Soul Sisters

Prologue

Choices, actions, and consequences, good or bad, all of our days are filled with them. Unfortunately for Eleanor Edwards, the majority of her choices seem to be bad; furthermore, leading to horrible consequences. Perhaps that seems theatrical, just a bit too dramatic for your taste, but if you were to talk to Norrie yourself I’m sure that is what you would find. Norrie is what everybody likes to consider the perfect “all American” girl: perfect family, perfect face, celebrates Christianity, she earns perfect grades, has the most angelic voice, and she even finds the time to volunteer at hospitals, daycares, and senior centers. Could anybody dispute the perfection in any of that?

Yet, all of this perfection, all of this goodness, can take a toll on a person. All of it has taken its toll on Norrie. People expect her to be perfect. Heck, she expects herself to be perfect. Little does anybody know, she is about as far from perfect as a person in today’s society can get; but, I suppose there is that saying, "What you don't know can't kill you." Let’s all hope that is accurate, because if Norrie’s daddy ever found out what she was up to, he would have a heart attack for sure… possibly an aneurism? All I can say is that it wouldn’t be good.

I suppose this all seems just a little confusing; however, there is no need to worry. It will all make sense shortly. This secret is not one that is meant to be kept. This is one of those secrets, one of those secrets that can be told to nobody, but everybody knows anyway. Of course, by “everybody” I merely mean Norrie’s entire high school. I suppose, it shouldn’t even be called a high school. Malibu School of Arts is a private Project and Program based high school. They are funded by company donations, and their students’ parents. The students here don’t seem to learn much about those things that really matter in a typical high school. The core subjects include dead languages, various arts, and many ancient or modern myths and folklores. Of course, there are a few math classes, but they aren’t valued as highly as they would be in a public school. Malibu School of Arts is filled with the rich and famous… or their kids at least.

Surprisingly, MSA has a few, extremely lucky, scholarship students. These kids live above the Hotel Bel-Air in the pent house suites. Often, the intense change in curriculum comes as a shock to these scholarship students, as they probably weren’t in the project based elementary leveled schools. These kids often keep to themselves, and live their lives as the outcasts. As it is in most rules, there is one exception: Adriana Villa, Norrie’s best friend, has been on scholarship since both her mother and father died. Back in the day, when their mothers were in college they were sorority sisters at Pepperdine University. Adriana and her brother Alex, only a year older than her, lived alone in a pent house above the Bel-Air, while Norrie lived in her multi-million dollar mansion with her parents and all of her siblings. Their lives were as different as different can be, and the same is true of both their looks and personalities; however, in some twist of fate they still stand by each other through everything, and are the closest thing to a true family either of the two will ever have… at least for as far as they can see. They are soul sisters.

           Once you see into someone's soul, you're attached forever.

           This is the quotation on the board of Mr. Taxon’s room when Norrie and Adriana step into the classroom. They attempt to walk in silently, in hopes to avoid causing a disturbance. They were late again… that’s the fourth time this week, and they would definitely be getting a detention for it if it was any other teacher; however, Mr. Taxon hated staying after school possibly even more than the students, and only gave out detentions if he was previously angered or if his class began acting like a bunch of lunatics. As they noticed the quote on the board the two girls looked at each other with one of those looks only best friends can share. The type of look that will share an emotion, thought, and joke. This look in particular was a look they often exchanged in Mr. Taxon’s class. It seemed to say, “He may be our youngest teacher, and definitely is our hottest teacher; but, he still belongs in the loony bin.”