Real
by Joanne Hough, age 16

I didn't know it at the time but whilst searching through my mum's old things, I found something that would change my life drastically. Who would have thought a short skirt and top would create you into something you wasn't. Into a cheerleader. It was my mum's, back when she was younger; she wanted me to follow in her footsteps, so i did. This outfit would automatically give me respect, and make young girls aspire to be like me, yet at the same time lose myself, my real existence. I suppose this finding really did change my life forever, for better and for worse.

I mean being a cheerleader had its advantages; it meant I could get every guy I ever wanted, got invited to all the top parties, but most of all I was never bored. It's quite funny really the length I went to just to look good and keep up the sexy cheerleader image. So I never let anyone see the real me. I mean why would anyone care, all everyone else sees me as is "Chelsea Banks, the girl that has everything". Even if I told everyone this was untrue they wouldn't listen, they wouldn't care. Think ive been taking happy fags again, boy if they knew the real me they wouldn't aspire to be like me "Chelsea Banks, the girl that has everything"

No one looks beyond my 'plastic' exterior. Beyond the Rimmel make up, and brand named clothes. If they did they might see the lost and confused shadow, that is the real me. Seventeen years old and I probably have done more things than you would ever imagine doing in your whole life. Don't believe me I'll reel you off a few. One night at a party I drank so much I woke up in hospital, stomach pumped, told I was close to death. Why everyone thought that was cool I really don't know. Then there came the worst of all the drugs. Yeah you probably think a couple of spliffs at the weekend does no harm, because that's what I thought too. But then I craved a bigger high, I needed something, anything that could cover up me, the real me. You guess what I went on to, few months later rehab. Boy yeah right "Chelsea Banks, the girl that has everything" Yet still after all that the girls wanted to be me, wanted to be popular. I mean id pay anything to not be 'me', I forgot who I was till I met Darren.

He wasn't the sexy football player that I usually got straight into bed with, no. He wasn't tall, dark and handsome, but he was just right. Most of all he was real. We met in the club, I was waiting for my next hit, but instead I found him. He got me straight; it was because of him I agreed to rehab. Being in rehab was the longest and hardest year of my life, being only sixteen at the time and all I had was Darren to comfort me. My parents refused to acknowledge me when I was in there, "doesn't sound good on our family name" that's all they used to say. It's a bit hypocritical of my mum really; I was doing what she asked after all, following in her footsteps. I was the most popular girl in school; everyone loved me, even though I had bent the rules slightly to get there. What more could she ask for. But either way I knew id get through this with or without them. That year I was out of school, there were different rumours why I wasn't there, nobody knew the real reason, presumed I was doing something cool anyway I guess. How wrong were they? At the end of my year in rehab I was so thankful for what I had, I realised I didn't have to put on a 'show' for everyone else, and that the people who really mattered would love me no matter what.

I had to redo year 11, I decided I wanted to work as a drugs councillor, to inform teenagers everywhere of my story, so I needed good grades. I transferred schools; this was going to be a fresh start. Me and Darren haven't rushed into things, we knew how much we loved each other, I learnt sex wasn't the answer to everything either, which most of my past lovers basically taught me. I heard from a close friend that everyone from my old school had finally found out the truth of where id been, she said they were all saying I was a "Junkie" but most of all the question was "What happened to Chelsea Banks, she had everything"