Intro:

You know what my Aunt Danielle used to say: " Cookies and Milk solves any problems." So what am I doing at 2am on a school night? Exactly what Aunt Danielle said. Here I am, sitting at my table, with Gingersnaps and milk. And you know what? I AM feeling much better. Oh yeah, I better explain… this might take a while. My name is Ella Jasmine Scott and I live in boring old New York. Some people might like it, but I find it a waste of time. I just turned 16 and before we moved, I rode horses all the time. I'm not the typical Barbie doll stereotype. I'm my own person. I have long curly blonde hair, which I dye all the time, and my eyes are sort of a deep blue. My family consists of my step dad, Bruce, my mom Michelle, and my dead beat older brother Mark. My biological Dad? Who knows! He walked out when I was only 4. So this brings me back to my dilemma of cookies and milk. I'm just fed up with the world. How everything goes in motion. There's so much more to life, than school, books, college, getting jobs and working! It seems like the only goal the kids at my school have is to see who can be the most popular. Yeah, I'm a normal teen, but I know there's something more to life. I love fantasy. Just the idea of being in a world so different and complex from our own amazes me. I know that somewhere out there, there has to be what I'm looking for. And that is a place I need to discover. Peter Pan, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Chronicles of Narnia… all these places couldn't have been made up. I know it. The authors were given some idea, like in a dream, and people took it as a tale, a mere myth. Today I just went through the motions. Wake up, get dressed, go to school, get home from school, homework, youth group, dinner, more homework, then bed. Every single day. All the time. So I'm sitting here… thinking… wondering if there really are other places out there were people are free. Where there is more to life than school, or pleasing other people. I don't dare tell anyone about how I feel, people already think I'm crazy. But I know its not that. It must be something more. Maybe God is leading me to feel this way for a reason. Maybe I'm on to something. Or maybe they're right… maybe I'm just crazy. But that's not for them to decide.

Chapter one: Welcome to my life?

"Well its time for bed. Good old school tomorrow" I thought sarcastically. Quickly, I put the milk in the fridge and closed the cookie box. "Shhhh…" I whispered to my dog as I put the contents away "Its our little secret, right kitty?" in return, kitty just rolled over and closed her eyes. Yeah, that's her name. I named her kitty to confuse people. Get it? "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" and instead of a precious kitten, you get a yelping Chihuahua. Enjoy. As I climbed into my covers, before I drifted into sleep, I looked out and the sky and pleaded "Please, I know that there is a place out there, God, I'll do anything… just help me find it… it has to exist. There has to be a place were there are more important things than school, or getting rich… amen?"

"TIME TO GET UP ELLA!" Bruce bellowed.

"ugh. You've got to be kidding. Its like 5:30am…" I whined sleepily. But still I got up and got dressed. Thank God mom gave me money to go shopping last weekend. Soundly, I picked out a "Hollister California" hoody, and some destructed jeans. I applied what make up was necessary and ran downstairs.

"Hey honey, I made you some pancakes" mom said, smiling.

Oh god, gross. First thing… mom can't cook. And when it is actually edible, its chocked full of healthy pills and crap.

"Ummm t-tthanks mom!" I said, while dumping it down the disposal when her back was turned. Grabbing my backpack and a soda, I quickly walked out the door. Ah, another day in hell. I was SO looking forward to this… (note my sarcasm.)

I checked my watch. "uh oh! I have five minutes to get to the subway!" I shrieked as I ran through the town. Panting, I made it just in time and slid into an empty seat. I pulled out my newest novel I was writing, "The Taming of the Shire," and continued to write.

"What are you writing, child?" an older woman asked me. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

Sighing, I turned to her and politely said, "Ma'am, I'm on my way to school. Every morning, I take the subway to school, because my evil stepfather won't let me use his car, my mother is an airhead, and my deadbeat brother got his license revoked. My life is kind of a "Cinderella Story. Except for the happy ending. 'kay?"

Thankfully, she backed off and I made it to school on time.

------------------------------------Meanwhile… back at home…-------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh Bruce, we really shouldn't send her… she tends to get really angry with these kind of things…"

"Nonsense Michelle! We've discussed this. We already paid for the trip to Italy. We deserve it. Here's the plan. We send her to my cousin Mary's house in England. Her mother will take care of her for 4 months. And when we are finished with the trip, we pick Ella up and bring her home."

"All right…" Michelle relented. "Let's pack her things. This won't be pleasant when she gets home…."

When I returned, the first thing I noticed was a bunch of suitcases by the door. Hmmmm… looks like mom and Brucey boy decided on that trip they'd been thinking about. "Mooooommmm" I called "What's for dinner?"

"Well Honey," mom stalled, coming down the stairs, "You can eat on the plane."

"The plane? Excuse me? What plane?"

"Your father…" she started before I cut her off.

"STEP father" I corrected.

"Fine." She said throwing her hands up, "Your STEP father and I have decided to go to Italy for a little trip. And so we are sending you to live for a few months with Bruce's cousin's mom."

"Are you crazy?" I shrieked. "School is still in session! And I have, like a LIFE here!"

"Settle down. It's not permanent. And besides, you can make new friends, and you will be attending a new school also. Now hurry up. Everything is packed. Get anything else you need."

"ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME THAT YOU ARE SCREWING MY LIFE OVER FOR SOME FUCKING VACATION WITH YOUR FUCKING FUCKED UP HUSBAND? WHY CAN'T I FUCKING STAY WITH FUCKING MARK?" I screamed.

"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! And your brother is finally getting a job, that's why you can't stay with him!" Bruce bellowed.

Disgusted, I flicked him off, stormed up the stairs, slammed the door to my room and gathered my possessions. I mentally repeated what I needed. "cds, ipod, dvds, cell, clothes, make up, scrapbook, pictures of kelsii and I, electric guitar, money… hmmm.. that's something I need more of.." quietly stuffing my junk in my backpack, I crept into my parents bedroom and found Bruce's wallet. Score! Swiftly, I opened it and gaped. It was full of hundred dollar bills. Geez, brucey must have just hit the bank. Oh well, hope he wasn't planning on buying much in Italy! I grabbed and huge stack of hundreds, and stuffed them in my backpack. Finally. I was ready to go.

To show my gratitude for sending me all the way to England for god knows when, I decided to make the car ride pleasant. Or in my words, absolute hell. They were going to pay, and it wasn't gonna be pretty… guaranteed.

"You can throw me like a boomerang…I'll come back and beat you up" I sang for the 700th time. And it made me smile even more to know that Bruce despised any song by Ashlee Simpson.

"Ella. Can. You PLEASE. STOP. SINGING. THAT. SONG!" Bruce said through clenched teeth.

"Okay" I replied, then started singing "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me? Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me? Don't chaaaaa Don't chaaaa!"

I grinned as he and my mother sighed and continued talking. This is basically how the trip went until we reached the airport. The moment we pulled into a parking space, I pulled my ipod out of my pocket and put my earphones in. I really didn't want to hear how much they loved me and how much they were gonna miss me. We all know its bull shit and they only pull off the "Loving parents" look when it's convenient for them.

Once we got to the gate, mom started "Honey…" then continued but all I saw was her lips moving due to the increased volume of my headphones. I waited until she was done before I momentarily pulled my earphones out and said, " 'kay, by mom, whatev Bruce. See ya later."

"Now Ella, we don't want you to be angry with us… we really care about you," Bruce said with fake sincerity.

I snorted and grabbed my luggage. "Have a fucked up vacation guys. And you know what, I would like to give you the award for the SUCKIEST parents, well parent and STEP parent. I never thought you guys were this low. Only caring about you. I thought you actually cared about something other than that damned vacation of yours. But I guess not. See you later, and I'll be sure to tell that bitch relative of yours thank you for baby sitting me."

And with all the smile I could muster, which ended up looking like a smirk, I turned away from then and walked onto my plane.

The whole way to England, Mom kept trying to make conversation with me. I know it was rude, but I kept ignoring her. But you have to understand; I'm not normally moody. How would you react to having to move temporarily for four months, with like 15 minutes notice? Would you be as sweet as pie? Nope. I think not.