Chapter 3
The girls walked into math class, still catching up on the last eight months Lauren moved away. They sit together in one of the pairs of desks in the back of the room.
"Uh oh." Lauren whispers, pointing at two guys that walked through the door.
"That's Wayne and Landon, the two most pervious guys you'll will ever meet."
Wayne had gelled black hair, hazel eyes, Maverick's jersey, and black jeans. Landon had curly light brown hair, deep brown eyes, green polo and light blue jeans.
Ella's pocket buzzed. She pulled out her iphone 5c with white back, and looked down at it. It was Lauren.
*Just checking to see if you had the same number ;)*
She typed back:
*yep*
Ella glanced over at Lauren's phone. She had recently got it updated; it was now the same as Ella's, only light blue. Buzz.
*Keep my secret?*
*Always*
*Good. I kept yours*
*i have the feeling u dont trust me*
*y would u think that?*
"Welcome to your first day at Glenwood High. My name is Ms. Masselheimer. But you can call me Ms. M." said a petite woman with brown hair up in a bun, warm brown eyes, A&M t-shirt and white pants as she walked in. Buzz.
*I like her already*
*me 2*
"My one and only rule: no flirting in class. It's drives me insane to see girls trying, guys being totally blind and vice versa."
Buzz.
*well there goes that*
*u want Wayne flirting w/u?*
*nvm*
"Other than that, try not to tear down the walls," Miz M. smiled and passed out a worksheet.
"Do it in class and it's not homework."
Buzz.
*i'm never having hw*
*same here*
"Get started!"
(Later)
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"To gymnastics!", Ella said triumphantly
"You don't even know where it is," Lauren retorted.
"Oh. You lead then," Ella said, pointing.
Lauren moved Ella's pointing finger in the opposite direction and pulled her along, down the main hallway, into the wider corridors that branched off into the different locker rooms and gyms. At the far end, if you went to the right, you would go down the band hall. Go straight, you walk into the cafeteria. The pair turned into the Wood gym, walking over to where the other gymnasts were sitting.
Their coach came in before the starting class bell rang and told them to sit in alphabetical order by last name and grade.
"Good morning ladies. My name is Coach Sherry, and I will be teaching you gymnastic for the rest of the school year. While we are in the that gym (she pointed to three sets of double doors) the P.E. class will be in this one.
"Today we will assign lockers and hand out leotards. Head in." she said pointing to a set of wooden double doors that led into the locker rooms.
The group of girls walked through the doors and into the locker rooms, revealing a wall length mirror, three different areas for lockers, one for gymnastics, one for athletics, one for P.E, four showers, and the coaches offices at the end of the hallway, with the exit door behind that.
Their locker bin was in the shape of a square, red lockers lining three sides of the square. Each girl's name was called and she was given a lock, a locker number, and a leotard with shorts.(not attached)
"Ella Taylor.", Coach Sherry called , handing her a lock and leotard. "Locker number 49"
"Lauren Terry. Locker number 51"
The girls put their backpacks in their lockers and looked at their new leotards. They were nude colored with a red stripe, starting as a point on the right hip and spreading out across the bodice and ending on the left shoulder, silver glitter sparkled alongside the red, with crimson gymnast shorts.
"Since we have enough time, go ahead and dress out.", Coach Sherry said, after she gave all of the girls lockers.
Ella and Lauren looked at each other, then started to get undressed.
"O. M. G. Look at her, Bree, she has, like, no butt."
"I know Serenity, such a shame."
Ella turned at the sound of Bree Solis and Serenity Brooks, the two most popular girls in the school, until this morning. They were talking about Tracy, a girl with small body proportions, unlike those of Bree and Serenity. (Who had what stupid boys wanted in a girl.)Ella pulled the thick straps of the leotard over her shoulders and slid on the shorts.
Pulling off her socks, she said to Lauren, "Why are they so popular if their so rotten?"
"Because everyone thinks they will be kidnapped for Good."
"Wait what?"
Lauren sighed, "Every four years, two teens are taken over the age of twelve. But because of hurricanes, it hasn't happened for a while. Don't forget to take out your earrings. So this year, eight teens are being taken, four for good and four for evil. The entire neighborhood thinks they will be two of the people taken for Good."
"Why are they being taken?"
"For the schools of Good and Evil. And guess what? The kidnappees reappear in story books."
"Really?"
"Yes really. I'll take you to the bookstore and show you."
"What do you think?"
"I think that the B.S. twins will be taken for Evil, not Good."
"And the Good teens?"
"Not us."
Lauren looked around to see if anyone was watching, then suddenly, while Bull and Shiitake were fixing hair, the air conditioning gusted warm, moist air, causing their hair to frizz.
"Lauren! No wonder you won't be Good!"
"You would have done the same thing."
"My point exactly!"
After Bree and Serenity had complained to Coach Sherry, the gymnasts walked out of the locker room and into the Wood gym. Just as the athletic boys came in for basketball. Finishing her bun, Ella smiled and stuck her tongue out at the dumbstruck boys. Then, there he was, tall, with light brown hair, stunning green eyes, and medium fair skin.
"Who is that?" She breathed to Lauren
"Ian." (I-AN I-AN NOT EE-AN)
"Wow."
"Looks like he thinks the same thing about you."
Ian was, standing frozen to the spot, his attention diverted away from her only when his coach threw a basketball at his head. "Get your head in the game McAllister!"
"Ooh, Ella McAllister. Has a nice ring to it."
"Shut up Lauren."
The girls sprinted through the in between gyms lobby and into their gym.
The Gymnastics gym had everything any professional gymnastic needed: rings, beams, uneven bars, trampolines, thick mats, vault, etc.
"Today we will start on floor routines. Raise your hand if you can do a cartwheel," Coach Sherry said. Almost all of the girls, including Lauren, Ella, Bree, and Serenity, could do a cartwheel.
"Okay. Show me. You first Serenity."
Serenity did a terrible cartwheel, bending her knees and putting her feet together at the end. Coach Sherry wrote something down on her clipboard and said, "Bree you're next."
Bree did a round off instead.
"Lauren."
Lauren did a perfect cartwheel, with the exception of bouncing back when she landed.
"Ella."
"Mind if I do a running one?"
"No."
Ella ran down half of the blue carpet mat they were standing on and cartwheeled, causing some to applaud. Coach Sherry went through the rest of the girls, and separated them into two groups: those that could and those that couldn't.
"I want those who can't cartwheel to work with me, while those who can working on a harder skill. You girls will start on ariels and one handers. "
Coach Sherry turned to the other group and helped them, while Ella and Lauren perfected their one handed cartwheels. When Ella tried an ariel, she landed on her butt instead of her feet. She, Lauren, and the other girls who were watching, exploded into laughter. Lauren helped her up.
"This is how you do it."
She did a perfect ariel, but when she landed, slipped and fell.
"Right." Ella said through giggles.
"You pushed me!"
"Did not."
"You can't slip on Velcro!"
"I was nowhere near you. Do it again and I'll turn around."
"Fine."
Lauren did it again, slipping on the same spot.
"Told you."
"Okay, so I was wrong, I'll do it on a different part of the mat."
She did and didn't fall this time. Ella went next, landing on her feet the second time. Coach Sherry checked her watch and sent the girls in for the day. They waltzed past the boys again, the males reaction unchanging, only this time, Lauren spotted her Prince Charming. He was the same height as Ian, but his hair was and earthy brown, with brilliant blue eyes and freckles.
"Zack McGregor." Ella said, nudging her frozen friend. "He seems to like you too."
"How do you know this?"
"His coach yelled it out before I went in."
The girls continued to walk in, letting down their hair and taking off the straps of the leotard once they hit the locker room. Coach Sherry unlocked the bin and the girls changed, put their leos in their lockers, grabbed their backpacks, and started refreshing makeup and spritzing perfume.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
Forty girls rushed out of the locker room trailing perfume that gassed the other students in the hallway.
"We have Texas History next, right?", Ella asked Lauren, fishing around in her backpack for her schedule. Lauren nodded, taking a sharp turn into a classroom: Miss Harper's. Their teacher, dressed in a white pants suit, explained the rules and procedures, causing Ella to fall asleep.
Buzz.
Ella jumped, instantly awake. She looked down at her phone:
*LOL WAKE UP*
*i don't no wat u r talking about*
*u were totally asleep*
*when does the bell ring*
*in like 5 mins*
BOOP
'Teachers, please excuse the interruption, but if your advisory teacher's name is: Moreno, Ammons, Dodson, Crawford, Mjolhus, Larkinson, or Boyette, you have A lunch. Your advisory teacher will tell you what your lunch is when you get there if you do not have A Lunch. You will also get your lockers in 4th period. Thank you that is all.
"We have Moreno next, right?" Ella asked.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Yep.", Lauren replied, pulling Ella, up stairs, down hallways around corners, and finally through Mrs. Moreno's classroom door. The desks were arranged in a scattered semi-circle, so Ella and Lauren sat in the top right of the hemisphere. Both girls' breath left their lungs for about three minutes when Ian and Zack walked through the door. They acted casually when the boys decided to sit nervously in front of them. Then, just to spite them, Bree and Serenity came in too, shortly followed by Wayne and Landon. The bell rang again, and a willowy woman came through the door with a massive red braid, swampy green eyes, TCU sweatshirt, and black jeans.
Ella texted Lauren:
*Now its one big party*
*ikr*
*When does the kidnapping happen*
*End of this school year. About 6 months*
*u sure we won't be taken*
*no*
*i feel so safe now*
*you're not alone*
*I dare u to get Zacks phone #*
*only if u get Ians 2*
*deal*
Lauren pulled out a piece of notebook paper and ripped it in half, giving one side to Ella. She wrote down: To Zack From Lauren,
What is your number? Please write it down _
She slid it onto the top of his desk, and he concealed it with his notebook. Ella wrote on hers:
To Ian From Ella,
Text me sometime? Put # here_ ;3
Ella dropped it onto his lap as she walked past to sharpen her pencil, while Mrs. Moreno helped another student with her leaky water bottle.
"HEY!" the teacher shouted suddenly, causing Ella to leap seven feet in the air.
"I like your hair." she said calmly, and returned to the leak.
Ella let out a sigh of relief, and sat down at her desk, B & S sitting to their left, and The Pervs behind them. Ian stretched backwards, note in hand, and dropped it on her desk. Zack, however, wanted to be more creative. He broke open the end of a pen, and put the note in the pen, and gave the pen to Lauren, pretending as if she asked him for a pen.
Ella put Ian's number into her phone, creating a group text with him, Zack, and Lauren, and another one with just him.
She sent a group text:
*hi*
*this is Ian*
*this is Zack*
*this is Lauren*
*Ella? Will u go out with me?*
*Yes, only if u do it dramatically in front of everybody*
*Deal.*
*Calm down dude, ur freaking me out.*
*Lauren? will u go out w/me?*
*Sure*
*awesome*
*Lauren, can u ask if u can spend the night my house?*
*Asking now*
*I can come*
"Alright, sevies! Go get your lunches and come back, I don't want you to have to take longer to get to lunch. More time to eat," Ms. Moreno ordered
Only five kids got up, for most either had their lunch with them or were buying lunch. Mrs. Moreno went out into the hall with them, leaving the rest of the class alone.
"Hey. Hey, Ella. Wanna go out tonight," Wayne whispered
"You do know I have a boyfriend, right?" she retorted, tossing her hair.
That seemed to sway his confidence, at least for a little bit. Lauren was snickering unnoticed by Wayne, but Landon caught it. Landon whispered into Wayne's ear, his expression turning dark.
"What's so funny?", he snarled
"Oh nothing, just the fact that you think someone like Ella would ever look at you twice, let alone go out with you is hilarious." she said, propping her head on her hand.
Wayne's jaw hardened, causing the muscles in his face to bulge grotesquely.
"And who, exactly, is your boyfriend?" Wayne asked through gritted teeth.
"I am.", Ian said, turning around.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Come on," Ella said, standing up and taking hold of Ian's hand and striding out the door with Zack and Lauren following. The four of them walked to lunch, making guys and girls jealous with each step they took. Once at lunch, the group sat down, opening their lunches. Ella pulled out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carrots, potato chips, a bottle of water and a brownie. Lauren pulled out a ham sandwich, chips, bottle of soda and a cheese stick. Ian: cold pizza, broccoli, pretzels, and a milk carton. Zack: tuna salad, orange soda, celery, and a cookie.
The quartet laughed and talked until the subject of the Taking came up.
"So, Zack and Ian, what do you think of the upcoming kidnapping?" Lauren asked casually
"Well, we were thinking how awesome it would be if-" Ian started,
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Back to science!" Ella exclaimed, dragging Ian behind her.
(Later)
"Ella Taylor! locker number 1230," Mrs. Moreno called to her not-paying-attention student.
Ella walked to her new locker, disappointed that they weren't as big as the gymnastics lockers (which she could sit in with room to spare.) She opened the locker and put her backpack inside, then took it back out and decided not to put it into the locker. Lauren came out while she was putting her lock on her locker. She had the top locker next to Ella's.
The girls walked back into science class just to walk back out.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"C'mon, we have choir next," Lauren said, leading the way to the choir room.
"Wait!," Ian said, as he ran up behind Ella.
He turned Ella around and kissed her on the cheek. Suddenly, both teens saw a flash of light, followed by a high pitched ringing sound. Images flashed through their brains, and words slammed into their thoughts: A boy and a girl, one a wielder of the sun, controlling the light and fire. The other a wielder of the moon, controlling the darkness and ice. The two were meant to be, but jealousy of others will tempt them into destruction. One cannot survive without the other, so choose carefully. There is another pair, such as these, but they are like the sky and earth, not night and day. To the Schools they will go, how they end nobody knows.
Ella opened her eyes and released her grip on her temples. All that remained of her episode was a dull throbbing. Lauren saw the color of Ella's eyes and pretty much ran with Ella being dragged behind her. Turning back, she saw Zack taking care of Ian, on continued to sprint to choir.
Once in the choir room, Lauren took Ella's face in her hands, "Look at me Ella, okay? I need you to breathe and take this,"
Lauren handed her a small glowing pill, and Ella swallowed it without water. Almost instantly, Ella's eyes went back to blue, and her head stopped hurting. The choir teacher walked in as the bell rang.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Good afternoon," She said, sitting in front of a podium, which was in the center of the room, halfway surrounded by raised platforms, each level a different height. The choir teacher was wearing a fight breast cancer shirt with khaki pants. She was short with dark skin and chocolate brown eyes. "My name is Ms. Smithfield,", she said, scanning the room with her eyes. "Today we will figure out what you tone of voice is for choir, by singing the star spangled banner.
(Later)
Ella: soprano. Lauren: soprano. Serenity: Tenor. Bree: Alto. Since Ella was still a little off-set from her brain explosion, she slept through English. Well, most of it.
"ELLA TAYLOR!" Mrs. Offal shouted, slamming a meter stick down on Ella's desk. Ella shot into the air, barely missing the ceiling.
"If this happens again you will have detention! Do you understand me?" her teacher huffed angrily.
"Loud and clear." Ella replied, not missing a beat.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ella gratefully raced to band, her salvation from the Offal Monster. With Lauren following, Ella skidded into the band hall two seconds before the bell rang.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Welcome to the band hall! My name is Ms. Dominguez," said a short, Hispanic woman with a beige sweater, and brown pants.
She sat down on a tall chair, picked up a clipboard, and started reading out names.
"Michelle Brownman, cello, its in the first practice room and it has a tag with your name on it." She went down the list by last name.
"Ella Taylor, violin, second practice room. Lauren Terry, viola, also second practice room."
Once everyone had an instrument, they assembled, and played one note: concert F.
"Okay, some of you are really rusty," Ms. D noted. "Others of you must have played over the summer,"
Ella glanced at Lauren, she hadn't played for a long time, but sounded as she had played yesterday.
"Pack up. Sadly, after having to do attendance, instrument collection, and assemblage we don't have any more time." Ms. D sighed.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ella and Lauren bolted, now carrying violin and viola cases. They spotted Aunt Mary's Lexus and sprinted across the street, not bothering to find Ian or Zack.