Elana Vice

Chapter 3 - Richwood

ELANA

Richwood Secondary School was just a normal school. It had normal students with normal teachers and normal lessons in normal classrooms. Richwood Secondary School was normal.

Elana had woken up early that morning when her dad's alarm clock went off. Her dad hadn't really bothered to carry her back to her room, and so they both slept soundlessly in his bed. Once he was awake, Elana was awake too.

She got ready in her room, slipping into her uniform easily. She wore long black tights that disappeared into her black skirt. She wore a white shirt with a black jumper and a navy blue blazer with the school's crest on it. And to finish off the outfit was a blue and red tie that went around the neck of the shirt. But, now came the most tricky part of getting ready. THE HAIR! Elana's hair was a deep golden with strands of brown hidden within. Normally her hair would spiral around her neck, but with her bedhead, she looked like a bird's nest that fallen out of a tree during a thunderstorm.

When Elana went downstairs she found her dad at the stove cooking pancakes. This was extremely unusual, as her dad hadn't made anything like pancakes since before her mum died.

"Good morning. You hungry?"
"Pancakes?" Elana asked.
"Why not? I know we haven't had them in a while," her dad replied.

Elana was confused.

" What's wrong?" her dad asked. Elana wasn't sure how to reply. Something was different with her dad, she just didn't know what. Her dad scooped the pancakes onto a plate.

"Well, I have to be off to work. I'll see you later yeah?"

Elana nodded.

"Help yourself," her dad said, pointing at the plate of pancakes. And with that, he grabbed his coat and went out the door.

Elana's eyebrows were raised. She grabbed one of the pancakes and headed back upstairs until she had to leave herself. As she was going along the hallway her eyes moved to look at her dad's bedroom door.
'The box,' Elana remembered.
She pushed the door open and went inside. She didn't want to waste any time, so she went under the bed, grabbed the box, and left, making sure to close the door behind her.

**********

When Elana arrived at school, all she wanted to do was go straight to Lola and Penny to tell them about the box, but since she wasn't in their first class, she would have to wait until lunchtime in the cafeteria. She wouldn't have much to say about the box anyway, since she was yet to open it herself. During her first period, all Elana could think of was the box, and she was unable to focus on the lesson. Several times she was called on for an answer, and several times she didn't know the answer, because the box was clouding all of her thoughts. 

'I wonder what's in it?' Elana thought. She knew that the initials 'A. J. ' on the top of the box were the initials of her mother (Aline Jenkins). She wondered if it was a letter addressed to her, or maybe - long overdue - a gift. She would have to wait.

At last, Elana made it through to lunchtime. She raced to the table that she, Lola and Penny always sat at. Not to her surprise, they were already there waiting for her.

"Hey, El," Lola said. 
"What's up, E.V.?" Penny added.
"Guys," Elana said, quickly. "Last night, I found a box with my mum's initials on."
"What?" Lola and Penny shouted in unison.
" But your mum died years ago, and your dad hardly ever speaks about her," Penny said.
"I know."
"So what's inside?" Lola asked.
"I'm not sure, I haven't looked yet," Elana replied.
" Well, look inside then," Lola and Penny both said again.

Elana reached inside her bag for the box. It wasn't there!

"What's this, Squirrel?"

Oh, no. Elana knew that voice. It was Ebony Stray. Ebony was a bully, often picking on the girls who even slightly cowered under her glare. Both Elana and Lola always tried to avoid her, but Penny always said whatever the hell she was thinking inside her head, without even a second's thought. It was almost as if her fiery hair was emanating through the rest of her.

"Mind your own business, Ebony!"
"You're a feisty one, aren't you?"
"Give it back,"Penny said sternly, her hand outstretched for the box.
"I don't know. There might be something in here I like."

Ebony opened up the lid of the box and peered inside.

"Ooh, a letter," Ebony said. "'Dear Elana,'. Haha, what a piece of crap." Ebony crumpled the paper in her hand and chucked it behind her onto the floor. Penny went to grab the letter but one of Ebony's little henchmen stepped in the way. Penny gave them a deep and intense stare.

"Let's see... Ooh. What a pretty locket!" Ebony exclaimed.