CHAPTER 1

You tapped away slowly in the dark, keeping your eyes focused on your screen. You tried your best to be quiet, but you couldn't help but make noise every time your fingertips hit the keyboard. Wincing every time you finished a sentence, you finally exhaled and saved what you'd written.

You leaned back in your chair, it creaked slowly as the your weight shifted, and bent awkwardly. Finally, you'd finished your assignment for the next day, and you could finally go to sleep. You glanced at the time on your computers screen and it took a little while to sink in that it was almost four in the morning. You had been up all night doing a stupid piece of coursework that you didn't even have any interest in the subject of. Well, at least it was out of the way.

"Freakin' finally," you grumbled, saving your work and closing the page, "bed calls…"

Turning off your computer, you got up and clumsily crawled out of your clothes, into your pyjamas, and then into your bed. It was far more comfy than you expected; you must have been that tired.

The morning came so quickly, it didn't even feel as if your head had a chance to settle into your pillow. Your eyes slowly adjusted to the light spilling through the crack of your curtains, and the high pitched drawl of your alarm clock slowly caught up with you. Rolling over, you slammed a hand on the small plastic device, sending you back into silence.

It didn't take you long to get ready, to throw on your clothes, makeup, and to style your hair, but it felt like it took forever. You checked the time on your phone, and yawned as you made your way downstairs, backpack slung over your right shoulder.

"A-hem!" Someone cleared their throat, and your head snapped in the direction of the kitchen, you stopped in your tracks, "So you're just going to leave without saying anything to me?"

Confused, you entered the kitchen and set your bag down on the table, you had a while before lessons started, you had time for a home lecture. Whatever it was, you were dreading it anyway.

"Don't think your noisy antics went on unheard last night," Your mother hissed, looking up from her newspaper and scowling in your direction, she was holding the paper in one hand and some unbuttered, dried toast in the other, "you were up, all night long, on your computer. Again!"

You were always baffled by how your parents could tell you were awake so late each night, being more or less silent in your room, you could understand how they noticed. They must have the hearing of a cat or something, very acute.

"How the hell did you hear me?" You sighed irritably, before swallowing awkwardly and opening your mouth to speak again, "I was doing work anyway, I don't know how you could get so angry."

"That's beside the point!" Your mother snapped, roughly setting down her newspaper and getting up, posing a threat, "You, young lady-"

"I am not a young lady," You yelled suddenly, cutting her off, "I'm eighteen. I can make my own decisions in life. Don't talk to me like I'm twelve."

Frowning, you snatched your bag off the tabletop and turned on the spot, walking briskly to the front door without even giving your mother a chance to respond. You didn't want to hear it anyway, it was pointless to argue, as she'd always make out as if she was winning.

You got into your car, slamming the door shut and throwing your bag onto the passenger seat. You were angry, you could feel it bubbling from the depths of your chest. If anything, when you pulled out of the drive, it definitely was not to head to school. You were going on one of those 'calm-down' drives that arguing parents always used to have when their child was young and times were hard.

It was common that you argued with your parents, and coming of age had just made it worse when you do. It bugged you that they didn't understand, and it probably bugged them that you didn't understand. But either way, you didn't want to be around them.

Without much more thought on the subject, you decided to drive to the nearest shopping centre. Your favourite lounge was there, and it was a place that calmed you down when this kind of situation arose. You were given the chance to read, have a coffee from the nearest Starbucks, and just unwind from stress.

Turning the key in the ignition, you shoved your budget car into gear and pulled hurriedly out of your driveway. No school for you, today.