"My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. "
~ 2, Corinthians 12 : 9
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"I see you when you're down
And depressed, just a mess
..I see you when you run from the light
Within your eyes
I see you when you think I don't notice, all those scars"
~MISSIO, I see you
•
E L L O R A
THE two volumes of Nuclear Physics was not easy at all. Half of it went right over my head and trying to keep the rest half of it was as easy as trying to keep water in cupped hands.
Moreover, science changes everyday. And this book seems to not have changed a single word since the 1800s or something.
Although I don't know much of Nuclear Physics, even I can make out these theories and methods looks way older than today. I am pretty sure, nuclear scientists today use methods much, much advance than what is written here.
Nevertheless, I do as I am told just like always and study my ass of the whole night.
Like a zombie, next day, with bags under my eyes I attend my classes with a cup of coffee each time for support. Thank heavens Professor Langdon's classes are on three days in my schedule, and today is not one of those days. With the amount of brain that man possesses, he would have understood my problem with just a single glance.
I barely have lunch in cafeteria. I don't remember when was the last time I had sat in a cafeteria table with a group of people who I call friends.
Okay, the friends part NEVER.
Basically I have always been the loner. The weird loner.
Today should be no exception as well. My stomache is full with all the caffeine I had fed it since morning. So I don't bother with food when the bell rings for lunch. Exiting my class, I throw the long ago finished cup of latte in a trash can and stroll my way on the grounds towards my usual spot.
Its a huge tree at the farthest corner of the football field, partially hidden behind the stands. Moonsville has a single huge ass campus for school, college and university. And since I've never been to anywhere out of this town, that spot has always been my own. Since middle school. No one cares for the space behind the stands, people are usually more interested in the stands and the football field.
I have named the tree.
Nat.
Don't ask why.
I sit on the grass, lean against Nat and open the second book on Nuclear Physics for the hundreth time since yesterday. Why am I even surprised I still don't know half of the book yet...
I turn the yellowish, fragile, infinity times turned over, worn out first page as delicately as I can. And just like everytime since I've opened it, my eyes falls on the name written in black ink in cursive writing right above the title of the book. I have read this name every single time I've turned the first page, which is literally everytime I've opened the book.
Magnus Black.
It read. Whoever this Magnus Black person is, I need to thank him a thousand times over and more. There are small notes and meanings of words, words which I can't even pronounce, jotted down in the same cursive writing in almost every page. And the credit for whatever little I have managed to understand and learn from here definately goes to Mr. Black. I would have probably spend all my day searching through google if it hadn't been for him.
There is a slight breeze today which feels so good. Not even fifteen minutes pass, and I already find myself having to strain my eyes to keep them open. I have barely been able to manage one hour of sleep last night...so this was bound to happen.
Next I know I am in the peaceful world of dreamless sleep.
~
I wake up with a start at the feel of something slimy and very hot all over me.
Startled, I don't remember at first where I am at.
"Oops, didn't see ya." a sing-song female voice says.
"Its not your fault Mia. Its hers. She is practically non-existant." This is a male voice. A familiar one. One I haven't heard in ages.
With dread pooling at the pit of my stomach, I slowly turn around.
Michael Andrews.
Mia Steele.
Isabella Raymond.
Benjamin knox.
My dearest middle-school bully.
Like it usually goes, they are the four most popular and richest students of Moonsville since our primary days. The fact that they usually always keep to themselves, except when it comes to me, is absurd. The reason to which I still haven't managed to find out. I am nothing special.
I am not the best scholar and do not top classes like Michael does.
I am not the most popular girl in the cheerleeding team like Isabella is, heck I am not even in the cheerleading team.
I am not the best athlete slash runner in Moonsville like Mia is.
I am not a renowned singer in whole Moonsville like Benjamin is.
I am just me. Plain old me, without any talents. The reason behind their obsession with me, and me only, completely absolutely goes over my head.
I feel the slimy substance sliding down my face. I take it between my index and thumb finger and hold it up infront of me.
Sphaghetti.
Wow. Just. Brilliant.
There is sphaghetti all over me. There is spaghetti on my hair and face. My full-sleeved tee and red skirt is stained with the spaghetti sauce. And I know I smell of spaghetti all over.
Why? Why after all these years? Why after all this time in university when all of us have grown up to be mature adults?
They had stopped troubling me since tenth grade. I had been left in peace throughout high school and college. I thought they are done with me. I thought me ignoring them and not reacting the way they wanted me to had finally taken a toll on them and tired them out. Apparently I couldn't have been more wrong.
I feel pathetic as I stand up with spaghetti all over me infront of them. Because I know, even today I won't be able to answer back. I am just still as pitififul of a soul as I was back then.
"Why practically?" I hear Benjamin say in reply to Michael's comment.
I dust myself of the spaghetti, ignoring him.
"She is non-existant." Benjamin continues. "What has she ever done in life apart from hiding behind other girls and being an annoying little piece of shit? What purpose does she have to exist? She's just there increasing population in Moonsville. Why do you even exist Ellora Davis?"
"You forgot to mention sleeping, Ben." Isabella says staring at me with hatred. I wonder, where does she store so much of hatred within her? "Wasn't she sleeping just now? Who fucking sleeps during lunch?"
"Loners like Ellora Davis." Michael says. I feel his presence close behind my back. And the fact that he is behind me and I can't see him. makes me feel vulnerable.
However I ignore them and pretend to be busy dusting myself off the food, when in reality each and every word is hitting straight home.
Why does everything they are saying feel so true?
"You seem to have found a proper trash Bella." Michael says in a pretentious nonchalent sort of way. "And this coke does not seem as delicious as it had when I had bought it."
Before I even comprehended his words, I feel something biting cold hit my skin. A shiver runs down my spine at the cold as I abruptly turn around.
Did Michael Andrews just throw his chilling cold coke on me? I feel the cold air hit against my shirt at the back which is completely soaked to my skin.
Who even drinks coke in this weather in the first place?
Bullies who wants to drop it on other people just for the sake of bullying.
Yeah, right.
"Guys. Look." Mia says for the first time.
My heart drops to the pit of my stomache once again as I turn around and see Mia Steele holding Professor Langdon's books.
"No!" I exclaim for the first time as firmly as I can without stuttering. The cold drink all over my clothes has started taking its action. "G-give that back to me Mia."
"Oh, principessa speaks." Says Benjamin. He turns towards Mia, his eyes still on me,"Let me see Mia, what exactly has made our little piece of shit open her disgusting little mouth."
Mia hands them over to him.
"No! Not that." I struggle to keep my voice from shaking as the cold air hits my wet clothes with vigour. "Give me the book b-back Benjamin."
He takes a quick look at the title. Then looks up with a smirk, "Nuclear physics huh?"
"So you want to become smart too?" Michael says from somewhere behind me.
"Do you even know how 'smart' spells?" Isabella asks.
Ignoring all of them I keep my eyes only on the present bearer of my treasure. "For the last time Benjamin, give the book back to me." I say lowly clenching my teeth.
Did I scare any of them?
...who am I kidding?
"What do I get in return?" he says raising an eyebrow as his lips forms a dangerous smirk. Definately not scared at all. "I am on Instagram you know. Dm a picture of your tits, would ya?" His eyes lowers to my chest and then lowers further and his smirk broadens." Or maybe your pu-"
I grab the opportunity of his distraction and move to snatch the books from his hand.
At the speed of lightening he throws them somewhere behind me.
"No!" I scream turning around to find Michael dangling each book in each hand. "Careful please.." I warn, my eyes now desperately fixed on the books.
I hear snickers all around me.
I seriously do not care about my ego at this point. All I can think of is the well being of the books. I cannot even imagine a situation where I have to tell Professor Langdon, I haven't managed to take care of the only thing he has ever given me.
With eyes fixed on the dangling frail books, which looks like its going to be their last day, I advance towards Michael.
Once again it flies right above my head to somewhere behind me. Once again there is laughter all around.
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS GOING ON HERE!"
All the laughing stops abruptly. And Mia, current bearer of my books, startled drops them on the ground.
Without glancing back, I quickly make my way to the two frail looking volumes lying on the grass and pick them up.
"Professor, we were just - " starts Isabella at the same time as Michael starts,
"Proffesor, Ellora Davis was - "
"Shut the FUCK up!" The same voice growls.
"Mr. Blackwood you are -" Mia starts.
"Don't you understand simple English Mia Steele?"
Shutting out everyone and everything else, I sit on the grass with folded knees and examine the books.
I release a sigh. Atleast the books are in one piece.
My pride isn't however.
Rubbing my eyes hard to get rid of the betraying tears, I stand up carefully carrying the books.
I feel a warm presence instantly infront of me.
"Are you alright Ellora?" he asks in a surprisingly calm voice.
I look up at Marshall Blackwood. He is looking at me with genuine concern etched across his face. I release a dismantled breath hugging proffessor Langdon's books tightly to my bosom.
I nod at Mr. Blackwood.
"No you're not." he says. "You're shivering..and is that spaghetti -" he stops abruptly as realisation dawns on him. He clenches his jaw and turns back towards Michael and company.
"The spaghetti all over Ellora..does it belong to any of you?" he asks in a cold steady voice. Another shiver passes down my spine as I stand behind Mr. Blackwood and wish desperately for the ground to engulf me.
"Professor we can explain -"
"That is not the answer to my question Andrews."
Isabella throws me a dirty look before saying quietly, "Yes."
"Does the coke on her belong to any of you?"
There is a pause as all four of them stare stoicly at him
"I do not have all day." Mr. Blackwood says harshly.
Finally Michael answers with a barely audible yes.
"Do you know the gravity of the crime you've commited? I can expel you, all of you on the grounds of bullying." Mr. Blackwood's voice is just as cold. He is no more the warm humorous person I had gone on a date with. He continues, "Get out of my sight all four of you. Wait at the doorstep of my office, and do not even think of disobeying."
I cannot see what they do next as Mr. Blackwood faces me, blocking my vision of them.
His face visibly softens. "You're shivering Ellora.."
Before I can protest he opens his black pea coat and wraps it around my shivering frame. For a moment I am engulfed in his cologne. He definately uses an expensive one....it smells artificial. Not the scent of nature that Professor Langdon uses.
"T-thank - "
"Do not utter a word more Ellora. Not before you are sitting infront of a heater with a hot chocolate in my office." I am surprised at his ordering tone. But the combination of hot chocolate and heater sounds too good to refrain.
"Here.." he motions forwards towards common grounds. I follow him without a word.
Something catches my sight. Rather someone. My lips part with surprise..as well as shock.
Professor Langdon is standing beside the stands with his trademark impassive expresion.
The last thing I see before he is out of sight, is, his hands clenched in a tight punch at his sides, his knuckles white with all the force he is using. And he is staring straight at us.
Did he see the whole scenario?
Then why didn't he step up?
Why did he wait for me to get tortured further?
And why the hell am I.....
...hurt?
> > > > > > > > > > > >
Mixed feelings huh? Does that mean Ellora is developing feelings or liking for our Dark Scientist? *wiggling eyebrows with excitement as if none of you know the answer to that*
Isn't Mr. Blackwood just a complete absolute gentleman? <3
Ellora was right. If our Dark Scientist did see the whole thing, why didn't he step up to rescue her?
Don't forget to press the ☆ button and make someone's day. And comment pleasee, I would LOVE to hear from you.
Yours truly,
Ms. WigglingEyebrows