Hey y'all! I'm Lily and this is my new story! I have another one so please go check that out! Tell me what you think! Review!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Selection or its characters.
" Ella!" My mother's raspy voice rings out. I press my eyes and lips together.
" Yes mother?" I call back.
" Don't yell in the house! I should hit you for that! Come over here Ella!" My mother screeches. She's my mother by blood, but she was never there for me. She didn't pick me up when I fell, she didn't hug me when I cried, and she never cared. Never. I walk up the old, creaking steps of my house and into my mothers room. She lay, sprawled out on the good couch, in a worn old rob. I could tell my mother was once a beautiful young lady. Long dark hair, sparkling violet eyes, and lush thick lashes. But now, years of aging has taken over her beautiful body. Her long legs are dotted with spots and marks, every part of her sagging with wrinkles, and her hair is turning grey and brittle. I look like her younger self. I have long legs and my skin is a creamy color. I have her thin nose and wide, violet, eyes. But my hair. It's a blond so pale that its almost the color of my skin. My mother sees me and walks up to me. She gives me a big fat hard slap on the face. My face stings and prickles. Every slap, every punch, every kick reminds me that she is no mother to me. Reminds me that she's a monster. " Have you practice today?" She asks deadly quiet. My eyes remain on the ground and burn with tears and fury.
" No." I answer. Faster than I can react, I get punched in the shoulder. Shocks of pain roll through my shoulder, down my back and arms. I hold the tears in my eyes as they pile up and threaten to spill. There is one thing my mother taught me, never show fear. She kicks my ribs and this time I let out a cry. Pain invades my body, taking over every nerve. Soon, I'm just numb and I lye on the floor, breathing hard.
" Go practice." She spits out. I nod feebly and scramble to my feet. I grab my flute, carrying it to my room. I shut and lock the door. I put a chair in the way and take in my small room. The wood floor is worn and the walls ( were) white. It's tiny and super cramped but I've accommodated some things. I draw on the walls and several of my handmade instruments are sitting contently in their stands. My pride and joy is my piano. For months I saved up, setting aside a small portion of my money which is not very plentiful in my house since I'm the only worker. All my mom does is spend the money and my father left us when I was seven. I had saved up enough money to BUY a piano. It has beautiful ivory keys and its tall. Its made of a beautiful light wood and flowers are carved into the sides. Everything felt to hot, the air was too thick . It stripped of my outer shirt, leaving me in my tanktop. But the heat continued to beat down on me. What the heck? Its winter. I collapsed on my bed. I roll through my bed but the impending weight on my shoulders never leaves. I stand up and take in everything I'm thinking, trying to arrange and create some coherent thoughts. I have a lot more problems than the average five. But then again, I'm not average, am I? I grab some scissors from my drawer. I look in the mirror at my skinny frame. Since I'm a five, there's not much to eat. Then again, there's much of anything in my life anymore. I take the scissors and cut my hair. I do a pretty good job and when I'm done, my hair falls a little longer than my armpit. I run my hands through it and shake my head. Everything felt lighter and for once in a while, I smile. Maybe things can change. I looked down at my feet where my hair lay dead and lifeless. Maybe I can shed my problems like I did with my hair. I walk downstairs and outside, checking our front step. There was a letter, in a sleek envelope with the red palace stamp on it. I stared at it wide eyed and suddenly its snatched from my fingers.
" Let me see this!" My mother screeches. I stare at her as she reads the letter. She is beaming. She hands me the letter. I read it and my breathing quickens. I can apply to enter the Selection. Which is helded once the prince turns nineteen and is ready to marry. Thirty-five girls are selected to stay at the palace and the last girl standing gets to marry the prince. " You must enter." My mother says, her eyes dancing with a threat. No, this is drawing a line. She doesn't get to take my future too! She doesn't decide who I'm going to love and marry! I won't do something anymore because she says it! No, not anymore. I should have never listened. I can live by myself. I can do something other than stay here with her.
" No!" I shout. She looks at me startled. " You took my past! You're destroying my present! And I won't let you decide my future! I'm not gonna do something because you say it anymore! No, I won't enter the Selection!" I shout. Her face turns red and she stares at me angrily. Fear fills my insides.
" No! Don't shout at your mother!" She screeches. She hits me hard and my face prickles. I touch my nose and feel warm, hot, sticky blood.
" You're not my mother." I say to her, hatred burning like a raging fire in me.
" Of course I'm your mother! I've been your mother since birth, I'm your mother now, and I will be your mother till your death! Don't defy your mother! Your mother is the one who nurtured you and loved you! Thats no way to talk to your mother!" My mother shouts. She kicks my bruised ribs. A small gasp escapes my mouth. She kicks my shins and behind my knees. I fall to my knees.
" Liar." I say to her. She screeches at me but I launch myself at her. She rakes her nails down my arm and blood spills from the cuts. I punch and kick blindly at her but she pins me down.
" You will fill out that form or you can guarantee that you will never see the light of day again." She threatens. I nod weakly. Its not like they'll pick me. I'm nothing special. They'll never choose me. And even if I'm chosen, I can always go home. I grab the letter and form as I stumble up the stairs. I risk a glance back and feel satisfaction as I see the bruises forming on her chin, legs, and arms. I turn back around and smile widely. Sure, It was pretty obvious that I lost, but, in my mind, I won. Fixing up my arms and legs and icing down bruises and marks, I fill out the form. Pretty basic stuff. Eye color: purple/ violet. Hair color: Pale blond. Skin color: White.
Full name : Ella May Miller. Then there was stuff like your skills. Skills? What does it mean by skills? My mother was useful for some stuff. Not all fives that are musicians know other languages, but a few do. Like me. Skills: Play multiple instruments, speaks fluent Spanish, French, English, Latin, Dutch, Italian, and Russian, drawing, painting. Thats a lot of skills. Now that I'm looking at it on the smooth paper, I see that I know a lot of languages. I fill out the rest of the form and wrap myself in layers of clothing, preparing to go outside in the bitter, winter wind. Wrapped in a coat, gloves, and a scrap, I step outside, slipping the form in my pocket. Giant snowflakes fall from the night sky. They're huge and look soft. There is a thin layer of snow on the ground that crunches beneath my thick boots as I head to the post office. My jaw drops as I see the long line to put the letter in the post office.
" Yep, I know. It's huge. They're taking pictures too." I hear a voice behind me say. I turn around shocked.
" Lana!" I say smiling. Lana is two and the closest thing I have to a best friend. She even knows about my mom. Lana is a model and always looks perfect. She has long brown hair, sparkling green eyes, and long smooth legs. She hold me back arms length.
" Are you ok?" She asks seriously.
" Yeah. But I fought back this time." I say grinning. She she smiles and laughs with me and we are both laughing and smiling and just being happy over my accomplishment.
" But seriously. Do you want to enter the Selection?" She asks.
" Yeah, I guess. I mean the prince isn't too bad looking." I say still smiling. It looks like the upper caste can take their pictures indoors and the lower caste take them outside. Lana sees this and bites her lip.
" I'm so sorry Ella" She starts but I wave my hand and she smiles in relief. She hugs me before scampering off indoors to get her picture taken. A small smile still lingers on my face as I go to take the picture. I look at the camera and shoot every feeling of hope of a better future at it. Shoot everything I've ever felt into that one look. How life is bittersweet. How life is so painful but there is something in it that is worth living. I don't know why I try to look good, maybe its to show that the lower caste can't be ignored. Maybe its to show that I'm worth something, I'm important. Maybe I'm just tired of being hidden. I just want something better from life. I know there is something better in life. There has to has be.
Two Weeks Later ( I know its going kinda fast but just stay with me here):
I sit on a soft cream couch in Lana's living room. Her whole family is here. Her mom, dad, and younger sisters. Her younger sisters are twins. Layla and Lila. They are carbon copies of Lana, even at age eight. Lana talks excitedly and eagerly. Twos and threes have the best chances at getting in, we all know that the selected are hand picked. Lana's house is beautiful with marble flooring and beautiful pieces of art. We sit in front of her huge flat screen tv. Although Lana and I are best friends, she lives in another province but on the edge. I live on the edge of my province so its easy to see each other. We really only live twenty minutes away from each other by bike. The report flickers on and a hush fills the room. Dan, the host, sits next to Evan, the prince. The Royal family has two kids, Evan and Eric. Eric is eight and looks exactly like his mother, Queen America. Her has red hair and crystal clear blue eyes. He is a bit troublesome and has little freckles dotting his face that no one knows where they came from. His older brother, Prince Evan, is the one turning nineteen. He has soft honey hair that falls perfectly into his crystal clear blue eyes and I have to admit, he's pretty well built, but not to the point where he looks like a wall of muscle. Tall too, he would tower over me. He has a brilliant white smile and any girl would fall for him. He's funny and witty too. No one moves as they go through the report. Finally they start.
" So Evan, have you seen any of the girls yet?" Dan asks.
" No, not yet. Although I know they will amazing." He says grinning. He shuffles in his seat. His hands fiddle together. He takes deep breaths. He's like any normal teenager.
" Well, then, Ladies and Gentlemen may I present to you, The Selected." Dan announces. The first face flies up. Someone I recognize. Someone I know. The first face is Lana. Her hair falls softly to the side and she beams at the camera, her green eyes filled with warmth. " Lana Light, two." Her family jumps up and Lana cries out in joy. She grabs my hand and smiles at me, tears running from her eyes. I cheer for her and more faces of girls flash on the screen but we don't care. My best friend could become queen. Toward the end, we settle down and continue watching the screen. The second to last girl flashes. She's pretty, all of them are. The last girl flashes. " Ella Miller, five!" Dan shouts. I see myself wrapped up. My hair is dusted with snowflakes, blending in with my hair and looking like a crown. My cheeks and the tip of my nose are red from the cold. Snowflakes lay on my dark eyelashes and my eyes stand out in all the pale color. My eyes seem to tell a story, one that's never been told before. My head is tilted to the side and I have a small smile.
" Oh my god!" Lana shouts. " Ella, you look beautiful! You look like….like….a model!" Lana exclaims. Her family cheers for Lana and I. I sit there, numb with shock. Although I know I'm lucky, all I can think is that my mother won. My mother got her way.
The next day:
I wake up in my bed and remember last night. I rip myself from bed and walk downstairs to see my mother singing as she read the newspaper. I pause on the stairs.
" Molly," I sneer using my moms real name. She looks up startled. " Just to let you know, if I do become queen, you will never, know anything about me or my family. You don't deserve it." I say harshly before making my way up the stairs. She doesn't do anything. She just sits there. And I finally feel like I won. I enter my room and see all the drawings I made when I was sad or depressed. I turn to a new, blank, wall. My life feels like this. A new blank wall, a fresh start, I can do anything with it. I grab my pencil and start sketching the happiest thing I can think of. The sun. Always burning bright and shining. Giving life and warmth. I've never really known where the sun was. No I've found it.
Ok this is the start of my new story! I have another story called " The One: Remake!" so go check that out. I have not abandoned it, just not found time to continue it. Let me know what you think of this story and review. I just need to know that you guys want me to continue. Its not my best writing but It will get better and more exciting.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Lily
A.K.A Bookworm Flower