1 chapter 1

I need to calm down. I'm just walking through a couple of doors. no big deal. But the idea of seeing so many people in the hallways scares me to death. I'm scared of what they'll think of me. it seems like every time I go to a new school, I make a bad impression and get pushed and shoved because they know too much about me.

I need to keep to myself, it'll be good to do that. But I want to at least make a friend or two.

I've gotten really good at lying the past ten years, ever since I found out who my father is. My father went away when I was young, and ten years ago my mom told me who he was, and who I am. I'm the president's daughter. Charles Langham. The 55th president of the United States. Everyone knows Charles Langham has a daughter, everyone knows her name, no one know's who though. Except for my mom and me. that's why I keep to myself and keep changing my name for everyone around me, so they wouldn't figure out that I'm his daughter.

What if the kids at my new school find who I am and who my dad is? I'd be popular in less than a minute. I don't want that. I don't want to be his daughter, he abandoned us in our time of need and I hate it. it made my mom go into a dark place, she abused me and hit me and verbally abuse me. it's really taken a toll on my mental health and health in general.

I was looking at my hands and sitting at a desk when a boy my age walks up to me. He smiles, "you're new here, aren't you? I'm Simon. who're you?" I stare harder at my hands, trying not to look into his deep blue eyes and his sandy blonde hair. He looks at me like I mattered. I pick at my nails.

"I'm, uh," I try to come up with a name, "I'm Katie?." what? it's all I could think of at the moment. "you can call me Katie." I smile up at him.

"I like that name," Simon tells me. "Katie." I blush. even though it's not my real name, I like the sound of it coming from him.

Simon sits down at the desk next to me. "what's your schedule? can I look at it?" he swipes his hair out of his eyes. I take it out of my backpack and hand it to him, "I'm not taking anything that's really extreme, just the basics." I look back down at my desk.

I make up most of my life story as I tell it to Simon. No one here needs to know who I am, not even the cutest guy on the planet. I just tell myself, I'm not the president's daughter. not at all. he left and now my mom and I are alone.

I tell Simon about how I "grew up." I told him I grew up in a nice little house, that fit just me and mom, and how I used to have sleepovers all the time with my best friend, Cali. (that's not a lie) I miss her so much. I can't believe what happened to her still. Cali got into a car crash, she and I were at a party that night and she decided she was going to drive us home. We hit an ice patch. Our car wrapped around a tree, on the driver's side. Cali died on impact, and I was never the same after. I've had dreams ever since it happened, almost two years ago. Before we were allowed to drive or drink. We never thought that it would happen, I would have preferred it was me and not Cali.