[i] "You sure you'll be okay kid? You look like you're gonna hurl." [/i] the current boyfriend of Isabella's mother asked cautiously. [i] "You know, I'm not a baby, I could have walked or taken the bus you know."[/i] her dark green eyes darted up at the man without a blink. [i] "Hey, hey now. We're supposed to be family huh? Let me take care of you sometime eh?"[/i] The man reached over and put his hand on Isabella's knee, squeezing in a more than reassuring manner, gently. Isabella hopped out of the car quickly without a word. If he ever touched her again, she swore she'd break every one of his fucking fingers off.

Throwing her backpack onto her shoulder she then noticed her surroundings. Yellow Lake High School. If today she was going to be a turtle, she would need to remember how to swim first. Black skinny jeans would cover the short legs that she needed to use. Isa was barely 5ft tall, but she knew how to move fast in the world. It might have been the years of volleyball that kept her quick on her feet, or maybe she just didn't feel the need to ever walk slow. Hey eyes darted to her locker number, her first mission was to get there. 

Mission complete. No missing limbs, no stress, [i] "I'm good."[/i] she mumbled to herself, turning the number dial efficiently and opening it up. It was empty, but it worked- and that itself was a great start to the day. A sigh of relief fell over Isa as she adjusted a maroon sweater on her curvy body. Her mother described as a beautiful, voluptuous woman, but for most people she was just fat. A monster within her own skin. Isa adjusted herself again, trying to just blend in with the waves of people. All were new faces, all for now were sharks. 

Her lips had been painted a faded shade of red this morning, it was the color of a woman warrior, it was the color she often wore. Looking at her first class of the day she let out the first smile she had, had since she woke up this morning. The paper read: Art. Navigating the hall once again she found her sanctuary. Isa did not tend to bother with the logistics of where you sat determined who you were the rest of your high school career, but decided to take a spot closest to the door in case she needed to flee the scene.