Dominion

EastWood High

A loud shrieking alarm surprises Ella in the morning. No matter how many times she hears the sound it would never be pleasant. Her hair is ruffled and riddled with knots dangling down her back. She sits up and stretches rubbing her face in a sad attempt to wake herself up. Throwing the blankets she rushes to the shower just as her sister reaches it.

"You have to be kidding me." Jenna growls as Ella smirks at her. "This isn't funny you ALWAYS get first shower."
"Better luck next time." She says using her socks to slide the rest of the way into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. Jenna stalks off grumbling under her breath.
The shower feels quick but as usual when she checks the clock she's already running late.
"Showers yours!" She yells while wrapping herself in a towel and running off to her bedroom. It's white with floating shelves and small potted succulents. Clean and simple.
Rushing now, she quickly blow dries her strawberry blonde hair letting it fall naturally straight and gently ruffles her bangs so they sit more voluminous framing her face. Ducking into her closet she finds a tight light pink dress and a long white cardigan throwing them on along with dangly earrings and rushes down the stairs where her dad is standing in the kitchen.
He looks tired but happy as he sees her run in.
"Good morning miss Peach" he says in his normal cheery voice. Peach is what everyone calls Ella. Ever since she was in kindergarten the name somehow stuck.
"Good morning pops." She chirps back winking at him as he slides a piece of toast to her on a plate.
"Just a week and 1 day till the end of your junior year! Tell me, how's it feel to be getting old?" He jokes mimicking a microphone with his fist.
Peach rolls her eyes and then smiles at her dad just as Jenna joins the two in the kitchen. Her hair matches Ellas in color falling just short of her shoulders though and she was blessed with the waves her mother had.
"Mornin'" she mumbles as she walks in. She was definitely more of a night owl. Though her dad doesn't mind.
"Goodmorning!" He sings keeping up his happy go lucky mood.
"You ready to go?" Peach says finishing her last bite of breakfast as Jenna grabs a protein bar from the cabinet.
She simply nods starting to walk to the door as Peach collects her keys and gives her dad a hug goodbye.

-
PEACH
-

As soon as me and Jenna make it to my car she starts complaining about the mess. I have almost enough empty water bottles collected to create a fort. I'm proud of my achievements in hydration so I ignore her whining.
"Do you think you'll ever learn to be a morning person?"
"I think you can answer that question yourself." She responds opening up the fold down mirror and applying lipgloss. She's so pretty, in a way that she doesn't even realize it.
I start to drive the same route I always do to school and we sing along to whatever is on the radio until we make it.
As we pull up I see the same familiar Jeep I always park next to and leaning on it is my boyfriend Nolan. His tall muscular body is pressed against the car and he's in deep conversation with our friends.
I park and as soon as the car is stopped Jenna gets out and yells a quick goodbye before heading off.
"Hey baby" Nolan says he stops his conversation to stride over to me. His mop of light brown curls moves as he leans down giving me a quick kiss. He stands at least a foot taller than me and that's saying something considering I'm 5'6.
"Oh hey handsome" I smirk and wave at all of our friends.
"Would y'all get a room?" My best friend Tessa teases.
"You'd think after a year you'd have a new line Tess"
She makes a mocking face at me. Tessa and I have been friends since we were kids. It started when she was my neighbor for 1st-7th grade and here we are a year from graduating high school and still going strong.
"I got you coffee hoe." She says handing me a warm cup.
"I almost forgot why I keep you around." I say playfully as we all start to walk to class.
"Honestly when are y'all gonna get a room?" Nolan says
"And can we watch?" Our friend Jesse adds. Him and Nolan have been friends as long as Tess and I have. We aren't super close but I secretly think Tessa has a thing for him.
"I think you have a little something on your chin" I say gesturing to wipe it. "Looks like drool."
He laughs and lightly shoves me.
"Ahh so close to the last day of AP chemistry homeroom." I sigh as we all make it to our class. Our seats are all at the same table and as we settle into our classes the teacher greets us.
Most of my day goes by pretty fast. Around 4th period right before lunch I hear the sound of loud sandals running in my direction and turn to see Tessas terrified face. Her short blond ringlet curls are up in the wind and her green eyes are wide.
"Tess? Are you okay?" I ask as she reaches me using my arms to stabilize herself.
"No, no I need you to come with me right now."
"Why? Why what happens?" Scanning her face I can't decide if she's hurt or afraid or what's going on. She looks like she's been running for 10 miles straight.
"Please." She says and turns to drag me behind her.
Obliging at this point I follow in step with her still asking questions as we walk but she won't tell me anything.
I don't feel scared for her necessarily because she's a crier and if I haven't seen a tear she probably just embarrassed herself somehow and needs me to talk her off a ledge.
She rushes to open the big double doors leading to our stadium and I hault.
"Tess, can you please tell me what's going on? Why are you taking me into the stadium?"
She looks as if she wants to respond but simply says "I have to show you."
I walk through the double doors and find myself on our big out door stadium benches. From the top row I can see the whole field.
"Okay now what is it that you needed me to see." I say in frustration to the empty stadium.
That's when music starts to sing over the speakers and I see the football team running out of the locker room doors. Each of them is wearing a white T-shirt with a letter on it. I can't quite make out what it says yet but all I can do is burst into a fit of laughter as they all begin to fall into line to a choreographed dance. The last of the "performers" enters with a back hand spring and they all stand still panting from the exercise. That's when I'm able to read the words "WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME?" written across all the guys chests and I see that the mystery acrobat is in fact my Nolan.
"Really? You mean it?" I shout down to him in awe of his stunt.
"Of course baby!" He shouts back as I make my way down the steps to him.
"You do have some pretty sick moves. Maybe you could teach me a thing or two on the dance floor."
He perks up "does that mean yes?"
"Of course! I thought you'd never ask!" I say jumping into his arms and kissing his lips.
Tessa comes down the stairs dusting off her hands symbolically. "I think my work here is done."
I hop down and walk up to her pushing her shoulders.
"You scared me!"
"Yeah well it was all in the name of love! Okay?"
Nolan laughs at us and all the guys give him congratulatory high fives.
"Good work boys. Y'all definitely made it as finalists in my book." I say as they all walk off laughing me off.
"You ready to get some lunch?" Nolan asks as he puts his arm around me.
"Oh yeah! I'm starving. Acting ain't easy!" Tessa responds and we both roll our eyes walking with her to the cafeteria.

For the rest of the day I imagined Nolan's silly dance and let excitement play in my mind over the fact that prom was tomorrow and I have the best date ever.

___

END CHAPTER ONE