When the night rises... *book three*

First party

El's POV:

"So, you think he'd be aloud to have a term or few here?"
"Oh, absolutely! If that's what he wants?" The head teacher asks, looking at Me.

"Um..." I look up, "Well... I've never been to school before... cause... mr Ford kept me at home but didn't home school me..."
"Ah! Well, maybe you could spend a full year here, or two, if you really want."
"Okay. Cool."
"Great! Well, I look forward to seeing you on Monday!"
"See you too."...

The head teacher, Mr Morris, leads me into the classroom, "good morning, how's everyone doing?"
"Good." The teacher says.
"That's great! This is Elliot Callas, he'll be in your morning class from now on, okay?"
"Okay."
"Make him feel welcome, you lot! Elliot, you know all of your classes, yes?"

"Um..." I look at my timetable, "yeah..."
"Good! I'll leave you to it!"

He leaves and I'm still stood at the door.

"Hello Elliot, may I call you El?"
"If you want."
"Okay, El, come and stand over here and why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"
"Okay, um..."

I walk to where she pointed.

"So... um... turns out... the person I thought was my dad, wasn't my dad, and he kidnapped me when I was a baby? And... my real dad, mum, whatever they are, is actually Damien Callas, who's apparently famous or something. So..."
"Interesting. And Damien Callas is quite famous. One of the most well known celebrities in the world. And one of the richest."
"He's a celebrity?"
"Pretty much."
"Woah."
"Yep. And gender fluid."
"Cool."
"Anything else you'd like to share?"
"My dad taught me to read English and my mum taught me to read Russian."
"That's very good! You must be really smart if Damien Callas is your parent, eh?"
"I don't know?"
"He got the highest scores on all of his exams. He's still on the leader board for best students."
"What place is he on the leader board?"
"The top. And the student in second isn't very close behind. No one else has a mind quite like your father's."
"I wouldn't say I'm very smart..."
"No? Well, that's okay. Nobody is perfect!"
"Now! I think you'll be very good in the empty seat at the back. Do you have a problem with your eyesight?"
"No, I can see quite clearly."
"That's very good then! Go and sit down, I'll bring you a work book."
"Okay."

I go and sit down and miss brings me a blue A4 book about a centimetre thick, filled with empty lined paper.

The person next to me leans over, "my names is Lillie. See that hot guy near the front with the dark brown hair with electric blue highlights?"
"Um..."

I look towards the front and see him.

He looks at me and smiles and I blush.

Lillie snaps her fingers and I look at her, "He's Albie. And he is my boyfriend. So don't talk to him."
"Oh... um... okay... I guess..."

I put my name on the work book and hope to god that Lillie will leave me alone.

She pokes my arm when I try to work on this question that I can't wrap my head around.

"Hi again! Me, Lillie. Just reminding you not to talk to Albie."
"You said."

I turn back to the paper.

I turn to the person on the other side of me, "um... hello, do you have any ideas about this question?"

"What?", She looks at me and I can't tell if her expression is confused or disgusted or both.

"I... I was asking about the question..."
"Oh. The first one?"
"Yeah..."
"Oh, it's simple! How many centimetres on a metre. It's just a retrieval quiz. It's a hundred centimetres."
"Okay, um... how do you spell that?"
"Write 100,"
"Okay... like that?"

I show her my page.

"Yeah. Now, write C, e, n,"
"Okay..."
"T, i, m,"
"Yep..."
"E, t, r,"
"Yep."
"E, s."
"Like this?"

I show her my page again.

"Looks Good!"

She smiles, "I'm Vin!"
"Hi Vin, I'm Elliot."
"What can I call you for short?"
"El."
"What about Eli?"
"No... that's... that brings back bad memories..."
"Of... when you we're missing?"
"Yeah..."
"Sorry, El it is then."

I smile and she starts helping me with other questions...

At break time, Albie and Lillie approach me.

"Hey New Kid." Albie says.
"Um... hey-"

Before I can finish, Lillie glares at me and I look at the floor.

"New kid, you wanna hang with me and lil and a few of our friends at lunch?"
"Um... Maybe..."
"It'll be fun, don't you worry."
"Okay..."

They wander off.

Someone whistles. I look up and see Vin waving at me.

I walk over and say hi to her.

"El, these are my friends! Em, kat, Lea and Bailey! Guys, this is Elliot, also known as El!"

I wave.

"Hey El!" Kat says, "don't mind Lillie, she just thinks she's popular because she's dating the best jock, but really, we all pretend to like her, no one actually does."
"Okay. She told me not to talk to Albie."
"She thinks you're gay."
"I haven't really figured that out yet... I think I'm gay? Maybe?"
"Totally cool if you are. 'Bout time we had a gay in the group."

I smile.

Lillie walks over, "hey girls! You lot coming to my party Friday? It would be so great if you came! And it'd be nice to see some more popular faces around!"
"More?" Vin asks.
"More, because I wouldn't be the only popular person at that party."
"Fine. We'll come."
"Okay, but don't bring him along."
"Why not?"
"Because. I don't like him."

Am i a him?

"Well, he's our friend, so he's coming. You don't have to talk to him, if you don't want to. Now go away. We don't want people to think you're our friend."
"I'm popular, and I'm hanging with other popular people. And those popular people do not include Eli."

I wince, "El."
"Whatever."

"Girl!" Bin exclaims, "you wouldn't know popular if it chopped you to pieces and shoved you in a blender!"

Oddly specific.

Lillie shoves me, "suck it, freak!"

Bailey stops me from falling, "you alright, El?"
"Um... I guess..."

Vin whispers something to them and I hear the word Eli.

I wish people would stop saying that.

Lea looks at me, "we all promise we will never call you E- the name that shall not be... named. Said? Said. The name that shall not be said."
"Okay. Thank you."

Vin smiles, "don't worry El, as long as you're with us, Lillie won't hurt you. Or get anyone to. Plus. You're one of us now! And we're far more popular than Lillie, so just count yourself more popular than her."

I smile, "cool."...