A/N: Before someone reviews this I know Ethel is being harsh to Mildred in this. The whole point is these are Ethel's thoughts about the situation and in the story she is supposed to be more angry than normal. I don't hate Mildred at all, but the fact is Ethel doesn't like her.

Chapter Three

Bad Day

Things for Ethel, as they often do, did not go to plan. She did present the project and everyone was very impressed of course but Mildred of course complained she had copied but had no evidence and for a while it seemed Ethel had got away with it….until they found Einstein the tortoise, thanks to Sybil spotting him in the tree and flying up to rescue him, who told the teachers everything and after finding Mildred's project in the bin, Ethel had being forced to admit she had left hers behind and was given two thousand lines to be handed in to Miss Hardbroom by the end of tomorrow.

That is what Ethel was currently doing. Sitting at her desk writing the line 'I must not copy other people's work' knowing if she didn't do it, she could be out the door, HB and Cackle were already not happy with her after last year. Ethel was annoyed, why does she always end up failing at everything in the end?, she couldn't win, if she had told HB the truth she would still be sat here doing lines, and not only that, now Mildred was deemed a hero because she had found that stupid foundlng stone through her clumsiness, and not many witches alive could say they had seen one before. It just wasn't fair, if Ethel was clumsy and destroyed the school through the clumsiness she would probably end up finding old rats dropping or something, definitely not something she would get recognition for.

Ethel was also annoyed at Sybil, yes she knew Sybil had not done it on purpose but now she was friends with them stupid first year girls and they were trying to help Sybil be braver and a good samaritian. Ethel groaned in anger and threw her pen down, two hundred lines now written. She opened and closed her hand, trying to get rid of the cramp in it.

"Stupid Mildred, stupid tortoise" Ethel moaned as she paced her bedroom. It was the first day back and it had already being awful. She was just sitting on her bed, to have a small rest and read some of her book when someone knocked.

"What?" Ethel replied rudely. The last person Ethel wanted to see walked in, looking angry herself.

"Mildred Hubble, why are you in my room?" Ethel said, her eyes darkening with anger at seeing her in her bedroom, this was her own room where she could escape people who annoyed her.

Mildred though ignored her and closed her door, stepping further into the room before she started to speak.

"I want the truth, why did you take Einstein?" Mildred asked, looking at the girl with blazing anger.

"I told you already, I needed a project, it is your fault, you programmed the tortoise to talk but not to shut up when he didn't need to and I happened to hear him" Ethel replied frustrated and not wanting to talk about this again.

"Ethel I have you down as a lot go things, but cruel to animals is not one of them" Mildred went on, not understanding why Ethel was doing this. Yes Ethel was not normally nice but this was a different level of nasty.

"I wasn't cruel to him! I was gentle with him and placed him so he wouldn't fall, and I am not going to talk anymore about it, I have told you why I did it and that is all you are getting" Ethel remarked angrily. Mildred wondered if she had picked the right time to come, Ethel was clearly not in the mood and it would be hard to reason with her.

"Ethel, you can't treat people like this, just because you are upset Esmerelda..." Mildred said but she didn't get to utter another word because Ethel turned from annoyed to looking like she was about to explode like a volcano erupts lava, in the space of a few seconds.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU KNOW NOTHING, GET OUT" Ethel shouted at her and Nightstar, who had being lying on the bed sleeping comfortably, jumped up and shot under the bed at the volume of Ethel's voice.

"But Ethel..."Mildred said, she had not finished saying what she wanted to.

"Are you deaf as well as annoying?" Ethel said cutting Mildred of again. "GET OUT NOW" Ethel shouted.

The next thing that happened was for Mildred at least very weird. It was as if she was going fast through a tunnel she felt her body backing out of Ethel's bedroom and stopping in the corridor before the door slammed shut on her. Mildred was confused as to what had happened, but had to admit Ethel had very good knowledge of spells. Knowing though Ethel would not listen to a word she said when she was so angry, Mildred walked back to her bedroom, deciding to let the fight go for now.

Ethel had her back against her bedroom door, breathing heavily as anger raged through her body, how dare she, how dare she! Ethel thought to herself. This girl who didn't know Esmerelda all that well and had ran out the castle to save the school and left Ethel to be the one to save Esmerelda and get no credit for it, thought she had the right to just casually throw Esmerelda's name around, as if she understood the situation, or what happened. She had not even being there, she was at home because she had being expelled for leaving the school when it was forbidden and had stupidly released Agatha out of her hiding place. It was her that had gave the woman the opportunity to go back to Cackles and here she was acting as if it mattered to her. If Ethel had being angry before she was now ready to go off at that.

Ethel reached forward and grabbed the first thing on her desk which was a book and then she lodged it at the wall, feeling better as she watched it fall to the floor. Nightstar stayed hidden under the bed, to scared to come out.

Ethel left the room, needing to clear her head and have some fresh air, she knew if she stayed in her bedroom she would end up trashing the place, so she closed the door and walked outside into the grounds, needing to calm down.

Ethel sat by the pond, the one Mildred and Maud had crashed into at selection day and closed her eyes, knowing it was not good to get so angry. She sat there for ten minutes before going back into the castle, to finish off the lines she had to give to Miss Hardbroom tomorrow.

A few hours later, Ethel was waiting outside the mirror room, preparing to mirror home. Sybil appeared with Beatrice and Clarice and walked over to Ethel with a small smile.

"Should we go in together? Esmerelda says she wants to see us both" Sybil commented. Ethel nodded, knowing Esmerelda wanted to talk to them both together like they normally did at home. There was about five people in front of them and they leaned against the wall to wait for their turn, neither girl saying much as they were both sad at the aspect at having to talk to Esmerelda who wasn't here.

Finally half an hour later, they were walking into the mirror room and held up the card with her name on it. Esmerelda appeared sitting on her bed, waiting for them and beamed when they appeared.

"Ethel, Sybil!" Esmerelda said in the excited way Esmerelda said their names whenever she saw them.

"Esmie guess what? I made two friends, their names are Clarice and Beatrice!" Sybil replied, bursting with happiness because she had thought she would end up friendless and have no-one to talk to. Esmerelda smiled relieved. She had being extremely worried about Sybil getting really upset and not having anyone to talk to, so she was so happy she had made friends already.

"That is fantastic Sybie" Esmerelda replied using the nickname she used for the youngest before turning to the middle sister "How are things with you Ethie?" Esmerelda asked using her nickname too.

"Don't even ask" Ethel replied, still angry from earlier. Esmerelda was worried about what had happened but by her expression she knew not to push it. Ethel would only rage at her if she prodded to much.

"Well I am sure it will get better Ethel, I am going to try visit soon, so don't worry" Esmerelda replied, planning to visit her sisters soon as she missed them, but not yet anywise she knew Sybil would never settle in.

"I can't wait!" Sybil replied, excited for her loving oldest sister to visit her. Ethel smiled too, she wanted her to visit to and that cheered her up after her bad day.

"How are things at home?" Ethel asked, knowing it was a bit of a silly question but needing to know her sister was not totally falling apart.

Esmerelda sighed and looked down but nodded "Boring, I miss you two keeping me entertained, but I am just glad you are both okay" Esmerelda replied. Ethel looked at Esmerelda and once again, as she had over the last few months, felt the guilt creeping up on her again.

Esmerelda did not know at the time, that Ethel was going to get worse and Ethel did not know this was the first of bad days for her.