Elena's P.O.V.
Have you ever wanted to live in your own fairytale world?
A place without worries or pain, and a freedom that offers happiness. I know that I do, and I even imagine it every day like I was some child playing princess again.
Sometimes, the true reality can ruin your life. Hurt you. It can even break you; leaving you to put those shattered pieces together again. And just when you think that you've had enough, life gives you more, forcing you into a deadly fight between night and day - a war you must win, because if you don't. . . at least you died trying.
But hey, just because you're surrounded by water everywhere, doesn't necessarily mean that your destiny is to drown.
You could always swim, you know?
What I'm trying to say is, when the only thing you see is darkness, you know where the light is not. When your shadow disappears, you know where it's hiding.
But still, who doesn't want to live in their own fairytale world? A story filled with a pure bliss you enjoy to read over and over again. Just think about it, you could start from the very beginning, and even avoid the mistakes you've learned to live with.
And when I say 'fairytale', it doesn't necessarily have to be about knights, dragons or princesses. It doesn't matter what tale of fantasy it is, as long as it makes you happy, it's a fairytale.
You could say that I've read too many books for my own good, but who doesn't like a great story? Call me old-fashioned for adoring fairytales rather than some modern 'bad boy' story you find everywhere, I really don't care.
Fantasy is just so much better, and it's not because of Prince Charming or the cliché endings where the good always wins - no. I enjoy it because it's different from the reality. Different from all of our lives put together.
"Hello! Hazel from Earth calling Elena!"
And sometimes, there are people who are just different to the entire humankind - without even trying.
Although the frantic waving of my friend's hand reminded me of someone having a seizure, it successfully snapped me back to reality.
Blinking a couple of times, I looked away from the window and at the girl with the same eye color as her name. She wore a look of annoyance, which caused her to tap her finger on her golden, deep brown skin.
"Huh, did you say anything?" The confusion from my voice filled the air, which resulted in the curly-coated girl rolling her eyes.
Ah, I'm such a good friend.
"Have you even listened to anything I've said for the past ten minutes?" She waited for a reply - despite the fact that she knew the answer.
Before I could let a word slip out of my mouth, the school bell rang, making my blood-red lips curl up into a guilty smile.
"Sorta," we both knew that was a lie due to the uncertain tone in that one, little word. "You were talking about how much you love me, and then realizing that you are nowhere near my class."
A sigh escaped my friend's lips as she face-palmed, which made her big and corkscrew-like hair cover the annoyed expression on her soft features. "The day I as much as confess anything great about you, is the day I die."
Rolling my eyes at her statement, I followed her out of the cafeteria. "Please, I bet you're going to tell me how amazing I am tonight at the full moon."
"In your dreams, Campbell," Hazel's words were the last thing that was spoken before our breaths were knocked out like a punch in the stomach.
It wouldn't have been that difficult to breathe if it hadn't been for those icy blue eyes to our English teacher, Mr. Walter, who were glaring deadlier than a murder could ever do.
The students, on the other hand, offered us a look of sympathy, heck, they looked at us as if we were about to die.
I swear, I think I even heard the famous tune of Hunger Games filling the empty hope in this thick tension.
"Ms. Phillips and Ms. Campbell, you are both a minute late for class." His sharp tone could've stabbed someone to death, causing some of our fellow classmates to flinch. "I expect you to be at your desks right on time - not a minute or even a second later."
It was dead silent, not a whisper nor a breathing sound was to be heard through these multiple layers of fear in the air.
"Ms. Phillips, you can go and find your seat, but you, Campbell," the old man pointed his ancient finger at me, not even sparing a second glance at Hazel who left my side with a silent look that said 'good luck'. "I expect a five hundred words apology from you by tomorrow morning."
The injustice he was treating me with made my apple green eyes widen in surprise, and I did the horrible mistake by opening my mouth.
"What? That's unfair, you can't mean that!" I protested, looking at the man who I had grown to dislike since my first school day.
He pulled his round glasses down to show his cold eyes. "Fine, then. Thousand words it is."
I almost cursed out loud but managed to bite my tongue before I could cause more harm.
Good job, Elena.
"Am I clear, Ms. Campbell?"
Breathing angrily through my nose, I bit into the sour apple and nodded. "Yes, Mr. Walter." His name was poisonous on my tongue, and I tried to not gag as I spat it out like venom.
"Good, now sit down and don't be late next time." He pointed his finger at the empty desk next to Hazel, who was - as much as the other students were - dumbstruck by the attack of unfairness.
How is he even married? The philosophic question, that even God can't answer himself, filled my head as I walked to the safe zone.
***
I could hear my soul screaming for freedom when the bell rang. It was a beautiful melody that filled my ears, signalizing that the class was finally over.
However, the nightmare had yet to end as Mr. Walter stood by the door, handing out our essays with a couple of unnecessarily rude comments.
"Ms. Campbell," he handed me my worksheet. "You should begin with your apology letter quite soon."
After an intense glaring contest between each other, I took the paper and left.
"How is he even allowed to teach?" I said the moment Hazel and I were out of his radar. "He's practically Hitler's brother!"
My friend shook her head, a small chuckle escaping her lips as we reached the blue lockers. "At least he gave you an A," she nodded towards my essay.
"Don't tell me you're defending that dictator."
"I'm not, you idiot." Hazel scolded me, putting her books back into her locker. "I'm just saying that your grades aren't affected - no matter how much of a tyrant he is."
Mumbling some colorful words I learned in Spanish class, I roughly pulled out my gym bag. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I deserve to be treated like a left shoe."
"Why, are you so poor that you can't even buy an entire pair?" The shrill voice that belonged to the Ice Queen said, which was soon followed by a couple of fake laughters from the other Barbie dolls.
I didn't even bother to turn around as a roll of my eye was enough. "If you wanted to find the Devil, Annie, you could've just looked into the mirror, you know?" With that said, I closed the locker and leaned against it instead, facing the bully and her minions.
The red-haired girl gave me a stone cold glare through her dark blue eyes that burned with hatred. "How is hell, by the way? I heard they kicked you out of it." She snarled at me, pushing a fallen hair lock behind her ear to cover her horns.
"I don't know. It's your home, shouldn't you know about this?"
Her 'friends' stopped laughing momentarily, and it took a while before the girl in designer clothes could think of something to say back. It was a total fail considering that she settled down with a threat instead of a remark.
"Watch out, Campbell, or else I might do something you won't like." She threatened with a twitch in her eye, her heavily perfumed face coming dangerously close to mine.
"Please, the mere sight of you makes me want to jump off a cliff." I sneaked out through the little space between us. "Oh, and Annie? You better get some gum to ease off that breath of yours." Then, I turned around and did my usual victory walk towards the PE class.
"And she strikes again!" Hazel exclaimed, punching the air in the same way she does whenever I score a goal in my soccer matches.
***
The PE teacher, Ms. Smith, gathered all of the students in a circle by blowing her silver whistle loud enough for a dog to go deaf.
"Alright, children! Line up!" She shouted at us, wearing her usual red headband to get her boy-short, black hair out of the way while balancing a soccer ball on her hip. "You'll pair up and. . ."
I stopped paying attention to her words and mentally screamed in joy at the sight of the ball. Yes, maybe this day isn't as terrible as I thought it would be.
The teacher blew her shiny whistle again when she saw that no one was listening. "Unless you want to run ten laps around the school, I advise you to shut up!"
She didn't need to say that twice.
"Alright, I get that it's Friday and you want to go home or whatever, but it's still one hour left, so be quiet and listen." Her coal brown eyes began to wander around, measuring every student on the green field with a cold stare, causing the poor teenagers to sweat more than usual.
However, when her orbs settled on me, a proud smile stretched across her wrinkled features. "Well played, Elena."
I copied her smile, "Thank you, Ms. Smith." Was my reply to her compliment on my soccer game last night.
"Since you troublemakers obviously can't follow orders, I am going to pair you up instead of letting you do it by yourself." Groans of annoyance only threw more fuel on the fire. "Another word and you will all be running ten laps." That silenced them quicker than the speed of light.
Looking at Hazel, I prayed to the Lord to pair me up with her, but as usual, the universe was never on my side. In fact, the world was my opponent.
"Elena and Annie!" I had to bite my tongue to not beg her to change my partner.
A groan of annoyance crawled out of my lips, causing my friend to giggle quietly. "I'll see you on the other side." With a supposed comforting pat on my shoulder, Hazel left to find her partner.
"Ugh, of all people I could've been with, I'm stuck with you." The girl known for her rude comments said, spitting out the last word like venom.
"You do know that talking to yourself in an open field classifies you as a crazy person, right?" I retorted, kicking the black and white soccer ball up with the tip of my foot, playing with it.
"Show off," Annie mumbled and crossed her arms in front of her chest, not realizing that she wore the shirt on the wrong side. "You do know that you're just a stupid idiot, right?"
"Says the one who doesn't know how to dress correctly." I looked at her up and down, raising an eyebrow in a brilliant line. "Think fast!" I quickly passed her the ball before she could utter out a word.
She caught it gracefully, her face containing cuts of irritation. "Do you know what I think?"
I snorted, "Wait, think? Don't you need a brain for that?"
The deadly glare I received could literally cut right through somebody's eyes. "I think you're jealous of me."
And here we go again. . .
"I wouldn't blame you, though, I am, after all, the most popular girl this school has ever seen." She flipped her blood-like hair that matched the fire in hell. Afterward, she proceeded to give me an annoying smile that no one can stand without having the urge to wipe it off - with a table. "Not to mention, I have the greatest boyfriend and friends in the world!"
The odd tone coming out of her lipstick-covered lips made me raise an eyebrow.
Jeez, what a bragger.
"While you have nothing more than that loser."
Oh hell no.
I wasn't bothered by her words, they never truly affected me in the ways Annie wished they did. However, her last statement, on the other hand, hit the bone the red-haired girl had been aiming for.
She found my soft spot.
Rage was occupying every inch of my body, and I wanted nothing more than to throw all the insults, the rude comments and the sarcastic remarks at her, punch her with every thought that grew wild inside my head. But I knew better. I had to keep my head cold. Losing self-control would only satisfy the devil - and I was in no hell going to do that.
You know you're mad when you create a wordplay. Or is that just me?
With a fake smile plastered on my face that even Barbie would've believed, I tasted the words that were ready to defend my friend.
"You know what, I think it's the other way around. You are the one who's jealous of me. Whereas you have people swarming around you at all times, I actually have a friend; a person that is by my side at all costs - something you will never experience. You change your so-called 'friends' like you change your clothes. Maybe you should just stick to one designer, ever thought of that?" In Annie's ears, my words were nothing more than some mere insect you brush off. However, despite a mocking scoff leaving her lips, I could've sworn I saw a flinch cross her eyes.
Perhaps I stuck a cord, perhaps I didn't. The one thing that matters the most is that I defended Hazel.
"Well, at least I'm not some soccer freak and a sweaty tomboy who wears the same outfit every day!"
Rolling my eyes at her weak reply, I rested my hands on my hips. "Oh, honey boo boo, just because I play soccer doesn't automatically make me a tomboy - it's actually quite healthy! You should try it sometime instead of using some liposuction."
I also wanted to add that I do horse riding, play the piano and sing to ease off the soccer freak-comment but decided against it as her face was more than mortified by my words.
Annie's eyes twitched like she was possessed by some demon. Her face was red as a volcano that was about to burst, and if there had been anyone standing right next to her at this moment, I would've told them to seek cover.
Suddenly, with all of her strength, she kicked the soccer ball far, far away from the field. I was quite surprised - and impressed even - that she managed to kick it to the other side of the school.
Wow, perhaps she is possessed by some demon.
"Whoops," the red-haired girl gave me an 'innocent' shrug with her shoulder. "I guess I accidentally kicked it the wrong way. Now go and get it, nerd."
I take it back- that's the Devil talking.
Letting out a sigh of annoyance, I began to walk in the direction of the ball, ignoring the satisfied smile on Satan's face that I so wanted to wipe off.
Maybe this isn't my day after all. . .