[ððððððð ðððð : ðððððð ðð ððð ððððððððð]
" ðððð ðð ððð ðððð? ðð
ððð ðððð ððð ððð ðððð? "
â¯â¯â¯
ðððð ððð ððð ððððð ððð when she first found out how cruel the world could be.
They had just moved to New York and her parents had taken her out of her old dance academy and enrolled her into Melrose.
When she walked into her first class, she didn't even notice how all the girls were white.
But they noticed she wasn't.
When she moved to the bar to stretch, she heard the girl behind her whisper, "I didn't know they let terrorists into this class."
Ella remembered her heart had stopped, and she had to refrain from turning around. She couldn't look them in the eye when they said that. She just couldn't, but still tears pricked at her eyes when she heard the other girl laugh.
"She probably had a bomb in that duffel bag right now. I'm so asking my mom to switch classes."
Ella stopped and looked around at all the girls who were whispering and looking right at her. Her heart was beating so rapidly she swore it was going to fall out of her chest, and for some reason she couldn't breathe. How could girls be so mean? How could they say things like that about someone else?
Before she knew it, her feet began to run.
Today she saw herself running again. She flew down the halls until suddenly she found herself outside in the courtyard. The first bell rung inside, but there was no way she was going back inside there.
A soft tear trickled down her cheek, and her breathing hitched as she sat down on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest.
How could someone do this to her? How could they be so cruel?
Ella took out her phone once again and looked at the awful pictures once more. She was disgusted and embarrassed seeing herself like this. The captions were even worse,
"Look who thinks she's so much better than us. I guess not."
"'I would never do drugs' she says."
"Time to get off your high horse, attention whore."
Ella's heart broke. She could never go back into that school. Now when everyone now probably has a saved video of her puking on someone, and what if the dean got word of this.
There is a strict no alcohol and drug use rule, and if she saw it was being posted online she could be expelled.
Ella perked up when she heard the door open, "I'll be inside soon. I just need a minute." She called without turning around.
"Ella?" Theo tapped her shoulder, and she looked up at him.
"Theo?" Ella stood up and immediately hugged him.
"What's wrong?"
"You mean you don't know? Look at this." She showed him her phone. Theo's eyes widened as he scrolled through.
"Please tell me she didn't-" He stopped himself and Ella took her phone from him.
"What do you mean? Do you know who did this?" She asked him accusingly, but he just crossed his arms.
"No, sorry I don't." He answered.
"Yes you do. Tell me!" She suddenly shoved his shoulders, and he stumbled backwards.
"Stop-"
"You have to tell me, Theo, please." She grabbed both his shoulders and looked him in the eye. This was it. If he really felt the same way she did then he'd tell her right. He wouldn't want to cause her this pain.
"I don't know, Ella." He answered sternly, his jaw set. Before she knew she had slapped him clean across the face, tears blurring her vision, and she pushed past him leaving.
Theo stood there feeling empty. He did care for Ella, more than he let himself believe, but he couldn't tell her. In this life, aristocrats protected each other. He learned that from his own parent's experiences.
And if this was what Bethany chose to do, he'd choose her future of Ella's even if he hated to admit it.