A Friend For Ransom

First Day Of School

DING-DONG!

went the doorbell, 8:00 on a Monday morning.

I opened the door to see a tall, slim girl wearing a purple T-shirt with a daisy decorated on it, dark blue pants and sneakers leaning against her scooter in my front yard.

"You ready, Ellie?" Margaret asked, tightening the strap of her helmet.

"Sure," I replied, pulling my bag up to my shoulder, "let's go!"

I got my skateboard and helmet from our small, stuffy garage and we soon zoomed off to Johnigael Academy.

A weird name for a school, I know.

But the school's founder/principal, John Diaz, named the school in honor of his now 4th year highschool daughter, Abigael. She was still in Junior Nursery when the school first opened.

Resulting to Johnigael.

"So how's it going?" I asked Margaret with a smile reaching from ear to ear.

"I'm good, I guess. Nothing much to report." We both let out a giggle.

"Hey, did you see Josh Macguff last Tuesday?"

"Ellie, what's with you and gossiping?" She said, meaningfully. "All our teachers hate that kind of attitude."

"I know."

Teachers would explode the minute I go to class.

Boy, if I had 5 centavos (cents) for every time my teachers would scold me, I'd be filthy-stinking rich! Margaret's trying her best to change me but I don't think it's doing any progress

"But he's just so cute in that leather jacket!"

Josh Macguff moved to the Philippines from America four years ago. He was a transferree in our school and we became... well... sort of an item.

I could just imagine just the two of us sitting down somewhere romantic, holding hands and telling stories...

Perhaps, sharing a smoothie in Starbucks... or outdoors at night, staring at the moon... I know! At a beach sitting on the sizzling sand, staring at the sunset.

"Ellie... Ellie... ELLIE!"

Margaret suddenly called, disrupting my daydream.

"We're here!" Before I knew it, we were standing in front of the red, twelve feet high gate that served as the entrance.

Three girls approached me as if I were a tv star. But last year, 5 or more students would come to me.

"Ellie, did you see the latest issue on 'TeenFab'?" Hazel Monera asked me eagerly.

Hazel, nick-named, "The Gossip", has her way when it comes to knowing everything about recent, juicy stories and gossips about events in and out of school.

Her passion is to become a news reporter someday. (Considering she has a big mouth full of words to tell the world.) She's gone to a pretty good start.

Today, she's wearing her lavender dress and denim blazer also wearing her hair up in a half-ponytail and wearing closed white sandals.

"Yeah, did you?" Maria Karta asked. She's wearing a seemingly sumptuous polka-dot dress that reached her toes and brown high-heels, letting wind into her smooth, brown hair. "Hazel said there's a new model, I checked it out, and the newbie didn't look very nice in a sleeveless gown."

Maria is a very sensitive and judgemental person. Although she was considered "mean" by everyone, we try our best to change her. Despite all her negative traits, she is a girl who takes action, loves to give ideas, and has a passion for fashion.

"Ellie, what are you wearing?" She glanced at me with disgust written all over her face.

"What's wrong with it?" I was wearing a simple light yellow dress and brown sandals.

"It's... so... not you"

"Are you questioning my casual look?" I retorted, irritably.

"You look like a clown in it!" She snapped back.

I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Guys, guys," Demi Wong interrupted meaningfully. "Let's not get into a fight. Ok?"

I smiled at Demi. What could we do without her?

Wong moved from China about a year before Macguff came as a transferree. Outside this group she's shy but in it she's a peacemaker.

As a matter a fact, she was a peacemaker of the class for 4 years straight (including this year).

"Why don't we shake on it?" Demi suggested shyly.

I held out my hand. Maria kept her head held high and arms folded across her chest.

"Come on, Maria. Please?"

A smile finally stretched across her face. "Ok."

Her hand then met mine as we shook them up and down.

She then slowly leaned towards me. "Hey, before you leave school today, I'll give you some fashion tips before you come here in a clownsuit."

I sighed.