Twenty-three; thirteenth August; Leo; 5ft 1"; left-handed; worth 
Autobiography
I was born Rebekah Leah Cartwright on Tuesday 13th August
1985, at 1:24pm. I came into the world at the Buchanan Hostpital in
St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex. I was actually 6 days late. My mother was
due to be induced on the 14th, but I decided to turn up on the 13th. My mum,
Pam, was 27, and my dad, Neil, was 29. I was an only child until 14
months later, when my brother, Joe, was born.
I generally had a very happy childhood. I don't think me and my brother got on as well as we could have, in our younger years, but I think it's because we're so close in age.
In September 1989, when I was four, I started school at St. Paul's C of E. I was a very, very shy girl, but intelligent. I didn't have too many friends, and never really spoke to boys. I did, however, have a few crushes.
My best friends at the time were Katie, Lauren, Hannah D and Hannah W. We all got on really well, but in Year 2 (aged 6), I was put in a class with two other girls - Ashley and Sophie. We soon became great friends, and were inseparable for years afterwards.
In Year 6, I became a prefect at primary school. I had special duties, along with other prefects in the school. My most favourite duty was guiding the other pupils through hymns on the over-head projector in assembly. I did it with a boy I really liked at the time, David Shewry. Although, I was too shy to tell him I liked him.
When I was 8 (1993), we moved into a big, beautiful house. It had 6 bedrooms, 3 floors, and it was just my most favourite house ever. We lived on a corner, and just down the road lived someone my mum worked with. Her daughter, Megan, became one of my best friends. We didn't go to the same primary school, but spent a lot of time together out of school.
After primary school, in 1996, I attended Filsham Valley Secondary School, as did Megan. It was only a short walk away, so we'd walk together every day. I remember feeling more grown up, going to a secondary school.
At FVS, my friends came together. Ashley, Sophie, Megan and I were all in the same tutor group - 7KH. We met all our classmates, and made friends with a couple of other girls, Emma and Phillipa. From then on, we were inseparable. The six of us got on amazingly well, and secondary school was a lot of fun.
In May 1997, a band came into our lives and made a massive impact. Hanson's 'MMMBop' went to number one in the charts, and we loved it. Most of us immediately fell in love with these American brothers, who were about our age. We had to know everything about them and own all of the Hanson merchandise. We also felt the need to write 'I love Hanson' on all of our exercise books, and Hanson posters soon covered our bedroom walls.
In 1999, my parents agreed to a divorce. They weren't getting on at all, and there was a lot of stuff going on concerning my mum being unfaithful. It was kind of messy, and there were a couple of legal complications, but they were divorced, and we had to give up our lovely, big house.
After a while, Dad, me and Joe moved into a new, smaller house, and, on the day we moved in, my [now] step-mum, Jane, moved in too. At first, I didn't like Jane at all. I was 14, my parents had just divorced, and here was a stranger moving into our home, as my dad's girlfriend. It took a little while, but I grew to like her.
Despite liking Jane, I found living with her and Dad quite difficult. So, for a week in June 2000, I went to live with my grandma. During this week, I was on work experience for school. I worked in the local Debenhams, and it was a weird week. I had become close with a boy I'd known for a couple of years, Jon. He would meet me after work, and call me at Grandma's house at 1am. One night, we stayed on the phone for four hours - until 5am. And I had to be at Debenhams for 9am.
When Mum moved into her flat, me and Joe moved in with her. Jon became my boyfriend, and we spent a lot of time together. We were only together for three weeks, but it seemed like more, and I was quite attached to him. I thought we were getting on great. When he dumped me out of the blue, I stopped eating for three days straight.
Just after that, in August 2000 (I was 15), me, Mum and Joe went on holiday to the USA, to attend my uncle and auntie's wedding. When we got back, I went on the Internet, and my friend, Sophie, was online. She told me she was going out with Jon, my ex. It crushed me, and I soon realised that this was the reason he had dumped me so suddenly.
I didn't talk to Sophie for the rest of the summer holiday, but we 'made up' when we got back to school to start Year 11. I say 'made up' - we actually just hugged, and never spoke a word about it. She even carried on going out with Jon, knowing how much it had all hurt me.
I went through the last year of secondary school having a couple more boyfriends. There was Nick, John, Stefan and Pete. Nothing too serious, but fun, nonetheless. Me and my friends used to hang around and get drunk in town, on Thursday or Saturday evenings, with a load of other people our age. It was a lot of fun. Also, about this time, we went through a shop-lifting phase. We'd go into town on the weekends, and steal as much as we could get away with, in shops. I never got caught, but a couple of my friends did.
I finished secondary school, passing 6 of my 9 GCSEs, and turned 16 on holiday in France. I loved being single at the time, and wasn't looking for a boyfriend. I looked forward to attending Bexhill College, just to have fun with boys.
When I started college in September 2001, there were a couple of boys I liked the look of. One of whom was Alex Swaffer. I was too shy to properly talk to him, but noticed whenever he was around. I knew that he was in two of my classes, and that his ex was someone I'd got to know in English class, Hannah.
On October 5th 2001, I asked Hannah to introduce me to Alex, and she did. That evening, she texted me that he liked me. She gave me his number, and him mine, and I waited for him to text me.
He did, and we got to know each other for a week. We'd go on walks on our breaks at college, and have so much fun. We both knew we really liked each other, and flirted outrageously.
On October 12th 2001, one week after we'd met, Alex asked me to be his girlfriend. We'd gone to the cinema together, and saw 'American Pie II'. He asked me out, and we went and sat on top of a big hill in our town. There, we kissed for the first time. It was magical, and amazingly romantic.
I knew that this relationship was nothing like any other I'd experienced, and even wrote in diaries that I saw it lasting a long time. Well, that relationship hasn't ended to this day.
In December 2001, Alex and I decided we knew, and loved, each other enough to lose our virginities to one another. I'm so glad I waited until I had found someone I truly loved, and that I was also the age of consent.
Our first Valentine's Day was spent on top of the Eiffel Tower. We'd gone to France to visit my dad and Jane, which is where they had moved to live because Jane is French.
Fast-forward some 5-and-a-half years, to my 22nd birthday; 13th August 2007. That day, on holiday on the Norfolk Broads, Alex got down on one knee and proposed to me. Of course I said yes and we are currently planning a wedding for July 2010.
Since then, we have moved in together to a flat in Canterbury. From September 2007 to June 2008, Alex and I completed an Access Course each at Canterbury College and have both secured places at Canterbury Christ Church University. In September 2008, I will become a student nurse.
I generally had a very happy childhood. I don't think me and my brother got on as well as we could have, in our younger years, but I think it's because we're so close in age.
In September 1989, when I was four, I started school at St. Paul's C of E. I was a very, very shy girl, but intelligent. I didn't have too many friends, and never really spoke to boys. I did, however, have a few crushes.
My best friends at the time were Katie, Lauren, Hannah D and Hannah W. We all got on really well, but in Year 2 (aged 6), I was put in a class with two other girls - Ashley and Sophie. We soon became great friends, and were inseparable for years afterwards.
In Year 6, I became a prefect at primary school. I had special duties, along with other prefects in the school. My most favourite duty was guiding the other pupils through hymns on the over-head projector in assembly. I did it with a boy I really liked at the time, David Shewry. Although, I was too shy to tell him I liked him.
When I was 8 (1993), we moved into a big, beautiful house. It had 6 bedrooms, 3 floors, and it was just my most favourite house ever. We lived on a corner, and just down the road lived someone my mum worked with. Her daughter, Megan, became one of my best friends. We didn't go to the same primary school, but spent a lot of time together out of school.
After primary school, in 1996, I attended Filsham Valley Secondary School, as did Megan. It was only a short walk away, so we'd walk together every day. I remember feeling more grown up, going to a secondary school.
At FVS, my friends came together. Ashley, Sophie, Megan and I were all in the same tutor group - 7KH. We met all our classmates, and made friends with a couple of other girls, Emma and Phillipa. From then on, we were inseparable. The six of us got on amazingly well, and secondary school was a lot of fun.
In May 1997, a band came into our lives and made a massive impact. Hanson's 'MMMBop' went to number one in the charts, and we loved it. Most of us immediately fell in love with these American brothers, who were about our age. We had to know everything about them and own all of the Hanson merchandise. We also felt the need to write 'I love Hanson' on all of our exercise books, and Hanson posters soon covered our bedroom walls.
In 1999, my parents agreed to a divorce. They weren't getting on at all, and there was a lot of stuff going on concerning my mum being unfaithful. It was kind of messy, and there were a couple of legal complications, but they were divorced, and we had to give up our lovely, big house.
After a while, Dad, me and Joe moved into a new, smaller house, and, on the day we moved in, my [now] step-mum, Jane, moved in too. At first, I didn't like Jane at all. I was 14, my parents had just divorced, and here was a stranger moving into our home, as my dad's girlfriend. It took a little while, but I grew to like her.
Despite liking Jane, I found living with her and Dad quite difficult. So, for a week in June 2000, I went to live with my grandma. During this week, I was on work experience for school. I worked in the local Debenhams, and it was a weird week. I had become close with a boy I'd known for a couple of years, Jon. He would meet me after work, and call me at Grandma's house at 1am. One night, we stayed on the phone for four hours - until 5am. And I had to be at Debenhams for 9am.
When Mum moved into her flat, me and Joe moved in with her. Jon became my boyfriend, and we spent a lot of time together. We were only together for three weeks, but it seemed like more, and I was quite attached to him. I thought we were getting on great. When he dumped me out of the blue, I stopped eating for three days straight.
Just after that, in August 2000 (I was 15), me, Mum and Joe went on holiday to the USA, to attend my uncle and auntie's wedding. When we got back, I went on the Internet, and my friend, Sophie, was online. She told me she was going out with Jon, my ex. It crushed me, and I soon realised that this was the reason he had dumped me so suddenly.
I didn't talk to Sophie for the rest of the summer holiday, but we 'made up' when we got back to school to start Year 11. I say 'made up' - we actually just hugged, and never spoke a word about it. She even carried on going out with Jon, knowing how much it had all hurt me.
I went through the last year of secondary school having a couple more boyfriends. There was Nick, John, Stefan and Pete. Nothing too serious, but fun, nonetheless. Me and my friends used to hang around and get drunk in town, on Thursday or Saturday evenings, with a load of other people our age. It was a lot of fun. Also, about this time, we went through a shop-lifting phase. We'd go into town on the weekends, and steal as much as we could get away with, in shops. I never got caught, but a couple of my friends did.
I finished secondary school, passing 6 of my 9 GCSEs, and turned 16 on holiday in France. I loved being single at the time, and wasn't looking for a boyfriend. I looked forward to attending Bexhill College, just to have fun with boys.
When I started college in September 2001, there were a couple of boys I liked the look of. One of whom was Alex Swaffer. I was too shy to properly talk to him, but noticed whenever he was around. I knew that he was in two of my classes, and that his ex was someone I'd got to know in English class, Hannah.
On October 5th 2001, I asked Hannah to introduce me to Alex, and she did. That evening, she texted me that he liked me. She gave me his number, and him mine, and I waited for him to text me.
He did, and we got to know each other for a week. We'd go on walks on our breaks at college, and have so much fun. We both knew we really liked each other, and flirted outrageously.
On October 12th 2001, one week after we'd met, Alex asked me to be his girlfriend. We'd gone to the cinema together, and saw 'American Pie II'. He asked me out, and we went and sat on top of a big hill in our town. There, we kissed for the first time. It was magical, and amazingly romantic.
I knew that this relationship was nothing like any other I'd experienced, and even wrote in diaries that I saw it lasting a long time. Well, that relationship hasn't ended to this day.
In December 2001, Alex and I decided we knew, and loved, each other enough to lose our virginities to one another. I'm so glad I waited until I had found someone I truly loved, and that I was also the age of consent.
Our first Valentine's Day was spent on top of the Eiffel Tower. We'd gone to France to visit my dad and Jane, which is where they had moved to live because Jane is French.
Fast-forward some 5-and-a-half years, to my 22nd birthday; 13th August 2007. That day, on holiday on the Norfolk Broads, Alex got down on one knee and proposed to me. Of course I said yes and we are currently planning a wedding for July 2010.
Since then, we have moved in together to a flat in Canterbury. From September 2007 to June 2008, Alex and I completed an Access Course each at Canterbury College and have both secured places at Canterbury Christ Church University. In September 2008, I will become a student nurse.