Chapter One: A Note

Ember was having one of those days. You know, those days where nothing goes right, where you feel as if the whole world has turned against you. And she wasn't happy. Then again, most people would be feeling the same way if they lived in Ember's situation. Positively abandoned. The only daughter of a drunkard living in the ghettos, Ember often felt unwanted and unneeded by the world. Many times had she felt this way. And there were more yet to come. But today, Ember's life as she knew it was about to end. She would not be the same again.
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Ember Brown tucked a stray lock of her fiery red hair behind her ear as she walked out of her math class, feeling smaller than she had that morning when her father had beaten her. Her teacher had publicly ridiculed her for her score of 58% on the test they had taken the day before, and she had been the recipient of many crude and harsh remarks for that, from everyone in the class. Except for Will and Josh, who sat in the back. They didn't say a word, just looked up at her with what she interpreted as indifference. They were so popular. They didn't pay attention to kids like her.And why should they? They had everything they needed at their fingertips. Life was easy for them. That was part of the reason Ember was so hostile towards them, and people like them. They wouldn't, couldn't ever understand the kind of pain she went through every day. They made it worse.
Ember wiped a few tears from her sparkling green, tear filled eyes as she made her way towards her locker to put her books away and retrieve her science notes. If there was one test she was determined not to bomb, it was the science test. She was determined to pass this one with flying colors. She'd show those kids....
She slammed her locker shut and ran quickly to two lockers which were located near hers. She shoved a note into one of them, and then began walking away. She ran into Will and Josh from her math class. They were heading towards their lockers. Probably just to put on some more of their overly expensive cologne. The smell of it made her almost more angry than she had been earlier. She made eye contact with Josh, and her face reddened. She hurried away, hoping that they hadn't seen her near their lockers. One of them called out something behind her, but she was too angry to look back.
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Josh walked out of his math class feeling very irritated. Irritated with the teacher, mainly, and then irritated with himself for not having the guts to say anything. While passing out the tests, the teacher had made a big to-do about a girl scoring below 60% on her test.
"Did you see her start to cry?" He said to his friend Will as they walked to their lockers.
Will thought for a minute about this. "Yeah. I never saw a girl look so miserable." He grinned. "You should have taken the opportunity to make her day."
"Opportunity? What?"
"You should have told her that you love her. That would have made her happy." Will laughed, and Josh rolled his eyes.
"She probably would have punched me!"
As they were talking, a girl ran into them. It was the girl from math! She looked up at them, and her face went red. Then, she glared at both of them.She ran off without even saying anything.
"Sorry!" Josh called after her.
Will watched her run down the hall, and then said "She just wants your attention Josh. Everyone knows you're a straight A student. Maybe she wants help with her math." He laughed.
"Yeah? Maybe she just doesn't like public humiliation." Josh said, as Will put his books in his locker. "Did you think of that?"
"Yeah. But if that were the case, don't you think it would be overreacting for her to sit at the back of the room, writing hate notes to all the kids? I mean, there are definitely better ways to get attention."
"I suppose you're right. Not like we'll ever know..."
"You could just ask her Josh. I mean, you've liked her for how many years now? So ask her out. Take her to dinner, and talk to her about it. Find out about her. It's that simple. And then you'll be happy, and she'll be happy... well... happier... maybe..."
"Will, you know I can't do that."
"Why not? Scared of a girl?" Will snickered.
"Of course not!"
"Good, then this should be no problem for you."
Josh opened his locker, and saw something flutter to the ground. He picked it up. It was a note. 
Obviously a girl's handwriting, He thought.   He read it quietly.
"'Dear Josh, Don't think that you're better than anyone in this world. Because it's not true. You and your buddy are so stuck up, and you act so immature that it makes me sick. Just lay off of all the popular rich boy stuff.' Josh hesitated, but read on. 'Everyone hates you for it.You and Will think you're all that. You're not. You're everyone's hero for what you did last summer. But not mine. I know what really happened.'
"It's signed..." Josh looked in disbelief at the note. Then he crumpled it up and threw it in the garbage. Then he steamed off. Will grabbed the note out of the trash can and opened it up. He read it quickly. Suddenly, he understood. It was signed 'E. M. B.'  Will shut Josh's locker, and then ran after his friend.