That'sLife!

• Julie Ng, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2009

“Ellie! Get UP!”
Ellie woke with a start and stubbed her toe as she jumped out of bed, already late for school. How could she have slept in? It was the first day of school for the year, and she had somehow managed to stuff this up.
“I’m coming, Mum!”
The short, green-eyed brunette of fourteen raced down the stairs, hurriedly changing on the way. She left her bright pink pajama top on the dresser, star-covered pants on the floor and chaos in her wake. Ellie leapt into the car with a piece of jam-covered toast in her mouth, and her schoolbag over her shoulder.
“OW!”
In her rush, Ellie closed the car door on her own leg and somehow managed to stub her poor toe once again, hit her head on the roof of the car, and fall sideways onto the seat. Lisa looked at her daughter and shook her head sadly. Both she and her husband were quite coordinated, there was no reason why Ellie was so...clumsy.
“Sorry Mum, I don’t know how I slept in!” Ellie apologized as she rubbed her toe. “I was SURE I put the alarm on...”
“Oh Ellie, I told you that the clock ran out of batteries at least a dozen times!” Lisa exclaimed, backing out of the driveway.
Ellie thought, and realized her mother was right. Of course, she had completely forgotten to change the batteries as she promised just the day before.
“Oh well, no harm done right?” Ellie’s feeble attempt at optimism made Lisa grin grudgingly. No harm done, except for another first day interrupted by Ellie’s flaws.
The drive to school was short, and in just a few minutes they had arrived.
“Have a good day, honey,” Lisa kissed the girl’s head fondly and smiled. “Be careful, I don’t need you getting hurt again.”
Ellie grimaced, remembering clearly the painful encounter with some shopping trolleys. She received a number of bruises from not watching where she was walking, and of course at the precise moment some kids had to come down the hill steering their fun new toys.
“I will, and don’t worry. I have learnt that I have eyes!”
“Maybe you should try using them then. I’ll pick you up at 3:15.”
Catching her toe on a loose brick and falling, Ellie’s wave was hidden from her mother’s car driving away. She sighed, resigned to another day of torture, and walked up the stone steps bathed in summer sunlight.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed as she saw the other students, backpacks casually slung over their shoulders. Ellie had left her schoolbag in the car, already safely parked in the garage at her house.
It was the start of just another ordinary day in the life of Ellie Woodlands.