SW~ Cotton Candy and Popcorn

I blink away a tear and fold the portrait back up.

"What is that?" Ella whispers curiously, looking over my shoulder. I look around at her and whisper, "Nothing". She narrows her eyes but sits back down as Missy starts talking. "Well class, since it seems that everyone is now here, let's start with the rules and all that other mumbo jumbo". As she explains the schedule for our school day, I rethink my decision. Why in the universe did I think that today, my life would be different?

Why!?!?

I'm mentally screaming and yelling at myself when I feel someone grab my shoulders and shake me. "Skye!" I blink my eyes awake and see Ella standing in front of me with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. I look at her with a confused expression. Ella gestures around the room. That's when I notice that there is nobody in here. All of my classmates and Missy are gone!

"Wh-what? Where?" I ask Ella groggily. She sighs. "Class ended 10 minutes ago Skye, everyone went to lunch"

"What!" I exclaim, amazed that I was scolding myself for 10 minutes (new personal record by the way). "Yes and I've been trying to get you grounded back in reality for 10 minutes too!" Ella says with a sly grin. "Well, it looked like it worked" I tell her. "What was that note about Skye? You can tell me anything you know" Ella's playful look changes to a worried one. I look at her innocently. She narrows her eyes again. Sighing, I reach into my desk and grab the folded-up note. Handing it slowly to her, I look at the floor.

Ella gasps. I look at her. "How on- I thought this was behind us!" My best friend suddenly got a defensive angry look on her face. "Whoever did this, will PAY!"

"No Ella" I say softly. She looks towards me and her angry look fades but the defensiveness stays. "I don't want to start trouble again" I explain to her. "Bu-but the trouble already started when someone drew this picture! How did this follow us? How did THEY follow us?" Ella argues. "I don't know but please, try not to start interrogating everyone in our class" I reply, looking her directly in the eyes. Rolling her eyes, Ella agrees to leave our class alone.

"Can we go to lunch now?" I ask, feeling suddenly hungry as I stand up. "Sure" Ella says, linking her arms with mine.

The lunchroom is loud with the usual teen nonsense. When Ella and I walk by tables to get to an empty one in the back, we get a different response. As we pass by, each table quietens, and everyone whispers and points to you know who. I sit down with Ella at our selected table and start to eat.

A girl around our age, with expensive clothes, walks up to us. I can already smell trouble because of her clothes and because she walks like either A) like she is trying to look like a model or B) someone trying to look like an irritable and bratty person. "Hello girls!" she says with a smile dripped in honey. "I'm Natalie Davis, my mom is Principal Davis you know" the girl says.

Guessing that she is choice "B". Great.

Taking a deep breath, I speak to her. "Hi, Natalie, what's up?" She smiles. "Oh, I just wanted to welcome you to the school. That's all" Natalie explains with a smile that says otherwise. I see Ella out of the corner of my eye slightly raise her eyebrows. "Well, Missy already welcomed us thank you. Will you be greeting everyone else as well? It is a new school year, you know" my bestie says with an edge in her voice.

Natalie looks at Ella with an unnerving smile.

"I just wanted to make sure that Skylie feels safe and normal here. That's all" the prissy girl says. I noticed she said "normal" a little weird and when she said it Ella tensed up even more. "Ok thank you" I say. Turning to look at Ella, I can still hear her heels clicking on the floor.

"Thank goodness, she is gone. She was giving me a headache. That's all! And what in the universe is Skylie?!?" Ella exclaims with a laugh. "I don't know" I say back to her.

*RIIIINNNNNNGGGGG* *TIME TO GET A MOVE ON* *RIIIINNNNNNGGGGG*

"Welp, let's try and survive through the rest of the day. Ma told me that we are going to the fair! She said we can get annnnyyyy food we want! ANY! And you know what that means?? Cotton candy and popcorn!" Ella says giggly.

Walking behind her I think of something I've always thought about. The Skatey family is amazing and sweet and always fun to be around. Just like cotton candy and popcorn.