I woke up to my parents yelling down the stairs.

Ugh.

Why do they have to be so noisy?

"Look at it! Just look at it!", my dad was yelling.

I attempted to turn my body on my bed but I felt pain shoot all over. I groaned and rubbed my back. I remember itching my body like crazy in my sleep.

Shortly after, my alarm rang and I shut it with my hand. I sat up on my bed and felt my face.

God, was my face always this fat and rough?

I looked at my feet and whoa! What the hell happened?

Quickly, I ran to the bathroom as fast as my shitty state could let me and looked at the mirror with horror.

Oh, damn!

I tried to think of what had caused me to break into such a horrible rash as I examined myself in the mirror.

"I had enough! This is over the limit! How am I supposed to go to office today?!", my dad continued to yell down stairs.

After a few minutes, my dad burst into my room and yelled, "Elise! Where are you?"

I rolled my eyes and came out of the bathroom and -

Rolling on floor laughing...

"What the hell happened to you both?!", I asked pointing at my parents. They both looked terrible in light green hair on their heads. Dad's nostrils were blowing in anger and mom had her arms crossed on her chest, looking disappointedly at me.

"Stop laughing! That's what we ask you. We know you did it!", dad yelled. "And get up from the f-- floor!"

"Me?", I asked innocently and got up from the floor. "I don't know what you are talking about, parents."

"You see, I just woke up right now and found myself in this painful rash.", I said as if an adult was talking to kids.

"What is this supposed to mean? We got up with this mess and you got up with a rash?", mom asked, worry in her eyes.

"I don't know, mom.", I said with tweety-bird eyes. "Maybe it means we are all punishable."

My parents frowned at this. Dad was about to say something when I interrupted him (and I loved it).

"You people don't even have it that bad. It's just colour on the hair. Whereas I am in pain right now due to the rash.", I said in a patronizing tone.

"Oh dear - ", mom begin.

"Hannah, stop it!", dad cut her off - Oh, I mean, Dylan cut her off. "We know she did it. Then why are you acting all motherly with her? She needs to get punished."

Dad looked at me.

"Hah, punish?", I said in a not-so-affected tone. "Yea, yea, you can do that once I come back from school." I said and walked to the closet to get out my clothes for the day.

Mom took a step towards me although she was standing behind dad.

"Dear, how will you attend school in this condition?", she asked. "You must stay at home and rest. Just look at that rash. We will take you to the doctor."

"No need.", I said still arranging my things for school. "I will attend school. Don't you fake your worry."

"Elise...", mom said.

"Your mother is right. The rash is too bad. Let's take you to the doctor then I will decide what to do with you, Elise.", dad nodded.

"I'm going to school and that's final.", I looked at my parents. "Go show your sympathy to some other child."

Dad was about to say something when mom grabbed his arm and took him out of the room and daddy reluctantly followed. When they were gone, I looked towards the room one last time and shut my eyes.

Huh....stupid people....

What do they expect of me?

....Now that I think about it....they looked hilarious!

And there I go, laughing like crazy again but then pain radiated through my cheeks. I yelped and groaned. "Ugh, God, I thought you were on my team!", I yelled towards the ceiling before grabbing my cheeks.

Mom is right. How will I attend school?

Anything but not them! Anywhere but 'home'!

~.~

When I arrived at school, I slowly walked to my locker and grabbed my things for the first period and quietly went to the classroom before the bell rang and sat on my chair.

Shit.

That's how I feel like right now.

All this walking is getting me exhausted. And I know that lots of people will ask me lots of questions (the cons of being a popular girl) and I just don't feel like talking. Not even with my girlfriends.

I looked down on my feet and they are swollen as f--!

God, I know I am an evil child but you are just as evil for giving me those evil parents.

"Elise? Gosh, what happened?", Leah, one of my girlfriends, was standing at the door with her mouth open. She walked to me and sat down on the nearby chair, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"What happened?", she asked. "Audrey said she saw you in the hallway and that you looked terrible."

She soothed my shoulder with her hand, worry in her eyes. "So I came to check on you."

There are only a few honest people in my life and Leah is one of them.

"Leah, it's just allergy.", I said trying to breathe. "My parents will take me to the doctor after school so it will be fine."

"Elise, you shouldn't have come to school today."

Tell me something I don't know.

"Leah, what's all this fuss about in the hallway?", I asked.

Leah's facial expressions suddenly changed from worry to indifference.

"Nothing. Just nonsense.", she responded.

"Lee...", I urged her on with her nickname.

"Nothing. Just that Victor guy.", she said as if there are a lot of other interesting things to talk about.

"What about him?", I furrowed.

Leah let out air from her mouth and started. "There is a girl with him today. He says she is Estelle, his girlfriend. I don't understand that idiot. If his girlfriend was real then he should have told the school yesterday. At least that would have saved him all the humiliation."

"Huh, a girlfriend?", I asked, twisting my lips.

"Yes.", she replied, aloof.

"I see. Whatever."

"Yup, we have nothing to do with it.", she said. "Look, if you need any help throughout the day, just tell me, O.K.? If you want to bunk school then I'm with you."

"Nah, I'm cool...at least for now.", I said. She smiled and nodded towards me.

A few minutes later when the class was filling with students (who just seemed to have gotten their attention off Victor's girlfriend because normally I was the centre of attention - Not that I am complaining because today I really needed to not be bothered and I thank Victor and the girl for this), everyone rathered around me and started asking about what happened. Thank God, Leah was there to answer them. Audrey was there too.

A little later, Joshua and Jules showed up.

Jules quickly came over to me, making his way through the crowd of students surrounding me and held my hand.

"Darling, what happened?", he asked, worry in his eyes. So I had to tell him that it was allergy.

"Oh, dear. Take care of yourself.", he said, stroking my cheek. I wished to tell him that this act of his was making my cheek itch more but I didn't.

After 20 minutes.

A girl with purple hair entered the class and I instantly wondered who she was.

When Mr. King introduced her as Estelle, I have to say that I was a bit impressed.

So this is Victor's girlfriend?

No doubt she is beautiful.

How did he land such a girl?

Anyways, not my concern. But her beauty did make her the type of girl you would want to stare a bit longer. Or maybe only I was doing it. Her face said 'innocent' all over it.

Hmm.

I don't know what's so captivating about her. Even Jules was looking at her; and Joshua, well, he stares at everything so no big deal there.

A Little Later...

"Sir, I think my stomach might throw up.", Hugo Allen said suddenly raising his arm as permission to leave the class.

"Oh, please do.", Mr. King said to him as he stood up and left in a hurry.

What the hell is wrong with him?

Well, not that it concerns me. Very little things concern me in this society where important social issues are considered secondary and money and fame are considered primary.

Stupid mindless people and their stupid society.

~.~

Lunch Break.

Leah put the lunch plates on the table and heavily sat down in front of me, huffing air from her cheeks.

"God, it's so difficult to wait in that line and get these useless lunches - again, you made me do it, Elise.", she complained.

I smiled towards her. "I am sorry, Leah. You know I bring my lunch daily but today....I got into an argument with my parents and needed to leave the house early so I couldn't make my lunch.", I explained.

"When are you not in an argument with your parents, Elise?", she said.

"I know.", I said, looking down at the table. "Even if I am not doing it physically, I am always arguing with them in my head."

We both laughed. And in-between that laughter I think I saw somewhat of pity in Leah's eyes for me and I disliked it so much that I looked away. If I wasn't feeling shitty due to the rash, I would have given her an earful but I just didn't feel like it right now!

Just when I was looking away, I noticed Victor and his girlfriend happily having lunch at the other corner. It's very strange that I find my eyes gluing to the face of that girl.

"What's her name again?", I asked Leah not taking my eyes off them. She traced the direction of my vision to see the couple and turned back around to answer me. "Estelle."

Estelle...

"Leah, is it just me or that face of hers is captivating.", I asked her.

"No, it's not just you, Elise. Look at everyone around the cafeteria, almost everyone is interested in her. At least those who humiliated Victor yesterday and those who watched.", she answered cleverly.

And yes, almost everyone was watching them.

"I see.", I said. "So what do you think the case is -"

"I don't know what the case is, Elise, but we are taking this Victor thing too far, Okay? I mean, O.K. he lied and all and we insulted him but now I think it's time to stop already. Just leave Victor and his girlfriend alone before more damage occurs."

"Damage?", I asked furrowing my brows. What does she mean?

Leah stayed quiet for a few seconds and then said, "Audrey broke up with Joshua."

"What?", I asked in shock. "Why?"

"For staring at Estelle."

"Oh come on! It's not like the first time Joshua is staring at girls.", I reasoned.

Leah looked at me. "I know, but Audrey caught him winking at Estelle."

"Oh.", I said.

"Besides, this habit of Joshua has always irritated Audrey from day one of their relationship. So it just kept piling up until -"

"Audrey exploded.", I cut in.

"Yes."

Makes sense.

I nodded mindlessly at Leah. She leaned forward and said. "Elise, you are very lucky to have a boyfriend like Jules."

Oh palease! He flirts with other girls and I have absolutely no shame in dragging a guy like Hugo Allen to the janitor's closet. But that conceited guy had rejected my advances. Scum.

"Hmm.", I merely said.

And I punched him to the face. Huh, you go Elise!

I took a last glimpse of Estelle before the bell rank.

~.~

I came back home with the driver and was stopped in the hall by my parents.

"Elise, dear, get ready. We'll take you to the doctor.", mom said. I nodded at her without looking and went to my room upstairs.

I didn't bother to change or shower because I felt so sore all over. When I came downstairs, I saw my dad sitting on the couch, wearing a hat that covered his green hair. I wanted to laugh right there.

We quietly seated in the car and drove to the clinic. The ride was silent and no one was saying anything. Then my mother cleared her throat.

"How was your day at school?", she asked.

"Considering you both weren't there, it went pretty good.", I replied turning pages of a magazine that was in the car. Mom fell silent.

"Can you ever talk to us without sarcasm, Elise?", dad asked annoyed.

"I didn't know it was sarcasm, daddy. Because to me it's the truth. And a kid should speak the truth to his or her parents, right? Well, you two weren't there to teach me that but some people taught me that.", I said.

Dad's grip on the steering wheel tightened as mother rubbed his arm to suppress the anger.

"You do realize that your mother and I couldn't go to the office today because of your dirty deed.", dad said.

"That wasn't because of me. I had a rash too but I had the courage and determination to get up and go to school. When you really wanna do something you find a way not an excuse."

Take that.

"Elise...", mom said trying to make me stop.

"What mom?", I said.

"Why did you do it?", dad finally asked. "Why did you dye our hair, Elise?". His voice held anger, pain, annoyance and desperation.

"Because I hate you both!", I quickly answered. "Isn't that clear till now?"

Both my parents made such sounds that were not comprehensible but one could sense the pain and hurt in them. And I don't give a damn.

"Elise, then what can we do to make you like us?", dad asked as if in defeat.

"Nothing! Because when there was time to make me like you, you two disappeared like f-- unicorns! Not giving a damn about me!", I shouted, my throat hurting.

Dad sighed and mom looked back at me. "Dear, don't strain your throat. O.K. we get it." Then she turned to dad and said, "Dylan, that's enough."

"Whatever! I don't like wasting my words on you two either.", I said and dropped on my seat.

Stupid parents.....with their stupid jobs and stupid cars.....and their stupid way of reasoning...

I looked out towards the cloudless blue sky and tried to relax. The sky has always been so pretty. I have been watching it since childhood yet its beauty and wonder never fades. Sometimes, I am jealous of its beauty. I wish I was a cloud in that sky. I don't know why but the thought of certain someone popped in my head.

Estelle....