Two weeks had passed since the end of our Winter Break, and I was piled up on homework and studying. I mean, what is it with teachers and homework? Sheesh.

It was the 14 of January and also Skylers birthday so we were having a sleepover, but because she has four little brothers we thought it would be better to have it at my place, to which I happily complied.

Caroline had arrived at five to help me set up streamers and make her cupcakes. We were totally gonna throw them in her face later. She had done the same thing to me last year at my birthday. I swear I had cake in my hair for a week.

Skylar then arrived at 6, announcing her presence by pounding repeatedly on the door. Caroline and I only laughed and ran to the door to greet her. She was already in her pajamas, and knowing her she had been wearing them all day.

"Guys this is awesome!" She squealed, dancing around the streamers. "But you need to put on your PJs!"

I nodded and ran to my room to get my pajamas. After getting dressed I ran to the TV room to find that the pizza had arrived. It was cheese and pepperoni, Skyler's favorite.

"You guys have to help me paint my nails," Skyler said, stuffing her face with pizza.

"Haha alright," I laughed, watching the cheese from the pizza miss her mouth and slide down her chin. Classic Skyler.

After we finished the Pizza, at Skyler's request, it was nail painting time. My finger nails were already painted a dark red, so my toes would have to do.

Grabbing my box of nail polish from my room, I settled on the couch with my girls. We all shuffled through the box of nail polish, the TV playing The Office in the background.

I shoved a bottle of dark blue sparkly nail polish forward and asked, "What do you guys think?"

"Perfect!" They cheered, each taking their own shade and opening the bottle to apply. Skyler picked pink, bug surprise there, and Caroline picked purple.

"Hey Ellie?"

"Hmm?" I hummed, finishing the paint on my right foot.

"Can we do our makeup with the stuff you got for Christmas?" Skyler asked, making puppy dog eyes. She knew I had gotten makeup for Christmas because she had been the one who gave it to me.

"Sure, it's in my room, on my vanity."

Skyler hopped up like a rabbit and ran to my room skipping through the hall. She returned a few seconds later with her hands full of makeup supplies.

I took some of it from her and set it in the coffee table, organizing it by it's purpose. Eyeshadows to the right, mascaras to the left and so on.

"Elizabeth, darling, what look are we going for tonight?" Caroline asked, again using her fake English accent.

"Well," I said, also using the accent, "I was thinking of something dark but, oh, should I say, cheque?"

"Most definitely," she replied, a grin on her face.

I took my handheld mirror and began putting a smoky eyeshadow over my eyelids and lathering my eyelashes with mascara. Caroline and Skyler did the same, but of course Skyler used some pink eyeshadow. She definitely wasn't the dark kind like Caroline was. Then again, Caroline didn't used to be so dark. . .

"Caroline I can't believe you can do your makeup so flawlessly without a mirror," I said, kind of jealous, though I rarely ever wore makeup, except on special occasions.

After finishing up with the makeup, we decided it was cupcake and movie time. Caroline and I retreated to the kitchen to get the cupcakes, especially the ones we were going to throw at her. I sat two cupcakes in my hands to do just that, but Caroline stopped me.

"We did just do our makeup. Maybe we shouldn't throw them in her face."

"You're right," I sighed. So much for that plan. "Let's get ice cream too."

I took the three tubs of ice cream we had from the freezer and filled three bowls with some of each flavor before covering the ice cream in whipped cream and an excessive amount of sprinkles.

I carried the ice cream bowls, while Caroline carried the tray of cupcakes, one of them with a burning candle in the middle that said 17.

"Happy birthday to you," we began, my parents joining us in the room and singing too, "happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Skyler, happy birthday to you!"

Skyler squealed and blew out her candle, making a wish. I pulled out my card for her, and as soon as I handed it to her she tore it open revealing a gift card to Papaya, her favorite store at the mall.

She gushed and hugged me, squeezing the air from my lungs again before going to open Caroline's gift, which was also a gift card.

"Aw thank you guys so much! You're the best!" She hugged us both again, smiling wildly.

"So what movie shall it be, my liege?" I asked, curtsying.

"Twilight!" She yelled immediately. I guess she had been thinking about that for a while.

"Ugh do we have to?" Caroline groaned.

"I thought you loved Twilight?!" Skyler fake whined, making puppy dog eyes again.

"Well. . . Not really anymore. I've outgrown it, but if you really want to, we can," she said, giving in to the temptation.

I nodded, walking to my parents extensive movie-shelf and browsing through the movies until I found Twilight. Pushing the disc into the DVD player, I clicked the TV on and snuggled up on the couch between by two best friends.

We each grabbed our dishes, piled high with ice cream and now cupcakes, stuffing our faces with more junk food.

The movie began, and I could tell Caroline really didn't like this movie anymore. It was strange, as we would always have Twilight movie marathons together, but maybe she did it for our sake. If so, that would make her truly one of the best friends in the entire world.

"So Edward or Jacob?" Skyler asked, as she did every time we watched this movie. We only groaned and continued watching.

•

By the time Twilight was over it was almost one AM because a certain someone had to pee five times during the movie. I'm not naming any names but it was the birthday girl.

Skyler was starting to dose off into sleep and Caroline looked like she was meditating or something.

"Why don't you guys head to bed? I'll be in after I finish cleaning up."

Caroline lifted the sleepy Skyler from her spot on the couch and walked her to my room where all of our blankets, pillows and sleeping bags were littering the floor in a pile.

Cleaning up took less time than I'd anticipated so I decided to take a walk. Putting on my slippers and jacket, I opened the door and stepped outside.

The air was crisp, breathable, but still very cold. I breathed out slowly, watching as my breath made a cloud and blew away in the chilly wind.

I'd only made it to the corner by the main road when I became to fed up with the cold to continue. I began walking back down the side walk when I thought I heard something.

Winter didn't help with my fright, as it made everything silent, too silent. I looked around, dismissing it as nothing when the noise didn't continue. I couldn't see anything either, at least not in the dark.

Just as I began walking, again I heard the noise, but this time it seemed closer. I normally didn't get scared from things like this, but tonight the eerie silence was really getting to me.

I walked faster, eager to get into my house. Something whizzed passed me suddenly, hitting my shoulder and knocking me backwards into my butt. Though it caught most of the impact I noticed my hand was bleeding.

"Ouch," I whisper-yelled.

Pulling myself up, I took a look around before I made my way home again. I'd probably just tripped. But again, I saw something whizz by me, and this time it laughed. Not a cute laugh you hear from a baby, but a evil menacing laugh that haunts you from the inside and out.

My blood ran cold and I could feel the hairs on my neck stand up. What the absolute fuck was going on?

The pain in my hand drew me from my trance of fright and again I tried to return home, but whatever it was that was following me hit me again, this time clawing at my cut hand.

I gasped in pain, drawing my hand to my chest. A whimper dared to escape my lips, but I held it in, trying to stay strong.

I stopped again, noticing someone standing in front of me. They wore a hoodie and it's hood hung over their face, blocking it from view. If only I knew who it was.

"You taste delicious, Princess."

I lied, I don't want to know who it was.

I felt myself bend down, reaching for a rock next to me. I closed my bloody hand around the rock and hurled it at the figure, but it disappeared into nothing, leaving me alone in the frightening darkness.

The voice sounded strangely familiar, but I was too scared to even think about who it could be now. I just wanted to get away. I just wanted to get inside.

Sprinting to my house as fast as I could, I ran in and locked the doors, checking both the front and back twice.

Running to the bathroom, I bandaged my hand and took off all of my makeup. I realized now it was actually a fairly large cut, extending from my pinky finger to my wrist. Unable to find a decent size bandaid, I just wrapped it in gauze.

Walking into my room, I saw Skyler laying awake. It seemed she was waiting for me.

Skyler's POV

"Ellie where were you? I started to get worried." As I asked her, her expression filled with fear.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

She formed a smile on her face before nodding, but I knew she was lying about something. But because she seemed really exhausted and tired I dismissed it for now, but I was going to ask her again in the morning.

We settled into bed, getting comfortable beneath my blankets. Before closing my eyes I decided I needed to tell her something.

"Ellie?" I called out quietly, so I wouldn't wake Caroline. She was a very light sleeper.

"Yeah?" She said groggily, like she'd already been asleep.

"You know I am always here for you right?"

"Yeah I know," she stated before rolling over. I stared up at the ceiling and slowly fell asleep.