Not my Own Chapter 3

I awoke at six, wanting an hour to myself before I would meet my new tutor. Ella was still asleep, and Allen was at work already. Yeah, so I’d just wished that I didn’t have to ride the school bus, but I hadn’t expected it would turn out like this. I pinched myself, hoping this was a dream. It was not.

I went downstairs, quiet, floating along like the morning breeze, to steal a snack. Ella, who still believed she was a supermodel, despite her insane oldness, was crazy about what I ate. When I was little, I’d believed everything my supermodel mom said. I’d worshipped her! I’d even cut out pictures of models and taped them to my wall.

Despite her saying I’d never be “beautiful” if I ate “crap” there was a box of brownies in the back pantry, courtesy of Allen. So what if he had a potbelly? I was supposed to be beautiful, like her… anorexic.

Not the life for me.

Ella has mirrors around the house so she can admire herself everywhere she goes. I stared at my reflection, and I was pleased to note I looked nothing like Ella.

My hair is a dark chocolate brown, and my eyes are gray-green, not muddy brown like hers.

I don’t look like Allen either. They say I take after my aunt, whom I have never seen.

“Victory!” I feel a little silly, but hey, a girl needs her chocolate.

I take the sweet treasure back to my room, almost dancing a jig. Every time I have snuck down to the Forbidden Pantry, Ella has caught me. Her Beauty is the Top Priority speech is almost as daily preached as the 100’s Every Semester speech.

She doesn’t even believe in what she says. If she really felt school was important, she wouldn’t have dropped out to be a model. And last month I walked in on her eating the brownies.

Ella is such a hypocrite. A skinny hypocrite, but a hypocrite all the same.

Seven o’clock arrived too soon. Ella wore her fur coat, dressing to impress as always.

“Leila, this is your new tutor, Mrs.… whatever.” She waved a hand dismissively, and swept away, leaving me gaping after her. I didn’t want a tutor, but for Ella to be so openly rude!

“Still the same as always. What was I thinking?” My new tutor watched her leave, bitterly amused.

I examined my new tutor. She was around Ella’s age, maybe a bit older, and she was a smaller. She had gray eyes that sparkled when she stepped into the light, but they had a hint of sadness. “Well, I’m your new tutor. You can call me Tara.”

“Tara,” I said, liking the way the name rolled off my tongue. “That’s a nice name.”

“Not as pretty as Leila. I’d always wanted to have that name when I was a girl.” She gazed wistfully at me. Then her head jerked and she said cheerfully, “Guess we better start! What would you like to do first?”

“Um, I don’t know,” I said, startled she was asking me for my opinion. I have never been asked for my opinion before.

Tara laughed. “How about science?”

I nodded. Tara grinned; her white teeth popping out against her slightly tanned skin. “As long as you want to, of course,” Tara said sincerely. “I mean…” she glares at the spot where Ella used to be. Didn't Allen say Tara and Ella were old friends? Or did he mean enemies?

I smiled at her. “Sure.”