2 Endurance

"Keep still little sister"

"Baron, I said stop...thats enough"I moan in annoyance

"Elena, you are the one that said you wanted to look different, a new look-a new you"

I chuckle while nodding, my brother is quite skilled...If you put him in a room full of beauty products, he can do miracles.

"Besides, I want you to be strong and be able to hold out on your own, this is the first step"

After 4 hours of Baron cutting my hair, picking out clothes, and doing my makeup-im finally able to look at myself in the mirror. He woke me up at 4 am this morning just to do this-my brother is amazing.

The long ginger hair that reached my back, was now shoulder length. I always used to leave my hair down, kept it straight, but now it's tucked back and wavy. My height to my dismay is still 5.5ft. As I am assessing my features, Baron stands behind me -looking at me as if I am his masterpiece.

"You are pretty, do you know that?

"You think so, brother?"

"For starter, your hair, your gorgeous blue eyes, You have the cutest face and a good body-all I did was enhance those features. You were already beautiful from the beginning "He says while hugging me from behind.

"You know what they say about gingers...You are lucky, you inherited moms hair colour while I inherited Dad's. Do you think that's why she hates me so much?"

"No, you should stop caring about what people think, "He says while giving me stern look

"Then why does she treat you better than me? Aren't parents supposed to love their children equally? "I ask while folding my arms in frustration.

"Oh El, don't get that way-she will come around, "He says while juggling me from the side and kissing my forehead.

Baron suddenly looks down to his watch and his eyes widen in shock.

"Listen I have to go, Mom got me a Job interview and she will kill me if I miss it, Good luck on your second day at school-i will hear all about it when you come back."He says while waving and rushing out.

I arrived at school just at the nick of time,this time the first period is math-as I enter the class room I ignore the gasps and stairs im getting from people and sit.This time I make sure im not sitting anywhere near Bertha.

When lunchtime comes around,I decide to sit right outside the cafeteria-under a nice big oak tree. After eating, I decide to keep reading my favourite book. The temperature, weather and mood outside are just peaceful, I easily get into the book.

"Hey, ginger!"

I annoying look up knowing its Bertha. Doesnt this girl have a life?

"I see that new haircut has gone to your head, I see you don't look so frightened anymore."She sneers as she looks down on me while I'm sitting.

"Well, that is because I realised how pathetic you are, "I smirk

Bertha is fuming with rage, and im enjoying it.

"You think because now you changed your look, you free-wrong! Listen to me well Elena. I will never let you live in peace...I want to hurt you so much that you will beg for death" She says with a venomous voice.

I unexpectedly get up as I shove her on the ground simultaneously- to catch her off guard.

"How dare y-"

"You forget, I can fight back," I say while looking down at her on the ground.

"Nobody looks down on m-"

"Why do you hate me so much, Bertha?"

She stays quiet for a while, she gets up and dusts some grass off her clothes. She turns around and starts to walk away as the bell rings.

"Wait!"I shout

She halts and looks back.

"I don't know what I did, but Im willing to just overlook everything-if you just leave me alone"

"Fine, you can have your peace," she says while walking away

For a moment I just stand there with shock-Is she serious? This hell is finally over?

Lunch period ends as I head to my next class, English. I am quite excited about this class. Class is in progress-the teacher is making introductions but suddenly a boy arrives twenty minutes late, but not just any boy, Erik Parker. Erik was the most popular boy back in middle school and it seems like he will continue he's reign here as well. I have always liked Erik but he never liked me back.

Flashback

A 10-year-old walks to the middle of the field with only one purpose In mind, to confess her feelings to a boy. She didn't see it as a problem, even if they were from different social backgrounds.

"Err-ikk" I stutter

"Yes?"The boy replies.

He is standing with his group of friends

I start to become nervous, I wish we were alone but he is always with friends -they were all looking at me wondering why a girl like me is talking to Erik.

"I l-like you, would you go out with me?"I look down, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

silence, utter silence

people start to laugh, I even hear Erik laugh. I start tearing up on the spot.

He just walks away laughing with his friends-they just left me standing there alone.

Present

The teacher scolds him as he takes the seat right beside me. We start taking notes as the teacher writes the content o the board. As I was staring he suddenly jerked his head to move his hair; it caught the light and the golden gleam nearly blinded me. His hair itself was like spun gold, each thread falling perfectly, weaving together into curls that framed his tanned face. He paused for a moment, tapping his pen quietly on the desk before he continued writing. I watched his hand as he wrote. His fingers were long but strong looking, his fingernails pink and smooth, with half-moons near the cuticles. My eyes wandered up to his arm, to his strong forearm disappearing into the sleeve of his cross country jacket, pushed up to below his elbow to free his hands. I watched his hand as it moved up to rub some unknown irritant from his eye. His nose was straight and aquiline, his lips perfectly formed, parted slightly, his breath, I imagined, moving in and out in steady streams of air. Suddenly, he looked up and I caught a flash of his emerald eyes framed by tangled golden lashes before ducking my head and pretending to write.