Luke Allan
Ursula Cheng

Carolyn Angelo
Tobias Cook

Tom Benn
Kirsten Cowie

Emily Bone
Andrew Denholm

Sarah Christie
Elizabeth Stewart

Jack Clark
Eileen Glass

Edward Keeble
Imogen Scott

Kerrick Newstead
Anette Fritsen

Laura C-Harries
Lindsay Grime

Daisy Dawes
Alison GlanvilleJones

Sam Elliot
Laura Darling

Martin Gaston
Gillian Kirkland

Mary-Caitlin Hentz
Sarah Tanat-Jones

Kirsty Kelly
Jaimie Lane

Miranda Jackson
Trine Mangernes

Ailish McA Green
Lindsay McBirnie

Gina Mortlock
Lucy McCririck

Richard O'Brien
Elizabeth Walker

Vidur Nauriyal
Sophie Newell

Sophie Playle
Marc Noble

Kirsty Smellie
Fiona Purves

Frankie Taylor
Genevieve Ryan

Hi. I’m Daniel Jackson, and I’m sixteen. There’s not much I can say about myself. I don’t do anything for a living, really. You know how it is, you’ve just finished GCSE and you’re forced to go straight into A-Levels. My parents would go mental at me if I didn’t. I guess, uh, you might be able to say I don’t fit in with the other kids. It’s not that I’m not liked, just that nobody seems to want to be around me. I think maybe it might be my glasses. I hate those. I’m not sure why, but I just don’t feel comfortable in my own skin. I get away from everything sometimes, relax I guess, by playing games and reading books. In my bedroom, obviously, which just so happens to be my favourite room. I’m a bit thin, although I try and exercise by riding my bike to school. People think I’m a big geek. But I had a girlfriend up until a few months ago, and once she told me she loved me. We were even naked together. My favourite smell was her hair. I miss her, I guess.

Enough of the pleasantries. I’d love to just get away sometimes. Really, I would. Make a new life. Travel anywhere far away. My greatest fear is the thought of being like I am now for the rest of my life. It keeps me awake at night. So, I’ve stolen some money off my mother. I lied and said it was for a school trip. I’ll keep it hidden, and use it to run away one day. I will.

TEXT by Martin Gaston+ IMAGES by Gillian Kirkland