Golden Bonds

"Ameliaaaa, have you fed the horses?" Aunt Lucia's voice echoed through the early morning stillness.

"Yes, Aunt Lucia," a scornful tone sounded behind her, stopping her in her tracks. "Haven't I warned you against calling me 'Aunt'? I don't want anyone to know I'm related to an orphan. You want my societal status to drop," Aunt Lucia said as she raised her hand, ready to hit her.

"Oh, leave the poor child be," an old voice resonated from within the dimly lit cottage, and a sigh of relief escaped Amelia's lips as her aunt stormed away.

Amelia stepped out of the barn with a garden fork in hand as the morning sun's light shone on her, giving her emerald green eyes a certain glow. She had brown freckles and very untidy hair, which she had no idea how to take care of, but she didn't mind. She just wanted to finish her work and set off to school.

"Madame, I'm off to school," she said, being careful not to call her Aunt.

"Just leave. Don't contaminate the house. I'm hosting something important today, and don't come back before 4. I don't want people seeing y…"

Amelia didn't wait to listen to the rest, as she was used to it. She carried her sack of books and sighed as her pen kept falling out. "I need to sew the hole again, but I'm going to be late, so we'll have to make do with that."

At the end of the town stood the biggest building the town had to offer - the only school - with a sign that read "Greenpine High School."

As she walked through the school courtyard, Amelia kept her head low and prayed to get to class safely.

"Hehehe, if it isn't the abandoned one," a male voice sounded out.

"Unlucky me," she said, frowning. "Wait there, abandoned one. I have to enter the class before you. I don't want bad luck over me," Lucas commented as he passed by her deliberately, bumping into her and causing her to almost fall. She groaned as she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. "Didn't see you there," Lucas and his gang laughed. "Apologize, Lucas," another voice sounded. The owner of the voice walked majestically down the school hall, with very pale blue eyes and silky black hair that made her stand out among the students.

Murmurings could be heard as she walked to Amelia's side. "Can't she give her best friend a comb or something? It's obvious she doesn't like her anyway. She just wants to overshadow her, or why else would she be friends with her in the first place?" someone added. Of course, Amelia heard those murmurings, but she obviously didn't take them to heart. She was happy someone like Elena could be friends with her and didn't ask for anything else.

"Are you okay?" Elena's soft voice sounded beside Amelia's ear.

"Hmhm," Amelia nodded and forced a smile. "Apologize, Lucas."