Disclaimer: Twilight (obviously) does not belong to me, the characters of the first chapter, however, do.
I just like to play with the twilight chars and with the storyline, I am just trying to create my own storyline to intermix with that one.

I also need to apologise for the long wait, I had an injury which took longer than I thought to recover, anyway, I love and appreciate your reviews, any requests etc.

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ONE.

"Scraps, no don't - " Alarm rang through the small girl as she stiffened for the impending shatter, hands balled tight at her sides.
A stack of textbooks standing high, her newly found pet teetering precariously on the top before it made its final wave and came crashing to the floor, a thud and a smash and a shriek erupting from the petite orphan.

Her big blue eyes widened at the scene before she swooped down to collect her satchel and dashed off in a frenzy, only pausing once mid-way to find her unpracticed rat scurrying off into the opposite direction.

"Scraps, come back! I only letted you down for two seconds!"

A cloud of dust arose from the pile of scattered texts, and it might not have been such a big deal at all if she hadn't of been playing tricks with her rodent pet in the confined area of the library.

For the third time.

Ellerie got down on all fours and began to crawl over to where she last spotted Scraps. 'Cause it was less intimidating on all fours', for a rat, anyway."Psst, I promise to give you two slices of cheese before bed every night!"

"Where exactly would you get that, hmm?"

Ellerie paused as she passed the solid unmoving figure, until she glanced up slowly to find one of the professors glaring down the bridge of her nose at the small child, stubby hands on her hips.

Not so con-spish-ous after all, huh, Ellerie thought to herself.

She was still staring, and she did not look impressed. "You insolent child, must you find trouble every hour of the day!?" She reached Ellerie by her shoulders to stand her up, and her light weight made it swift and effortless. "Hey, that's a breach of, of -" The women erupted into a quiet laughter, no doubt expecting this.

Ellerie frowned.

"Unless you wish for further disciplinary action, my dear, you are under room arrest for the rest of the night. Now, come." The orphan scrunched up her face, and then the blue of her eyes expanding as she started off on a well-rehearsed protest -

"Do not even think about arguing with me, young lady. This is light dealing, considering your records and knack for trouble, do you understand?"

- And the protest then died on her lips. Professor Noel was far too accustomed to the young'lings behaviour.

"Yes ma'am." The girl said reluctantly, before rolling her eyes at how she was basically 'brought' into the room, like the women had accomplished something extraodinary having the girl to obey such instructions. She was used to it, though, and imagined herself on a 'wanted' poster in the staffroom, if caught in the act then rewarded with honour and esteem. Now, she grinned with the thought.

'It sucks leaving Scraps behind,' she pondered, wondering where in the Orphanage he had gone to. 'But 'least room arrest had company.'

"Ells!" Her long-time friend, Leila approached with a big soppy grin on her face. "I was beginning to wonder where you went! The boys wanted to play tag in the lobby, since it's raining and ever so drowsy outside. Want to come?"

El took a glimpse over her shoulder at the whispered discussion, no doubt about her, and bit the side of her lip. "I don't know if I can, Leila."

At first her friend looked confused, and then her eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, again? Really, Ells? You don't like your freedom, do you? Do you?"

Too many questions; and the petite orphan pressed her fingers to her temples. "T'wasn't my fault this time, I swear! But doesn't matter anyway 'cause -" She paused, another glimpse, and then lowered her voice to a mere murmer.

"I'm leaving tonight."

"You - what?"

"I'm leaving. Like Annie, y'know? What can I say, she inspired me!" Ellerie smiled, tossing her golden brown hair over her shoulder for dramatic effect.

Leila stilled, and her big green eyes began to fill and her bottom lip trembled. "You're - you're just going to leave me, Ells?" The tears spilled and she sputtered, dark messy curls sticking to her forehead.

Now Ellerie acted inert, and she felt awful about it.

"No, Leila that's not it, I just - hey, you should be happy for me, you know." Now, Leila's sobs streamed down faster but her expression changed to grim. "'Tif I got adopted, huh? It's prac - ti -coloury the same thing!" Her friend still didn't cheer up, so she tried again.

"We'll always be best friends? C'mon, I'll send you letters and presents of all sorts, so you never ever have a reason not to smile and then one day, you will find a home too, and you will have an even bigger reason to smile!"

Leila darted forward and slung her long arms around her friend and clinged to her. It startled Ellerie at first, and then she realised that Leila couldn't be mad anymore, just hurt, which hurt her a little too but who was to say that she could even stage the breakout yet? So Ellerie returned the hug and whispered into Leila's ear.

"I'll always love you."

That's what they said to friends, right? When you were leaving them? At least, that's what she'd witnessed on the movies.

Leila laughed but she did not bother to correct her, and then squinted through her bleary vision down to her smaller, and completely delirious companion.

"Where will you go?"

.

.Ellerie's PoV.

I needed some kind of distraction.

Leila was curled up in the corner of the room, her knees drawn up under the dip of her chin, stolen glances of desperation thrown my way. She would not plan my escape. I sighed, and should have known better.

"Kate... Can you hear me?" I cooed through the walky-talky.

"Yes, Agent E. The pail is in position!" Kate was older than I was, but not by much. She had also been at the Orphanage nearly as long as I have, and so we both knew the routes by heart. My chest rose and I felt nervous, arms twitching with ants, right - anti-sea-pashion.

"Target is approaching, target is - "

"Tsst, I get it. On three."

"Three... Two..."

A lengthened pause.

"One."

A resounding bang hit the walls of the lobby, and that was saying something in itself, 'since I was on the other side of the building.

I allowed myself three more seconds. And then I ran. Fortunately, there was just enough screaming, clammoring girls in the dormitory that came pushing their way out into the open, to get a far glimpse of what was going on. I was small, the only advantage I really had in that moment but I used it and I pushed past the matrons in the midst of them all.

Right now, too many people would be coloured by fruit, like an oil painting, splattered and mushy - like green peas - and I scrunched up my nose, before sidestepping towards the back stairwell.

There was the advantage when you had a friend that was well-liked.

I scurried down the steps, almost stumbling over my powder blue raincoat in the process, but grateful for the side railing. I passed a wooden door with a chunky black lock and swept right past it, down the narrow corridor, forbidden to any of the students. I looked up, blue eyes beginning to well with the push of adrenaline, and the sudden though of Leila.

That felt more like a pang, there was a place in my chest that hurt when I thought about her but I had to push it away.

One more step, two - and I found the skinny, although long window further back, shattered. Kate was witty and proud all of the time, but this - this - was not one of those clever moments. Glass shards were everywhere and the carton she expected me to use as a step-up, wouldn't stop the shards from piercing into my skin, which was now shuddering with fear.

I had to do it.

Then the door burst open.

Or well, not the door I had used, it was one leading from a hallway that connected it to the lobby, which was why it was so crucial to be prompt. And now, I thought with a slow spreading grin, I appreciated Kate's brilliance - I didn't even see who'd sprung open the door before the pail of slime, green, tipped and spilt with a great amount all over the intruder. The intruder who was now sticky and slimy.

I stepped onto the crate to make my move, but before I swung a leg over -

"Ellerie!"

I sure was tiring of my name. I gave the girl one last look as the slime began to thin out and drip off her face. Just one look, and I stopped, stunned.

"I told the matron's you'd be here, or well, on your way here. So they'll be following your tracks right this instant."

I wanted to scream and instead I shoved my palm into my pressed lips and forced it back. "Leila," I began, a terrible well of emotions stirring within me, "how could you betray me like that?"

"Betray you El? I'm just doing what's best for you! It's not safe out there, it's not! And you can't pretend like you've ever been outside of these walls long enough to know that you can survive out there!"

There was a short pause and she narrowed her eyes, those green eyes I so loved and looked up to. "You won't."

I swallowed my fear, and fought back the burn in my eyes. I gripped the ledge and swung my legs over, catching the shards on the way and I had to fight back a scream.

Brilliance is limited, I thought bitterly.

Leila was pulling for straws, for anything. "You better come back here and clean this up!"

A small laugh escaped me, and it sounded gurgled and distraught. "Slime doesn't make you impotent, you know. You can always clean yourself up."

I ducked my head and I jumped, I didn't look back.

I should have felt bad about it. I should have.

But I didn't.