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Chapter 27. Write a Novel Challenge.
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Chapter 27. Write a Novel Challenge.

by Maia ChristensenJune 5, 2020

Neina was furious.

With everything else going on in her life right now, how dare Frankie insult her like that! She loved her work and was designing a project that would make a significant impact on the London skyline.

Her love for architecture was also a welcome distraction from the news about her mother. Neina still couldn’t believe she was actually gone. All these years without the comfort of her beautiful mother, the scent of fresh lilies, the mouth-watering taste of her chocolate cake, and Neina had still managed to hold out hope of her return.

After all her mother had done to become a model American citizen, it hadn’t been enough. All the money spent on hair products they couldn’t afford, the time taken to conceal her African-American heritage. And it had all been for nothing. The very thing her mother had hated most about herself and done all in her power to change, had been the thing that had ended up killing her. Neina’s precious mother had been brutally murdered, for no reason other than the colour of her skin.

The colour of her skin.

Neina was black too, did that mean she too would end up unfairly killed, due to her skin colour? The thought made Neina sick to the core, as she knew her mother was one of many.

Charlotte knocked on the door, interrupting Neina’s thoughts, which was probably for the better.

“Hey, how are you doing?” Charlotte asked, with a comforting smile on her face.

Before she returned to her right mind, Neina felt a flare of hatred towards Charlotte. She wasn’t black. She didn’t have to face the same daily struggles as people of colour. She would never be murdered just for the colour of her skin.

But then Neina realized she was being irrational. It wasn’t Charlotte’s fault. Charlotte, like herself, didn’t choose her skin colour, but had instead been given unproblematic pale skin. The colour of her skin would never be the cause of her death, and that was a good thing.

Neina stopped herself. No use wishing for lighter skin. Besides, her skin was beautiful, just like her innocent mother’s had been.

“I’m okay now, I was starting to worry I would never make it out of Mors world” Neina replied, with immense relief in her voice.

Charlotte let out a snort of laughter,” Mors world? What on earth is that?” She asked bewildered.

Neina sighed, “It’s a long story,” and she began to explain everything that had happened, and how tangible and bewildering it all had felt.

While doing so, Neina realized how lucky she was to have Charlotte in her life, and what a comfort she really was, despite the colour of her skin – and had been since they first met at Bath university many years ago. Charlotte had stuck by Neina in all the good and the bad times, and was here for her now, at her low point. Charlotte felt like Neina’s Tutumni from Mors world, except she was here on Earth.

“Are you ready to watch the news?” Charlotte’s voice said in a comforting yet concerned tone.

Oh. Charlotte meant the news about her mother. It hadn’t occurred to Nina that the story of her mother’s murder would still be circulating American television.

She nodded, and Charlotte took the remote and turned the TV on.

“Reporting live from outside the White House, today I find myself among thousands of individuals campaigning for the justice of Abelina Nyala. Nyala lost her life at the hands of a Caucasian police officer when walking home from church on Sunday afternoon. The police officer claims she held a gun and looked suspicious, but since then footage has been discovered proving the opposite, with clear cut footage showing police brutality. Citizens of all races and colors are therefore gathered here today in an attempt to end this discrimination. This movement is being called Black Lives Matter.”

Chapter 27 photo of riots following the murder of a black woman at the hands of a white police officer.

Neina’s jaw dropped. So many people. All gathered there for her mother. She could never say her mother’s death was worth it, but it seemed to be doing a lot of good for the world, and would eventually lead to less discrimination.

Charlotte, noticing Neina’s shocked expression, turned the TV off.

A sense of clarity forming within her, Neina realized she needed to help. She wanted to avenge her mother’s death, and ensure that no one else had to suffer for their skin colour again.

Frankie entered the room. Fury coursed through Neina’s veins.

“I was harsh before. I’m sorry for saying you weren’t ready to come back to work after how hard you’ve worked these past few years. Please, come back whenever you feel ready. However, I still think you should try to cooperate with Isla as I firmly believe your styles will work well together,” Frankie explained, in an attempt to sound remorseful.

No. Hadn’t Mors world shown her that Isla wasn’t good for her?

Neina’s heart monitor started to speed up,” No, I won’t work with her. I know you think she’s the young creative streak my project needs, but I am better than her!”

The heart monitor was beeping at an alarming rate now, “I may be older, but I have spent the last fifteen years of my life pouring my heart and soul into these projects and you can’t take that away from me, you just can’t!” Neina yelled, a dam having burst within her eyes causing great big tears to flow down her face.

“Neina? Neina!” was the last thing she heard before everything went black.

As she was regaining consciousness, she heard the hushed muttering of two male voices. She could make out Frankie’s voice, and the other sounded familiar but she didn’t know where from.

“I really think Isla will be the better candidate for the company in the long run,” Frankie stated.

“Neina’s worked with us for 15 years, and produced multiple breathtaking projects, including the Prophecy tower, so I think we should just let her do it her own way,” the other voice explained.

Neina forced her eyes open and saw that it was the owner of Delavive, who had given her the job in the first place.

“Archie?”

©SchoolsCompared.com and WhichSchoolAdvisor.com 2020. All rights reserved.

For further information on the Write a Novel Challenge by SchoolsCompared.com and WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, please click here

To read Chapter 1, click here.

To read Chapter 2, click here.

To read Chapter 3, click here.

To read Chapter 4, click here.

To read Chapter 5, click here.

To read Chapter 6, click here.

To read Chapter 7, click here.

To read Chapter 8, click here.

To read Chapter 9, click here.

To read Chapter 10, click here.

To read Chapter 11, click here.

To read Chapter 12, click here.

To read Chapter 13, click here.

To read Chapter 14, click here.

To read Chapter 15, Click here.

To read Chapter 16, click here.

To read Chapter 17, click here.

To read Chapter 18, click here.

To read Chapter 19, click here.

To read Chapter 20, click here.

To read Chapter 21, click here.

To read Chapter 22, click here.

To read Chapter 23, click here.

To read Chapter 24, click here.

To read Chapter 25, click here.

To read Chapter 26. click here.

For our independent review of The Jebel Ali School, click here

For the official Jebel Ali School web site click here.

For further information on WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, click here.

About The Author
Maia Christensen
Maia Christensen is 14 years old, Danish and a Year 9 student at the Jebel Ali School in Dubai. She writes: "In this chapter, I chose to explore Neina’s emotions and thoughts on discrimination. I also chose to incorporate her future fiance Archie who was briefly mentioned in chapter 19. I am excited to see how future authors choose to develop Neina’s story. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!"

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