Excerpt: Absolution

Ellie Finn stared into the pair of tawny eyes, unblinking as she traced the features of the girl’s face. Like her eyes, most of the girl’s features were dark. Silky brown-nearly black- hair fell just below her shoulders in various layers. Against the backdrop of her deep, naturally tanned skin, her features seemed exotic. She was pretty – in a non-conventional way. Or so she had been told.

Ellie blinked and shook her head. The whole picture came into focus as she continued to stare at herself - the girl in the mirror. She tried to see those non-conventionally pretty features that everyone always spoke of, but all she could see was a too high forehead and a too narrow nose and chin.

“This is stupid,” she muttered to herself. She glared at the self-help book sitting on the counter, blaming it for this ridiculous exercise.

A quick glance at the clock told her she still had half an hour before she needed to leave to meet her friends. Friend, she mentally corrected. Haley was her friend. Wes was Haley’s boyfriend, but she didn’t think that automatically made him her friend. Then, of course, there was Willow. She was Haley’s best friend and roommate, and most definitely not Ellie’s friend. Willow had made her distaste for Ellie known from the moment they met. That had only been a few weeks ago and the animosity she felt rolling off of Willow whenever she was around had yet to decrease. In fact, Ellie thought it might have gotten worse.

When she voiced her concerns to Haley, the girl had only shrugged it off, saying it was nothing and that Willow would come around once she got to know her better. Ellie had her doubts about this, and so she wasn’t looking forward to facing the beautiful, yet intimidating blonde tonight.