Dance Till You're Dead (ON HOLD FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE)

Chapter 4

Ella closed the door behind her and walked into the living room. Her back was aching alot more than normal, maybe going on such a long walk hadn't been her best idea to date. She remembered her thoughts about Carys, and pulled her phone out of her pocket as she sat down on her sofa and began to text her a message.

Hey C, so sorry about fighting with you. Meet up soon? Ells xxx

Send. Ella waited nervously for her reply, when suddenly the door banged open and made her jump.

"Ella!" Her mother called up the stairs.

"I'm right here Mum, no need to shout." said Ella, waving her hand. Anne Nobel stood stock still, and her usually happy expression was replaced by shock.

"What is it Mum?" asked Ella, suddenly worried.

"Why are you wearing your coat? You havn't been out have you?!" asked her Mother. Ella widened her eyes in surprise and found that her ability to speak had suddenly cut out.

"Ummm..." Ella's Mother sighed.

"Oh Ells, I know how eager you are to get back on your feet properly, but you must understand darling. Not only is your back not ready but there's also someone out there who wants you dead. You seem to have no idea how serious this is!" Ella decided not to answer back and to just take her Mothers lecture, which seemed to go on for at least half an hour before she felt her phone buzzing in her hand.

"Sorry Mum, it's Cary's, gotta take this!" She dashed from the room as fast as she could without it being too painful, and limped her way up the stairs before just managing to answer the call.

"Hey Carys! Sorry about that, my Mum was..."

"I'm so sorry Ella."

Silence. Then both girls burst into tears, then laughter.

"I was completely out of order, I can't believe I said those things to you after what you went through. I'm such a cow." said Cary's, sniffing.

"It's ok Cary, everyone was pretty stressed out." Ella said, sinking onto her bed.

"I guess so. I've missed you so much. Everyone was asking how you were at college, I didn't know what to say! That's when I realised that for the first time since we met I didn't know how you were, or where you were, or anything! Our friendship means so much Ells."

"I know it does. Want to come round later?" Ella asked, full of relief.

"I was waiting for you to ask! I've got chocolate and popcorn and Mean Girls on DVD, be round in 10 minutes?"

Ella laughed, "Ok, see you then!" She hung up the phone then lay back on her bed, smiling. At least that was sorted, and she could now look forward to her girly night in. Mean Girls was a proven pick me up, and the combination of her favourite film and her best friend was unbeatable. Yet even through her happy thoughts, Ella's mind still lingered upon the thought of her attacker. She had the sense that this particular thought would never go away. It was going to take more than chocolate and chick flicks to scrub those words she'd read last night out of her mind, and as they moved to the forefront of her head they seemed to flash and glow red. The attacker wasn't giving up. Ella knew this. But she wouldn't give up either.

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Four hours and two bags of popcorn later, Cary's and Ella lay in Ella's bed, giggling and chatting like five-year-olds.

"I swear, he must have asked me five billion times if I'd heard from you yet. Even more than Josh! Fancied by the college hottie Ella, how does it feel to know that Ryan O'Connor is in love with you?" Ella kicked her playfully.