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Chapter Text

       “Thought I’d find you here,” Lewis said to his daughter, who sat with her knees to her chest looking out at the ocean. The grey waves hit against the rocks closing in on the bay; a familiar sound to that of the waves slapping the side of his boat as he and his daughter went out to sea to dive.

       Ronnie gave no response to acknowledge his presence. She simply watches the tide ebb and flow under the gloomy sky. It was almost as if the sea knew that she would be leaving and it felt just as sad as she did.

       Lewis sat down next to her, looking to her then out to the bay. Most of his world sat in front of him; his daughter and the ocean, and neither looked happy.

       After a long while of the gentle crashing of water, Lewis spoke up, “I’m going to miss it, too.”

       “Then why leave it?” Ronnie finally spoke, a slight whimper compromising her voice.

       Lewis sighed and lifted his fingers to push Ronnie’s golden hair away from her face. “I cannot pass this opportunity.”

       Ronnie turned to face him. “Why not?” Her voice was now laced with anger and frustration.

       “Ronnie—“

       “I don’t want to leave Monterrey. Let alone the country.” Ronnie stood up and stormed off. She didn’t understand what possible research her dad could conduct in Australia that he couldn’t conduct here in California. It all seemed so unfair to her that she leave behind everything she knew.

       Lewis watched her storm off, wanting to follow her, but he decided she deserved some space. After all, that’s what she came out here for. He felt guilty for ruining her goodbye to his spot— one of a lot of memories he shared with his daughter and before his daughter, his wife. It was in this bay he proposed to Cleo. She lay in the sand, the water stroking her tail, as he got down on his knee. The secret was simpler to keep in those times when it didn’t have to be kept from Ronnie.

       It was hard for Lewis to say goodbye to Monterrey just as it was for Ronnie, but he knew that returning to the Gold Coast would be great for them all.

***

       Ronnie stormed into the house as Cleo packed the last cardboard box. The house was nearly entirely barren with only cardboard boxes and decade-old dust furnishing it.

       “Ronnie! I was so worried. Where have you been?” Cleo ran over to hug her daughter.

       “Dad found me at the beach.” Ronnie returned the hug with little enthusiasm and spoke with an absence of emotion.

       Cleo glanced up expecting to see Lewis at the door. “Where is he?”

       Ronnie shrugged her shoulders, avoiding eye contact with her mum.

       Cleo released her from the embrace and noticed her gloom. “Oh, I know, sweetie, but you’re going to love the Gold Coast.”

       “Sure.” Ronnie walked off to seal herself off in her bedroom. She had no desire to talk about the move as she knew she had no way of preventing it.

       Shortly after, Lewis arrived at the house. “Is Ronnie here?”

       “She just went to her bedroom. I’ll go talk to her.” Cleo took a step in the direction of Ronnie’s room before Lewis stopped her.

       “No, I’ll do it.” Lewis walked off in the same pathway as Ronnie just had.

       Cleo couldn’t understand how it was so much easier for him to connect with her. She could never seem to get through to her daughter, but she knew it would be of no use to dwell on it, especially in a time like this, so she decided it best to continue packing.

***

       “Dad, I don’t want to talk about it,” Ronnie said as Lewis opened her bedroom door. She sat on the floor by her window where a chair used to be, holding open a book that she wasn’t actually reading.

       Lewis sat on her mostly bare mattress that now lived on the floor, hoping this time to avoid her running off. “I think we should.”

       “Dad—“

       “Did you know that in Year 12 of school, I got offered the opportunity to study at a research center here in California?” Lewis began.

       “You hadn’t graduated yet?”

       Lewis shook his head. “I wasn’t sure whether I should do it or not because I didn’t want to leave your mum behind. But it was her who convinced me.”

       “Really?” Ronnie said in disbelief.

       “Yeah. Best decision I ever made.”

       Ronnie closed her book, “But you made that decision for yourself. I had no choice in this decision.”

       “Well, what I’m saying is that you don’t know how things are gonna turn out, but you should still take risks,” Lewis explained.

       “I’m moving across the world.”

       “What’s the worse that could happen?”

       Ronnie began counting on her fingers. “Everyone at my new school will hate me, they’ll be no good Mexican food restaurants, the ocean will suck—“

       “You realise it will be the same ocean, right?”

       Ronnie stopped in her tracks. “It will?”

       “Yeah, where we’re going. You’ll still be on the Pacific.”

       That made Ronnie feel a bit better.

       Lewis spoke again, “Your mum said that’s what made us being separated easy; the fact that we would be looking at the same ocean. That made me moving easy as well. Everything else is new but the ocean is the one thing I can count on.”

       Ronnie stared down at the floor. She still didn’t want to leave her life behind, but it eased her mind hearing what her dad said.

       Lewis placed a hand on his daughter’s knee, “It will turn out alright tomorrow.”

       Ronnie really hoped so, and so did Lewis. Returning to the Gold Coast would mean returning to Mako Island, and he could only hope that all the dangers he and Cleo had experienced in the past would be long behind them for the sake of their daughter.

Chapter Text

       Holly! Holly, it’s time for school!” Rikki called from her large kitchen hoping to get her daughter out of the house before she got marked down tardy again. Rikki, with gloved hands, wiped down the white marble island attempting to clear away the bright red and orange hair dye stains left from the night before. “Holly!”

       “I’m right here, Mum,” Holly said as she walked into the kitchen in dark grey overalls and a black off the shoulder top.

       Rikki turned to see her freshly touched up hair colour. Holly’s hair resembled the light curls she had at her age, only red and orange rather than her blonde. “Did you dye your hair in the sink again?”

       “Yeah.”

       “Just try to be more careful to not get it on the counter. It stains.” Rikki continued scrubbing.

       Holly turned away toward the door, her bag slung over her shoulder. “Sorry. I’ll clean it when I get back.”

       “You got everything for your test?”

       Holly turned on her heel slowly toward Rikki again. “Yes, Mum.”

       “Studied?”

       “Mhm.” A lie. She didn’t need to study. “I’ve got to go now.” She ran over to Rikki, giving her a soft peck on the cheek. “Love you.”

       “Love you.” As she watched Holly leave, Rikki thought to herself, Was I this cheeky when I was younger? And when did I become so much like Emma? She smiled at the recollection of her friend from so many years ago but winced at the pain of their departure.

***

                   Holly hated everything about school. She found it impossible to sit still learning about things she already knew. The only class she could focus in was art where she could draw out her built-up energy.

       As the teacher handed out packets for the biology test, Holly twirled her pencil anxiously. She began to wonder if studying would have been worth it. It had never made a difference before; she still always earned top marks.

       As the thick stack of papers slid across her desk as if over ice, Holly sighed and opened to the first question.

***

       The students filed out of the classroom at the end of the period beginning to converse with their friends.

       “Thank goodness I studied,” one said.

       “I can’t believe how hard that was,” went another.

       Holly came out behind them, clutching her bag at her hip, trying not to release any of her feelings to her face. She quickly ducked away from the crowd wishing not to dwell on the test. She already knew— despite her wishes— she had passed with flying colours. It was embarrassing to look like someone who cared so much about school and high marks when she didn’t.

       Sun Coast High School was filled with all sorts of students, none of which Holly had any desire to know beyond their name and face.

       The school year had only begun a few months ago; a brand new start after her mum decided to move back to where she had grown up— before all the diving and books that made them well off. Holly didn’t mind the move. She never minded changing locations as she was used to it. When her mum still dove for artefacts when she was younger, they would go all around the world. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder why her mum quit and why she never taught Holly how to swim.

       Holly was used to being alone with her thoughts. Her company was all she needed to be content with herself. She could paint or draw whenever she chose— her mum often got her new paints and sketchbooks when she travelled for book signings— without worrying what anyone else thought of her.

       As Holly passed through the halls, a snooty brunette, Karina, nearly bumped into her shoulder. “Goodness, Holly! Did you light your head on fire to get that colour?” Her identical friends laughed with her like hyenas.

       “Yeah, I could do the same to you if you want,” Holly shot back with a fake smile.

       “No thanks…” Karina and her friends went on her way. Holly heard loud whispers following. “She’s so weird.”

       Holly ignored them. She was used to the remarks of those sorts of people.

       She found it best to sit on the grass next to the fountain, where she could observe and not interact. Holly opened her bag to take out her leather-bound sketchbook that her mum had gotten her on her latest trip, just before they moved to the Gold Coast. The front was filled with all sorts of designs from the sea— corals, turtles, fish— and a beautiful mermaid in the centre. She flipped through her filled pages and began to sketch out the school’s architecture and various students’ clothing. The flow of fabric channelled itself into her pencil and onto the thick yellowed paper of her book. Holly always enjoyed just watching things from afar and observing people as they went about their day.

       When Karina passed in front of her, Holly moved onto another drawing with a smirk. She captured her silhouette— long, straight brunette hair with a mini skirt and tank top— and added a few more features that Holly had creatively interpreted. A dark moustache and uni brow matched her unruly hair with horns peeking from it. Holly laughed at herself as she scribbled more and more features that would make smoke come from Karina’s ears. In fact, she drew that as well.

       “Hiya.” A voice pulled Holly from her creative state, forcing her to slam her sketchbook closed. “Whatcha doing?”

       Holly looked up to see the origin of the voice. A girl stood over her, her blonde wavy bob falling over her blushing cheekbones. Holly scurried to put her sketchbook away and stand up to meet the girl’s deep brown eyes. “Just some homework.”

       The girl raised an eyebrow. “Your homework is drawing Karina Lovell with a moustache and horns?”

       “Fine. She’s right over there. Go tell her,” Holly said with annoyance.

       Just as she swung her bag over her shoulder and begun to walk away, the girl said, “What? No. Why would I tell her?”

       “You’re one of her spies, aren’t you?” Holly walked away.

       The girl chased after her. “Spies? Are you kidding? As if I would ever be friends with her, she’s a plastic baby doll with a personality she stole from some kid’s television show.” The girl was walking side by side with Holly now. “I just saw you drawing and was curious.”

       “Well, you’ve got your answer. I have class.” Holly sped up her pace to leave behind the girl. She still had a few minutes until she had to be at a desk again, but she had no interest in speaking to anyone, let alone this random girl who approached her. Holly found herself thinking about the way the girl spoke about Karina. It almost sounded like something she would say herself. Even if this girl hated Karina as she did, she was better off a loner.

       The girl stopped in her tracks as Holly walked away. All she wanted to tell her is that she liked her hair colour. She watched her continue up the stairs before turning back to go to a different class.

Chapter Text

        Louisa watched the sun dip behind the roof of the house on the ranch from her beautiful cinnamon horse, Lorelai. The golden rays framed the wooden structure so beautifully in March, just as autumn began to find its way to the hemisphere. The clouds were glowing pink and purple, juxtaposing to the greens and browns of her family’s ranch. Louisa took Lorelai out nearly every evening to see the sunset. She could always get a better view from being high up on her horse. A gentle breeze combed through her long, straight ebony hair.

       “Louisa!” Emma called from the doorway of the house. “Time to eat!”

       “Coming, Mum!” Louisa called before clicking her tongue to gesture Lorelai to the stables.

       The smell of the stables was not necessarily pleasant to most who came here for riding lessons, but it was full of nostalgia for Louisa. She had so many great memories of riding with her mum and dad and learning how to care for the horses. It was the happiest day of her life when they brought Lorelai home and declared her to be for Louisa when she was eight years old.

       Louisa hopped down from Lorelai’s back, took off her saddle and reigns, and gave her a quick brush before returning her to her stable. Louisa rubbed Lorelai’s face. “Good girl. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

       When Louisa arrived back into the house, she went to her bathroom to wash up. As much as she loved Lorelai and the other horses, she couldn’t deny their lack of cleanliness. As she washed, she called to her mum, “What’s for dinner?”

       Emma responded, “Your dad went into town to pick up some fresh tuna.”

       Louisa walked out, wondering where her dad was. “Where is he?”

       Emma paused and looked around. “Um… he was somewhere around here.”

       “Hi, girls,” Ash said as he walked through the doorway. He passed Louisa, giving her a quick kiss on her hair and made his way to his wife. “Hi, honey.” Emma turned her head for a kiss from her husband.

       Louisa furrowed her brow and teased her parents, “Ew, gross.”

       Her parents laughed. “That looks lovely,” Ash told Emma.

       “Thanks.” Emma smiled as she picked up the dish to move to the table. The family took their usual seats that had been unofficially assigned years ago. Once everyone was settled and began serving themselves, Emma spoke up. “How did the test go?”

       “Fine. Super easy.” Louisa hated lying to her parents, but she knew how disappointed they would be if they knew she hadn’t done well.

       Emma was skeptical that her daughter was holding out the truth, but she didn’t want to push further. She understood it was a sensitive topic for Louisa.

       Ash begun, “Good sunset today?”

       “Yes, beautiful,” Louisa responded.

       “I caught a glimpse of it while I was checking the basins in the stable.” Ash remembered taking Louisa on sunset rides when she was younger, but now she preferred to do them by herself. They would still go together occasionally, but he trusted Louisa on her own with Lorelai. “We’ve got a new rider tomorrow that I’ll be teaching. Maybe I can pull you from school early to help.”

       Emma chimed in, “I don’t think that’s so good of an idea, Ash. She needs to focus on her schoolwork.”

       “One short day couldn’t hurt.” Ash bumped Emma’s glass of water accidentally, spilling a few droplets onto her arm. With one swift motion, Emma grabbed a small rag from her pocket and swiped away the water. Louisa took no notice, but Emma still glared at Ash. Sorry, he mouthed.

       Emma composed herself after the short incident, “She can help on weekends.”

       Louisa knew there would never be a chance that her mum would let her skip a second of school.

       Dinner continued with their typical conversation, Emma and Ash leaving behind the close call they had with the water.

***

       Once Louisa excused herself from dinner to her bedroom, Emma took the moment to scold her husband in a very quiet manner. “Ash, you need to be more careful.”

       “I’m sorry, Emma, I didn’t mean to.”

       “This isn’t the first time. If she finds out—“

       “Emma…” Ash grabbed Emma by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Maybe it’s time she—“

       Emma backed away from Ash. “No. She cannot know. I don’t want her to have this burden. And she needs to focus on her studies.”

       “You can’t keep it from her forever,” Ash quietly responded.

       Emma swallowed. “I can sure try.” She stormed out, leaving the dishes for Ash, the usual accommodation. He wondered if it was truly possible to keep her secret from their daughter for much longer

***

        After some time had passed between dinner and the present, Emma went to her daughter’s room. Louisa sat against a propped up pillow on her bed, reading. In recent years, Emma had found much more time to enjoy reading, having more time to herself. Most of the ranch work fell to her husband while she was responsible for taking groups on rides on the trail and meeting Louisa’s needs. She fondly remembered her time as a competitive swimmer when she was Louisa’s age; she never would have imagined this would be the life she would end up with. Yet, she still felt so much joy and fulfilment on the ranch with her husband and daughter. Emma still found time to swim on quiet days on the coast (of course in private locations away from peering eyes) but she managed to push down the itch of the desire to compete that she felt for a few years after quitting the team.

       “Whatcha reading,” Emma asked Lousia as she sat down next to her on the bed, the change in distribution of weight lifting Lousia slightly.

       “I found it at the library the other day. I thought the cover was pretty,” Louisa responded, shifting to show the front to her mum.

       “Uncle Elliot called the other day.”

       “Oh?”

       “He was wondering what he should get for your birthday next week. Sweet sixteen, isn’t it exciting.” Emma nudged Louisa’s shoulder.

       Louisa shrugged with a laugh. “It feels no different than my other birthdays.”

       “Why don’t you have a party. Invite your classmates to the ranch,” Emma suggested. “We could set up tables and snacks and maybe even let some ride the horses.”

       Louisa furrowed her brow. “You think people would actually come?”

       “Sure they will. I went to parties all the time when I was your age.” Ideas sparked in Emma’s head like a network of electric wires. “Why don’t I grab up some tea and we’ll start planning. Or do you have homework?”

       Louisa’s unfinished homework brought itself into her mind. “No, I’d love to start planning.” She could finish it tomorrow. Her nan used to tell her about all the great parties her mum used to plan with her friends and classmates. Surely, her birthday would be just as good. She got excited thinking about it. However, in the back of her mind she worried, Would anyone actually come? It was only this year that she changed schools after she flunked out of her previous one. She hadn’t any friends who she could count on to come. Regardless, she wanted to cherish this time with her mum and worry about invitations and schoolwork later.

Chapter Text

The next morning went as it always had; Emma woke up Louisa to drive her to South Coast High so that she would have precisely 45 minutes before her first class. Emma was one who preferred to be early to things and she instilled this habit onto Louisa. In Emma’s mind, with those 45 minutes, Louisa could be sure that her notes and papers are organised, but in Louisa’s, she usually spent this time finishing her homework or cramming in extra studying for her exams.

Louisa wished it were easier for her to retain the information she was given by her teachers and to manage her time. After all, her mum always talked about how important it was to do well in school and how beneficial it had been to her when she was Louisa’s age. She wanted to make her mum proud, but she always found there were so many other ways to spend her time that she greatly preferred.

The mornings were always crisp in March. A cool breeze tingled Louisa’s skin, begging her to feel the wind on her face by riding Lorelai. When her dad had brought up the possibility of leaving school early, she'd had a glimmer of excitement before her mum made her face the harsh reality of her studies.

Emma looked over at Louisa staring out the window, deciding to break the silence. “So your dad and I were thinking…”

Lousia’s attention had been caught.

Emma continued, “If you keep your school marks steady, you can teach riding on the weekends for some money.”

Louisa’s expression brightened. “Really?”

“But,” warned Emma, “your schooling comes first. I know you have been working hard but if your grades start to fall again, we’ll reconvene.”

“I know, Mum. Thanks.” Louisa smiled to herself. She had been begging her parents to let her train riders to earn some money for months. She just had one big hurdle that she worried was too tall: maintaining high enough grades. She couldn’t bear disappointing her mum again. She could only hope that her exam yesterday was to her mum’s standards.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Emma exclaimed. “I made invitations for your birthday party next Saturday. There should be plenty for all of your classmates.”

“Perfect.” Despite Louisa’s fear that no one would attend, she was getting excited about it. She trusted her mum would plan the perfect party for her and what students would say no to a party?

***

“Ronnie, if you want a lift to school from your dad, you’d better hurry,” Cleo called to Ronnie from downstairs. It had been a few days since she, Lewis, and Ronnie had arrived at the Gold Coast after decades of living in America. It felt exactly the same as she had left it.

This marked Ronnie’s first day at Sun Coast High and Cleo couldn’t help but feel nervous for her daughter. She knew that it must be a difficult transition which she wanted to make as smooth as possible. She could tell, however, that the move had already taken a toll on Ronnie, and she feared what her first day of school would result in.

“Ronnie!” Cleo called again.

“Just a sec!” Ronnie called back to her mum from the bathroom as she put her finishing touches on her makeup. After combing mascara through her lashes she looked herself over in the mirror, ensuring her appearance was satisfactory for her first day of school. Her heart fluttered in her chest, not pulsating as she knew it would as she approached the school. Her tawny skin looked sickly pale even after applying a few coats of blusher, but she was afraid to overcompensate and risk looking feverish. She began to notice just about every flaw in her appearance— her freckles were a bit too dark, her green eyes were too light for her complexion, and her golden brown hair clashed with her tan— but she had no control over most of her features. Ronnie could only hope that her purple skirt and white top could provide a sense of balance and unification. She always felt purple suited her well, but she was doubting it in this moment of anxiety. With one last call from her mum, followed by another from her dad, she had no option but to continue onto school with her current appearance.

As Ronnie cautiously made her way down the stairs, Cleo warned her, “Being late on your first day is not a good look.”

Her husband chimed in, looking at his watch, “We’ve got time.”

“Not if she had to stop by the principal first to get her schedule.” Cleo tilted her head, staring at her husband.

Lewis paused. “Oh, right. Come on, Ronnie.” He planted a quick kiss on his wife’s cheek, “Bye,” then made his way to the door, Ronnie following behind him.

“Bye, Mum,” Ronnie called.

Cleo responded with her own goodbyes, the silence in the house after their departure washing over her.

Lewis opened the car door for his daughter. Ronnie slung in her bag just before getting in. Her dad jogged around this his side of the door. “Alright, we’re ready to go.” Her dad was a little too enthusiastic for her tastes.

Ronnie noticed the grey skies cloaking them from the sun. “Looks like rain.”

“Yeah, it does,” Lewis observed. He hoped that his wife would notice prior to walking out the front door.

The drive contained little conversation; the talking that ensued was mostly Lewis trying to calm Ronnie’s nerves. Just as she had predicted, when they pulled up to the school grounds, the flutter of her heart morphed into violent thumping pulsating in her ears. Ronnie hoped that her dad wasn’t able to hear it. As she got out of the car, gentle sprinkles of water tickled her skin, sending shivers down her spine despite a high temperature and humidity.

“Just talk to someone in the office, they’ll take you to the principal,” her dad told her through a rolled down window.

“Okay.”

“Hey,” her dad looked her in the eye with a compassionate look, “It’ll turn out alright.”

“Thanks.” She wasn’t entirely convinced.

The two said their goodbyes and departed. Ronnie walked through the rain, afraid to bring her attention to herself if she jogged her way out of it. She made her way to the front office where an older woman greeted her. Ronnie had to admit, it was strange hearing everyone have an Australian accent rather than just her and her parents. The woman had kind eyes and brunette hair that was greying around her forehead and ears. “Hi, honey. You must be our new student.”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Well, welcome to Sun Coast High. I’m Mrs. Campbell. I presume you’re Marion, then?” Mrs. Campbell said.

“Yeah, but I go by Ronnie.”

Mrs. Campbell stood from her chair. “Let me take you to see Principal Santos.” The woman was stout with a slight waddle in her walk. Mrs. Campbell took Ronnie through the hallways, thankfully indoors out of the rain. She still noticed, however, students walking through the courtyards to presumably get to their classes. Her damp hair came back to her notice as she dreaded the possibility of having to walk back through the rain. The two turned a corner into a more narrow hallway where no students were present. Doors to different offices lined the doors; Ronnie wondered which one could belong to the principal. Mrs. Campbell slowed to a stop before knocking at one of the doors. Ronnie heard a quiet invitation to enter come from inside. As Mrs. Campbell opened the door, she said, “I have the new student here, with me.” Ronnie made herself visible as Mrs. Campbell introduced her, “This is Marion.” Despite having previously corrected her, Mrs. Campbell used her full name.

“Thank you, Mrs. Campbell,” the principal said with a kind smile as she met Ronnie’s eyes. “Please, have a seat.” She motioned to the pair of chairs across from her at her desk.

As Ronnie made her way to the chairs, Mrs. Campbell retreated from the office. “It was lovely meeting you.”

“You too.” The door closed.

The principal began right away, “So, Marion McCartney, is it?” She began typing on her computer, searching for Ronnie’s files and documents.

“I go by Ronnie,” Ronnie responded quietly.

Principal Santos smiled. “Ronnie. I’m Principal Santos. You’re from America aren’t you?”

“California. But my parents are from here.”

“I hear it’s beautiful there.”

Ronnie smiled at the memory. “Yeah, my dad and I would go diving off the coast.”

“There’s some fantastic diving spots here. You just gotta know where to look.” The principal winked.

“Maybe not in this weather, though.”

Principal Santos just noticed Ronnie’s damp hair. “Is it raining out?” A brief look of worry brushed across her face before she returned to sorting files. Ronnie took no notice.

Ronnie shrugged, “Just a sprinkle.”

“Well, I’ve got your timetable here and all your teachers have been notified that you’re new, so they’ll get you sorted.” The principal handed Ronnie a spreadsheet, which she glanced at briefly. “I will ask

Mrs. Campbell to take you to your first class and then you’ll be all set.” Principal Santos stood from her desk, extending her hand for Ronnie to shake. “If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to come to me.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

Principal Santos led Ronnie back to the front desk, eyeing the rainy weather. “I’m terribly sorry, Mrs. Campbell,” the principal started, “Could I trouble you to take Ronnie, here, to her first class. I have a meeting I must attend to.”

“Of course, Principal Santos.”

Principal Santos turned to Ronnie and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It was lovely meeting you, Ronnie. I wish you luck on your first day.”

“Come with me,” Mrs. Campbell began to walk outside. Ronnie followed closely behind, preparing herself for her first class at her new school.

***

As the day continued, the sprinkling rain turned into a downpour. All the students scattered to open their umbrellas as they entered the courtyard, but as always, Holly hadn’t brought hers. She didn’t entirely mind getting wet from the rain, especially when it was warm. She was only careful with her sketchbook and art projects and wished to keep them dry. The rest of her schoolwork, however, she had not a care in the world whether it stayed dry or got wet. Her curly scarlet bangs lay flat against her forehead, dripping water into her eyes. She hoped that her red and orange hair dye would not run down her face and clothes, but it was for that reason she liked wearing black (along with the fact that it went with every other colour).

Holly arrived to her next class, catching the attention of her teacher. “Miss Chadwick! You better have a good reason to be dripping wet.”

Holly smirked. “It’s raining.”

Her teacher evidently did not appreciate her answer. “Just take a seat and try not to get everything else all wet.”

The blonde girl she had met yesterday watched the interaction from the other side of the classroom. She stifled a laugh at Holly’s response to the teacher’s inquiry.

Holly took her usual seat: the back corner desk furthest from the teacher and the rest of the students. She squeezed out the water from her curls, letting puddles form by her feet. She could feel the heat of her teachers anger irradiating as she watched her, but Holly paid no notice. As long as her test scores remained at the top, her teacher couldn’t do much to her.

“Alright, class,” the teacher began, “Let’s get started.”

The class went as it usually did; most everyone was eager to receive their scores and beg the teacher for extra credit, while Holly had not the slightest intention of viewing her score, let alone talking to her teacher about it. However, her teacher, whilst placing it in front of her, placed it face up unlike the rest of the students, forcing Holly to see her score. 100/100.

Cheeky, thought Holly. She quickly turned her paper back over, hoping no one had seen her score. Her teachers have already attempted to get her to do internships or competitions between schools, but found themselves met with some rather colourfully-worded responses from Holly. She recalled saying such scholastic competitions were for “egotistical losers who wanted to pretend it was an accomplishment to have no social life.” Holly didn’t want to admit that she herself had very little social life, but she never once wanted felt pride in it but rather a sense of normalcy that she never viewed as either negative nor positive. It was simply what was meant for her.

Across the room, Louisa cringed at her test score. How had she done so poorly? She could’ve sworn she had spent hours upon hours studying, ensuring she knew every possible detail of the material covered. Surely, she couldn’t show this to her mum. Louisa stuffed the paper into her bag, hoping to forget about it until absolutely necessary, but it was burning a hole in her mind along with her birthday party invitations. Her mum had worked so hard last night to make them special for her, yet she couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing her with her score again. Not when she did so much for her.

As the class left to go on break, Holly’s hair was now damp rather than the dripping mop it had been at the beginning of class. She stopped by her locker to stow away from books only to be startled by the blonde girl, though she didn’t not show it.

“I wanted to tell you yesterday,” the girl began, “I like your hair. The orange bit is new.”

Holly didn’t have much of a reaction. “Thanks.”

“I thought what you said to the teacher earlier was pretty funny.”

Holly gave no response.

“I’m Caryn, by the way.”

No response once more, just a slight tug at the corners of her mouth.

“You’re Holly, right?”

This struck Holly’s interest. “You know my name?”

“Well, yes. Um… I noticed you had no umbrella. You can take mine if you’d like,” Caryn said. Holly began to walk toward her other class, once again without a response. Caryn walked to keep up with her, her short blonde waves bouncing as she did so. “Or not, that’s okay, too. I like the rain.” 
Holly stopped and turned to face the girl. “Please, just leave me alone.” Holly hadn’t gotten a proper moment to look at Caryn. She hadn’t noticed the twisted braid pulling her hair away from her face to reveal the darker locks that framed her ears less touched by the sun. She was small— even smaller than Holly— with soft features that complimented her clothing. She wore a white long skirt and green sweater while holding her books tight to her chest, an umbrella hanging off her arm. Her eyes were sad, Holly presumed from her comment that came out of anger and annoyance. She wanted to apologise. “I—“

A bratty voice she knew all too well cut her off. “I had always heard that weirdos attract their kind, but I didn’t believe it until now,” Karina cackled, all of her friends joining along.

Holly smirked. “If your parents pay them enough money,” she said, pointing at Karina’s friends, “they will definitely be attracted. Don’t you agree, girls?”

Caryn chimed in, “Yeah it’s not very impressive to have a posse when you had to go to mum and dad,” she switched to a baby voice and big eyes, “‘pwease mummy and daddy can you buy me friends so I feel better about myself?’”

Karina scowled, “Ugh, as if,” and walked off.

Caryn and Holly found themselves laughing at the event that just occurred. Maybe she judged Caryn a little too quickly. Holly watched as Caryn’s face blushed with humour, her own blushing at the sight, which she immediately tried to hide. As Caryn’s laugh subsided, Holly hesitated before saying, “I’ve gotta go,” and walked away before giving Caryn a chance to say anything more.

***

Ronnie had one class left to get through; one class left to be introduced to a group of students that couldn’t care less about her arrival. Her previous classes had run pretty smoothly, but she still found herself wishing to be home. The home she wanted to be at, however, was across the entire Pacific Ocean. 

Consulting the map, her timetable, and the room numbers, she successfully found the classroom without being late. In fact, she was early. There was only one other student there before she was. A girl with long, straight hair nearly dark enough to be black. 

Louisa was rushing to complete her homework that she had forgotten to do the previous night as Ronnie walked in. She took no notice to the new student. 

Ronnie was having an internal battle. Just ask if you can sit next to her. Maybe you can make a friend. But what if she says no? She stood there trying to make up her mind for a little longer than she would’ve liked. She decided it was worth a try. After all, like her dad said, what’s the worst that can happen? 

“Mind if I sit here?” 

Louisa looked up from her work to see the origin of the voice. She had never seen this person before on campus. Louisa straightened her posture and put on a smile. “Of course.” This girl seemed rather nice.

Ronnie let out a sigh of relief as she settled in her seat. “Thanks.” 

“Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around.” 

“Yeah, today is my first day,” Ronnie responded. 

“I’ve only just started this year. Haven’t gotten to speak to many people yet.” 

Ronnie felt almost pleased to hear that. Maybe this will turn out alright after all. “I’m Ronnie.” 

“Louisa.” Louisa put out her hand to shake Ronnie’s. She herself felt hopeful that she had made a friend after all. 

Other students filed in and the teacher straightened her papers. “Alright, students. We’ve got a lot to cover but first, we have a new student.” All eyes turned to Ronnie. “Why don’t you come up and introduce yourself, Marion?” 

Ronnie braced herself to do this for one last time. She stood up and made her way to the front trying to appear confident. “Hi, I’m Marion McCartney, but you can call me Ronnie.” She started going through the same script she had in her head from her previous introductions. “I’m from California but moved here for my parents’ work.” 

Karina Lovell raised her hand. “Why don’t you have an American accent, then?” she asked with sass edging her voice. 

Ronnie was used to answering this question. “My parents are from here so I just ended up with their accent, I guess.” 

The teacher put her hand on Ronnie’s shoulder, signalling her to return to her seat. “Alright, well thank you, Ronnie. Let’s begin today’s lesson then, shall we?” 

As the class finished, before Ronnie could leave, Louisa decided to take an opportunity. “Um, before you go… I have a birthday party next Saturday,” she begun shyly, “I’m inviting all my classmates, so I suppose that includes you.” She reached into her bag to pull out one of the invitations her mum made her— the first one she’s given out. 

For the first time since moving, Ronnie got excited with the possibility of a party. “Of course, I’ll ask my parents, but I’d love to come.” 

“We live on a horse ranch, too, so if you’re interested, you might be able to ride one.”

Ronnie got even more excited. “I’ve only ridden a horse maybe… twice in my life.” The girls laughed. 

“That’s okay, maybe I can teach you. My mum and dad do lessons so they would be great teachers.” 

“I’ll let you know what my parents say.” 

“Great!” Maybe Louisa’s party would turn out alright after all.