✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

1

"How's your day been?" Lizzie, my best friend, asks as we walk down the tiled school floor to our next class. I blow out a breath and shrug.

"Like every other one," I reply in a monotone voice. Someone bumps into my shoulder, causing me to stumble a little.

"Watch it," Kate snaps. Glancing at her, I sigh with pity. Kate is one of those girls who is nice to you most of the time, but you would never trust her with valuable information, because you know she'd tell someone in her trance of craving to keep her popularity status.

"Right," I reply, rolling my eyes and shoving past her annoying friends as they give me judging glances. I'm used to the looks by now, pretty much every high-schooler gets one, that's just how it goes. Plus, I like to think I've given up caring what other people think of me. Some days I prove myself wrong, but most days I'm pretty much done with all the drama.

"She used to be so nice," Lizzie remarks, glancing back at Kate, who's laughing with her friends, who are probably just as fake as her. "I wonder what went wrong."

"High school," I say simply, and Lizzie nods solemnly in response.

I used to be friends with a lot of the kids I don't like now. Time changes people, we all adapt around each other. Then, when you stop hanging around the bad ones, we stop adapting to them and start to become more of our own people.

When I was younger I used to sit and wonder why my dad left, I would cry in my room when everyone thought I was just reading or sleeping. I would actually wish every night that he would come back, and care about me. I would try to do things that might make him proud, like I had something to prove to him. But I have nothing to prove to someone who left me. I've moved on, adapted without him, and I'm not about to let someone I barely remember change me.

-

Like every other day, I end up at home, curled up on my couch doing homework, facetiming Lizzie.

"I can't figure out E," she says, flopping back onto her bed dramatically. I laugh and check my answer for E, helping her figure it out. Lizzie is smart, but she tends to get frustrated with school quickly. Not unlike myself, really. After finishing our schoolwork we talk about anything and everything for a while. Lizzie and I have been best friends since kindergarten, so it's as easy as breathing for us to carry a conversation, even when there is nothing to talk about. But after about half an hour I figure I should get up and workout. One glance at the clock tells me I'm right and should go run before I get hungry or lose motivation.

"I have to go Liz, I need to run before I get too comfy here."

Lizzie sighs but nods, picking up her phone to wave goodbye to end the call.

After changing into a pair of leggings, a long sleeve and warm socks, I'm ready to brave the winter. I could run on our treadmill, but it's just so incredibly boring running towards the same wall for 20 or more minutes. I can barely stand it, even with music. I usually have to listen to music that makes me feel like I'm in a movie trailer, running away from bad guys, to be able to stay sharp on it.

My feet tread lightly down the stairs into my open living room and kitchen as I head to the big mirror above my couch. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, my ears come into view. I suck in a silent breath at the sight. Is it just me, or are they more pointy than they were yesterday? What is happening.

I reach up and feel my ear, following it up as the part that's supposed to be rounded is bent up, like someone warped the tip of my ear by grabbing it and tugging. I swallow the confusion that has made its way to my throat and put on fuzzy earmuffs. I'm sure I'm just imagining it. It's nothing. I mean, whose ears change shape? No ones. It must just be all those books I read getting to my head. I think I read so many adventure books because I want an adventure in my boring life so bad. Just something to break up the every day boredom would be great. I smile to myself. Maybe I'll just be dramatic and pretend something is happening to me. Then I can at least pretend something interesting is happening in my life.

I only run two miles around my block, grateful that I wore gloves and earmuffs. The wind had died down, but the 30 degree air does make my nose red and runny by the time I get home.

Time for some hot chocolate.

-

"So how was school?" Mom asks at the dinner table. I shrug, swallowing the pork fried rice in my mouth. I was ecstatic when mom brought Chinese food home. I love Chinese food. I mean, who doesn't?

"Normal," I reply, "like every other day."

"Hey, at least tomorrow is Thursday. Only two more days until the weekend!"

I smile, appreciating my moms attempt to make me excited to get through Thursday and Friday. So to make her feel better I chuckle a little and nod, biting off a piece of sesame chicken.

"Yep!"

It's only two days after all.

-

The night is really dark, the clouds covering any sign of the moon. Which is good, because I often have trouble sleeping. It usually takes about30 minutes for me to actually fall asleep. But as I lie in my bed under my heavy comforter, thoughts just keep swirling around in my brain. Why is my hair so blonde suddenly? Are my ears actually pointy or am I just going insane? Or am I just so desperate for some change of scenery that I'm making things up in my head? I decide to conclude on the latter one, because... Well, any other conclusion would be ridiculous.  I'm just like every other Mia in the world.

Shut up! I yell in my head to all the thoughts swirling like a hurricane. But of course, they don't. So I open my eyes and look around my room, letting my eyes adjust to the shifting dark. The window above my bed sheds the tiniest bit of moonlight into my room, allowing me to see the desk next to my bed, my closet filled with clothes, and my bookshelf on the other side of the room.

Sighing with knowing obligation, I push myself out of bed, shivering as the warmth of my covers leaves me. As quickly as I can I run to my bookshelf, grab the book I'm currently reading, and jump back under the covers, pulling them over my already cold arms. After quickly flicking on the reading light perched above my bed I settle down and read for who knows how long.

Eventually, finally, sleep pulls me under.

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Yay, chapter one! hope you all like it so far. I can't wait for these next few chapters:) If you're reading this, thank you. I know it feels odd to read a book with barely any reads, so thanks, I really appreciate you. ALSO, I know there isn't a lot of personality to Mia right now, I promise after a few more chapters you'll start to get to know her more. I did start this book when I was 16, so don't judge the first few chapters😭

Don't forget to vote too!

-Avery<3