The Jewels; Mother of Pearl (#ABA2017)

Chapter One

The swing set softly squeaked under the pressure of a person. Her long brown hair fell in front of her face since she had broken her hair elastic and lost her hairband long ago.

The woodchips on the floor of the playground were being kicked around at her feet. The playground was fenced off by a shoulder high black fence made of metal, to get in you needed to be at least be a metre tall or to have a grown up with you.

She sighed as she started pushing off the ground and started softly swinging; the wind was blowing her hair off her face as she swung only to be blown back on her way back down. The whole playground seemed like a mini ghost town; no kids were sliding down the slide, crawling through the tube or climbing the monkey bars. Nobody was playing soccer on the dead patches of grass or climbing the lifeless trees. She was all by herself in the playground.

She looked down at her uniform, it's colours were faded on her blue checkered skirt and her cream coloured blouse. It's meant-to-be white socks were no better and the shoes were made of thin rubber, the only thing holding the soles of her feet was some duct tape. When she walked it was like constantly stepping in sticky gum.

As she was softly swinging she looked at the bottom of her shoes. She re-stuck the tape and picked off some of the bark on them. Beyond the rusty chains of the swings, she could hear the sound of a squeaky gate opening. She froze, her eyes wide as she eventually stopped swinging, and she heard the laughing of some girls, more than three. She didn't move from her shoe sitting on her knee, she was trying to disappear where she sat, but even she knew it was useless.

"Hi Lola," One of them greeted, the other girls were quick to mimic her.

Lola flinched as if she had been slapped in the face, she slowly turned her head to the girls and forced a smile. "Hi Jasmine," she greeted as she dropped her leg and clutched the chains of the swing as if she was being forced from them. The girl before her had light blue eyes, golden brown hair and wore a uniform similar to Lola's but the blues were more brighter and the skirt was much shorter.

Her friends, all six of them, stood behind her like a brick wall, and each mirrored her in their own possible way. What they wore, the style of their hair, the length of their skirt, the way they stood, talked or laughed, they even copied the way Jasmine leaned her hips forwards slightly.

Lola sat there in uncomfortable silence. She leaned her head forwards so her hair would hide her face. "How's La-la land treating ya?" Jasmine teased.

"Umm..." She managed to say, "Goodbye..." Lola was quick to stand up and start walking away.

Lola grabbed the gate and unlatched it, as she pushed it open someone behind her pull it closed. "What's the matter, La-La? Can't take a joke?" Jasmine asked leaning against the fencing with her arms folded.

Lola gulped as she looked to the ground. "It's not..." she barely muttered.

"What?" Jasmine overlapped.

"It's not even a..." She shook her head, "Would you just let me past?" she asked a little annoyed.

Jasmine raised her eyes brows. "That sounds mighty sassy now, ain't it?" she asked looking to her friends.

Lola rolled her eyes as she unlatched the door, the suddenness of it didn't give Jasmine enough time to react, and she fell backwards with the open door she was leaning on. She landed in an awkward heap on the floor outside the playground gates. She went wide eyed, Lola was wide eyed too.

Jasmine took in a deep breath and cried wolf, "She pushed me!" she exclaimed.

Lola jumped at the accusation, and started to deny it. "No I didn't..."