Chapter 1

I put on my sports pants, followed by my t-shirt.

I easily tie my blonde hair in a braid.

I quickly put on my shoes and create a bow out of the laces.

With slow steps, I walk over to the mirror and look at myself.

There are scars all over my left upper arm.

There is also a scar in my face, right on my left cheek.

"Aruna, come on, the gym class is starting!" Mrs. Voynce yells at me. I startle surprised.

Mrs. Voynce is a bit strange, but she always has an open ear for me. I´m confident that she is somehow like a"friend" for me.

I have tried to make friends with others several times.

But they always laughed at me me, said some things to me and walked away.

I just decided I'd rather not have any friends.

Most of the time I sit somewhere alone and read books. Books are my escape. I can slip into a whole new world and forget everything for a moment.

"Aruna! Come down now!" shouts Mrs. Voynce.

When I get into the hall, all the girls are already in their seats. Today we are on the big side of the hall and the boys on the small one. I'm very happy about that, so I have enough space to stay away from the other girls.

I go straight in my position and we play a game of volleyball to warm up. How I detest this game. When the game starts, some boys whistle. Bethany winks at her boyfriend Maven. Her two "slaves", Maggie and Kriss, start to giggle.

"Girls don't flirt, you can do that after class. Focus on the game for once!," Mrs. Voynce screams over the whole room. As she blows into the whistle, I flinch. Since nobody throws the ball at me, I disappear into the farthest corner of the match field.

I stare at the guys as suddenly something hits my had. I´m not even surprised when the ball hits my head.

"Watch out, Aruna! " one of the girls laughs. "Your poor mother, how can someone have a child like you that isn`t even able to catch a stupid ball. Maybe your dad was so disappointed in you that he left "

Tears well up in my eyes. My dad is a very sore point in my heart. But suddenly I am hit by a ball again. I quickly run out of the hall.

I can still hear laughing, whistling, and screaming, but I don't want to hear any of them.