Ella strutted her stuff as she walked into the packed court room. Outside the courtroom and along the corridors were people from the community. Today being the final trial, every reporter on every news channel was present. They all stared at her and started to gossip loudly. Ella held her head up high and walked to a vacant bench in the middle of the court room. Her father and mother followed behind.She looked at the empty stand and her hand shook as she remembered when she had taken the stand. She clasped her hands together and places them in her lap.She had chosen to wear a floral, long sleeved dress with a scarf tied in her hair. She matched her outfit with a silver stiletto, diamanté sandal.She had gotten her nails freshly done on the way to the hearing. They were floral just like her outfit. Her make up was applied flawlessly and her pink lipgloss made her stand out. She looked like a Barbie doll.She knew that journalists snapped pictures of her secretly and so did the boy sh
Ella's eyes were now drawn to Brook who was rolling her eyes at the district attorney. Ella watched her blow bubbles with her colourless bubblegum. "Miss Wilds. Spit out that gum. This is a courtroom, not your mother's living room!" The judge scolded her." Your attitude is painting the picture of your arrogance."Brook looked at the judge as if she was interested in her babbling. She took out the bubblegum from her mouth and held it between her fingers. Mrs Freeman leaned over with a warning look and whispered in her ear.Brook rolled her eyes at her attorney and rolled the him between her fingers, flicking it towards the bin. It never reached the bin and was dropped a few steps before it's destination. Brook shrugged and frowned her lips mockingly.This was being filmed live and pictures were being snapped rapidly of her arrogant behaviour.The judge looked at her disapprovingly but asked Miss Sting to continue."My dear colleagues, jury members, family and good friends. You have se
"Are you alright, Mr Style's?" Mrs Sting asked him as she took a few steps closer to the stand. Her heels clicking on the tiled floor made people hold their breath. Bobby's throat went dry but he nodded in response as he clasped his hands together in his lap to stop them from trembling."Alright then, shall we proceed?" Mrs Sting asked him. She knew she was just jerking his brain a bit by asking him for permission.She didn't really need his permission, she just wanted to make j comfortable enough to tell the entire truth. She was tired of this back and forth game.Bobby nodded again."Mr Bobby Styles. The version of events you had given me on the night of Miss Summer Ray, the deceased, did not quite match the statements of the witnesses." Mrs Sting stood directly in front of him now," please can you tell us your statement once more."Bobby cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak but only a squeak came out.His face reddened with embarrassment.Mrs Sting picked up a jug fr
"No." Bobby shouted loudly as his eyes welled up with tears." I did love her. I was just tempted.""Place your hand on the Bible and take an oath. Today we want the truth , the whole truth and nothing but the truth!" Mrs Freeman snapped at him as she gestured to the policeman to continue with his job. " Unless you want us to get a priest in here to make you take and oath?"Bobby shook his head. He placed his hand on the Bible and took the oath. He knew that he wasn't going to speak the truth and try to worm his way out so he crossed his toes in his shoe. He knew it was a bit childish but he always did that at home when he lied. It made him feel less guilty." Mr Bobby Styles, you state that you loved Miss Summer Ray?The decease." Mrs Sting questioned."Yes." He nodded."But you did not look for her? And you assumed she went home?" "Yes." He nodded again." Did you call her home? This information you had stated in your first court appearance." Mrs Sting cracked her knuckles. This was
" Where did you get the alcohol from, Mr Style's?" Mrs Sting asked. " Brook had given me from her father's cabinet. " Bobby replied." I only had a few glasses of it and within an hour I was feeling dizzy."He could feel Brook's gaze on him but he was now already in too deep. He remembered his mother's words and clasped his hands together. " So you drank, felt dizzy and fell off to sleep?" Mrs Sting rubbed her chin."Not exactly." Bobby said nervously. He had told his parents that he was not doing anything that was inappropriate. He did tell them he kissed and touched but the actual act of sexual intercourse was forbidden until he got married. He knew once he said this , his parents would know that Mrs Star was not lying." Can you please be clear, Mr Style's!" Mrs Sting was direct and stern. She hated it when people beat around the bush. It made her angry." We were intimate but I used protection." Bobby squeezed his hands in his lap."And then you fell asleep?" Mrs Sting asked."Ye
" So the deceased was not your friend and you did go looking for her or even call?" Mrs Sting asked." This is all from your previous statement.Brook sat still. She looked baffled and started to stammer....", I......I......er...."Brook looked at Mrs Freeman and acknowledged her nod." Summer Ray. Was not my friend. I did not even like her. I did not call her house, I did not even look for her when she was missing. I just enjoyed myself at the homecoming ball. If she had left, that was none of my business." Brook burst out."I rest my case." Mrs Sting said taking a seat. " It seems to be apparent that the both of you are definitely hiding something. Blaming each other."Before the judge could bang her gavel on the desk the court room doors flew open and in marched officer Duke.Ella felt her heart flutter when she looked at him.He had a clear plastic with one glass slipper."Apologies your worship. But I have found new evidence for the case."He placed the package on the judges desk
Captain Wilds was handcuffed and he was lead out of the courtroom. Mrs Wilds rose from her chair, turning her back on her daughter."Mom." Brook cried out but her mother ignored her cries and exited the courtroom."This is all because of you, Summer." She screamed loudly and pointed at Ella. " You will pay."Mrs Sting stood in front of Brook. " It is apparent that you are not in the right frame of mind. That is why we had a psychiatrist sit in the room with us today."A policewomen walked in and handed an envelope to the judge who opened it and had a brief look before speaking." Miss Sting, before we get the opinion of the psychiatrist, I have received the results of the report that Miss Wilds had furnished earlier."Mrs Sting nodded."The attached report has been checked by the medical practitioner who had issued it. He declares that he had done no such report, he does not know the client in question and will be proceeding with a case of fraud." The judge read it out slowly so that t
"Mrs Susan Ray. Mother of the late Miss Summer Ray and step mother to Miss Ella Woods. Ex wife of Mr Patrick Ray." Mrs Ray said loudly. She hated the words ex but she was playing the part of her deranged sister and had no choice."You may have a seat." Mrs Sting advised. " There you have it fellow jury members. Mrs Ray is alive and well. She is here for justice for her daughter's death. She was on the stand previously under oath and here she is again being questioned about her identity because of our suspect having a mental disorder.""She is an imposter. I saw Mrs Ray die." Brook screamed."This is another one of her multiple personalities. She is choosing to believe that she saw Mrs Ray being killed so that her story becomes plausible." Mrs Manning looked at the jury."When did you see her die and how?" Mrs Sting was baiting her."I saw her. Two weeks ago, after the first court hearing. We were all at the blood moon sacrifice. Summer was there as well." Brook pointed at Ella." Mrs R
"Trust you?" Ella choked out. She was a mix between furious and panicked. She was worried about Tyler , scared of Brook and now the person that betrayed her is asking her to trust him."Yes. Ella. I am sorry. I know I can't change the past but I can protect you now." Bobby inched his way closer to her." My sister wouldn't have needed protecting if you just stayed faithful to her. "Ella stepped back.From the corner of her eyes, she watched Brook start to sit up on the ground. " Her heart pounded in her chest and her hands shook.She started to bang the gym door frantically, screaming for Tyler." No one is coming for you Ella. Trust me. I will keep you safe from Brook. " Bobby grabbed her arm tightly.Ella screamed loudly as he began to pull her towards the forest behind the university.A loud bang, the gym doors swung open and a large silver grey beast jumped out. He sprinted across the park and toppled Bobby onto the grass.Those green eyes were unmistakable.Bobby let out a large
Three o clock came and Ella walked to the library. She felt like a disgrace for not being a team player and letting Tyler do all the work. She decided that although she didn't like him, she would just have to stick it out. Maybe she is wrong about him but only time will tell."Ella. You are being weird. I don't know why you don't like Tyler but eventually it will affect your grades." Mary stood behind Ella who was standing outside the library doors and looking in."Mary. It isn't what it seems." Ella said as she struggled to move her feet into the library. It was if her legs were jelly. Her mind was unwilling to go in no matter how much she persuaded herself."Oh no. Not this again. My Luna had been suppressed for so long and now I had to have a trigger." Ella thought to herself."Ella. We don't have all afternoon. If your aren't going to go in atleast step aside. Justin and I have an assignment to do." Mary snapped.Ella drew in a deep breath, calming her nerves. Her legs had now re
"A literary passage is an excerpt from a written text. It can be as long as a chapter, or as short as a sentence. Usually, the length of a literary passage is several paragraphs long. This excerpt can be any genre of literature, from poetry to fiction." Tyler answered the question.Ella thought that he sounded like a web browser."Thank you, Mr Style's. That is the correct answer." Mrs Moore clapped again." I guess we have two A grade students sitting next to each other. I am sure you two will get on like a house on fire."Ella rolled her eyes at that statement. There was no way she was going to be friends or even an acquaintance with him.Tyler smiled and looked at Ella who just stared at him coldly. There was tension in the air between them."Let us now dig deeper into the passage. What is this passage about? Who wrote it? Why do you think he wrote it? Does it have a deeper meaning?" Mrs Moore asked.The only two people who actually answered the questions were Tyler and Ella. "You
Ella's blood froze in her body when she heard the words that flowed out of Annie's mouth.Annie was apologetic but Ella was now growing angrier by the second. Annie had gone back on her word.She was supposed to make sure that Bobby, Brook and Jason spent their entire five year sentence in prison and rehab.Bobby and Brook were let off on good behaviour while Jason was on parole.Ella's fists clenched as she disconnected the call.She wondered if that was Bobby or just the boy she had met.Monday morning Ella reached her class and took her seat. Everyone was silent and Mrs Moore called someone in from outside of the class."Meet Mr Style's Tyler Styles.He had just transferred in from another college to complete his final year of journalism with us."Everyone greeted in unison and he nodded back at them.Ella knew that this was the boy from Salt Rock and it irritated her."Please have a seat next to Ella." Mrs Moore pointed to Ella.His surname made her stare at him coldly. She wonder
"Ella. Will you be my girlfriend." Scott whispered lovingly in her ear."This can't be." Ella mumbled to herself.Scott stepped away when he heard those words. He didn't stand a chance to be her boyfriend and she made it quite clear. He didn't want to offend her again by being in her presence after asking her such a question. Her answer was quite clear and Scott walked away.James followed Scott while Mary excused herself to go to the ladies.Ella stood frozen in place.It was dark where she had seen that familiar figure. She rubbed her eyes thinking that she was mistaken but those features were unmistakable. She looked at her phone and up again but the familiar face she had seen was now gone.Her throat was dry and her palms were sweaty.She weaved her way through the crowd to get a closer look at where she had seen that person she thought she knew so long ago.As people danced, Ella tried to maneuver her way through the basketball pitch without getting bumped. She had finally made i
*Three years later*Ella had forgotten about her revenge, she reminisced about the homecoming dance at Palm beach high as she touched the large trophy on the shelf in her dorm room. Although the university was a half an hour drive from her home, she opted to stay at the university. She thought that she would get more work done here than she did at home.She only had this to complete before she would do her practicals at the Palm newspaper firm.She now wondered if she ever did want to be a lawyer or was she just living in some fantasy.She felt as if she had sacrificed too much of herself.Although many boys at the university tried to date her, Ella wasn't much of the dating type. Most of them just wanted a quick fling or a long-term relationship that would probably end up in marriage. It was three years and Annie and Ella had drifted apart. Annie took up the full time job of being the management at the hotel and both their lives had become equally busy.Annie had even stopped tortu
Ella faked a smile. That afternoon she went home with a glum look on her face."Why the long face, Ella bear?" Patrick asked. He was concerned by her almost lethargic behaviour."The day I hate the most us tomorrow." Ella said as she dragged her bag behind her."I am guessing that it is the homecoming dance. We host it every year Ella. I think it will be good for you to go. You get a second chance . This time you might just enjoy it." Patrick tried to brighten her spirits and change her mind. "It's like rubbing salt to my wounds." Ella grunted." I know that it was a horrible experience, but it led you to me. Trust me. This won't be like the last dance. There is no Bobby or Brook. And besides you don't even have a boyfriend. Who is going to betray you? James Wallas? Or Scott Moore? But the most interesting question is, which one of those dodos is taking you to homecoming dance?" Patrick teased. His tone was light and full of giggles."Oh my gosh , dad. You never fail to surprise me w
The year was almost over , it was the last week of school and Ella had made a lot of friends since her book was published. She had written short stories afterwards for many other anthology books in different countries. Her had become so busy that she had forgotten about her past until they had announced a homecoming dance on the last day of school.Memories flooded Ella's brain and she stormed off into the rest room. The overwhelming feeling made her nauseas and she opened the tap, splashing handfuls of water, wetting her hair and her blouse.She patted her face fry with a paper towel and exited the restroom feeling slightly better."Are you alright?" Scott and James asked Ella as she took her seat next to them in the cafeteria.Ella smiled weakly. " I'm alright. I'm just not a fan of the homecoming dance."They both looked at eachother and then at Ella, they decided not to ask." Well, if you aren't going, then we aren't going." James sipped his milkshake."Don't be foolish. You can'
"Chapter Five.A surprise visit."Annie was laid to rest. Everyone returned home. Peter returned to his study to drown his sorrows with a bottle of whiskey. Martha took Adrianna to her room. It was 6pm and the house was silent. Suddenly a loud knock on the door startled Mr Russell. He peeped through the looking glass on the door and sees old Mr and Mrs Walters. He quickly opens the door and welcomes them in, escorting them to the large sitting room. They sat on the large grey and red L shaped couch. It was italian style, soft and very comfortable. They looked around while they waited. The room was designed beautifully. Annie had designed it herself, red and grey curtains. Her paintings hung on the wall. Throughout the house were Annie's paintings. All were unique like her, beautiful and elegant. They massive 85 inch flat screen was mounted above their electric fire place. And a small glass coffee table was in front of them, letters lay unopen on it. Old Mrs Walters instructed Russell