top of my head.

"I know, I wish I listened to you, I think I knew deep down it would have never worked, I'm actually relieved it's over….I just hate how much time I've wasted"

"You're only 21 Ana, You have your whole life ahead of you sweetheart…you can do so much better…you have a great new start today okay? Keep that beautiful head of yours up and proud, Because I am so proud of you" He kisses my forehead making me sniffle slightly.

"Thanks, Dad…"

"How are you getting in today?"

"Well Jack was meant to take me and my car is in the garage, so I figured I'd just take the bus now…" I shrug sadly.

"I'll take you come on, I'll just grab my coat"

"You're the best" I hug him tightly and I finally feel my lips curl into a smile I haven't felt in a long time.

I feel free, I feel like today could end up being a good day.

I am so completely and utterly nervous about my first day, but hopefully, things will go much smoother than what my mind is currently cursing me with. All the overthinking and negative thoughts spiraling through my brain.

I always think the worst-case scenario. I always have done.

What if the people there don't like me?

What if I'm terrible at the job?

What if a child starts to cry?

Like, what am I supposed to do?

But I'm sure it'll all be okay.

I have my certification for it, I passed with a high grade. So I'm sure it'll be fine.

I've always known books have been my passion. writing and reading are things I've done since I was knee-high to a grasshopper as my Dad says to me. It always makes me laugh. But I never knew where it could take me. I've never really known what I've wanted to do with my life, but maybe, helping with the children at school, I can find a path and a passion that will allow me to continue into my future and accomplish something.

I climb into my Dad's car and he drives me to the Kindergarten I'll be working at for the next 8 months.

I'm so nervous but excited at the same time.

"Good luck Annie, the kids are going to love you" He smiles and squeezes my hand.

I nod as my hands shake a little nervously.

"Thanks, Dad" I smile before climbing out of the car and making my way up to the Reception for my first day.

"Anastasia, Hey!" Jeremy's wife comes up the corridor already spying me before I reach the desk.

"Hey Candice, how are you?"

"I'm great thank you, all excited for your first day?"

"Yes! And a little nervous" I admit smiling.

"Oh, you'll be fine! So I've scheduled you in for the Pre K and Kindergarten class okay? They're 4-6-year-olds and we have some new arrivals today too…"

"Okay…perfect" I smile brightly as I nod listening to her.

"There are 15 children in the class, it's not very big so it's nice and chill…we tend to play games, read stories, the alphabet, numbers…that kind of stuff… and they have nap time between 12 and 1"

"Perfect" I nod as she hands me pieces of paper to sign.

"So we already have your certification from the college and I already have your police check too, so we just need your bank details and you're all set, I'll show you down to the classroom"

"Perfect, thanks Candice, I honestly can't thank you enough for this," I say as I start filling in all the details.

"Oh it's no problem at all, I'm honored to have you here really, I have some good faith in you…you're so bubbly and fun, the children are going to love you"

That makes my heart beat a little faster, no one except my Dad has really said they have faith in me. My Mom, in her way I guess, but she's never said it directly.

Candice takes me down to the first classroom and introduces me to Mrs. Morgan, or Elizabeth out of the ears of the children, the main teacher in the classroom.

We get along amazingly.

She talks me through what we'll be doing today. Hour by hour schedule for the children.

She tells me the children will call us Mrs and Miss, Morgan and Steele and we should call each other the same in front of the children too.

She then talks me through the names and faces of them so I can try to learn their names before they arrive in the next 30 minutes.

She also informs me of a certain little boy who is accompanied by security that remains in the classroom for protection reasons.

Well, that sounds….Interesting?

She leaves me with the folder as I gaze through the profiles of the children.

"Ana? They're starting to arrive" Mrs. Morgan smiles at me.

"Yes Mrs. Morgan," I say standing and I make my way over to her, She laughs softly nodding and opens the doors.

I stand beside her greeting the children coming in.

Some of them filled with tears as they leave their parents, some of them running in excitedly. I'm assuming they are the ones that have been here before.

Then I notice a little copper headed boy walking away from a middle-aged woman, he doesn't seem bothered to say goodbye to her, he doesn't seem fazed about going into the classroom. I notice how he carries a little blanket inside with him. His eyes a piercing grey color, he's so adorable. Behind him, a man, dressed all in black with a earpiece follows him inside.

This must be the security guy.

I say hi, hello, or hey…to all the children walking inside, but this one seems a little different to the others, he seems, distant, reserved.

No crying when he left the woman, I wonder if she was his mother? Or grandmother?

No excitement either.

And the man walking behind him? Seems a little intimidating.

I kneel down when he walks in and I smile trying to introduce myself, "Hi sweetheart…".

He looks at me with a blank face.

I smile softly at him and he just stands there staring at me.

Well, this is awkward. What am I supposed to do?

They didn't teach me this in College.

He looks up to the intimidating man and he seems to give him a small smile and a nod before the little guy runs off to the corner with his little blanket and pulls out a book.

He likes books…

Hmm…

That's interesting.

"Don't fret too much, he rarely talks to me either…" Mrs. Morgan comforts me when the little guy runs away. "He's very reserved…. his family life is a little up in the air at the moment and he's just a shy little thing…He doesn't open up or speak to many people".

Mrs. Morgan smiles putting her hand on my shoulder before she makes her way to the front of the class.

"Okay, everyone! Good Morning! My name is Mrs. Morgan as most of you already know….but we'd like to welcome all the new children here today….. We also have a new teacher here with us, she's very fun and loves reading, her name is Miss Steele!" She smiles pointing to the back of the class where I'm standing and I watch as all the heads and eyes turn looking at me. Big toothy grins and excitable hand waves.

I giggle softly waving back at everyone, "Hey everyone!" I smile brightly.

"Shall we start with some sing songs?!" Mrs. Morgan says excitedly.

Even the children that entered the classroom filled with tears start joining in with Mrs. Morgan, singing and dancing, laughing and giggling.

But not that one little guy…

My eyes stay on him and he stands awkwardly at the back of the classroom.

I kind of feel bad for him, he seems so shy bless him.

I move beside him and I kneel about 3 feet away from him, not to scare him.

"Hi sweetheart… do you not like to sing?"

He looks to me clutching his little blanket and the book he picked up just a few minutes ago. He watches me for a moment before answering with a shake of his head.

"Aww, well that's okay…would you maybe like to come and sit here with me and continue reading the book you have?" I point down to the book in his hand and his gaze follows mine to the book.

He waits a moment as if he's thinking.

His eyes finally look back up when he gives me a small nod and moves a little closer to me.

Well, this is a good start.

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New story! What do we think so far?

I have so many ideas for this story, it's going to be full of emotion and roller coaster rides!

I hope you all stay tuned with me on this one, I promise it's not going to be a boring one!