Ella and Lottie

Les-bean-an

Chapter 1Ella

My eyes skimmed over notes. My hand, aching, scrawled another formula, my writing becoming harder and harder to read as I wrote more. I dropped my pen and rubbed my sleepy eyes, blinking hard to stop the low quiet lull of the book-filled room and the daze of boring work to rock me to sleep. The neatly typed print of my thick maths book blurred, the numbers and shapes waving magically as my eyelids drooped. It was propped open in front of me with one of my hands jammed in the middle to stop the monstrously heavy book from closing, my fingers strained with the effort to keep it open. I picked up my black erasable pen with aching fingers to finish the last few diagrams.

A soft scrap seared through my train of thought but I quickly picked up the mathematical equations off the floor of my brain and scribbled them down, trying once more to keep up a certain level if not of tidiness then legibility. I squinted harder at the tiny print below the parallelogram I was currently figuring out the radial symmetry of when I felt the soft brush of fingertips across my back. Startled, I jerked my head upwards the world blurred as my glasses slid down my nose. I shoved my glasses up and swept aside a curtain of my hair.

"Hey there, busy bee," Lottie was half perched on the table in front of me. She smiled and her catlike green eyes twinkled mischievously. My heart skipped a beat - What was she doing here? She was in the year below and wasn't allowed in the library today. It wasn't as if it was packed though. I scanned the deserted room before settling my gaze on the librarian. Her disapproving gaze held a certain affection but nevertheless, we needed to leave.

"Sorry," I flashed an apologetic smile as I gathered my books and dragged Lottie into the corridor. I placed my stern gaze on her, I tried not to notice how the window behind her made the tips of her crazy red hair turn to gold and dance about as if on fire or how the window also made her eyes a deeper darker green as they twinkled cheekily at me. She caught my hand and we strolled down the corridor. Lottie was on the verge of giggling hysterically but calmed herself before apologising.

"Sorry," she caught a tuft of my hair and tucked it gently behind my ear. My breath caught as she slowly drew her hand away. "I am truly sorry that I got you in trouble Ella but I couldn't wait to tell you that I finally decided on what I'm gonna do next year," her eyes that dancing and twinkling with glee belied her apology but I didn't care. She was practically bouncing on her heels with excitement.

"Lottie!" I knew my faked exasperated tone couldn't fool Lottie. Of course, she was better than my maths homework. She was better than just about anything - but I couldn't tell her that. I heaved a sigh, "I was busy."

She waved off my feeble attempt at excuses, "Okay, I know but since you're mad at me I won't scold you for calling me Lottie, again. So call it even!" I smiled, Lottie could always make me smile. I tugged lightly on her fiery braid. She wanted me to call her Charlotte because she wanted to seem grown up but she hadn't changed her twin braid hairstyle since she had grown out her hair long enough to plait them.

"Oh, I'm not mad, Lottie. I couldn't be mad at you," I beamed at her and stammered on to change the mood. "But you did, remind me I mean and you can't make me not call you Lottie. And scold me what am I four? And I've called you Lottie since I was four. Don't grow up too fast!"

"I'm not, but such a lot of things have changed since then," she laced her fingers through mine as she said it. I felt a little shock go through me as she held my hand. "We've changed so much." I sighed, Lottie had no idea how true this was. Over the last few years I had wanted more than our friendship but I had always known it was not something she reciprocated. It was the one thing that divided us, the invisible barrier that was stronger than age or distance. I just wished things could be different. That she could feel the same way about me...