Chapter 11

UNEDITED-

"Do you think a straight girl would have any reason to kiss another female?"

"I mean, maybe if they're close friends, but I think sometimes even that is pushing it. Why? Did a straight girl kiss you?" Jen began to get exited.

"No, I'm asking for a friend."

Jen scoffed.. "Bitch you don't have any friends?"

"Then I'm asking for an acquaintance. Anyway how have you been?"

"You know how I started going spin class with Jenna and Tracy?.. Well next week they want me to try cooking club.. I thought that was for old people?"

"I think it's just for everyone. I'm glad you're getting out."

"Me too.. Life is better than ever Lu."

"Good." It stung Lucille abit to hear that, but at the same time they don't need shared trauma to bond over anymore. "-Well.. I have to go, I love you."

"I love you too."

Lucille stood looking out across the rows of flowers in her garden. Despite how happy she'd been just moments ago.. tears began falling from her eyes as she thought about how alone she is. Jen no longer remembers what they went through. She no longer remembered who Lucille really was. But this is for the best. Isn't it?

"Lu?" Phoebe asked.

Lucille didn't turn around. She just wiped her eyes. "When Chris comes back, things are probably going to get worse. I want you to know that before we get there."

"Why what have you done?"

"Nothing yet." Lucille turned around "-I want him to send me back." Then she walked past Phoebe to her room. Phoebe saw the evidence of tears on Lucille's face as she passed.

For the rest of the weekend Phoebe was making shoddy excuses for Lucille staying in her room. To her mother, to Shiloh and to Ellie. At some point during the night Ellie had knocked on her door but Lucille didn't answer.

Monday soon arrived and the sisters were upstairs getting ready. "Lucille, Phoebe, come on you're going to be late!" Their mother called from downstairs.

"Coming!" Pheobe shouted back. Lucille just picked up her phone and sunglasses and began making her way downstairs.

"Look after eachother.." Julia smiled. What she really meant is for Phoebe to keep an eye on Lucille.

"We will." Lu nodded.

"Yeah don't worry.."

They said their goodbyes and before long Alberto was pulling up outside the school.. Phoebe got out first and made her way to her group of friends, she glanced back a few times to see when Lu was coming. "I don't think they allow sunglasses Miss Lucille."

"They do now.." Lucille put her glasses on, stepped out of the car and closed the door, keeping her head held high, ignoring the existence of everyone despite their prying eyes. Phoebe attempted to wave her over, Lucille made a small nod of acknowledgment and carried on inside. She could hear almost every whisper, "Who's that?" .. "I heard she set her old school on fire.." .. "Isn't that Phoebe's sister?" .. "Why does she look like the offspring of Frosty Jack?." ..

Ellie could tell that Phoebe was saddened, she thought they were getting somewhere. "I don't think she wants to be around all these people.." Ellie offered..

"Yeah probably.." Phoebe sighed.

"Or she thinks she's better than us." Nicole added.. earning (wtf) looks from both Phoebe and Ellie.

"Why would you say that?" Phoebe asked.

"Well she never wants to be around us, I don't think she's even spoken to me."

"I'm not doing this." Phoebe walked away.

"Doing what?" Nicole asked Ellie, Ellie rolled her eyes and followed after Phoebe.

Lucille made her way to the front office where she was greeted by a frail old woman, seated behind a rounded computer desk. Lucille introduced herself respectfully and the receptionist gave her a glance over before printing some documents off. "You aren't aloud sunglasses in here Miss Carnell."

"Who do I go to for a headache?" Lucille asked.

"The nurse." The woman placed the sheets of paper on the desk and pointed to one with her bony finger. It was a map of the school. "There."

"Thank you mam." Lucille bowed her head for a moment before picking up the paper and leaving for the nurse.

When she got there she found a woman in her mid-twenties, shaggy dark brown hair. She looked up from her phone. "I know you.."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lucille tried to play it off.

"I saw you the other night.." Her mouth dropped open, her cat-linered eyes opened wide. "-Wait you're a student here?"

"Technically I wasn't a student until today." Lucille shrugged.

"This is bad." The woman started to freak out. Pacing back and forth.

Lucille stood up and grabbed her hands to stop her from loosing it any further. "Nothing happened right? So chill out."

Finally the woman breathed a deep breath and looked to Lu.. "Okay. You're right."

"Good." Lucille let go..

"Why are you here?"

"I need you to write me a note.."

"What for?" Ivy spoke as she walked to her notebooks.

"I suffer with migranes, this place has alot of windows and bright lights." .. Ivy clearly still didn't understand what the note was for. "-I need my sunglasses."

"Okay, sure.. just don't tell any of your friends about me." Ivy started to write out the note.. "-Lu what's your last name?"

"My name is Lucille Carnell."

"No fucking way." Ivy slapped her forehead mouth agape.. "My God of course it is.."

"I don't wanna know what that's supposed to mean.. can I just have the note please?"

Ivy nodded, wrote the note and passed it over. "So you won't say anything?"

"As far as I'm concerned we've never met."

"Okay then." Ivy nodded.

Lucille stood up and left. She made it through the first two lessons, when lunch came she decided to find somewhere away from all the commotion. She looked on the map and found a few different places. The library was first but a too many people were lurking inside. Next was an area that looked to be secluded from the rest but there ended up being students hidden away smoking cigarettes. Lastly she went to the auditorium.. finally somewhere completely void of humans. A lonely old piano set up centre stage.

Lucille slowly walked to it, running her fingers across its polished surface. Before she knew it she was sitting down, lifting the lid. Her fingers rested on the keys.. her favourite song began to play.

Lucille was so lost in the music that she hadn't realised someone was singing along.. until he showed himself from behind the big red curtain. His voice raspy yet smooth, like an old country singer. Lucille couldn't help but join in the song.

Afterwards the two began laughing... "Preston" the boy held out his hand.

"Lucille.." She shook it, he seemed pretty strong for a human..

"Lucille your hands are freezing.. but you know what they say?" Lu shook her head.. "-Cold hands warm heart.."

"That might be true for some.." Lucille chuckled. For Lu it was cold hands, dead heart.

"No it's true, my mum told me."

"Do you believe everything your mother tells you?" ..

"No I guess not." The two chuckled again. "-Why don't you sign up for the school choir?.." ...

"I play piano.." Lucille chuckled.

"No I just heard you sing.. it was beautiful." ...He smiled.

"I'll think about it.." Lucille offered.. if he didn't give in this time she figured she'd just hypnotise him to forget.

"Well I'll leave a spot open for you.. just incase you decide to show up.." He spoke as he passed over a leaflet for the choir. "-It was nice to meet you Lucille." ...

"You too." Lu made a small smile and then the boy left. She sighed and left soon after.

"Lucille? Phoebe is asking around for you." Dorathea spoke as she walked past.

"Where is she?"

"Cafeteria." She pointed back the way she came.

"Thanks."

"Hm." Dorathea seemed a little off but Lucille paid no mind to it.. she went on to find her sister.

"Lucille, did you have lunch already?" Phoebe asked from where she sat at the table in the cafeteria, next to Ellie. Lu shook her head. "-Go get something, look there's not much of a line."

"I'm not hungry."

"Get something or I'll tell mum."

"You wouldn't."

"You know I would." Phoebe made a small smile in an attempt to show she cares.

"Ugh fine." Lucille rolled her eyes and lined up. When she arrived back at the table she dumped a ham sandwich on the desk. "-Happy?"

"Yes." Phoebe nodded with a smile. "-Are you done with this?" She asked Ellie.

"Yeah but it's alright I got it."

Phoebe brushed her off and picked up both of their trays. "-I need to go to the toilet anyway." Then she left the table.

After a minute of not so comfortable silence.. "So I hear you're getting married next year.."

Lucille furrowed her eyebrows, slightly taken aback.. "No, I'm not."

"But aren't you engaged?"

"It's complicated."

"Phoebe said-"

Lucille slammed her palm down on the table.. "I don't care what Phoebe said.. if I marry anyone, it will be because I want to.. and definetly not to a man." Lucille stood up to leave.

Ellie raised her hands in submission.. "Okay, I'm sorry.."

Lucille sighed, she was defeated.. all she could do was walk away. She threw her lunch in the bin and walked out of the hall. Ellie sat there with a few eyes glancing at her.. She wish she cared as little about peoples opinions as Lucille. Phoebe came back to the table to find a fidgeting, depressed looking Ellie.

"Where is Lucille?" ..

Ellie sighed. "She left.."

"What did you do?"

"Why did I do something?"

Phoebe sighed, "If you didn't she'd still be here."

"I just wanted to see if she had any plans for the wedding that's all."

"Damn it-" Phoebe put her head in her hands. "Our dad put us into these arranged marriages."

"Wait.. so you're engaged too?"

Phoebe nodded. "..Alexander's, nice.."

"How could you not tell me this?"

"I don't know, It was decided awhile ago. I guess I just wanted to forget about it.."

"You could have told me it wasn't her choice before I put my foot in my mouth." Ellie started standing up.

"Wait where are you going?" Phoebe asked.

"To apologise." Without further explanation Ellie followed in Lucilles direction. As she rounded the corner she saw Lucille down the hall past all the people, about to walk out the front doors. "Lu!" Ellie shouted gaining the eyes of everyone. Except Lucille who just took her hand off the door handle and waited for the girl to nervously jog through the crowd. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere that isn't here." Lucille glanced over her glasses to all the prying eyes that haven't left her since she entered their view.

"Just ignore them.. they have nothing better to do."

"Is that all you wanted?"

"Can I talk to you? Somewhere private?" Lucille gave in and walked with Ellie to an empty classroom. "Phoebe never told me you didn't have a choice.. she didn't even tell me she was engaged."

"She is?"

"So she didn't tell you either."

Lucille shook her head.. "No, she didn't."

"Well anyway, I'm sorry."

"I know, it's alright." Lucille made a small comforting smile.

"Class will start soon, you should stay." Ellie spoke in a gentle voice. Lucille nodded. "-What subject do you have?"

"History." Lu answered.

"Me too, at least someone you know will be there."

"Yeah.." Lucille sighed. "-that's true."

"Come on then." Ellie opened the door and the girls started walking towards their lesson a few minutes early.

"Hey Ellie!" A brutish guy walked over, he seemed somewhat recognisable to Lucille. "Whoa it's the evil twin. What are you two doing?"

"Going to class." Ellie smiled as she glanced awkwardly between Lucille and Sam.

Lu scoffed.. "Call me that again an I'll break your nose."

"What? Evil twin?" He laughed as though she was kidding.

Lucille popped him in the nose with a weak left, dropping him backwards on his arse

.. "Prick." She muttered.

Before long, the whole area that had moments ago been empty filled with people, only one of them had been there to see that Lucille was the culprit. Sam got up telling everyone he was fine, Ellie stood with him making sure he really was alright.. Lucille just made a short smile to herself and walked away. Ellie watched her go but there was nothing she could do. She helped Sam to the nurses office, along the way he had mentioned trying to get Lucille expelled. "Yeah but imagine if your friends hear about this, or the other guys on the football team?"

"What do you mean?"

"What will they think if they find out you got beat up by a girl?"

"But I didn't get beat up?.."

"You're right, she hit you once and we're going to the nurse." Ellie added. Sam went silent as he thought about his predicament. "I hope you feel better soon." Ellie left as soon as the nurse appeared.

The bell rang and Ellie started walking to her class.. Phoebe grabbed her arm from nowhere and pulled her to the side out of everyone's way.. "Ellie what happened? Someone said they saw you go this way but no one has seen Lucille.. someone else said she hit Sam?"

"Yeah, she did." Ellie answered still in shock.

"Why?"

"He called her the evil twin."

Phoebe sighed.. "It always comes back to me doesn't it. We have to find her Ellie."

"Phoebe stop worrying.. Lucille can look after herself." ..Ellie spoke words she didn't believe in order to calm her friend. "-Just go to class, she'll show up eventually."

"She's trying to get sent back."

"Back to boarding school?"

Phoebe had tears in her eyes.. "I don't know what to do. How do I make her stop?"

"Look I have the same class as her, if she's not there I'll let you know okay? I can't be late."

Phoebe made a small nod.. "Okay.."

Ellie walked into her class and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Lucille, sitting at the back, looking out of the open window. The classroom was full yet the seat next Lu remained empty. Ellie texted Phoebe quickly letting her know. "Find a seat please Elizabeth."

Ellie nodded to the teacher and went to sit beside Lucille, gaining her attention.. only for a second. Lucille went back to looking out the window. Ellie glanced to Lucille's lightly bruised knuckles for a moment before writing a note in her book. 'Can we talk after class?'.. She slid it to Lucille. Lu slid it back. Ellie wrote underneath. 'Please' with a line under it. This time Lucille looked over her sunglasses into Ellie's eyes as she slid the book back. 'I just want five minutes' She wrote. Ellie pushed it towards Lucille again. This time Lucille picked up the book, and calmly frisbee'd it straight out the window.

"-Now if you can copy what's down on the board that would be great. Elizabeth?.. where is your notebook?"

The teacher asked and Ellie looked to Lucille thinking of what to say, she saw Lucille open her mouth to talk and ended up blurting out the first sentence in her head.. "I threw it out the window." This earned her a strange look from the teacher, and a few turned heads from other students. The teacher looked at Lucille accusatory for a few seconds before returning his attention back to Ellie.

"That's a detention after school, please go get it."

"There was venomous spider on it Sir.." Lucille spoke gaining everyone's attention.. "-One of us might have been bitten if she didn't throw it out there."

"Regardless, you still need to go get it Elizabeth."

"Yes sir. Thank you." Ellie answered and left the room to retrieve her book. Lucille sat taking notes while she was gone. Fifteen minutes later Ellie walked back in and sat down.

"You'll have to stay behind to catch up." He looked to Ellie and she had no choice but to accept, even though it could mean being late to her next lesson. "Right, well.. now that Elizabeth has returned I can finish what I was saying. By next month I want you all to have prepared a presentation that you will show to the class." A boy put his hand up.. "Yes Duncan?" The teacher asked.

"Do we have to do it on our own or in a group?"

"You'll be in pair." Some of the boys and girls started looking across the room and nodding happily with their friends. "-Seeing as though you're already in pairs, you'll be linked with your table-mate." Some sighs and aw's were muttered. "-You're all capable of producing good, quality work.. let's see what you can do when you work together hm?.. Remember, don't let your partner do all the work. I will know."

A girl put her hand up and was acknowledged "What's the presentation about?"

"Good question.. I was waiting for someone to ask. I want you to pick an ancient civilisation and tell me what we know about them. Maybe how they got food and water?.. their values."

As the professor answered more questions Ellie reached over and took Lucilles notebook.. she opened it and began writing. Lucille chuckled earning an evil eye before Ellie continued writing. She slid Lu's book back.. 'You Are Impossible' She wrote in capital letters at the back. Lucille sighed and grabbed Ellie's book, Ellie grabbed Lucilles hand to stop her from sliding it over. So instead Lu wrote on the back of Ellie's hand.. 'I'm sorry' Lucille took her hands back and sat up straight to hear the rest of the teachers words. Ellie just sat looking at the 'I'm sorry' thinking about how Lucille is always cold to the touch.

After a while the teacher spoke again.. "Elizabeth, you can start writing what's on the board down now." Ellie looked to the clock and saw that she had two minutes to write five paragraphs.

The teacher went back to answering more questions from the students while Ellie started frantically copying down the words. Lucille slid a peice of paper to her.. she turned it over and was surprised to see that Lucille had already written everything down for her, in beautiful joined handwriting. Nothing more was said until after class. Lucille waited outside the door for Ellie to leave.. Ellie didn't know she was next to her until Lu spoke. "Why didn't you just tell him it was me?"

"Did you see his face? He already thought it was you.." Ellie argued.

"But it was me. Why are you still being nice to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I hurt someone you care about." Lucille spoke matter-of-factly.. "-I threw your book out the window-"

"Oh yeah, nice aim by the way." Ellie frowned.. "-The thing must've flew forever."

"That's it?.. nothing about the fact that I hit your boyfriend?"

Ellie looked around to the passers by, making sure they weren't paying attention.. "To be fair you did warn him first."

"I don't want you to side with me Ellie.. I want you to leave me alone."

"No." Ellie stopped walking.. Lucille stopped after a few steps and looked to her. "For one, we have a project to do together. And two, you can't leave your sisters behind again."

"Phoebe seems to be an open book for you."

"Actually I think I'm only just getting to know her."

"Well it won't be like before.. I'll keep in contact with them this time."

"And what if he doesn't send you back? What if he just hits you again?" Ellie frowned at the thought.

Lucille took a step closer, seething with anger just below the surface. Her bright purple eyes hidden behind her dark sunglasses.. "Then I'll make him wish he hadn't." Shocked by her own words Lucille took two steps back. "I've got to go, don't want to be late." She spoke casually and walked off ahead.

After school Lucille stayed quiet in the back of the black car.. Phoebe sat texting and scrolling on her phone, music filled the empty space. When Lu got home she entered a conversation with her mother about why she hasn't seen Arthur yet.. "He'll be back soon love.. he just went on a business trip for your father." Julia smiled from where she sat facing Lucille at the breakfast counter, a small glass of red wine in her hand.

"So Arthur works for him now? When did that happen?" Lu asked genuinly curious.

"About a year or so ago.. I really don't know what happened. One minute they were at odds and the next, they clicked." Julia was clearly very pleased.. "-I hope one day you'll get that with him too."

"Maybe this isn't what you want to hear Ma, but that is never going to happen."

"It's true he's always been harder on you but it's only because he wants what's best for you.. you can't say you've always made it easy."

"You're blaming me?"

"No love of course not.. you're father had a childhood no-one should have to endure. And I think he just sees himself in you.. a part he still believes needs punishing."

"I don't care what he's been through, or what he's going through.. ..Can you just do something for me Ma?" Lucille asked.

"What is it?"

"If he mentions sending me back to Mrs Humphreys, you'll say yes."

Julia closed her eyes and slowly nodded, she thought they had been getting closer. When she opened her eyes again Lucille was gone. She'd already retreated to her room where she starfished on the bed, emotionally exhausted.

She stayed there for an hour before Phoebe knocked on the door.. she didn't open it. "Are you hungry?"

"No thank you.." Lu called back.. A few hours after that Lucille had managed to fall asleep.. Her phone buzzing woke her up, she answered with her eyes closed.. "Jen?"

"It's Ellie, sorry did I wake you up?"

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NOTES-

Thank you for reading everyone! I'd love to know what you think good or bad.

If you like this story and want to read more, let me know. It really is people like you that bring me back to these stories and make me want to carry on writing them, it doesn't always work but in this case it did. Thank you for your time, thank you for your power stones. If there's mistakes I apologise, English never was my best subject. Take care people. Love, love. Peace.