His blonde, her brunette, one beautiful mess

[1] Diet coke cures broken hearts

[Edited 24.11.2019]

"Is this seat taken?" Someone asked and everyone looked up. 

"Ella?" Thomas asked, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, I spent the summer at my aunts. She lives in Canada." Her summer had been filled with running of the little extra weight she had had and letting her aunt do wonders to her dull hair. Now it was lovely shades of ashy blonde. All that combined with that her body finally seemed to have gotten womanly forms, she looked hot.

"You look great," Stacey squealed and gave Ella a warm hug when she sat down. 

"You too," she said, although Stacey looked exactly the same as when they had parted ways before the summer break. She knew they all had met up during the summer, even though they had never asked her to join. If they had, they would have known she was in Canada. She'd only kept in contact with Trin, and 

She had always known she wasn't fully part of their friend group. It was more like they had kept her around out of pity, because well... She had been that stereotypical nerd. But something had happened during the summer.

She had gotten a voice. She wasn't that lame shy girl anymore, no, she had changed. 

Ella noticed the stares and glances she got during the first weeks of school. Some people even asked her if she was new, and she only laughed them off. Was she bitter of how some people had treated her like shit before, and now seemed to want to be her friends? Yes, but she could rise above that. People were judgemental when they thought themselves better than others, she would probably be the same if she hadn't been on the receiving end of that judgement. 

She started hanging out with people, even got asked out by a boy she never had talked to. She declined politely, only to hear him saying she was a slut the next day. She had only smirked, knowing better than to get provoked by the miserable little insecure shit.

All in all, life was going well for Ella.

Until that one night when she went out with her friend, and everything crumbled down. 

Ella's POV

"You know you're going to freeze in that skirt?" Trin asked from where she was sitting on her bed, her black hair pulled up into a messy bun.

"But I'll put thigh-high boots on, so it'll be fine."

"Whatever you say."

"I still can't believe you won't come. You don't actually sound sick at all." We were all supposed to go together to the winter carnival, but Trin had said she wouldn't come in the last minute. I had still gone over to get ready at Trin's place, so she didn't have to spend the whole night alone while everyone else went out. 

"I will tomorrow, especially if I go out with you tonight. But you kids have fun."

"Your inner ninety-year-old is resurfacing Trin, better go find your walking cane."

"Ha ha ha," she said dryly and I gave her a sweet smile. "Go get the old Ella back, she wasn't mean to me."

"Sure she was, she just didn't say anything to your face."

"Ella!" Trin put on a fake pout.

"I'm kidding," I exclaimed and stopped checking my outfit in the mirror to give my friend a brief hug. "You know you love me."