The Dark Curse

Hurry up Ella you are going to be late on your first day of school! I hear my mom yelling from downstairs. I know that I need to rush because I didn’t hear my alarm this morning AGAIN. Sighing, I look at myself in the mirror. My blond, almost white hair is loose and falls with waves down my back. My eyes are very light blue almost pale and I have very pale skin. I decide to wear a little bit of mascara to show that I have a couple of lashes because of my white complexion it sometimes looks that I don’t have any. I still do not know what I want to wear. It will be my first school day at yet another school, perks of having a mother who is constant on the road with new jobs. It is fun of seeing new cities but being constant on the road is negative for having friends. I only need to survive one year and then I can go to college and hopefully have a couple of friends who I do not need to abandon after a few months. My mother promised me that we wouldn't move, so I could have one normal year at school.  ELLA 5 minutes, I hear my mom screaming and bring me back to reality. I decided that skinny jeans and an oversized jumper would be the best choice for my first day.   For now, we live in a very small village near the sea. I was very excited when my mom told me we would live next to the sea. I love the sea, and I am always at ease when I am surrounded by water. And would rather watch the sea the entire day than to go to school. But I have no other choice. I grab a granola bar en decide to walk to school. I only have to walk for 15 minutes before I see the school building. For such a small village, it is rather a big school. I am afraid that it will take a long time before I don't get lost. After searching for 10 minutes, I find the secretariat, there is a very friendly lady who gives me my class schedule and locker and with the first ring of the bell, I try to go to my first class. Easier said than done because after 5 minutes walking, I came to the conclusion that I am already lost. Great, this will be a very good first day.   5 minutes too late I find my classroom, I hesitate to go in because I know that everybody will look at me and I would love to be invisible for the rest of the school year. I instantly grab my little necklace for courage. It is the only thing I have from my father, my mother told me never to take it off and it has become a habit of touching it when I am nervous. After counting to 10 I walk inside and I see a lot of people facing my way. Cringing internally, I walk to the very first seat that is available next to a small shy girl who looks friendly. “I hate people who are late in my class,” said a grumpy old man who looks to be mid 50 ties. I am very sorry I was lost, I said to him. “Oooh, you will be the new girl Ella?” Yes, that’s me I said in a quiet voice. Well, because it is your first day, you will only get a warning but do not make a habit of it. No, I will not sir, I said. I grab my handbook and try to find where we are in his lesson. ‘Hi, I, am Alex” Said the shy girl, “Do you need help?”. I look at her with a strange expression. Alex laughs...“No worries I will not eat you up, I was the new girl last year and knew how difficult it is to make friends. Can I show you the school in our lunch break?” I give her a small smile and thank her for her friendliness. I think that I like that girl and mom is right why not make at least one friend to guide me to high school?   I manage to survive the next 3 classes and Alex is waiting for me at the door. I initially thought that she was a typically shy girl, but I think that I need to rethink my first impression. She is a beautiful girl with short brown hair and vivid green eyes. I am a little bit jealous because she is so full of color and then you have me. I always hated my too fair complexion. It was too much, the light eyes, the light hair. People always look at me funny. But my mom always said that I was beautiful. “How were your first three classes on our school?" Alex said. Well, Math was not too bad, and I love history but being the new girl is never easy. “That’s true,” she said, but I am sure that such a beautiful girl like you will make a lot of friends in no time. Me? Beautiful? Okay, I know that my mom finds me beautiful but that other people who I barely met would think that, it’s a bit strange for me. Oh come on you do not have to look at me like that, have you looked at yourself you look like a winter princess.” I chuckled I like you. “You do?” said Alex. “Well glad to hear that not everybody can handle my big mouth. I come off shy at first but I will not shut up ones you know me.” I think I can handle it, I said to her. “Well come on than would you like to sit inside or outside? I must warn you, there are a lot of fake people in this school.” I love to eat outside, and I will rather be outside because it is calm and not everybody will look at me like I am an alien. I said. Alex led me to the garden of the school. It was a beautiful place. It was so strange that there were not many people. And the best thing of all was that you could enjoy your food with the sea in front of you. We sat outside on a bench enjoying our food. Alex was talking about the fake people in our school. Apparently there was a clique of girls, very popular but oh so mean. I know it is very typical but hey, I think that every school has that group. I made a mental note not to encounter those girls when the bell ringed.   When I came home, I was surprised to see my mother home. Mostly she is still at work and will be home around 11 pm. “Hi sweetie, how was school?” she asked me. It was good mom, and I have met a girl who helped me around. After dinner, we cuddled a little bit on the sofa. It was nice to have a little bit of time with my mom. After our movie date, I went to my room. The first days are always exhausting, so I went to sleep …. …Then I heard it, a beautiful voice singing, it was the most beautiful voice you will ever hear. It was like a lullaby song that I could vaguely remember my dad singing for me when I was a baby. It always looked like it came from the sea or the rocks. It went like, "hear my voice beneath the sea, sleeping now so peacefully…" it is the only line I always remember, but it brought me peacefulness and brought me in a deeper sleep.