West Valley Highschool, said the letters on the wall.

Right. No biggie. I can do this.

But no matter how much Sky tried telling herself that this was a piece of cake, her gut clenched into a tight knot as she took a look at her new school through the car window.

It looked just like any other high school, a dull and functional building with tons of kids swarming the front yard like ants, but to Sky this day hardly was like any other day of her life. It was her first day in this place, and she knew better than most that High School could be a synonym for a slaughterhouse.

"You're going to be fine. It's just another school." dad said, and Sky made a face. She hadn't realized for how long she'd been staring out of her window.

"Yeah." she replied without enthusiasm. "Well, it can't be worse than the last one."

"Let's hope so." Dad said. "Now, get going. I'll see you after school."

Sky took a deep breath, grabbed her backpack, and stepped out of the car, giving one last glance to her father who was trying to give her what probably was supposed to be a reassuring smile, but Sky knew better.

If she was worried, Dad was even more so. After all - they had moved here for a fresh start, to get her a second chance in a new school, and if she messed this up–

Well, that just wasn't an option. She would have to make this work.

The scar on her shoulder ached as she threw the backpack over it and slammed the car door behind her, but she silently welcomed the pain. Let it be a reminder of all the things that had happened, she thought. A reminder of things she had lost - so that she'd never make the same mistakes again.

This was her fresh start.

Here no one would know who she was. No one would know about Matt and the things that had happened. Or about Kat–

Sky took a sharp inhale, the pain of that memory suddenly piercing her chest like a spear.

No, I'm not gonna think about that. Not today!

She tilted up her chin, plastered a confident smile on her face, and joined the ants that were rushing towards the entrance of the school. This time she'd be one good ant, just like the rest of them. And nothing bad would happen to her, ever again, because this was the god damn new beginning and she was going to be so much more than just an ant - she would rise from the ashes of her old life like a fucking Phoenix!

After all - Sky had already lived through Hell. She was pretty sure that nothing West Valley High School threw at her could be as bad as that.

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