Ella calls just several minutes before my alarm goes off, I try to flop my arm around my bedside table to find my phone before realising it was wedged under my pillow.
"Hey" I croaked "What's up?"
"Fee!" She shouted, almost bursting my eardrum. Why can't Ella ever be even remotely quiet? "Reminder alert! It's our years assembly first thing, you can't be late unless you want to be slaughtered by Craw."
"Got it El, I'll be there." I replied as I dragged my legs out of bed and hung up the phone. I could hear the faint sounds of shuffling downstairs, Bethan and Rhys must be getting ready for school. I scooped by messy hair into a ponytail and flung my bag over my shoulder.
"Ffion!" Mum shouted, "C'mon love you'll be late!"
"I know, I'm coming!" I yelled back. I had about 5 minutes to get out the door and run the 10-minute walk to school. As I hobbled down the stairs Rhys appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Your hair looks funny" He smirked as he continued to smear jam around his mouth as he devoured his toast. His light ginger hair was scruffy as per usual and his shirt poked out from underneath his school jumper carelessly.
"Thanks Rhys, move will you" I grunted, shifting him aside and grabbing my black converse in front of the door. I felt mum appear at my side.
"Ffion, you are not wearing those shoes to school again, you know they're not unif..." But it was too late, I'd already laced them up, slammed the door and started sprinting down the street, my hair coming lose from it's ponytail as it unravelled down my back. In the distance I could see Ella standing just beyond the iron bars of the school gate. Nearly there I thought as I slowed down my pace, whilst managing to gather myself and catch my breath.
"About fucking time" Ella remarked. Today her ash blond hair was styled neatly into two French braids. Instantly, my mind jumped to last week when she basically forced me to watch this online beauty goddess (her words not mine) who claimed it made your eyes pop. Ella's braids kind of achieved that, but if anything, it just drew more attention to her thinly chiselled nose which she hates with a passion. We hurried down to the entrance of main school, Ella led the way barging through the crowds of first years wandering aimlessly around reception. Intrusive worries flooded by headspace, basically what every year 7 was thinking.
Where are my friends? What do I have first? Why is she looking at me, am I looking at her? Shit where's Joe?
I shook my head and pushed the whispers aside. Toby was leaning against the exams display, his uniform immaculate with the addition of his statement blue neckerchief wrapped loosely around his neck. He wasn't afraid to stand out in school, despite the year 7 incident with Danny that followed with many more confrontations. It made him stronger, sarcastic and incredibly defensive.
"Hey hey" he laughed "El your hair looks sick apart from the fact its way too tight for your scalp, and Fee I can't tell if it's the effortless look or you're simply a mess." Typical Toby. Even though he says all this, I instantly know what he's thinking. It's all talk.
Ella rolled her eyes "Fuck off Tobes, I wouldn't say you looked dazzlingly this Monday morning." And with that the bell rang commanding us to make our way to the assembly hall, probably for an hour's lecture about exam prep. As we filtered through the lines I felt a sudden weight fall on by shoulder, pushing me apart from my friends. Danny.
"Good weekend Fee?" he breathed making me shudder as he gripped my shoulder. I could see it all clearly. His thoughts were simply sexual, dirty and immature.
"Fine." I stated, pulling his arm off my shoulder. I was blunt with him, I always am. When you see the things that others aren't meant to reveal, you can't help but do everything differently. I increased my pace, falling in line in between Ella and Toby so that I didn't have to sit next to Danny. Last time that happened his hand kept miraculously slipping from his lap onto mine. All just too much to handle for a Monday morning. The hall was beginning to fill up as we took our seats facing the stage and the screen which displayed the school crest. Mrs Crawley appeared, striding towards the projector in the most horrific heels. I glanced over at Ella and let my mind control. That is a crime against footwear. I caught her thinking. I want to burn them as well as the bitch. I couldn't help but sneak a faint smile, sometimes other peoples thoughts can lift the mood as well as darken it.
