ROTBFTD : Broken & Beautiful

6

Elsa pov

The aroma of tuna salad and stale bread filled the air, a familiar scent that usually drowned out all other thoughts. But today, my mind was occupied with Melissa. Her laughter, the way her blonde hair fell around her face, the way she made me feel... It was all a whirlwind of emotions. I was lost in this daydream when a voice cut through the haze.

'Hey, Elsa,' Jack said, his grin wider than usual. 'These are my friends, Merida and Rapunzel. Girls, this is Elsa.'

Two girls, one with a cascade of blonde hair and the other with fiery red curls, smiled at me.

'Hi, I'm Rapunzel,' the blonde one said, 'You can call me Punz.'

'Merida. Call me Mer,' the red-haired girl chimed in.

Their energy was infectious, and I found myself caught up in their conversation, laughing at their jokes and forgetting about Melissa for a while. Lunch was over before I knew it.

With my history book in hand, I headed back to class. The familiar classroom was abuzz with chatter. Mrs. Snow entered, accompanied by a girl I'd never seen before. She had short, dark hair, a white shirt, and a dark blue skirt. A red cotton jacket hung off her shoulders, and she wore white socks with red stripes and black shoes.

'Alright class,' Mrs. Snow began, 'We have a new student joining us. Introduce yourself.'

The girl lifted her beautiful black eyes and said, 'Hi, I'm Fae. Nice to meet you all.'

Mrs. Snow pointed to an empty seat next to mine. 'Fae, you can sit here.'

Then, a jolt of energy ran through the classroom. 'Ok class, we're having the class president election program tomorrow. We'll be choosing a new president for this year.'

My heart skipped a beat. Melissa's name sprang to mind. I couldn't imagine anyone else in that role.

'You can choose your representatives, but remember to be honest.' Mrs. Snow's voice grew serious. 'Any dishonesty will lead to disqualification. Now...' she paused, looking at the class. 'Do we have any candidates for class president this year?'

My head swiveled towards Melissa, waiting for her to volunteer like she always did. But she seemed to be engrossed in her book, her face impassive. Then, a girl from the back of the room spoke up.

'Mrs. Snow, will Melissa be president for this year?'

My stomach lurched. I felt an icy chill run through me. I couldn't believe someone else would even consider challenging Melissa.

Mrs. Snow smiled. 'Of course, based on the votes, we'll decide. Are there any other candidates?'

Silence descended upon the classroom. Then, Fae, the new student, raised her hand. 'Can I be president for this year?'

A collective gasp filled the room. Everyone turned to Fae, their eyes wide with shock.

'Oh my,' Fae said, a faint blush on her cheeks. 'This is my first time in a new school, so I thought I'd try.'

'Well, it seems we have two representatives: Fae and Melissa.' Mrs. Snow announced. 'Remember, everyone gets one vote, and that's it. Choose the representative you want wisely.'

As Mrs. Snow began calling the class back to order, I couldn't help but feel a wave of anxiety wash over me. What if Fae won? What if Melissa lost? The thought of her not being president sent a tremor through me. This was my first real taste of the unknown, and I didn't know how to handle it. One thing was certain, the quiet, uneventful life I had known was officially over. Fae had just shaken things up, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.