In Our Dreams

Chapter 1

   Ellie groggily sat up in her bed, the green sheets tangled around her legs. She smiled to herself, remembering her dream from the night before. She couldn't help but feel her heart flutter at the literal dream girl she got to visit each night. It almost felt real and that was all she could ever ask for. But of course, she was awake now and getting ready for school. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slipped off, her knees buckling from the sudden pressure of standing up. Her toes wiggling as she felt the carpet between her feet. Ellie stood there for a moment, finishing the process of waking herself up before heading to her bathroom, the house still quiet and dark. When she reached the bathroom she snaked her hand around the wall and flipped the light switch with a small "click". 

   She walked in and looked at herself in the mirror for a split second before opening up the cabinet next to the mirror, pulling out her toothbrush and toothpaste as well as her face wash before getting to work, the wheels in her head slowly turning and functioning. She wouldn;t be fully awake for another fifteen minutes but this was a start. Once the usual was done she made her way back to the large bedroom she had to herself, her eyes glancing and slowly recognizing the knick-knacks and papers that were scattered on shelves and drawers across the room. Ellie made her way to one of the drawers, opening them and pulling out some blue jeans and a light pink sweater with a white shirt collar to wear to school. 

   She closed the door and stripped off her pajamas, putting on her other set of clothes quickly, grumbling lightly when she accidentally put her sweater on backward. Once finally getting her wardrobe in order, she stepped out of her bedroom, her short, dark brown. frizzy, and untamed hair, a mess of curls playfully dangling in front of her forehead. Ellie hadn't been one to spend three hours to get herself ready in the morning but she definitely cared about her appearance, especially her hair. 

   She made her way to the bathroom again, getting out her comb, since her hair wasn't the type to be brushed through. She carefully styled her hair, her hands sticky with gel as she kept the mess in check. Ellie would always talk about how she had a "fuck boy haircut" and how it looked amazing on her, which was no lie. She smiled lightly, looking at herself in the mirror when she finished, her messy hair now styled to perfection. 

   The next step in her routine was to apply makeup. It was a habit of hers to always match with her outfit and today would be no different. After the basics were applied, Ellie shifted through her assortment of various colored eye shadows, lipsticks, mascaras and so forth, applying a light pink dust to her eyelids, using the same shade for her lips, it all contrasted beautifully against her smooth, ebony skin. 

   Once the rest was applied, the girl looked herself over in the mirror before leaving the bathroom and walking across the hall to her living room, scooping up the backpack she had left on the black vinyl the night before. She slung one of the straps over her right shoulder, heading into the kitchen, opening the stainless steel fridge and grabbing a pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwich, courtesy of her mother, who had left for work early in the morning, around four am. 

   When her breakfast was finished and washed down with a glass of milk. Ellie got up, going to a cabinet and opening up a can of cat food for her elusive calico feline, going by the name of Dodge. Once that was done, she checked for her things before scurrying out of her front door, locking it behind her. She pulled her phone and earbuds from her backpack as she walked to the bus, there was plenty of time left before it would get here. Ellie plugged in her earbuds before scrolling through her playlist, pressing shuffle, and putting the earbuds in her ear. 

   Soft, electric music serenaded her on the otherwise quiet walk to her bus stop. The morning was brisk, and calm as the sunrise peeked through the clouds. birds began chirping and it seemed as if the entire world was waking up, no problems or worries existed on this day, not for Ellie. The first day of October was something to be excited about, excitement filled the air.

   Due to the calm, steady pace of her walking, Ellie arrived at her bus stop just as the bus itself had pulled up. She filed in after the others. not saying a word, sitting down in the front seat, closest to the driver. She lay her head on the window and looked outside as the bus drove off. She watched as they passed neighborhoods, convenient stores, the whole lot of it all. 

   When the bus finally arrived at the school, letting the teenagers flood out onto the high school campus, everyone looking for their friends to have a few scarce minutes of talking and walking to class. Ellie was first off the bus, briskly walking to the tree in the center of the school, a common hangout for her small group of friends. They were all unique, to say the least. The most of them were loud, happy, flamboyant, sometimes clinically depressed and dysfunctional. It wasn't the most common mix of friends but they all worked and bonded together very splendidly. 

   This was how Ellie lived her days, trudging through classes, finding salvation through her friends and nerdy people. This is the way it had been for the past few years. But soon everything would change, and Ellie would be the happiest she had ever been, the most content. But not before trouble arose, soon enough.