Hey thanks for trying out this book. Normally I would just go straight into the story but you must be warned. So the reader can get the right feel of this book, I decided I would make this present tense, which I have never done before. If I make any mistakes in the tenses or anything, please point them out, thank you!
MirlyMe :)
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Ella storms out of the house, her eyes stinging from trying to hold back the tears. She never cries, even when she is on her own, Ella feels embarrassed whenever she lets the tears fall from her face. Should she turn back to her home at the end of the street and set things right? One thing Ella learned in life was to never give into an argument as tempting as it may be, so she agrees not to.
As Ella walks down the street with her red back pack with her, she tries to work out what she and her adopted mother, Pamela, were arguing about. It was not their first argument and Ella is almost certain it won’t be their last.
It’s at breakfast, when Ella just sits at the table, ready to gobble up whatever was set before her. Her expectations are met when Pamela places a mouth-watering scrambled egg on toast just in front of her nose. Like a dog, Ella licks her lips in delight and at the savoury smell of the warm bread and egg.
“You are going to need your strength today, so be sure to eat it all up,” Pamela recommends. Ella does as she is told because she knows she will need her strength. For she is going on a school trip today, it is a trip to Portugal where she would be gone for a week with her classmates.
It is something Ella had been looking forward to for months, a week of being in the sun as well as doing some rowing, kayaking, rock climbing and other sports. The best part of it is probably the fact her best friend Celia is going on the trip too. All the months of planning had lead up to this.
“Oh goodness, I almost forgot!” Pamela digs through her purse and pulls out a ten pound note before slipping it underneath Ella’s plate she was eating from.
Almost instantly, Ella pulls out the note and examines it. In the silence, Ella turns towards Pamela, waving the paper in her right hand. “Is this it?” she asks ungratefully.
Disgusted at Ella’s ungratefulness, Pamela tries to be reasonable with her. “That should be enough to buy some snacks in during the week in Portugal, all you need to do is convert it into Euros and then-“
“The school recommended twenty pounds at least,” Ella interrupts, still waving the money around.
“I’m sorry, but unlike other children, we don’t have that kind of money. It’s been hard enough paying for this trip in the first place,” Pamela explains. Ella sighs in frustration.
“When are you going to get a real job?” she asks.
This little question stabs Pamela badly; she is an artist, though not the most successful. With her oil pastels, she skilfully brings some paper to life. Nature was what she liked to work with mostly. As enjoyable as Pamela’s job was, it does not bring in too much money; she knows that and so does Ella. Her lack of dosh coming in was getting so bad that her adopted daughter had considered it as not a real job.
“I’m not much happier with money being problem than you are, but we are managing. We may not have luxuries but we have what we need,” Pamela smiles gently in attempt to be optimistic, but not so much it would irritate Ella.
“Before I was in the children’s home, I got football training every Friday after school,” Ella announces.
Her dream is to be part of Team GB’s girls’ football team for the Olympics. Before they died, her parents were very supportive of this and trained her every week so she could work hard and someday become a professional.
Things did not go so well when Ella’s mum died in a car crash when she was seven years old. In the misery at the loss of his beloved wife, her dad joined her by taking an over dose of some pills.
Whenever Ella tells her story, she receives sympathy from many, but she pushes it away. If there was one thing she did not want, it was sympathy. It made her feel weak; she likes to show she can survive on her own.
“I know you did and I would do the same, but I can’t,” Pamela apologetically responds. Ella sighs again.
“Why did you adopt me?” she asks. It was almost a year ago when Ella was adopted, but it has felt like quite a while since she was in the children’s home.
“It’s not like you didn’t have any say in it. You could have said no,” Pamela responds.
Ella stands up suddenly and looks down at her plate which no longer has food on it. “You know what?” there is silence due to Pamela’s lack of response. “Sometimes, I wish I did.”
The look on Pamela’s face when Ella says that spreads the feel of regret around Ella’s stomach. She can barely look at the middle aged woman’s glazed eyes, so she turns away and stomps out the room. Ella then decides she doesn’t want to be in the house at all and she just wants to go to school, even if she will get there fifteen minutes early.
Luckily, her suitcase is already at school, so she can leave in a hurry with just her red back pack. When she quickly leaves the house, she doesn’t bother shutting the door.
Ella suddenly stops in the middle of the pavement because she has suddenly remembered something she might have forgotten. She reaches for her neck so she can feel for her golden football necklace. It was something her mum and dad had given her as part of a promise she will be part of the girls’ football team for GB in the Olympics. As much as Pamela told her not to bring it on the trip, Ella insisted on taking it with her. She breathes a sigh of relief when she can feel the smooth flat circular shape below her neck.
She carries on treading towards her school, but not in any hurry. As she walks, she thinks again about the argument. Ella doesn't need to apologise and neither does Pamela. They argue a lot and whenever they do, the problem seems to be sorted out on its own. All they need is time apart, and then they come together as if nothing has happened. They didn't have to say one word about their argument.
When she decides that the argument would solve itself, Ella thinks about her trip instead and how much fun it would be with her friend Celia. They would be splashing each other as they kayaked, then they would dry off by sunbathing in the European sun. It was going to be the first time Ella had been outside the country since her parent's died. Because it was so long ago since she needed her passport, she had to get a new one.
Suddenly, a face Ella hopes she would not think about appears in her visions. It is an orange face with long red hair framing it at the sides. The name of the person who has this face is Tina who has been picking on Ella and Celia since Ella moved into the school a year ago. For some reason, Tina has many friends who laugh and encourage Tina as she spits her cruel words at her victims. What makes Tina so evil is how she smiles as she speaks. All Ella and Celia need to do is avoid Tina which doesn't seem too hard.
Ella continues walking as she drifts off into her own world. It is her favourite pass time. Whenever Pamela dragged her to an art gallery, Ella would cure her severe boredom by thinking about other things going on in the world or in another world. Sometimes she would find herself getting lost from Pamela going on ahead in excitement to see the artwork.
To Ella's relief, she reaches the school where there is a large coach in the drive. Many parents are standing with their son or daughter, ready to see them off. Some give their parents a nudge as a way of telling them to go away so they could avoid being embarrassed.
Ella scans the crowd of around 40 students to find Celia. It is pretty easy to find Celia despite how quiet she can be. Some black hair which has been beautifully braided is spotted by Ella which causes her to dash over to the girl. All Ella needs to do is tap the girl on the shoulder and she turns. Celia's dark brown eyes turn towards Ella before she embraces her good friend into a hug.
"Hey," she greets Ella. "Where is Pamela?" Celia is not usually very talkative, but Ella is probably the one person who can cure Celia's shyness.
"Oh... Pamela's just... You know..." Ella feels too ashamed to explain what happened that morning, Celia knows it.
"Another argument?" she asks. Ella nods gently, and then shrugs to show she doesn't care. Celia knows deep down inside her friend does care, but chooses not to argue with her.
A teacher blows a whistle which gets the students attention. He tells them that it is time to get onto the coach where they would head to the airport and off to Portugal. Ella turns towards Celia and gives her a quick nod. They had previously planned where they were going to sit on the coach because they did not want to put up with two hours of hell.
If they sat too near the front, they would be sitting near the teachers and the students that get travel sick easily. If they sat too near the back, they would have to put up with Tina and her friends. The two friends were definitely aiming for the middle.
When the teacher finishes making his speech, the students say quick goodbyes to their parents and start to get on the coach. Ella is determined to get a good seat and pushes her way through the crowd. If Ella wants something, she is going to get it no matter what it takes.
She reaches the coach and steps onto it. As she walks down the aisle, she takes a look at every pair of seats to see which ones have not already been taken. Ella beams when she finds two seats which were exactly in the middle: Perfect.
Ella grabs the seats by sitting on one and placing her bag on the other. She patiently waits for Celia to arrive on the coach. When she does, she looks around in search for Ella and smiles when she finds Ella sitting on some very good seats.
Ella sighs and takes her bag off the seat so Celia can sit down. Celia was not the kind to go for it when she wants something. If she wasn't happy, normally, she kept her mouth shut. Celia likes to keep the peace and if she just accepts whatever is hit at her, the peace can be maintained.
Up at the front, Tina steps onto the coach with her head held high. She looks right down the middle to the back of the bus. She had barely says a word and already the back of the bus is hers. That was how much power she had.
She slowly struts down the middle, approaching the back seats. As she does so, she eyes almost everyone in the seats either side of her. When she reaches Ella and Celia's level, she glares at them.
"Hey lesbians," she says to grab their attention. "Do us a favour and don't make out too much on the journey. It would just gross us out." She makes a painfully sweet smile at them before continuing her stroll to the back.
Ella violently shoves her back into her chair as she crosses her arms. Tina had spread a rumour around school about Ella and Celia being lesbians, but mostly Ella. It is all rooted towards the fact Ella ha short hair like a boy. A promise was made when Ella swore she would never grow her hair out since it was only a sign she had given into Tina's words.
But that is not the thing that makes Ella so angry; what makes Ella angry is what Tina has said to Celia several times. Tina has uttered many racist comments which have made Ella's blood boil. Despite the comments being about Celia and her black skin, she has never said or done anything. However, Ella found it much harder to resist the temptation of getting revenge.
"Don't listen to her," Celia begs. She hates to see Ella get angry.
Ella does as Celia says and let's it pass. Celia pulls out a book from her bag, ready to read in the journey while Ella gets out her iPod and puts in her ear phones. As the journey goes on, Ella drifts into a slumber causing the journey to go very quickly.
She is awakened by Celia who gives her a nudge to tell her it is time to get up because they are at the airport. Ella grabs her back pack and suitcase before heading to the airport.
After going through check in, security and a while of waiting around, they board the plane. Celia and Ella make sure they are seated next to each other. Ella stares out the window, looking at the tiny houses dotted below. The pressure in her ears builds up and reminds her of how she travelled with her mum and dad.
When the thrill of taking off is over, Ella sits and daydreams since she isn't tired enough to sleep. She thinks about what Tina said about Ella being a lesbian and wonders why people believe her. Many people's ways of 'proving it' were claiming that Ella has never had a boyfriend. This information is indeed, correct.
Ella finds boys cocky and irritating in their teens. They are overall a pointless distraction from what you truly want to succeed in life. This doesn't stop Ella from having the odd crush or two. Being fourteen years of age, it was still early days and Ella didn't need a boyfriend. Celia was simply too shy to talk to boys, Ella never knows if Celia has her eye on a boy or not because her friend is always so quiet. Ella didn't care much really.
She thinks about Tina and the many boyfriends she has had. Tina goes through boys the way Ella goes through socks. If she lost her partner, that was no problem, she would just go and pull out another boy. Ella couldn't even work out what guys found so attractive about her. It couldn't be her personality since it was so cruel and... bitchy. What about her looks then? Ella didn't think a make-up coated orange face was very nice. Ella sinks into her chair and tries to sleep again; some things are just too complicated for her to think about.
***
It takes a while but the school finally arrives at the campsite they will be staying at. There are little dark green cabins they all stay in. Inside the cabins are 4 rooms. Two 4 bed rooms and Two 2 bed rooms.
Just like before, Ella tries to find a good room for her and Celia to sleep in. Just as Ella pleases, Ella is able to nab a two bed room for her and Celia. Ella dumps her suitcase on the top bunk of the bed and slips her shoes off in relief that she has finally reached her destination.
"Do you two need a bit of alone time?" Tina asks when she walks past the open door. "Don't worry, I'll give you lovers some privacy," she lets out a chuckle and carries on walking.
Ella clenches her fists. "Come on, let's sort out our stuff," Celia suggests. Ella agrees, so they both begin to unpack. As they fold clothes and put them in draws, their tummies rumble, growling at them for food.
Luckily for them, food is about to be served. Ella and Celia rush out the door when they hear a bell from the canteen. They sit at the table and wait to be called up so they can collect their food. As soon as they collect their sausage and mash, they devour at it in a hurry as if a monster was going to grab their plates in 5 minutes and eat whatever's left.
The teacher makes an announcement again. He explains what activity the group is going to do first. It's rowing in boats out in the sea so the students are warned that they need to wear waterproofs.
Ella is bursting with excitement as she exits the canteen. Her first activity, she was definitely going to splash Celia as she promised. Tina however is not quite so enthusiastic and exits groaning and rolling her eyes.
After getting changed into waterproofs, Ella and Celia rush to the meeting place where they are going to begin their hike towards the sea. There is a five minute delay when Tina and her friends arrive late with an extra unnecessary coat of make-up. Ella snickered at what would happen if someone splashes their faces.
The class begins the hike and the boys are treading ahead, however, the girls stay further back. Ella and Celia try to keep up with the boys in front so they could avoid Tina's harsh words.
They make a lucky escape and arrive at the coast without even a glare from Tina. But it's not all over. The class are told to get into groups of three and enter one of the boats.
Ella and Celia do have friends, just not from this group of pupils on this trip. They instantly pair together and decide on taking whoever is left.
"Girls, stop talking! I think I will have to separate you if you can't listen to instructions," a member of staff catches Tina and her friends muttering when he is trying to tell what to do in the boats. "Oh look, there are two girls over there. They need an extra kid," he points at Ella and Celia's boat.
Ella crosses her fingers. 'Please not Tina. Please not Tina.'
Her begging is no use. "Tina, you can go with them," the man instructs. Ella sighs at her bad luck; it would be torture having to put up with her for one whole hour. Tina is not much happier about the grouping and treads towards the girls boat in a sulky manner.
The whole class is put into one giant boat with goes far into the sea; they can barely see the Portuguese land. Suddenly, the boat is stopped and the class is instructed to get on the boats in their groups.
They get into the little wooden boats and hold their paddles. Each group is given a little radio which tells them where they are and provides contact to all the other radios in the other boats. They are given a target and told that they need to find different buoys. They must tap all 9 buoys then go back to the main boat.
Ella, Celia and Tina row away into the distance until they can no longer see the main boat with the teachers on it. "Well, this is a good spot," Tina sinks into the boat and leans on her hands behind her head.
"What are you doing? We have a challenge you know..." Ella asks.
"Who says we have to do it? They can't make us can they? They don't have to know we didn't do anything. We can just doze off here then go back," Tina explains.
Her laziness frustrates Ella. "They will find out," she says.
"Who cares? You're such a goody-goody. Stop being scared of the teachers," Tina sits up; she is prepared for what Ella could possibly say to her.
"I'm not scared, I'm just not a lazy bugger like you," Ella smiles as her comment.
"How about you and your black lesbian friend do the rowing while I stay here," Tina suggests as she sinks back into the boat.
"You leave my friend out of it, she has a name you know," Ella is starting to feel angry with Tina and it could get much worse very quickly.
"Well... It's not like anyone cares what her name is..." Tina explains. That's it; Ella stands up along with Tina. Tina holds her hands out to keep her balance but Ella keeps her fists clenched and by her side.
"You can insult me as much as you like, but you dare say anything about my friend and you will regret it," Ella is about to snap any second, just one more word out of Tina would make Ella crack. Tina knows it so smiles wittily.
"Whatever you say, it's not like I care about how your friend feels..."
Ella's blood pressure had risen and she was ready to pounce. "That tears it!" she grits her teeth and grabs Tina neck, Tina gasps for air as Ella strangles her with no mercy.
"Stop! Please Ella!" Celia says her first words since the rowing started.
"Celia, she deserves it!" Ella responds. Celia can't stand there and watched this happens, so she grabs her friend’s legs and shakes them as a distraction. At the same time, Tina is trying to shove Ella away so she can have a little bit of air.
As Ella gets shaken around, the boat shakes too, more and more. In the end, it shakes so much that suddenly, the boat capsizes. Ella releases Tina's neck from her grip and treads water which is not needed much since she already has a life jacket on.
Ella sees a glimpse of Tina's face and bursts out laughing. Her make-up was falling down her face causing black trails to be formed down her cheeks from her eyes.
"Shut up!" Tina screeches in shame at her smudged make up.
"No way, this is just too hilarious!" Ella cries.
Now it was Tina's turn, she reaches forward and pushes Ella under the water. Ella attempts to push herself up, coughing and spluttering as the salter sea water gets in her mouth.
Celia feels there is no use stopping them and tries to turn the boat the right way up, she succeeds but there is still quite a bit of water inside it. Due to distractions from the fight, Celia had no idea where they were, so she reaches for the device so she can find out where she is.
She presses the button and waits for the information to come through. The screen stays completely blank. The water could not have been the cause of it, the radio was waterproof. Impatiently, Celia presses the button many times very quickly and still gets nothing.
"Um... Guys..." she tries to get the girls attention. They continue attempting to drown each other. She realises the only way she can get their attention is by yelling. "You two!" Celia yells at the top of her voice.
To her relief, they both finally turn in her direction. Celia gulps so she can make herself clear. "The radio is not working, I don't see any land and-"
"What's your point?" Tina interrupts.
"We're lost."