Tiny Crown

Chapter 1

A fluffy leopard print cushion was carefully placed on the double bed. Each of the three cushions - not including the two pillows normally on the double bed - had its own specific place on the bed. The leopard print one was in the middle, being the favourite, the Doctor Who one on the left, proudly displaying the Doctor, and the labrador one on the right. Before the teenager had unpacked, the room was spotless as it was the guest room. Now, it had been personalised with splashes of colours and merchandise. Framed photos, drawings and posters of singers and bands lined the walls and Emilia's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

"Em! Food's ready!" The smirk slipped from her face and she furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out if she heard it or if it was actually her aunt. After being called a second time, the teen definitely knew her Aunt was calling her down for food. Although reluctant to leave her new room, the rumbling in her stomach would not quieten and she sprinted downstairs for whatever her Aunt had cooked.

Rushing into the kitchen, she almost bumped into her aunt but slowed down and moved to the right to avoid her. She snatched the plate off the wooden counter and balanced it on one hand while the other pulled open a drawer and grabbed a knife and fork. Her hip was used to close the drawer and she moved back through the hall to the living room with both hands clutching the plain plate. She sat on the couch and shuffled back so her back touched the red fabric that covered the back of the couch. Both Emilia and her ginger relative, who sat next to each other on the couch, were silent while watching their favourite show.

As soon as the adverts began, the older woman sighed.
"I still can't believe she didn't send anyone with you," she grumbled. "I'm having a word with Penny over that."
"I'm fifteen, Aunt Kat," protested Emilia with a roll of her eyes.
"Exactly," said her aunt. Emilia smiled as she knew her aunt was only trying to keep her safe. Neither of them had much family left; not anymore. "We're going to visit your new school tomorrow and hopefully they'll let you start next week."
"Great," Em muttered. "Can't I be homeschooled?"
"I'd love to but I'd also love you to get a good education," said Kat. "And you know I can't with my job."
"I know," she sighed.

Aunt Kat parked in the school car park in her SUV. As they walked through the blue gates of the school, Em dragged her feet on the tarmac.
"Em, can you be a bit more cheery please?" sighed Kat as she paused and turned to Emilia who was a few feet away. "For me?" Em bit her lip as she thought but then nodded and then ran to catch up before matching her Aunt's pace.

Emilia and her Aunt were shown around Oak Park High, it had an easy layout and all the rooms had a number and letter to represent them. Emilia noted where the music classroom and the theatre was located, hoping she would be able to take the same courses as before. As the majority of the tour was taken during the lessons, they mostly avoided students until it was lunch time. Luckily, they tended to avoid them as the woman conducting the tour around school was a strict woman, scolding passing students on neatness and bad language. After the hour and a half tour around the school, Emilia no longer had to listen to Kat reminiscing of her school days at Oak Park High or the teacher scolding students. This meant she could no longer hum the tune of Pompeii as her Aunt and several higher-ups within the school discussed her attendance.

"Where are we going?" questioned Em as her forehead rested on the cold window. Her fingertips poked at the window as she pretended to poke the raindrops on the other side of the glass.
"To fetch your school stuff," replied Kat without taking her eyes off the road.
"I'm tired," groaned Emilia as she tried to think of any excuse for her Aunt to turn the car around.

"I'll get you McDonald's?" Emilia hummed in thought.
"Only if... you let me play In The Heights," she bargained. After a reluctant nod, Em eagerly grabbed the CD from the draw in the dash and fumbled as she began to play it on the CD player. The first track began playing and Aunt Kat groaned.
"I regret this."
"Lights up on Washington Heights, up at the break of the day!"

As the two females walked through the stationery aisle, Kat grabbed packs of pens, pencils, rubbers and sharpeners and dropped them in the metal basket which hung from her right arm. Emilia, who had been dragging her feet across the typical, durable shop floor again, stopped to pick up a pack of Sharpies.
"Can I have them please?"
"Twenty?" asked Kat.
"Please?"
"What for?" sighed Kat.
"Please?" repeated Em. Kat rolled her eyes and held out the basket to Emilia who put them inside while a smile spread across her face.

They moved to the clothing section as they needed to browse clothes that fitted the dress code for the school. After finding several pairs of jeans and leggings and some shirts to go with them, they began to look around at nothing in particular.

"Katherine? Is that you?" asked a shrill voice. There was an annoying clicking noise of heels on the shop floor. Kat cringed and shuddered but turned around with a fake smile on her face anyway. "You don't have children, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here with my niece, Emilia," said Kat through gritted teeth. "She's living with me for a while." Emilia gave an awkward wave to the graying woman. In the next aisle, several screams were heard.
"Oh, sorry this was cut short, nice seeing you both but I must sort out Nathan and Olivia, they'll be in your classes, I'm sure. Anyway, Jerry can't deal with them so I must be off." The woman tottered away, the shiny blue heels still clicking in an irritating way.

Once she was gone, Kat let out a deep sigh of annoyance and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"God, I hate that woman," she hissed while walking in the opposite direction.
"Why?" asked Emilia.
"She ridicules everyone for the tiniest things! They nearly got done for harassment a few years ago because a couple in down the road were having some issues," huffed the ginger.

"Let's just go and pay."
"And go to McDonald's," added Emilia. Kat smiled.
"Yes and go to McDonald's."