chapter 1

It was Friday evening, i had just gone off duty from where i work as a sales girl in a coffee shop

i took off my sales cap and apron and hanged it in my usual place. then i also made sure to clean the shop leaving it nice and sparky. now it was time to go home.

"ah what a long day!" i sighed tiredly

i puts on my jacket as it was Autumn and it was usually cold outside. i came out of the shop and locked it but not before i turned the little signboard hanged on the door from opened to closed .

while putting the key in my bag,my phone rang loudly, it was my best friend Jeanie,

i picked it up.

"hey Ellie..?"

"hey Jeanie how are you doing?" i said

"I'm good what bout you?"

"I'm fine,I'm about going home now"

"you done from your coffee shop?"

"yes, today was really a long and stressful day! I thought today would never end!"i stressed out

then I saw a taxi from afar and waved for it to stop .

"awwn! it must have been really stressful El... why don't you just quit working there?"

" what are you possibly saying Jeanie? you know this is the only way I get to meet end terms and provide for my mom and I?"

"Ellie... there are other things you could do that won't stress you out you know? and you know you could always ask me for money anytime and I would never refuse you"

i chuckled as the taxi stopped infront of me

"stop bragging rich kid!" i said

"hey Ellie!! you know I don't like you calling me that?" Jeanie said firmly

" I'm sorry... but aren't you a rich kid?? getting to live in your own house, eating all kinds of food you like, shopping almost every single day, that's what rich kid does right?"

then I told the taxi driver the location i was heading to and then got in.

"thanks for making it even worse " Jeanie said sarcastically and i laughed

"Jeanie? when we work hard to achieve something by ourselves, that is when we know the Worth of our labour" I motivated

"alright! alright! alright! that's enough and hey Ellie guess why I called you?"

then I placed my finger on my jaw acting as if I was thinking "hmm let me guess you've been invited to a party and you want me to join you" i said and i could hear her gasp through the phone

" OMG!! Ellie how did you even know what I was going to tell you without telling you yet!!? wait!! don't tell me you read minds now?"

"what do you mean by that? has there been anything I've been doing?"I said slightly frowning

" who knows??,with that long hair of yours anything could be possible!"

Jeanie was right, i had really long hair that makes people call me 'real life Rapunzel',it went down straight to my feet and anytime I cut it,it would grow back to its normal length in a week!.

it was so mysterious and it got me a little bit scared,so I once asked my mom if she knew anything or anyone related to me with such long hair

"it must be an ancestral inheritance" she would say.

tying it in a bun was the worst. sometimes I become so frustrated since the hair won't tie the way I want it, and then I'd just let it go but when I'll go outside,I'd immediately regret it.

everybody would be looking and I always hated to be the center of attraction.i could even hear them whispering. some would say that I was supposed to be in the guiness world record for the longest hair in the world.

some would even tell me that they wanted a picture with me like I was some kind of celebrity.

that was not even the worst, sometimes when I was entangled in a crowd, they would step on my hair and I could say that was the most painful thing ever!!

then after a lot of thinking,I decided to braid it down to the tip.that was more better!.

"Jeanie there's nothing I do, this is just how my hair is" i said

"alright so about the party, are you coming??"

"what's the date?"

"tommorow evening"she said

"what! Jeanie I won't be available tomorrow"

"why? I thought tommorow was supposed to be your day off?"

" I know! but it's the only time I got to spend with my mom, you know she needs me?" I protested

" Ellie stop being a Mama's girl!, remember she gave birth to you? I'm sure she would be able to take care of herself and beside it's just one day,is not like I'm taking you forever!"

" alright fine!! you win"

" yay!!"she giggled

" so what's the plan?"I asked

" ok I want you to be at my house at exactly 7:am in the morning"

" isn't that too early I mean you said it was an evening party?"

"Oh Ellie.... stop being old!,of course we will go to a spa and have a complete makeover to look beautiful and sexy, now let me tell you this? this party is for VIP only! luckily I was invited. so in this party? there would be a lot of rich billionaire guys and you won't know when you might find your prince charming so I want us to be looking our best! "

I sighed, this girl?? "alright 7:am it is!"I said surrendering

"now you rock bff!! ok talk to you later and oh! tell your mom I said hi bye!"

" bye!' she hanged up

I smiled slightly and then closed my eyes, I took my head back and rested it on the head seat.remembering some memories that I wished would fade away.

...

5 years ago

"happy birthday to you! happy birthday to you! happy birthday to my dear Ellie! happy birthday to you.....!"

Ellie flutters her eyes open to see her dad leaning on her face and singing Happy birthday song to her

"Daddy?" she called

"happy 17th birthday dear!"

"aww thank you Daddy!" she said with a sleepy voice while she closed her eyes back, she was still feeling very sleepy

"do not be a sleepyhead Ellie! get up its your birthday today! her dad grinned while patting her head

" but I'm feeling very sleepy" she whispered softly

while smiling,her dad leaned in even closer to her ears

" hmm is that so? not even when I have a surprise for you?"

hearing that, Ellie jolted her eyes fully open like she was never sleepy at all and she immediately got on from her bed.

"really?!" she asked with wide eyes, her dad laughed. "of course honey now come on you don't want to keep your surprise waiting"

he smiled while he extended his hand to her, then she took hold off it in hers and then he helped her get off the bed.

"now close your eyes dear!" he said

she nodded grinning from ear to ear and then she did as instructed, her dad wanted to make sure she does not see a thing beforehand so he blindfolded her with his hands. then he started guiding her slowly to where the surprise was and she made sure to follow her dad's lead so she doesn't kick or step into things . and after walking for some time, her Dad stopped making her halt too.

she immediately knew they were in front of the surprise, her heart started thumping with happiness and anticipation

"ready?" her dad whispered making her startle,was she ready yet?

"y _yes I'm ready!" she said

"ok then here comes your surprise... now open your eyes" her dad said taking her hand of her eyes

when she opened her eyes, she gasped in astonishment. there was a table set with a big cake with candles at the middle with a writing 'happy birthday Ellie'.

"WOW!!" she exclaimed

while she was still glancing at the cake, she didn't notice a big balloon tied on the ceiling over her head. her dad took a needle and peirced it into the balloon and then 'POP'

she got startled by the noise and Soon colourful shimmering things started falling on her

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" she heard people yelled and when she looked ,that was when she saw the people around her. there was her mom, her best friend Jeanie, some of her schoolmates which were Stacy, Emily and richard and then there was their neighbor who she had a crush on, David!!

seeing him, she blushed then she turned to her dad

"Daddy you could have told me you invited my friends,I could have put on some proper clothes"she complained

"but my dear you are on your pajamas,I don't see anything wrong about it infact you look even more beautiful this morning!" he smiled then suddenly he frowned as he glanced closely at her face

"what is it??" she asked

"well... I think you have a little Drool over here!" he said pointing at her cheeks

" what!!" she exclaimed as she tried to clean the area he was pointing at then he laughed

"kidding!... I was just teasing you, comon honey you look great!"

"oh daddy!!" she smiled relieving

then somebody held her shoulders and turned her around again, it was her mom!!

"happy birthday sweetie!" she smiled

"aww thank you Mommy!" she smiled back and then hugged her, after pulling from the hug. jeanie came towards her

"happy birthday bestie!"

"thank you Jeanie!" and they both bugged

the rest three wished her and then it was down to David, she blushed as he got closer to her.

"Ellie?.... happy birthday!." he spoke with the most lovely melancholy voice and her heart raced in anticipation of what was next and then it came.

he hugged her.

she closed her eyes to savour the feeling of being in her crush's arms, she just wanted to be there forever and when he pulled away she almost wanted to scream 'no' but she made sure to keep herself in check and not embarrass herself.

"ok! now it's time for the birthday girl to have her wish and cut the cake!"

her mom said pulling her back to the cake, she sat at the chair in front of the table and then smiled at everyone.

she closed her eyes with her palms folded together as she made her wish. after making the wish, she opened her eyes and then blow into the candles extinguishing the flame then she dragged the knife hanged on the cake down.