Drug dealers and scholars

(I can’t but help bad for Lucy in this scene because she thinks she knows it all.) "Pencil case, tissues, water. Pencil case tissues water." "Do you have your pencil case, tissues, and water?" Her mum said quietly so at not to frighten her. Ellie laughed, embarrassed. “Lets go” smiled her mum. The sun outside the school was so warm after surviving a two and a half minute freezing cold subway journey standing in a circle with her classmates. She tried SO hard to make sure they didn’t think her mom was her mom and then she kissed her and the head and went “love you.” “Hi” a girl grinned at her. She was the girl from the subway who’d just watched her mom kiss her goodbye. Her teeth were so white, making her pale skin look pink, but her eyeliner was all multicoloured. “l’m Luna. Wanna know the best thing about this school?” Luna asked as she opened the sqeaky, blue side door kicking away the pebbles in it’s path. All of a sudden, Luna grabbed onto Ellies’s arm and dragged her in the door where she started running, her sneakers slapping the ground. Luna pushed open the bathroom door and finally let go of Ellie. There was a rancid smell from the place and Ellies’s shoes got all wet from the puddle on the ground. A girl with pink hair stretched out her arm behind her to offer Ellie a… a cigarette was it? It smelt gross anyways. “It’s not gonna bite you. Are you scared of it?” the girl accused mockingly. Ellie could smell this girl’s breath and it was horrible No I just-” The girl shoved it in her mouth. It was actually really good. “Hold.” the girl ordered as she held the cigarette towards her. Ellie grabbed it. Just then the door swung opened so fast that air blew in Ellie’s face. A teacher walked in with a bun that looked like it’d been in for months and a paint-covered apron. “Yous are coming with me.” she sighed. Ellies heart instantly started beating. Her palms started sweating and she tightened her grip on the cigarette as if it was going to make it disappear. “What are you gonna do with that?” the teacher asked, pointing to the ciggerette hanging down by Ellie’s side. Ellie automatically glanced back at the two girls who's ciggerettes had magically disappeared. They stared back at her angrily. “Well?” questioned the teacher. “This isn’t mine.” she told the teacher as she rubbed her finger on the sweat drenched paper. “You’re holding it, though.” The teacher laughed. Ellie could see kids rushing by the door behind the teacher. She felt like the unruly kid. “Gimme your name so I can write you up for crack cocaine.” “But…” begged Ellie. She could barely breath. “I’m afraid no ‘but’ is gonna get you outta this. You’re HOLDING it.” Ellie’s nose pores were starting to hurt. Was she crying a few minutes into her first day? “You must give me your name, or you’re coming to the principals office.” “Ellie Davis.” she cried. With that, the teacher slamed the door. The air blew so hard it sent a tear flying off her face. She could still smell the cigarette. Luna and her little friend ran out the door laughing. Ellie, filled with such anger, fear sadness and just utter confusion found herself grabbing at the beads in Luna's hair. They were so smooth. “LET GO.” To Ellie’s luck, the teacher was still there. “ELLIE! OFFICE!” Ellie skimped along to the office. She walked in reluctantly. There was a pungent smell of old, unused books. “Principal Martin, this young lady has been misusing drugs.” ”I’ve never tried cocaine in my life. It’s my first day here. Ellie had gotten her voice back and the words were just tumbling out. She had both elbows held into her chest and it was giving her a cramp. The bald man chuckled. “Your first day in New York and and you’ve found the cocaine.” Ellie got braver. “If someone else forced me to take it, would they get detention too?” she inquired. The man tilted his head as he clicked his pen loudly. "And who might that be?” the principal asked, smiling and pointing at the small blue swivel chair beside him. She sat down with her hands on her knees. The ground felt so hard on her feet. Did he know something she didn’t? “One of them’s called Luna,” she continued “but then she has this friend with pink hair who never gave her name.” “Well wasn’t it just her luck that she was born with pink hair? We’ll be able to find her no bother.” he laughed sarcastically. Ellie self consciously put her hair behind her ear. It had blonde high lights. There was a small silence. “Well,” Mr Martin broke the silence. He swivled his black upholstered chair around. “You’re a very capable young lady and as long as your not caught being involved with them again, I don’t see any need for a detention here today” “Th-thank you. Mih… she paused, forgetting his name. “Thank you,” she repeated.” Mr Martin seemed dazed as he stared into his computer. “A-amm,” came his delayed response. “Now, do you need any help getting to your class?” He looked down at her and his face seemed to change in remembrance “Oooh, you need a timetable. Welcome to the school by the way.” he joked as he got her sorted. By the time she was done, it was break time. She watched her shadow on the ground as she waled to the bathroom where Luna and Pinky hair standing by the sink looking very sure of themselves. The air smelt fresh this time though. “You’re dealing drugs for us now.” Ellie raised her eyebrows and her palms filled with anger “I owe you guys nothing.” The placed her palm on the sinks cold edge. “Maya and I are going back to correctional so actually you owe us everything.” tested Luna. “Well, guess what?” Ellie said as she backed away from the sink nearly tripping with how light her bag was “I’ve spent the whole morning being shouted at and if I’m seen with you again, I’m getting a detention just like ya’ll.” “No Ellie… JAIL! Your snitching has gotten us sent back to jail.” Ellie gasped. Her jaw dropped in shock. She could hear noise outside but all of a sudden felt like she wasn't even part of the world. She’d gotten involved with criminals. They were literally a jail break short of 2 prisoners. “Well, maybe that’s where you belong.” Ellie huffed sharply. A tear rolled down Luna’s white face.

Adults' choices affect kids’ futures.