Colour Me Red

Chapter 25: Ellie

Chapter 25: Ellie

Dune had been gone for three days now, and Marc wouldn't tell me any more information other than that he'd gone to visit his family. I knew there was more to it but I didn't want to pry; it wasn't exactly my place after all.

I was currently sprawled across mine and Dune's king sized bed at just past seven in the morning, pondering over whether I should go for a run or not. During Dune's absence I'd taken advantage of the fact that I didn't have him telling me what to do every five minutes and had spent the last three days lounging around the house and stuffing my face with food. Since I'd spent some time being a lazy sod, I was starting to feel a strange yearning for the strain that exercise put on my body and I found myself begging to be pushed and challenged physically, so I climbed out of bed and threw on my sports gear. I grabbed a quick breakfast and headed out the door, allowing the brisk, cool air to wash over me in a chilly embrace.

I ran for a full hour, feeling the strain on my tense muscles as I pushed myself further and further at an even pace, revelling in the exhilarating feeling of complete and total power over my body.

I stepped back into the cottage to find Marc and Felix already up and dressed and eating breakfast in the kitchen. I smiled at the two of them before speaking.

"Hey Marc, what time do I need to be at school for?" I asked. It'd been a couple of weeks since we'd arrived at the cottage, and since then Marc had been busy enrolling me at King Edward's High School so that I could start with the new term. We'd already been shopping for my uniform and I'd managed to get a hold of some textbooks to help catch up on what I'd missed.

"No later than 9 o'clock," Marc replied steadily, glancing at the clock which read just past eight.

I smiled my thanks and headed for the bathroom, jumping into the shower to get a fresh start to the day and wash my hair. I pulled on the black pencil skirt that I was required to wear along with a white shirt and a dark blazer, finishing the look off with a black tie with the school crest on it and a pair of black, patent brogues. I then blow dried my hair, allowing it to fall in long waves down my back before quickly brushing my teeth and grabbing my bag.

"See you guys later!" I called as I stepped outside.

"Bye Ellie!" Felix shouted and Marc smiled at my retreating figure.

I closed the door behind me and started walking. I had a short walk to the bus stop where the school bus would collect me and take me to the school that I hoped would provide me with a fresh start. I practically skipped to my desired destination, a weird excitment bubbling from deep within; I couldn't wait to be a normal teenager again.

When I arrived at the bus stop, I was greeted by Bridget, the girl I'd met in the forest a couple of weeks back, and was happy to see a friendly face.

"Hey," I greeted cheerfully, which she returned with a smile.

"Hi Ellie, it's good to see you."

"You too Bridget," I replied. "I can't wait to get back into my school work, isn't that crazy?"

Bridget laughed at me as the bus pulled up and we stepped on together, quickly finding some seats.

"Just a little," she replied, grinning.

Before sitting, I took the time to notice the other residents on the bus, my gaze briefly scanning the few faces that greeted my vision. All five of the other students sat on the bus were staring at me, but when I met their gazes, they quickly looked away. All but one.

He was slouched on the back seat with his arms folded, his steady gaze fixed on me. After a few short moments, he smirked, the corners of his mouth tilting up ever so slightly and reminding me of someone who I hadn't seen in days. His hair was dark, but not as dark as Dune's, and it was shorter cut too, and his features weren't quite as striking. But I found myself grinning at him none-the-less; at the friendly reminder that Dune was out there somewhere and I'd hopefully get to see him soon. The boy's arrogant smirk faltered and his eyebrows furrowed at my obvious display of delight. I took my seat and turned to face the front as the bus rumbled to a start, quietly chatting to Bridget for the short journey to my new school.