Chapter 33

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"Emma" Hank calls from the bottom of the staircase.

"You're gonna make us late!" Thomas adds.

I glare at my reflection in the mirror. My dark ash brown hair, and my hazel eyes. I smile. I'm finally my old self again. I release a deep breath as walking down the staircase.

"What the-" Hank starts. "....you"

"I dyed my hair and removed my contacts" I half smile.

"I uh didn't notice," Thomas says unconvincingly "now can we go?"

"You can't show up to school with blue eyes one day than brown the next" Hank folds his arms.

Yes, I can and I will. I can literally just say I dyed my hair and I'm wearing brown contacts. No one will ever know.

"I'll tell people that I'm wearing brown coloured contacts" I explain.

"....Fine" he rolls his eyes "let's go" with that we exit the house.

It's a foolproof plan. He can't deny that.

"What made you change your mind?" Thomas whispers beside me.

Change my mind? About what?

"What do you mean?" I raise a brow.

"You've always been dead set on looking as much like me as possible, so we would pass as twins-" he explains.

"Liam had brown hair" I point out "he had brown hair and blue eyes and you two were actually twins....and I was starting to miss little old Isla Mills"

It was getting hard to live with this new persona, to be honest. I've done it too many times before, and I'm sick of it.

"You mean cigarette smoking, liquor drinking, slutty, little, old Isla Mills?" Thomas raises a brow.

Wow. The only part of that statement that I can disagree with is the slutty part.

"I was not slutty" I fold my arms as we enter the car.

"That's debatable" he smirks.

I roll my eyes.

***

Thomas and I begin walking down the hallway beside each other, as parting ways with Hank.

"I'm not gonna lie...I'm surprised" Thomas admits "you're usually so terrified about not looking related-"

"What's your point?" I cut him off.

He sighs "I don't want you to have any regrets, that's all"

I won't. I want to be me again, and if that means changing my appearance back then so be it.

"No regrets" I shake my head "I'm in my own skin now...I feel more confident"

"Right well....just remember that changing your hair doesn't create a new you" Thomas points out.

I have to disagree with that statement.

"Shut up!" A voice cries as running up to me "shut up! Shut up!"

"Laura" I smile at her.

"When did you do this?" She touches the ends of my hair "oh my god and your eyes are hazel brown"

She doesn't miss a thing.

I nod "Contacts"

"You know, not all blondes can pull off being a brunette...but it suits you...if not more than your blonde hair" she tells me.

I smirk. Geez I wonder why?

Thomas and I exchange looks "Thanks" I nod.

"You know last Halloween I wore a chocolate brown wig and I looked awful but not you....you know you look amazing... Jacob, you could learn a few things from this girl" Laura tells him.

I smirk at Thomas. "And that's my cue" Thomas declares as walking away from us.

"So what compelled you to change your hair?" Laura links my arm with hers.

"I just....wanted to feel empowered and brave again" I admit.

And that's the honest truth.

"By changing your hair?" She raises her brow.

Looking like myself makes me feel more at ease. I guess it's hard for people to understand.

"Hey you look different" Tommy approaches us "did you get taller?"

I laugh. He's obviously kidding. That's why I love Tommy so much, he can always make me laugh.

"She dyed her hair" Laura rolls her eyes.

"Really what colour was it before?" He jokes.

"You-" Laura points aggressively at him.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding" he laughs, "I notice these little things...its very refreshing Emma"

I smile "Thanks"

"In fact, I like it more than your blonde" he admits.

It's seems many do. I prefer being a brunette also.

"Hey, that's what I said," Laura tells him. "Oh that reminds me, I'm going away for Christmas"

Tommy's eyes widen "Going where?"

"Paris," she says simply "we leave on Saturday the twenty-second then come back Tuesday, January second"

"That's two weeks" his smile drops.

Poor Tommy. His crush is something that is so real to him. This must be hard.

"Ten days actually... So only a week and a half" she chuckles.

"Only?" he repeats "tens days is a long time"

"No, it's not" she shakes her head.

It is for someone who is madly in love with you.

"What are we talking about?" Willow questions as approaching us.

"I'm going to Paris for ten days during our holiday break" Laura explains.

"Paris for ten days? Who the fuck goes to Paris for ten days" Willow shakes her head "Bitch if I were going to Paris I'd be there for like a month"

Same here. Ten days is such a short amount of time, but I guess she can't go for long because of school.

"Wait you're encouraging her to stay in Paris longer?" Tommy shoots Willow a dangerous glare "really? Are you serious?"

Oh boy. This could get ugly.

"Did you change your hair" Willow finally acknowledges me.

"Yeah actually-" I start as Tommy kicks Willow's shin.

Oh my God. I gasp. Does he have a death wish?

"Hey" she clenches her jaw at Tommy, who immediately takes a step back with terrified eyes.

"Oh, shit" he gasps as realizing what he had done.

"Tommy" Laura starts slowly.

"Yeah" he stutters as holding Willows gaze.

"Why aren't you running?" Laura asks in fear.

"Good point," he says as running in the opposite direction.

"You're dead Orton" she chases him down the hallway.

Should we like do something? This could end in bruises and broken bones.

"Are they okay-" I start.

"They'll be fine" Laura nods. "I'll miss the school's annual winter carnival, you know?"

My eyes widen "Wait the school throws a winter carnival?"

"Saturday... Two days before Christmas" she nods.

I didn't know that. I love winter carnivals. I used to go all the time before my parents died.

"Why would anyone throw a carnival two days before Christmas?" I ask.

"They don't usually" she informs "the snow is coming in late this year...They need snow for the snow maze"

Uh yes the snow maze. That's my favourite thing at a winter carnival. My mum and I used to go into the maze for probably hours at a time.

"Emma" Ely approaches us with wide eyes. "Your hair is different"

"Yeah, I dyed it" I smile.

"It compliments your skin tone" he nods slowly.

Compliments my skin tone? I haven't heard that one before. That's an interesting thing to notice.

".....thanks" I nod slowly.

"Elijah guess what?" Laura grins "I'm going to Paris for the holiday"

"Paris is incredible" he nods "how long is your family's trip?"

He doesn't looks surprised at all, compared to the rest of us.

"Ten days" she says simply.

"That is short? Any particular reason?" He raises a brow

"My parents got into a fight" she admits.

"What was it this time?" She asks.

This time? That sounds a little concerning.

"My mother slapped the maid after assuming that she was my father's mistress" she explains.

Hold up. What? That sounds wild.

"Was she?" I blurt out.

"Of course not..." she glares at me "She's sixteen and doesn't speak a word of English"

"Your mother is having a midlife crisis" Ely tells her.

"Tell me about it...I caught her making her own bed this morning" she shakes her head with great concern.

Is she serious? Oh my God, what's wrong with making your own bed? Everybody else does.

"Oh my god" I laugh "rich kid problems"

She glares dangerously at me "I'm glad that my mother being on the verge of a breakdown is amusing to you Emma"

"Sorry" I struggle to keep a straight face.

"So how are things with you?" Laura look at an Ely.

"I had dinner with my grandparents last night" he announces.

"Shut up! What happened?" Laura's eyes widen in surprise.

"They have set up a trust fund" he announces. "For all seven of us"

Oh my God. A trust fund? That's huge, especially for Elijah's family who have so much financial problems.

"Oh my god Ely that's great" I smile.

He nods "my grandparents aren't terrible people....they want the best for us"

"Really I thought they cut your mother off-" laura starts.

"That is not what happened" he interrupts immediately.

Ely's mother left her rich family, to live life her own way. Her parents cut her off financially, and now she works two jobs to support her seven kids.

His extremely wealthy grandparents were paying for Ely and his siblings to go to private schools, but Ely decided to go to the public instead - soon after, the rest of his siblings followed.

Elijah's mother was too proud to let her parents help, now has a result she and her children struggle financially.

The trust found means that Ely and his siblings will be financially prepared for their future.

"So when does this trust found a kick in?" I question.

"My twenty-fifth birthday" Ely informs.

"That's ages away" I cry.

They need money right now, they can't wait seven years.

"Its also standard routine" Laura nods.

"Thats insane" I comment as I spot Tommy running towards me. "Tom-"

"Out. Of. Breath." He struggles to say as speeding past the group.

"Do I want to know?" Ely questions.

"No" Laura shakes her head as Tommy runs down the hallway.

"Hey, guys" Willow greets as walking up from behind us, eating an apple.

At what point in the chase did she manage to get an apple?

I furrowed my brows "I thought you were chasing Tommy?"

"I ran to my locker to get my apple" she informs.

"Hi, all" Kyle greets as approaching the group. He glares at me for a split-second "nice hair" he then turns to Laura. "Did Mr Hoffman give you an extension?"

I furrowed my brows in confusion, as he pretends that the events never happened. He kissed me, so we is he acting like so natural?

"No, why?" Laura asks.

"Keep looking at him like that, and people will get the wrong idea," Willow says to me hushed, causing Ely to glare at her.

"I just remembered that I have a prior engagement," Ely says simply before walking away from the group.

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