"I don't need help!"
"Then show me your arm," Paige retaliated.
"There's nothing wrong with me!" Ellie shouted as she walked past Paige. Fear and anger consumed her.
"Then show me your arm!" Paige pleaded. Ellie stopped in her tracks, and indecision swamped her. "Ellie, please," Paige begged. "Show me your arm."
Ellie felt sick; how could the cheerleader queen understand what she was asking? Against her better judgement, but leaping for the safety line being thrown, Ellie turned to face Paige and slowly rolled down her arm warmer and lifted her shirt sleeve. Red, angry lacerations laced her arm from wrist to armpit. Paige fought down her initial feeling of horror. "Oh, Ellie," Paige held Ellie's wrist, and gently touched a scar above the hand. Ellie began to sob quietly. "It's ok. It's ok."
A week later Paige found Ellie in the bathroom again, this time being perfectly innocent and washing her hands. Paige almost sighed with relief. "Hey Ellie," she said perkily. "Tell me that you won't be following up on your previous expose'?" Paige raised an eyebrow in her cattiest manner.
Ellie turned around, a biting phrase on her lips, before her mind registered what she'd heard, and she caught Paige's mischievous smirk. She almost smiled.
"What's this?" Paige asked playfully - only a step away from bitchy. She gently touched Ellie's cheek. "Could it possibly be - a smile?"
"Don't push your luck," Ellie said, trying not to laugh. Gently she pushed Paige's hand away, not meeting the blonde's eyes.
"So have you been seeing Ms Sauve?" Paige asked quietly, dropping her normal act. Ellie nodded.
"I don't know how much use it'll be." Ellie shrugged.
"Give it time, ok?" Paige asked, softly holding Ellie's uninjured wrist.
"I'm trying," Ellie shrugged again, staring directly into Paige's eyes.
"If you ever want to talk," Paige began.
"I don't want to talk about it." the girl cut Paige off, her face resuming its unhappy state.
"Ok," Paige said, slightly offended but recovered fast. "Well, if you wanted to hang out or something, you know, try to forget about life or whatever; I'm around on Friday night." Paige offered, as though she were doing Ellie a favour. Paige's glance flickered uncertainly to Ellie, and the red-haired teen recognised Paige genuinely going out on a limb.
Ellie gave Paige another almost-smile. "Are you saying that you, Paige Michalchuk, Cheerleader and Glam Gal extraordinaire, want to hang out with me on the first social opportunity of the weekend?"
Paige nodded. "Yup. I am making you my number one priority." Paige said, doing her best socialite impersonation.
"Number one priority?" Ellie raised an eyebrow. "What for?"
"Because I want to help you in any way possible," Paige replied, getting a little more serious. "I found you by accident, but I'm not going to pretend you don't exist now just because I handed you over to Ms Sauve. You won't get away from me that easily," Paige smirked flirtatiously as eyes bored into Ellie. "So," Paige flicked her hair over one shoulder. "This Friday night. Wanna play normal girly teen queen?"
"Oh God," Ellie rolled her eyes, smiling in spite of herself. "Ok."
"Excellent!" Paige exclaimed. "You can come home with me on Friday afternoon; we'll rent chick flicks and paint each other's toenails. It's a date!" Paige grinned her most triumphant grin. "I'll see you Friday afternoon, Ella-belle," Paige turned and waved over her shoulder as she left the bathroom.
I wonder if Paige realises she never let go of my arm until two seconds ago? Ellie stared after the girl, until the bell for the end of lunch sounded loudly. Checking herself in the mirror, Ellie picked up her backpack and walked to her next class.
That night, Ellie's mother had still been conscious by the time Ellie got home. Ellie went into the kitchen, carrying a bag of take-out. It was barely a minute before Ellie had the lukewarm food on a plate, but when she took it to her mother the older woman had passed out. Small pieces of vomit had crusted on Ellie's mother's chin. Ellie felt sick herself as she got a damp cloth to remove the mess.
Getting a smaller plate of food for her, Ellie went to her room. She barely touched her meal, listening carefully for any signs of life from her mother. Half an hour or so later the sound of crashing glass and swearing drifted through the house. Ellie ran out to see what had happened, and found her mother crawling on pieces of a broken glass bottle.
"I can't find the remote," she slurred hopelessly, cutting her hands and knees.
"Mum, get up, you're hurting yourself," Ellie pleaded, walking in thick boots across the glass to lift her mother back onto the couch.
"Shut up and smile, Ellie. Don't make a scene." The woman said before she passed out again.
Ellie set her jaw, cleaned up the glass and removed all the other bottles.
Going back into her room, her faithful compass lay on her bedside table. Ellie picked it up instantly, and held the point against her skin. As the pressure broke the pale barrier, Ellie gasped. Blood appeared as she dragged the point across, and suddenly Paige rose unbidden in her mind. Ellie dropped the compass in shock.