The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 1

8 months laterEllaI despise mirrors. Not because I hate my reflection or that I acquire from Eisoptrophobia. Mirrors see straight through my facade. They kat once who I employ to be a loud spoken, reckless miss, who showed what she felt to the world. There were no secrets with me.But now secrets define me.If a reflection revealed what was on the byside, Id be okay. My long auburn hair goes well with my pale complexion. My legs ar extensively long and with heels, Im t aller than most of the guys I know. But Im comfortable with it. Its whats buried deep inside(a) that frightens me because its broken, like a shattered mirror.I tape one of my old sketches all over the mirror on the dorm wall. Its almost completely concealed by drawings and obscures all of my reflection except for my green eyes, which are frosted with infinite pain and secrets.I crook my hair into a messy bun and place my charcoaled pencils into a box on my bed, packing them with my other art supplies.Lila skip s into the room with a cheery grin on her face and a drink in her hand. Oh my God Oh my God Im so glad its over.I pick up a roll of packing tape false the dresser. Oh my God Oh my god I joke. What are you drinking?She tips the cup at me and winks. Juice, silly. Im just really excited to be getting a break. Even if it does mean I put in to go home. She tucks strands of her hair behind her ear and tosses a makeup bag into her purse. Have you seen my perfume?I pull down at the boxes on her bed. I have in mind you packed them in one of those. Not sure which one, though, since you didnt label them.She pulls a face at me. Not all of us can be neat freaks. Honestly, Ella, sometimes I think you have OCD.I write Art Supplies neatly on the box and frank the cap back on the sharpie. I think you might be on to me, I joke.Dang it. She smells herself. I really need it. All this heat is do me sweat. She rips some photos off her dresser mirror and throws them into an open box. I swear its l ike a hundred and ten outside.I think its actually hotter than that. I set my school work in the trash, all marked with As. Back in High School, I used to be a C student. I hadnt really planned on going to college, but life changes people change.Lila narrows her blue eyes at my mirror. You do know that were not going to have the equivalent dorm when we come back in the fall, so unless you take all your artwork off, its just going to be thrown out by the next person.Theyre just a bunch of doodles sketches of haunting eyes, blue roses entwined by a bed of thorns, my name woven in an intricate pattern. None of them result except one a sketch of an old friend, playing his guitar. I peel that one off, careful not to tear the corners.Ill leave them for the next person, I say and add a smile. Theyll have a predecorated room.Im sure the next person will actually want to look in the mirror. She folds up a pink shirt. Although, I dont know why you want to cover up the mirror. Youre not ug ly, El.Its not about that. I stare at the drawing that captures the eagerness in Michas eyes.Lila snatches the drawing from my hands, crinkling the edges a little. One day youre going to have to tell me who this gorgeous guy is.Hes just some guy I used to know. I steal the drawing back. But we dont talk anymore.Whats his name? She stacks a box next to the door.I place the drawing into the box and legal tender it with a strip of tape. Why?She shrugs. Just wondering.His name is Micha. Its the first time Ive said his name aloud, since I left home. It hurts, like a rock lodged in my throat. Micha Scott.She glances over my shoulder as she piles the rest of her clothes into a box. Theres a lot of passion in that drawing. I just dont see him as being some guy. Is he like an old boyfriend or something?I drop my duffel bag, packed with my clothes, next to the door. No, we never dated.She eyes me over with doubt. But you came close to dating? Right?No. I told you we were just friends. But o nly because I wouldnt let us be anything more. Micha saw as well much of me and it scared me too much to let him in all the way.She twists her strawberry blonde hair into a ponytail and fans her face. Micha is an interesting name. I think a name really says a lot about a person. She taps her manicured finger on her chin, thoughtfully. I bet hes hot.You make that bet on every guy, I tease, piling my makeup into a bag.She grins, but theres sadness in her eyes. Yeah, youre probably right. She sighs. Will I at least get to see this dismal Micha who youve refused to speak about our whole eight months of sharing a dorm together when I drop you off at your house?I anticipate not, I mutter and her face sinks. Im sorry, but Micha and I we didnt leave on a good note and I havent talked to him since I left for school in August. Micha doesnt heretofore know where I am.She heaves an overly stuffed pink duffle bag over her shoulder. That sounds like a perfect story for our twelve bit road t rip back home. Back home My eyes widen at the empty room thats been my home for the last eight months. Im not ready to go back home and face everyone I bailed on. Especially Micha. He can see through me better than a mirror.Are you okay? Lila asks with concern.My lips deflexion upward into a stiff smile as I stuff my panicked feeling in a box hidden deep inside my heart. Im great. Lets go.We head out the door, with the last of our boxes in our hands. I pat my empty pockets, realizing I forgot my prognosticate.Hold on. I think I forgot my send for. Setting my box on the ground, I run back to the room and glance around at the garbage bag, a few empty plastic cups on the bed, and the mirror. Where is it? I tot under the bed and in the closet.The soft tune of Pinks Funhouse sings underneath the trash bag my unknown ID ringtone. I pick up the bag and there is my phone with the screen lit up. I scoop it up and my heart stops. Its not an unknown number, just one that was never progra mmed into my phone when I switched carriers.Micha. My hands tremble, otiose to answer, yet powerless to silence it.Arent you going to answer that? Lila enters the room, her face twisted in confusion. Whats up? You look like you just saw a apparition or something.The phone stops ringing and I tuck it into the back pocket of my shorts. We should get going. We have a long trip ahead of us.Lila salutes me. Yes, maam.She cerebrate arms with me and we head out to the parking lot. When we reach the car, my phone beeps.Voicemail.MichaWhy is Ella Daniels such a common name, Ethan grunts from the computer chair. His legs are kicked up on the desk as he lazily scrolls the internet. The list is freaking endless, man. I cant even see straight anymore. He rubs his eyes. Can I take a break?Shaking my head, I pace my room with the phone to my ear, kicking the clothes and other shit on my floor out of the way. Im on hold with the main office at Indiana University, waiting for answers that probabl y arent there. But I have to try Ive been trying ever since the day Ella vanished from my life. The day I promised myself that Id find her no matter what.Are you sure her dad doesnt know where she is? Ethan flops his head back against the headrest of the office chair. I swear that old man knows more than hes letting on.If he does, hes not telling me, I say. Or his trashed mind has misplaced the information.Ethan swivels the chair around. Have you ever considered that maybe she doesnt want to be found?Every wiz day, I mutter. Which makes me even more determined to find her.Ethan refocuses his attention to the computer and continues his search through the endless amount of Ella Daniels in the country. But Im not even sure if shes still in the country.The secretary returns to the phone and gives me the answer I was expecting. This isnt the Ella Daniels Im looking for.I hang up and throw my phone onto the bed. God DammitEthan glances over his shoulder. No luck?I sink down on my bed a nd let my head fall into my hands. It was another dead end.Look, I know you scat her and everything, he says, typing on the keyboard. But you need to get your crap together. All this whining is giving me a headache.Hes right. I shake my pity party off, slick on a black hoodie, and a pair of black boots. Ive got to go down to the shop to pick up a part. You staying or going?He drops his feet to the floor and gratefully shoves away from the desk. Yeah, but can we stop by my house. I need to pick up my drums for tonights practice. Are you going to that or are you still on strike?Pulling my hood over my head, I head for the door. Nah, I got some stuff to do tonight.Thats bull. He reaches to shut off the computer screen. Everyone knows the only reason you dont play anymore is because of Ella. But you need to quit being a pussy and get over her.I think Im going to I smack his hand away from the off button and squint at a picture of a girl on the screen. She has the same dark green eyes and long auburn hair as Ella. But she has on a dress and there isnt any heavy black liner around her eyes. She also looks fake, like shes pretending to be happy. The Ella I knew never pretended.But it has to be her.Dude, what are you doing? Ethan complains as I snatch my phone off my bed. I thought we were giving up for the day.I tap the screen and call information. Yeah, can I get a number for Ella Daniels in Las Vegas, Nevada. I wait, worried shes not going to be listed.Shes been down in Vegas. Ethan peers at the photo on the screen of Ella standing next to a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes in front of the UNLV campus. She looks weird, but kinda hot. So is the girl shes with.Yeah, but shes not your type.Everyones my type. Besides, she could be a exotic belly dancer and thats definitely my type.The operator comes back on and she gives me a few numbers listed, one of the numbers belongs to a girl living on the campus. I telephone dial that number and walk out into the hall to get some privacy. It rings and rings and rings and then Ellas voice comes on the voicemail. She still sounds the same, only a little unemotional, like shes pretending to be happy, but cant quite get there.When it beeps, I take a deep breath and pour my heart out to the voicemail.