Legal Meets Illegal ~ Introduction

"Thank you," I say, accepting my timetable from the secretary. She grumpily explains how I use my new planner, then goes into great detail about never intruding her office, and so on. I nod and promise I won't. As I hurry out, I hear the clink of bottle against glass and the thud of liquid splashing the bottom. Rolling my eyes in disgust, I leave her with her whiskey alone.

The school itself is much better in comparison to the secretary, true, but my old school was nicer. I was born and raised in Britain for six years, before moving to the States after my mother died, with my father and younger brother, Billy. We moved into a small house in Minnesota, where two years later, Dad met Cadence. Dad proposed to Cadence when I was ten and Billy was six. Then, just as I was ready to start high school, Cadence got a promotion in London from her law firm. So Dad packed me and Billy off to Mum's relatives for six months whilst he and Cadence moved into a London flat.

Aunt Maggie adores Billy and I, but me more than Billy. Because Billy moved when he was two, he's adapted an American accent and knows only Cadence as his 'mom'. Aunt Maggie likes that I remember my real mother and I'm immediately her favourite.

So now, I am twelve and I am living with a young, boring, horrible, American stepmother; a lazy, slobbering, cheeky American brother; and then, the only reminder of my past... my British dad, who I now don't even recognise.

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"You're totally, like, gonna love it, here, Ella!"

I cough slightly. "Ellie," I say for the third time.

The girl's smile falters, then she laughs falsely. "Like, I'm so sorry again, Ellie! Gosh, I'm, like, such an idiot sometimes. Won't happen again, like, will it, Sasha?"

Another girl looks up. "No," she says quietly. "But, Avery, give Ellie a chance to speak, yeah?"

The first girl, Avery, blushes. "Sorry, Ella - I mean, Ellie!"

Avery busies herself in finishing the cold macaroni cheese, whilst I smile gratefully at Sasha. She doesn't acknowledge me, just looks down at her own salad. I stare at it hungrily. Dad makes me buy school meals out of my own money. I would buy a hundred macaroni cheeses if that meant I could have just one of those salads.

"Red lettuce?" I ask Sasha.

She raises an eyebrow, sighs, and shoves the salad towards me. "Eat it," she says coldly.

I laugh, then realise she's serious. "I can't eat your food!" I say, nudging it back.

Sarah's furious eyes soften a little. Then she stands up.

"Now that you're best friends with Avery," she says angrily, "then I don't stand a chance. It's bad enough having Avery and Rochelle and Katie and Luce and every other bully on my case. I don't need you on my case, too."

Avery ignores Sasha's outburst, talking to some blonde chick.

I roll my eyes. "Stereotype me, then. See if I care. But you will not make out that I'm a bully. Yeah, I want your salad. Anything beats this crap. But I would never force something from someone - except my little brother, Billy."

Again, Sasha's eyebrows arc up. "You have a little brother?"

"Well, I say little. He's eight."

"Mine too. And my sister, Shelby, is seventeen."

"My family are American," I tell Sasha with a sigh.

"Like, no way!" Avery gasps. "Have you, like, been to Hollywood? Oh my God, have you met Beyoncé?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Beyoncé's a singer, Avery."

Sasha stifles a smirk.

"Like, I know that, Ella -"

"Ellie."

"- but she must, like, go to Hollywood sometimes? Oh well, I, like, am too busy to care, like, about your Hollywood dramas, Ella. Like, why did you bring it up?"

I glare at Sasha. "Is she for real?" I mouth.

Sasha grins and nods.

That's how I met Sasha Preston.

And here's how I met Carter Blake.

"Oi! Blake, get back here!"

A tall, handsome boy runs by me. He skids to a stop behind our table and ducks below my back. I turn around indignantly, before he pulls me to his side and shields himself with me.

"Sssh," he whispers. "Please don't rat me out."

"Where's Blake?" someone thunders.

I glance up. There are two police officers and a suited man with a bushy beard. Later, I learnt that they were DCs Kirk and Redfer, and the headteacher Mr Irkman.

"BLAKE!" Irkman yells furiously.

I look back at the boy beside me. He's gorgeous, with chestnut-brown hair and green eyes and freckled cheeks. He's wearing a grey hoodie and black jeans, and he's looking at me desperately.

I'm about to tell him to hide under the table when Avery pipes up, "He's, like, here, sir, with Ella!"

"It's Ellie," I growl. I turn back to the boy. "For god's sake, come on!"

I grab his hand and pull him out of the cafeteria. We're being followed by the police officers and Irkman. I can see the fire exit ahead. Then there's the toilets to my left.

"In there," I tell Blake.

"What?" he asks. "That's the ladies' loos!"

"Just go, will you?"

He hurries off. I rush to the fire exit and swing the door as hard as I can, then jump behind a nearby potted plant. Peering through the leaves, I see the policemen notice the swinging door and disappear, followed by a livid Irkman.

Quickly I disappear into the toilets and shove the bin against the door.

"Blake!" I hiss.

He comes out of one of the cubicles. He's grinning wildly.

"Thanks," he says.

"Well, you've probably just got me excluded on my first day of school, but no problem."

Blake's smile wavers. "I didn't realise. Look, um..."

"Ellie. Ellie Barlow."

"Okay, Ellie. I'm really sorry. First days are tough and I've probably just scared the crap out of you."

I shrug. "Don't worry. You've done me a favour. This'll get my dad's attention for sure."

The boy pauses. "I'm Carter, by the way. Star of Year Seven, tutor group C."

"Great," I say with a roll of my eyes. "I'm in the same group as you."

"I'll see you around, Ellie Barlow."

"Yeah, Carter Blake. That's if the police don't get you first."

"Eh, believe me. It'll be years before they've got one over on Carter Blake."

***