True Gold

Chapter 3

Miss Vane walks around the classroom. Smiling at those with beautiful artworks and commenting on ways for people to improve their artworks if she isn't entirely happy with them. When she reaches Esta's artwork I hear a gasp and turn my head to look at Miss vane.

"Oh my. Congratulations Esta, on your work. It is of a very high standard." She says. "Absolutely beautiful…" she mutters as she moves on to mine. Her eyes focus on my multi-coloured canvas and watch as she scans it for faults. But luckily, in the end, she smiles.

"You have made a great improvement Summer. However, next time, focus on using less colours and leave some parts of the canvas blank for effect. But all in all, a job well done." I take her comment into account, striving for the reaction she gave to Esta but knowing I will never get it.

Miss Vane heads back to the front of the class and says, "You may talk amongst yourselves until the bell rings. It is my gift to you for your outstanding work today."

I look at Esta and smile. "Your artwork is really good. You must be a natural."

"I guess, but its not really that good. I mean, I've done better."

"Better?!" I ask in astonishment. "If you can do better than this I would really like to see it because, as far as I am concerned, this is as good as anything. I cant even imagine anything better than this."

"Well, you can come to my place some time to see my collection of artworks up in the attic. I have hundreds, each one better than this one."

"Show off." I say with a smile.

"If you say so."

"I do."

She laughs and I laugh with her, a bond forming between us unlike anything I have ever experienced before. Yeah, I have had friends, but no one has ever been like Esta. Every time I'm near her I feel like I can tell her everything and she will understand. She so inviting, so kind, so likeable. And to think we are friends is something of a miracle for me, to have a friend at this stuck up private school, where everything is a competition of who is better. Most people at this school don’t even have true friends, they just hang around each other so they don’t look like loners, and trust me, I know all this, because I found this all out while venturing through everyone's minds.

But neither Esta, nor me, are like that. I can already feel friendship floating in the air around us. My thoughts distract me for more than a minute, and so I stand there, looking at nothing in particular, not even noticing the 'cool' crowd making their way over to us.

"Hey Goldie." says Stacy and I snap out of my thoughts. Tara and Olivia stand at her sides and Noah stands off to her right with Josh, while Callin and Genevieve  stand to her left. Almost the entire cool group stand in front of us except for Kate, Amanda and Jake. Kate is, well, dying for all I care, and Amanda and Jake are in another class, which is handy for them seeing as they both have crushes on each other but neither has worked up the courage yet to tell each other.

Its obvious that with Kate gone, Stacey has claimed her title, even if its only for a day. And because of that, I sense that their 'close' friendship, is actually a pile of lies and deceit. I'm sure that if Stacy got the chance, she would ruin Kate just for her title of most popular girl in school.

"Who's your little friend?" I don’t reply. I mean, why should I bother wasting valuable words on them? They are nothing but small obstacles in my way. I must pass around them while on my path. They are lions and I am a wolf; they will not harm me if I don’t harm them.

In the end, Esta speaks instead. "Her little friend, is me. My name is Esta and I am new here, if that is what you desire to know so much. And because you seem to be having trouble remembering Summer's name I shall repeat my own, so you don’t make any mistake next time you see me. Its E-S-T-A, Essstaaarr. You got that? Because next time you speak to us, I want you to give us the respect that we deserve and only then will I be kind and give you the respect that you don’t. Now go. Or do you want to end up like your friend Kate?"

I watch them as they listen to Esta, observing their facial expressions and nearly laughing when Stacey looks shocked and more than a little afraid. But as soon as Esta is finished speaking, she covers is it up and returns to the annoying Stacey that we all know and hate.

"Whatever loser. You're no better than Goldie. And let me get something straight, this is our school, not yours. You insult me like that again or you touch or harm anyone of us and you will be dragging your sorry arse back to where you came from. You got that?"

Esta just smiles and nods her head before saying "Completely." Stacey seems annoyed with her response but doesn’t say anything. Instead she just smiles, a horrible, snobby smile and flicks her long blonde hair as she turns before walking away with the rest of the group following her, like how a flock of sheep follow their shepherd.

I send Esta a glance that says: what a bitch.And of course she smiles and says, "Tell me about it." just like any good friend would.

The bell rings and so we pack up our stuff and leave, with Esta carrying her painting, and me carrying mine. I make it to my locker without any troubles, grab my stuff and turn around to leave. But I don't leave, because I stand there frozen at the sight of Callin, a member of the popular group, staring at me. Unable to tear my gaze away, I watch as he nods at me and walks off.

What was that? Callin, a popular person, was staring at me, a loser. I shake off the bad feeling that I have in the pit of my stomach and go to meet Esta outside the front school gates.

"Feel free to take me up on that offer if you want. You can come to my place for a few hours. I'm not busy at all this afternoon." says Esta as I catch up to her.

"Sure why not. I have nothing better to do."

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As it turns out, Esta lives in a mansion of a house despite her poor parents with their lousy jobs and income. Esta's mother is a cleaner at a small grocery shop and her father is a school bus driver for a primary school not too far down the road. I learnt all this when reading Esta's mind.

The house is a large cream coloured building, nothing fancy about it except its size and inside is the same. Family photos adorn each wall, taking up spaces on the wall that you would think belonged to a famous and expensive painting. But no. Despite the house glorious size and structure, its contents are plain and ordinary; they are below standard.

I follow Esta up a set of marble stairs, which are in need of polishing, and down a long hallway with single white rug stretching the entire way. At the end, Esta opens a door and we arrive at yet another set of stairs, but this time they are wooden and old and spiral upwards. Dust covers the walls and the floor, and the room holds nothing but an old antique dresser and a flight of stairs.

I cautiously follow Esta up the stairs, who walks easily and without care. "Don't worry about the stairs, they won't break." she says without looking at me once. I stop, confused for a second and wonder how she knew I was taking tentative steps. I shrug, and follow her to the top, through a hole in the floor.

The room above is just like the one below, covered in dust, except there is window with a view of the city and suburban homes. I look behind me and see Esta fiddling with a set of keys.

"Keys?" I ask.

"Yeah. I don't like anyone coming in here. Its my room and I consider it private."

"You're letting me in here." I point out. She finds the right key and turns the golden handle.

"Your different." She smiles and lets me in.

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A/N

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