CHAPTER 1 {Monday morning}
1896 Words
The sharp buzz of Ella's alarm clock jolted her from a restless sleep. groaning, she slapped the snooze button and buried her face back into the pillow, wheeling herself to forget the word outside her room. but then came the inevitable: her mother's voice cutting through the door like a drill sergeant.
"Ella, get up! and make sure Danielle is ready!" Ella groaned. If mornings had villians, hers was undoubtedly her younger sister.
Dragging herself out of bed, Ella shuffled towards the bathroom, her bare feet sticking to the tiled floor. Meanwhile, Danielle was already up, humming a tune while rummaging through Ella's wardrobe like it was her personal mall.
"Are you serious right now?" Ella hissed, shoving Danielle aside to retrieve a crumpled sweater that she vaguely remembered wearing during the finals last year.
"What? Your taste is even better than mine," her tone was far too cheerful for someone who didn't have to face algebra test later that day. She spun once, modelling the oversized hoodie she'd claimed from Ella's stash.
Breakfast was quick and chaotic. Danielle managed to spill half a carton of milk calling it a mistake, while Ella fumbled with her half-burnt toast, her mind already running through excuses she could use to avoid the impending duty. But none of them mattered — their mother's decree was law. She cleared the table and rushed to her room to take one quick perfection glance at her mirror. But then her mother's voice rang out like a battled cry from the hallway.
"Ella! Don't forget to clean up Danielle's mess before you leave!" Ella groaned. Even if Danielle didn't have a conscience, she should have known that clearing her mess after breakfast was enough. She wondered what the mess was this time.
"Ella!" Her mother's voice rang out again, "Can you hear me?"
Ella groaned louder. Mornings, she thought, were a conspiracy against her existence.
"Yes mom!" She allowed her door hit the door frame with a bang as she made her way to the dining room expecting the mess to be there. It wasn't. Then to the parlour. It wasn't either. Exasperated, she screamed Danielle's name like her mother would when she did something wrong.
"Hey sis!" Danielle strutted out of her mother's room, flaunting her presence to annoy her sister. Then she rushed back into the room energetically, intentionally leaving the door open to expose the cookie crumbs scattered across the freshly vacuumed tiled floor.
"Danielle are you serious right now?" Ella snapped, glaring at her sister. "Mom's making me clean after you, again!"
Danielle shrugged, completely unfazed as she perched on her mother's bed, flipping through a magazine and munching on what appeared to be a cookie.
"Don't blame me. You're the responsible one, remember?"
Ella glared as she grabbed a broom and got to work grumbling under her breath the entire time. By the time she finished sweeping up Danielle's mess, her patience was hanging by a thread. As she stormed into the kitchen to talk to her mom, she greeted her with a cheerful but firm smile.
"Ella darling, don't forget to drop Danielle at school before heading to yours," her mother said, pouring coffee as if she hadn't just sentenced Ella to another exhausting morning.
"You know mom," Ella began, her tone edging on rebellion, "You spoil her way too much. She makes messes everywhere, and instead of making her clean up, you stuck me with it. It's like she gets away with everything."
Her mom turned to her, raising an eyebrow in that unmistakable way that spelled trouble for anyone who dares to argue.
"Spoil her? Oh, Ella, you must be confusing me with Santa Claus. I don't spoil Danielle— I prepare her for life. And you? I'm teaching you patience".
Ella opened her mouth to respond but quickly realised there was no comeback that could win against her mom's razor sharp wit. Instead, she let out an exasperated sigh and grabbed her keys, muttering under her breath.
"I swear, she thinks she's Socrates", Ella grumbled as she made her way to the door.
Danielle bounded after her, backpack slung over one shoulder. "Cheers up sis! Only one stop before your glorious escape of freedom!" She chirped, clearly enjoys every moment of Ella's misery.
The drive to Danielle's school was filled with typical banter, with Danielle rattling if nonsensical theories about Ella's lack of a prom date and how fries might solve all of life's problems. Then she rattled on about how pleasantly sweet Maya's voice was on the phone such that she would have asked her out if she was a guy. By the time they arrived, Ella had bitten her tongue so many times she worried she'd need stitches.
As Danielle hoped out of the car, she leaned back in with a cheeky grin. "Thanks sis. See you later! Don't forget to practice that scowl — You will need it when Cindy and Jenny steal your parking space again".
Ella groaned as her sister skipped away, humming her ridiculous tune. The younger girl had a way of making life feel like a sitcom, except Ella was always cast as the underdog.
By the time she reached her own school, her mood had soured even further. Her usual parking spot — the one under the blessed shade of an oak tree— was once again taken. Cindy and Jenny's flashy red convertible sat there, gleaming in the sunlight like a giant insect.
"Perfect", Ella muttered. She parked two rows away in the glaring sun, her frustration boiling over. As she stepped out of the car, Cindy's voice rang out.
"Ella darling! Hope you don't mind — We thought your space needed a bit of a class today".
Jenny giggled behind her, adding, "And honestly, it's not like you need it."
Ella tightened her grip on there back pack, her fleshy arm absorbing the dual heat from the sun and their talents. She wondered for the hundredth time why the universe had cursed her with such mornings. She trudged down the hall way, the laughter of Cindy and Jenny trailing her like a sour after taste. She held her head high, pretending not to hear the mocking giggles. Just as she reached the turn to her class room, she bumped— almost collided— into Maya, who grabbed her by the shoulders with an exaggerated gasp.
"Whoa there, hurricane Ella!" Maya grinned, tilting her head to study her friend's expression.
"Rough morning?"
"Don't even get me started", Ella groaned, rubbing her temples. "Cindy, Jenny, My mom and Danielle have officially cursed my day".
Maya rolled her eyes. "What's new? Cindy would probably tease a rainbow for being too colourful".
The two walked in step towards their class. The conversation shifted as Maya launched into a vivid recounting of their trip to Swin's House of Fries the previous weekend.
"Remember that guy at the next table? The one practically begging that girl to give him another chance?" Maya snorted, shaking her head. "He had this whole heartfelt speech going and she didn't even blink. Just kept dipping her fries like it was a ritual".
"Ritual?" Ella laughed, despite herself. "I don't think sacrificing fries counts."
"It does when they charge what they do for those 'Heavenly Fries'" Maya shot back, adding air quotes with her fingers. "That man probably spent his rent money on that small plate and she didn't even look impressed. I mean, the drama!"
They both burst out laughing just as the school bell chimed, signalling the start of class. Their laughter faded as they nearly bumped into their drama teacher, Ms. Viola, standing elegantly in the middle of the hallway.
Ms. Viola, a tall woman with a knack for theatrical entrances, greeted them with a dramatic flourish of her hand.
"Ladies, destiny calls! Or rather, I call — with destiny's messages", her voice was rich, like the narrator of an epic tale. She raised a finger as though to command the heavens.
"This Afternoon, in the realm of our sacred drama classroom, I shall select a cast. A cast destined to represent our esteemed institution on the National stage. You will be the face of the arts preceding the prom!"
Ella blinked, caught off guard. Maya nudged her whispering, "This is either going to be amazing or a total disaster". Ms viola continued, her tone lofty and poetic.
"Only the most intelligent, the most daring, and the most devoted students shall tread the boards of our hallowed stage. You both might find yourselves among the chosen — if fortune smiles upon you".
The teacher swept past them after delivering her poetic yet robotic message, leaving Ella and Maya staring after her. "Fortune?" Ella muttered under her breath, "I think I've had enough fortune in one day".
"Well, this just got interesting". Maya said, taking a deep breath.
The hallway buzzed with chatter as students trickled into their science class, backpacks slung over their shoulders and textbooks balanced precariously in their arms. Ella walked side by side with Maya, their conversation fading as they entered the room. Ella instinctively scanned for Cindy and Jenny, her shoulders tensing when she spotted them at the back corner giggling as they tapped on their phones.
"Always the same" Maya muttered, rolling her eyes as she nudged Ella towards their usual seats. The middle row offered a perfect blend of invisibility and proximity to the board.
Other students settled in, the usual pre-class chaos unfolding. Someone dropped their pencil case, and a group of boys debated the latest gaming release loud enough for the entire room to hear. Ella noticed Cindy glancing at her briefly, followed by a smirk and whispered remark to Jenny that she couldn't quite catch.
The door finally swung open with a creak, and Mr. Gregor stepped in, his stern expression silencing the room. He set his laptop down on the desk and opened a small binder filled with neatly organized notes.
"Good morning everyone," he greeted, his voice as brisk as his posture. "Let's get right into it, shall we? Now here's a question for you all." He paused dramatically, turning to write on whiteboard with his marker.
The question read: "What type of bond is formed between hydrogen and Oxygen in a water molecule, and why?"
A murmur spread across the room as students debated among themselves. Cindy raised her hand, her polished nails catching the light as she held it high. The class quieted waiting for her to speak.
"A Covalent bond." She said confidently. "Because Hydrogen and Oxygen share electrons to form a stable molecule".
Mr. Gregor nodded, impressed. "That's correct Cindy. Well done."
Before the class mover on, Maya raised her hand with a look of exaggerated sincerity. "Sir you should probably check Cindy's phone. I mean, that answer was impressive, but, you know..... Just in case."
The room erupted into laughter, and Cindy turned bright red, glaring at Maya as if her eyes could shoot Lasers. Mr. Gregor's lips twitched, suppressing a grin as he coughed. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said moving onto his next point.
As the laughter faded, Maya leaned towards Ella and whispered, "Honestly, I had no idea she Googled it. Just felt like something she'd do. Guess I struck gold."
Ella shook her head, suppressing another laugh. "You're impossible, Maya"
- Writer
