The Elite

Chapter 1

*Ember's POV*

"I think I just flunked that test," I groan whilst walking across the car park, "I basically just guessed most of the answers."

"How?" My best friend Lily asks, "I found it quite easy."

"Same!" My other best friend James joins in.

Great, just great. Now I feel even more dumb.

"Wow! Geez thanks guys!" I moan, "I already feel like shit as it is."

Lily wraps an arm around my shoulders, her long blonde hair being whipped around by the wind.
"You'll ace the next one I'm sure of it!"

I frown feeling skeptical about the comment that she just made, A level biology is lot tricker than what I thought it would be. I've always been good at all the sciences but this year, the second year of A levels I've really struggled.

"C'mon Em it's over now," James says, "plus it was just mock, we can go have fun now."

I smile remembering that it was just a mock, but it's still disheartening to see either an E or a U on your paper. I know Mr West will definitely pull me over to one side and express his concerns, concerns that I'll reassure him are unnecessary. When really I'm freaking out about it myself under the surface.

We walk towards Lily's house, our plans for the evening are to watch as many movies as we can before we all fall asleep. It's sunny outside but the wind is chilly making me pull my jacket closer around my body, luckily it's nice and warm inside Lily's house and I kick my boots off at the front door and throw myself down onto her sofa.

I have a really bad habit of beating myself up, constantly having to be talked down by my friends or family when my insecurities arise causing my anxiety to bubble.

"So, what do we all want for lunch?" Lily calls from her kitchen, I can't be asked to yell back to her so instead I stop pitying myself and go help her.

I find her searching through all her cupboards for ideas, "what are you doing?" I chuckle, "you know I eat anything and everything!"

"Same!" James joins in.

"Pot middle?" Lily suggests.

"You know me so well!" I grin and wrap her into a tight hug.

From out of the corner of my eye I can James putting on a pout, "what?" I ask him, "ever since you started hanging out with the 'bros' of a weekend you don't do hugs!"

"Which means more for me!" Lily giggles tightening her grip around my waist.

"As much as I love this hug," I breath in sharply, "you're kinda cutting off my oxygen supply!"

She apologises before getting out three pots, I hear and feel my stomach grumble I haven't eaten breakfast and so I'm very hungry.

Once the noodles are finished we all go and sit in the living room, scrolling through the many pages of movies we decide on Spy. I've always loved Melissa McCarthy she's just so funny and instantly puts a smile on my face.

I sit in the middle of Lily and James quietly eating my noodles as I watch Susan the main protagonist take on yet another fake identity to take down the assassin. I've always been drawn to that type of career, it seems so empowering and rewarding yet here I am studying all three sciences and English language.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm throwing away my dreams? I've always loved academics, they sort of saved my life since they gave me something to focus on when all I wanted to do was not exist anymore. But there is something about those types of careers that draw me in and make me want to push myself. I mean what if I don't ever reach my full potential?