A/N: Heylo! I'm surprised that so many people read my first version of this, the original snippet, and I'm thankful that some read this one after it had undergone much needed editing. Thank you for your feedback, both positive and negative, it makes me a better writer! So, here's the second chapter, even though technically this story isn't split into chapters (yet, check back when I gain a little more energy to do so), so you honestly just get random chunks at a time. Enjoy! 3, Ravenclalways
The next morning, Ellie woke up early.
She noticed it was at least a half hour before it was time to wake up.
Ellie decided to get an early start to her day since she knew it would be impossible to go back to sleep, so she got out of bed and decided to shower.
She grabbed a towel and the dress she decided to wear that day. Ellie quietly walked to the student prep room near her dorm, and walked into one of the stalls.
She quickly showered and got ready, taking time to put a strand of her light brown hair into a small braid and then putting it back with a bobby pin.
The intercom came on telling everyone to wake up by the time she'd finished.
Since Ellie was already done getting ready, wearing her favorite lilac gray dress and black flats, she decided to go to the cafeteria early, but quickly headed back to her dorm to get her backpack.
Just as Ellie walked out with her backpack, her new friend, Sonali walked out with a towel slung over her shoulder and sleepy eyes.
"How did you get ready so fast?" she asked, sounding shocked.
"Actually, I got up early. Mostly on accident though." Ellie replied.
"Oh… cute dress." Sonali said. "I'll meet you at breakfast, okay? I need to shower." Sonali smiled and then walked out of the dorm.
Ellie smiled back.
She walked to the cafeteria at her own pace, enjoying the feeling because normally she was rushing, but since she was done getting ready and early, while everyone else was still waking up and getting ready, she wouldn't have to try to avoid people as quick as she could.
She sat at one of the tables, alone, soaking up the quiet.
"Hey!" Someone called.
Ellie turned her head and saw Sonali, her caramel blonde hair curly and frizzy yet still a little damp.
"I tried to get done quickly so I could meet you sooner!" she explained, sounding a little out of breath but smiled all the same. Ellie smiled back.
"Well, we still have forty-five minutes to spare. Wanna go get some coffee from the cafe? It's nearby." Sonali suggested.
"That sounds lovely." Ellie replied.
"You talk so much like a princess. I sound like a normal teenage girl." Sonali giggled.
Ellie chuckled.
"You even laugh elegantly! How do you do it?" Sonali joked.
Ellie shrugged. "Hey, what's your mom like?" Ellie asked, hoping to change the subject.
"My mom? Queen Kayla? Well, she's the 10th most known Queen. She mostly just wants popularity. She wants me to be popular too. The first time we came here she was like 'Look it's Princess Victoria! You should be her friend! I bet she's so popular!' and all that." Sonali sighed.
"To be honest, I extremely dislike Victoria. She's mean, she lies, she gossips, and she is just so dramatic. She does everything in her queenly power to cause some drama everywhere she goes. She and I went to the same private school for 3 months before I moved. I never really met her, but I always heard gossip about her." Sonali added, casting a withering look at the locker that Victoria occupied.
"I don't think Victoria likes me very well." Ellie said truthfully.
"Eh, don't let her get to you. Hey, what about your mom? What's her rank on the popularity scale?" Sonali asked.
"Um… Well, last time I checked she was number 324." Ellie replied.
"Oh." Sonali said rather quietly.
Ellie was pretty sure her new friend probably didn't want to be her friend anymore considering her popularity, and she slumped a little at the thought.
"Well, that's okay." Sonali said with a shrug.
Ellie was surprised. "You mean you don't care about being friends with an unpopular weirdo?" Ellie asked.
"Unpopular weirdo? Ellie, I don't think of you that way. Like I said, I don't care about popularity. You are a nice girl who's perfect for a friend." Sonali smiled.
"Are you sure?" Ellie questioned tentatively.
"Positive."
Since the cafe was closed-Sonali was rather disappointed and at one point considered staying there until it was open- they turned back and walked back to the cafeteria, getting to be first in line for being so early.
"You can order first." Sonali said.
"No, you go first." Ellie replied.
"Um, are you sure?" Sonali asked.
"Positive." Ellie smiled.
Sonali grinned back, then ordered coffee and a granola bar, swiped her card and waited for her food to be ready.
Ellie ordered a strawberry yogurt smoothie with french toast and bacon. She swiped her card, then waited with Sonali.
They sat together once their food was ready, Sonali talking about mythical creatures and other mysterious phenomenons as she ate.
Prince Edward looked over at Ellie and waved as he sat at his table, Ellie smiling rather weakly and waving back timidly.
"Prince Edward waved at you?" Sonali gasped, seeming to forget all about her story on thestrals. "Oh my gosh, he so likes you!" Sonali shouted.
"Shh! Sonali!" Ellie whisper shouted, blushing. "There's literally NO way he would like an unknown nobody nerd like me!" Ellie said, ducking her head and focusing on her bacon.
"Nonsense!" Sonali replied.
After a silence, Sonali smiled and asked, "Do you like him?"
"Uh…" Ellie mumbled, her face flushed.
"You soooo like him!" Sonali was grinning from ear to ear.
"Er… he's more of a friend." Ellie said.
"You like him!" Sonali insisted in a sing-songy tone.
"No!" Ellie whispered
"You two are sooo perfect together!" Sonali said dreamily.
"Yeah, I think Victoria would disagree with you," Ellie said, trying not to sound bitter. "He probably likes her anyways. Besides, she's popular, I'm not." Ellie sighed.
"Yeah, but, your kind. She's not. Your friendly. She's not. Your smart. She's not." Sonali said.
Ellie looked up, looking both surprised and hopeful.
"What? Really?" Ellie asked, trying not to sound too desperate.
"Only the truth girl, pinky princess promise." Sonali said, holding up her pinky.
Ellie crossed it with hers. "You're so cool." Ellie smiled.
"I know." Sonali bragged jokingly, flipping her hair slightly.
Ellie giggled.
Once breakfast was over, Ellie headed to her first class, Chemistry.
Unable to prevent herself from noticing that Edward was also in her class, a few stations away.
Ellie's face flushed as she thought about what Sonali said.
After class, she stopped outside the door to check what her next class would be.
"Hello." Edward said suddenly, causing Ellie to jump a little.
"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you… again." Edward said quickly.
"Uh, it's okay." Ellie fake laughed, even though her heart was pounding and fluttering all at the same time.
"So, what's your next class?" Edward asked, slightly glancing at her schedule.
"Er, uh… Music." Ellie replied.
"Music? I bet you ace that class." Edward said with a smile.
"Yeah, right. I'm as good as any other person may be." Ellie shrugged.
"But no one else can play an instrument the same way you do. I heard you play," Edward insisted.
Ellie felt a light blush creeping onto her face.
"Well, thank you. Uh… I need to go grab my music book." Ellie lied, desperate to end the slightly awkward conversation.
"Bye." He smiled then rushed to his locker.
Ellie grabbed the book out of her locker and slung her instrument over her shoulder, finally breathing normally.
Victoria still had the same music class as her, so she had to suffer through her and her groups singing again.
This time, she didn't stop playing when they tried to drown out her playing, instead she took it as an opportunity to hum along quietly with the viola song.
At the end of class, Ellie felt fairly good about herself, a fairly rare feeling.
Victoria and her group came up to her by her locker, looking determined to wipe the happiness emitting from Ellie's face.
"By the way, your playing completely messed up our singing. Your playing sounds like screeching and yelling." Hayley hissed.
Hayley was wearing a hot pink dress that went a little past the knees with only one layer and the top was embroidered with pink diamonds and her heels were shiny black ankle boots.
Jayda also had a hot pink dress but with long sleeves and it reached above the knee with 3 layers of tulle and she wore shiny black peep toe heels.
Monica also wore a hot pink dress that reached right to the knee but it was strapless and the entire top was sparkly and her heels were also black but they were kitten heels.
Alexandra wore a dress a little lighter than hot pink. It had quarter sleeves that were mesh, and the skirt was the same length as Monica's, except it had more than ten layers of tulle and she had shiny wedge heels.
Victoria wore an asymmetrical fuchsia pink dress that had almost 13 layers of tulle, her shiny black stilettos complementing the dark and evil look in her eyes.
"Yeah, screeching crows on a violin don't sound good." Monica said. "Monica, for the last time! It's a bow on the viola!" Victoria cringed, her dark hair whipping over her shoulder as she glared poisonously at Monica, who seemed oblivious.
"Whoops, guess I worded my mix up." Monica said, chuckling at herself.
Ellie could tell she wasn't quite the smartest of the group.
"Do you even talk?" Victoria scoffed, ignoring Monica.
"Um.." Ellie stammered, holding her book a little tighter.
"I don't think that's talking." Jayda said. Her black curly hair bounced as she turned her head to Victoria.
"Honestly. Do you actually say words?" Victoria asked, and snapped her fingers like Ellie couldn't hear her or something.
"Ummm.." Ellie whispered trying to cover her face with her math book.
"Seriously! What a meek little dork!" Hayley shouted, a few princesses standing nearby looked over and chuckled.
"Ugh, can we do something else? My tiara is crooked from staring at her ugly complexion." Alexandra groaned.
"I agree." Victoria hissed, her hazel eyes glaring at Ellie.
She then strutted away with her friends flipping her dark hair over her shoulder as she did so.
Ellie walked very quickly to her next class, avoiding people left and right, a burning desire to get as far away from other people as her brown eyes filled with tears.
She felt her thoughts stray back to knowing how much of a worthless lump she was, her good feeling had evaporated completely.
Ellie did her math work glumly, dreading the rest of the day.
She had P.E next, her absolute least favorite class.
Her heart pounded unpleasantly as she realized Victoria and her friends were in her same gym class.
Ellie changed into her P.E clothes inside of a shower stall, knowing she was going to fail but stopped to admire the shower stalls.
It had a mirror, two shower heads, one rain shower and and one normal one. It had special water from the enchanted lake near the school that was restricted for students to go to, there was a shelf with body cleansers and washes and shampoos, all of them smelled lovely.
Ellie went outside after changing and then stood where the coach told them to, her heart plummeting rapidly as she realized they were to run a course.
She also saw that Edward was in her class too and felt a little better.
Ellie noticed Victoria flirting with him before the coach told them to stop talking and start getting ready.
When the whistle blew Ellie ran forward and did her best.
She tripped over the third hurdle, falling flat on her face. She stood up,then tried again.
Then at the next obstacle, she fell down twice landing on her back once, and the second time landing on her bottom.
On the third obstacle, Ellie couldn't swim, so the coach said she could walk through the pool.
On the fourth obstacle she couldn't jump over the last wall because she was too short so she had to jump then grab onto the top and then push herself up.
Everyone else had already finished and Ellie was still trying to get herself on top of the wall.
She felt beyond embarrassed as the students watched her from the top of the fifth obstacle where they were supposed to ring the bell when they were done.
And since they were outside, Ellie felt hotter because of the blazing sun.
She did a mild jog the best she could, she was worn out and tired and the coach was yelling at her to hurry up.
Tired Ellie could hardly lift her hands to climb.
She fell back onto the ground on the third step of the ladder, and laid there with her eyes closed.
Her entire body hurt, and she felt extremely tired.
The coach eventually went over there and help her up.
"Kid, you need more practice." he scoffed.
Victoria and her friends seemed to be cackling.
An exhausted Ellie headed to the showers to freshen up before lunch,
she quickly showered and got dressed, and then walked to the cafeteria with her arms still aching.
Sonali waved at her.
"Hey, Sonali." Ellie panted.
"Woah, sounds like P.E wore you out." Sonali replied, sounding concerned.
"It did, I'm not the most athletic person in the world." Ellie sighed.
"It's okay, I'm not either. I was lucky to complete the course yesterday. To bad we'll never have gym class together, because we alternate days so I have it tomorrow and you have it the day after that." Sonali said sadly.
"Yeah, that sucks." Ellie said, her heart plummeting to her feet.
She could hardly hold her lunch, her arms were aching like they were on fire.
"My arms still hurt." Ellie winced, as she tried to adjust her tiara but felt nothing but pain.
"That's weird." Sonali shrugged, sounding truly sympathetic before taking a large bit of her food.
Ellie could hardly eat, so she finished early.
"I'm gonna go take a walk, see if that helps." Ellie said, though she truly just wanted to be away from other people.
"Okay." Sonali said with her mouth full, then quickly swallowed. "Excuse me, sorry. Pardon my lack of manners." Sonali chuckled.
Ellie gave back a smile.
She walked around outside, her arms still felt like fire, but suddenly felt a burning need to go to the Enchanted Lake.
Even though students weren't supposed to go there, she couldn't help it, so
she sneakily walked into the woods, the trees shading her from the warm afternoon sun. Ellie sat down by the lake, and smoothed her skirt as she sat by it.
The water seemed to sparkle, even in the shade. It dazzled with a diamond like shine, she carefully reached a finger forward and swished it lightly through the water but quickly pulled it away, realizing it was cold.
Ellie then reached out her hand and dipped it in the water, keeping it there letting her hand gets used to the cool waters that seemed to melt all her anxieties away.
Her mouth suddenly felt dry. She made a cup with her hands and scooped up a little water and she brought it slowly to her mouth and sipped.
The water was sweet, cool, and made her feel the best she'd felt in years. She sipped all the water in her hands, her thirst satisfied when she finished.
Her arms didn't hurt anymore, but something did feel particularly odd.
She ignored the new feeling rising in her chest and got up and ran back to the school, rushing to her locker to grab her Art book.
Sonali looked longingly at the Art book in Ellie's hands when Sonali went over to her.
"Lucky! I have Chemistry!" she sighed.
"I'd trade you." Ellie said, watching Victoria and her friends strut into the art classroom.
In class, she painted a picture of a flower she didn't even recognize, but even so, the paintbrush in her hands seemed to sweep over the canvas with ease and calmness .
Ellie turned in her artwork and then walked to her locker, feeling oddly light.
She heard Victoria and her group behind her again, so she turned around slightly only to see them smiling wickedly.
"You know girls, we never did find out if she talks." Victoria snickered, glaring at Ellie with some sort of triumph written over her flawless face.
"Yeah." Alexandra scoffed, her blonde hair reflecting in the afternoon light that poured in through the high windows.
"You don't even belong as royalty. Your lousy mother Queen Esmay is a nobody just like you." Hayley snorted.
Ellie felt like she was stabbed in the heart with those words, but the oddly light feeling still did not fade.
"You know, your dress is ugly. Where'd you get it, the thumpster?" Monica laughed.
"Monica, it's dumpster! We talked about this! And that joke is so old." Victoria said scornfully.
"Ugh. Were just wasting our time, I need some rose blend tea." Jayda said, but sounding as though she honestly just wanted to get out of this situation.
"We'll have to wait for later for that, It'll take too much time." Alexandra said.
"Whatever, let's get ready for computer class." Victoria said, glaring one last time at Ellie and then swishing away.
Ellie groaned in her head. She had computer class next also.
Absentmindedly she fixed her tiara and tucked her hair behind her ear, and smoothed the skirt of her dress.
Was the dress that ugly? Ellie wondered.
Prince Edward waved at her so she forced a smile and waved back.
After class, she went to her dorm to do her homework, unable to resist thoughts of strangling Victoria, as she had distracted her most of class. Once she finished her homework, she headed downstairs and turned in all of the assignments pausing in front of the music room as she heard familiar flawless voices singing.
Ellie quietly crept to the door and peeked through the window.
It was Victoria and her group.
There was a paper hanging on the door. Ellie scanned it.
Royal High Beginning of the Year talent show
Sign up sheet
Are you talented? Are you tired of hiding it from the world? Then sign up for Royal High's beginning of the year Talent Show! There are a limited number of spots so hurry and sign up!
Ellie wondered if that's what they were practicing, and was not surprised to see their names written in cursive on the sign up sheet.
Ellie turned away and walked to a far away bench and opened up a letter from her mother that she'd received this morning, though her heart was not quite in it.
No way was she signing up for the talent show, Victoria and her friends were the most popular girls and school, so she knew everyone would love them.
Ellie heard the door open and they all walked out laughing and smiling.
They paused when they saw Ellie sitting on a bench with her head ducked low, staring fixedly at the letter in her hands.
"Oh, hey look. It's the ugly nobody." Hayley laughed as they all strutted towards her.
Ellie didn't look up.
"You know, we still don't know if she talks." Victoria said.
Ellie's heart raced.
"Oh, sorry. Where are my manners? If IT talks." Victoria said wickedly.
All the other girls laughed along with her.
Ellie wanted to say something, but couldn't bring herself to the words.
"Oh come on. Don't you talk?" Alexandra rolled her eyes.
Ellie didn't say anything.
"Geez, you really can't talk, can you?" Jayda scoffed.
Ellie remained quiet.
"Ugh, maybe were just wasting or limes." Monica said.
"Monica, it's time not limes." Victoria cringed.
"Either way we're wasting something." Monica said, shrugging.
"Seriously! Do you talk! Why the heck won't you talk?!" Victoria shouted.
Ellie hid her face.
"Maybe you're just too dumb to talk! Maybe that's it!" Victoria screamed, clearly angry then calmed herself.
"You're nothing, just so you know! You and your lame mom are worth nothing in this world! You're a disgrace to all royalty!" Victoria spat.
Ellie felt like she was stabbed in the heart.
"Don't you know that you're nothing? Huh?" Hayley taunted.
Ellie stood up, facing them, her brown eyes emitting a look that could kill.
"I may be nothing, but don't tell my mom she isn't! She's worth way more than me!" Ellie cried, then turned on the spot and ran back to her dorm.
For the longest time, Ellie cried in her pillow until she heard a knock at the door.
She quickly wiped her eyes and said, "Come in."
Sonali opened the door, looking worried.
"Where have you been? I've been looking for you for hours! What happened? Your eyes are red!" Sonali sat on Ellie's bed next to her.
"Well, Victoria was bothering me, and then she dissed my mother so I yelled at her then ran away crying." Ellie explained, tears threatening to consume her again.
Sonali hugged her.
"Your poor thing! Victoria is such a jerk!" Sonali growled. "C'mon. You must be hungry. Wanna go to the cafe really quickly to get something to eat?"
"I guess." Ellie said as to not hurt Sonali's feelings.
At the cafe, Sonali ordered them both a sandwich and bottled water.
Then she ordered them both a chocolate ice cream, more for Ellie than for her.
Ellie was about to swipe her card but Sonali stopped her.
"Nuh-uh. I'm paying. Put the card away." Sonali said.
"But-"
"Put it away." Sonali lectured.
Ellie retrieved her card and placed it in her bag.
They sat at a table and ate their sandwiches and ice cream, which undoubtedly made Ellie feel much better.
"Wanna walk around a bit? It's still pretty sunny out." Sonali asked once they finished their meal.
"Sure." Ellie replied.
They went outside and were met with a beautiful sight of a golden semi-setting sun and gray clouds swirling around it.
Ellie couldn't help but blush when she saw Prince Edward playing football with some of his friends.
"Oh, look. It's your crush Prince Edward." Sonali teased.
"Sonali!" Ellie blushed.
Prince Edward turned and saw Ellie he smiled then waved to her before focusing back on the game.
Ellie blushed and then waved back.
"Ells, can I call you that? He's so into you!" Sonali gushed.
"Sure, you can call me that, and no way is he into me." Ellie replied.
"Ells, he is sooo in love with you!" Sonali smiled.
After a long time of denying and insisting, Edward walked over to them, unnoticed by Ellie until he was standing there.
"Hey, Ellie. Who's your friend?" He asked.
"Hi, this is Sonali." Ellie smiled, sweating nervously.
"Hi, Sonali." He said, then smiled again at Ellie, and dashed off.
"Ells! He so likes you!" Sonali yelled, smiling like crazy.
"Yeah, right." Ellie replied, afraid he might've heard.
Later that night, Ellie laid in her bed, awake by all the thoughts that pulsed through her head.
She soon fell asleep only because exhaustion overwhelmed her, then fell into a calm sleep.