Amber sat on the dressing table stool and stared at her reflection

Amber sat on the dressing table stool and stared at her reflection. A girl with blonde hair tied up into a high do and bright blue eyes looked back at her. Amber fingered a lock of hair and gave a soft sigh.

Her mother had been arrested several months ago, and Amber lived with her grandmother, Emily. Emily had been very kind to her, but Amber missed Velma, even if she had done some pretty rotten things in her time.

Like when she stole Tammy, one of Amber's friends', jeweled hairclip. Amber had been really angry when she found out, but inside she respected Velma's obviously secret pinching of the item. And she was pretty happy when it turned out her mother had stolen the brooch for her.

And when she cancelled one of Link's songs on The Corny Collins Show, where Amber danced and Velma had worked before being arrested. Well, that doesn't matter much now, Amber thought savagely. He's with that Turnblad girl now. But still the name sent a pang of sadness through her heart. Link had been her one true love. The way his blue eyes sparkled as he sang, the way he winked at the camera, they way he spun her…

"Amber!"

A croaky voice pierced Amber's thoughts. She looked over her shoulder to see Emily Von Tussle standing at the doorway to her room, clad in a sickening pale pink floral dress and a pair of beige cowhide sandals. She shuffled towards her grand-daughter and looked around the room.

"Amber, you must get ready for school. It's almost eight o'clock and the school bus comes at half-eight."

"I know, grandmother," Amber sighed and picked up a crystal bottle, raising it to her neck and spraying it. Emily nodded, and shuffled away.

After seeing her grandmother leave, Amber jumped up from her stool and walked over to her closet. She leafed through the many dresses and cardigans, and chose a smart white blouse, a baby blue skirt and a cardigan to match. Throwing them down on her bed, Amber looked at the garments. They reminded her greatly of Velma.

Stop thinking of her, Amber thought angrily, slipping the skirt and blouse on. She button up the cardigan and gazed at herself in the mirror. Perfect, now time for breakfast.

Amber collected her school books up and walked down the stairs. Emily sat at the kitchen table, one foot resting on the chair next to her. She looked at Amber as the girl walked in.

"Here's an apple," she said, and tossed the fruit at Amber. Amber gave a nod of the head and opened the door.

"Bye!" she called and closed it gently.

Outside her gate, three girls sat on the wall, laughing and clutching books to their chests. Amber approached them and they scooted to a side to let her sit down.

"Amber!" a girl with pale legs peeping out from a green plaid skirt and shiny auburn hair exclaimed. Amber directed a swift nod in her direction.

"All right, ladies? Are you ready to go?"

Her companions nodded and all four girls got up in unison and walked down the road to the bus stop.

As they passed the prison, Amber stopped and stared at the dark gray building. She could hear the faint shrieks of prisoners and she blinked. Her mother was in there. A swift dose of nausea hit her as she imagined her mother shrieking, dressed in an unflattering black and white outfit, held to a dusty cold floor by chains.

"Amber, are you okay?"

Amber blinked, startled. Her three friends were looking at her.

"I think she looks ill," one of them whispered, but Amber heard.

"I do feel ill," she lied. "I'm going to go home. Ciao!" she said quickly, and ran down the road, leaving her friends blinking after her.

Amber ducked behind a dustbin and watched the girls shrug and walk towards the bus stop. Once they had boarded the bus, Amber glanced from side to side and hurried back along the lane to the prison. Gazing at it for a minute, she shrugged and slipped towards the building.