The Secrets Of Dragons: Book One

Chapter 7

Elsie Jackson

I leaned over and scratched Leo's head as he purred loudly against my shin. He meowed for attention and I couldn't help but giggle.

"You are such a needy thing. You know that?" I scratched under his chin, his favorite spot. "I'll be back soon, okay? Stay out of trouble."

My keychain jingled as I locked up, Leo's face looking up at me curiously until the door closed. It was a beautiful day and the autumn sun casted beautiful rays of light throughout the corridors. I knew it would be gorgeous the moment I step out onto the front lawn, I could feel it in my bones. Jay might want to take a walk with me to take a look around the campus before classes started tomorrow.

"Jackson!"

I looked up and could see Sarah's smiling face at the end of the hallway. She wasn't always so overbearing. If everyone just gave her a chance to really be herself, they would know the difference. She was so used to trying to please everyone around her that she wouldn't allow herself even the slightest bit of room for failure.

"Hey!" I smiled warmly when I finally caught up to her. "What's up?"

"You going somewhere today?"

"Well, I was going to see if Jaylyn might want to get coffee with me and go over her classes. Maybe take a walk on campus. That way she won't be lost tomorrow."

"Scratch that. I need your help with the choreography for our new routine." She huffed, crossing her arms.

I take it back. You're a bitch.

"Sarah, I really wish I could. But I already promised Jaylyn today." I lied.

I ignored the pang of guilt in my stomach for lying to her, even though she had a tendency to use me. Sarah won captain of our squad two years ago, and has never let me forget it. Everyone wanted to be a part of her crowd, and I just couldn't measure up to their standards. But what they didn't realize, Sarah had and continues to use my routines that I created on my own for our competitions. She's been praised and we've won every competition since.

"It's not just me, Elsie. The team needs you."

"If the team needed me, I would have made captain when I ran for it. I told you I would help when I could, but I'm busy today. It'll have to wait." My eyes softened at her hard expression that was clearly laced with worry. "I'm sorry."

"You're such a snob, Els. Only thinking about yourself." She sneered in defense.

"I really wish you wouldn't say mean things to me, Sarah." I shrugged one shoulder. "It doesn't hurt my feelings; it just makes you look ugly. Just thought you should know."

I really didn't have time to waste arguing with her, so I just turned and walked away. I hadn't heard from Jaylyn today, but I was hoping to catch her before she got off somewhere. I really did enjoy having her as a new friend. Besides Clara, I hadn't really made any friends in my short two years here at Dartmouth.

I only joined the cheerleading squad to make my mother happy. She always wanted the best for me, even if I didn't understand her methods. It was her dream for me to attend an Ivy League school, be the cheerleader she had wanted, and find a job that would afford all the nice things money and life had to offer.

I just wanted to hole myself up with a hoard of snacks, Leo, and my computer parts. I dreamed of being a technical analyst. I loved technology and trying to understand how it works. I had spent most of my childhood rooting through dumpsters trying to find discarded old parts and creating something from basically nothing.