Chapter 1
“Taarraaa” I squealed when I saw my best friend standing at her locker. I am not only acting like I haven’t seen her in a long time. I actually haven’t seen her in months. I was in Paris with my family for summer break. I begged my parents to take Tara with us, but they said no.
I ran towards her and wrapped my arms around her. She wrapped hers around me. “I miss you so much honey” She said and I hugged tighter. “I missed my nightmare dressed like a daydream” She added. “Are you quoting Taylor Swift now?” I asked and she laughed. “Always did. T Swift is my queen” She said and I laughed and let go of the hug. You need to know that she is over dramatic and I am serious about it!! And I had to say, since the day she found out about Taylor Swift she hadn’t been the same.
Tara closed her locker and we were on our way to mine. On our way there we were greeted by everyone, literally everyone. Then my eyes fell on a guy that definitely wasn’t going here. He looked way older than we are, but he was too young to be a teacher as well. He had ginger red hair and his arms were full of tattoo’s. I gave him a smile, but he just looked away. I maybe was a little bit hurt, but I kept going to my locker. As we arrived Tara leaned against the one next to mine, while I got my stuff out. “I missed this. My best friend with me and a school that accepts me for me” Tara said and I looked at her. “Have you ever known it any other way?” I asked her and she shook her head no. “But I enjoy being this powerful, at home I am the little girl that is to dump for everything” She said and her smile disappeared.
“Are you okay?” Some random girl asked as she noticed Tara’s look. Tara put on a smile, I knew it was fake “Yes. But thank you for asking” She said and the girl nod smiling and walked off. “Okay, but most importantly, who are you going to homecoming with? Who’s your date? Give me the dirt!” Tara said. “I don’t know, maybe I am not even going” I said and suddenly the entire school was staring at me. “You have to go” A random girl said. “There is no party without you Annabel” Another girl said. “You need to go” A boy said. “See, they all agree with me!!” Tara said. “You are a celebrity on this school and if you don’t go, who is going to be Homecoming Queen??” Tara asked and I looked around. Everyone was nodding. Then the bell finally rang to tell us class started. Saved by the bell, if you want to.
I hurried off. I didn’t even had to wait for Tara because she wasn’t in my class. On my way there people kept asking me how Paris was and I replied Awesome, Amazing and Beautiful. I didn’t know if I meant any of those words. I might be Miss Popular here, but in my family that spot his taken by my perfect older sister, who is studying to become a lawyer. I wasn’t as smart as her, not as tall as her, not as skinny as her and not as pretty as her. Chelsea was my parent’s number one ever since she was born and nothing changed since then, except me being born.
In class I had trouble to concentrate, the thought of me being never as smart as my sister didn’t leave my head. “Miss Mason” My teacher said, but I didn’t really hear it. “Miss Mason!” He said strict, still couldn’t reply. “ANNABEL!” He almost yelled and I finally snapped out of it. “Yes?” I asked and the class wasn’t laughing like they did on TV, I had no idea why. “Do you know the answer?” He asked and I looked at the white board, but I had no idea. “I know the answer” A girl in my class raised her hand and answered the question for me. I turned around to her and mouthed a ‘Thank you.’ She replied with a smile. I turned back to the front and tried to pay attention, which didn’t worked as planned.
At 4pm the nightmare was over. Tara drove up the school entrance and waited for me as I came out of the school. I hurried over to her red convertible and threw my bag in on the backseat and sat down on the passenger seat. “Where are we going?” I asked and she smiled. “Shopping” She answered and started the car. “We don’t have any money Sweetie” I said and she realized that. “Oh, should I drive you home?” She asked and I thought for a second. “I think it’s better.. I won’t like it because Chelsea’s still there, but I don’t think your parents like me that much, so yeah” I said and she looked at me. “They love you Anne” Tara said and I let out a laugh. “Then that was the reason they told me to get the hell out of your life” I said and her mouth dropped open. “They did what!?! They can’t tell my best friend to get out of my life!! You are the only one I love more than Taylor Swift” “Again with Swift?” I asked and she nod. “You are obsessed with her!” I said and she looked serious at me. “Never said I wasn’t”
“Why would my parents thing that you are not good for me?” Tara asked and I thought for a moment. “Maybe.. Maybe they think I am like those queen bee’s on TV. I don’t even consider myself a queen bee!!” I said and Tara nod. “Yeah, that’s why I don’t get it!! You are nice, kind, sweet and you couldn’t even hurt a fly. You always break up fights and help bully victims. I don’t get it! Why wouldn’t they like you?” She asked. “Maybe I seem too perfect to them. I am not even close to perfect, even if everyone thinks that. I don’t!!”
Like ten minutes later we arrived at my house, also known as the Bridgeway Mansion. “Thanks Sweetie” I said and got out and got my bag out the car. I watched Tara driving off and walked in through the smaller gate and locked it once I was in. It took me like ten minutes to reach the front door and entered. I didn’t even bother saying hello, because then they would’ve yelled at me for yelling through the house. This ain’t even a house. I hurried upstairs and ran into my room and closed the door and locked it.
I dropped the bag to the ground and walked over to the huge window wall and opened the door to my balcony. I got onto it and looked up into the shining sun. Summer break might have been over, yet summer isn’t. I then looked down and saw some guy, that I have never seen here before. We have a lot of employees, but I knew everyone by name. That guy I didn’t know. I tried to get a closer look, but I didn’t wanted to fall of the balcony. I decided to ask my parents. I went back inside and closed the balcony door and hurried downstairs. “Mother?” I asked. She looked up from her magazine and smiled at me. “Annabel Jaline, how was school?” She asked and I put on a fake smile “Great!”
“That is amazing to hear” She said and I thought this is the perfect moment to ask. “Who is that ginger man out there?” I asked nodding towards the garden. “That’s our new gardener” My mother said. “What’s his name?” I asked interested. “Why don’t you ask him, since when are you that shy?” She asked me and I sat down on the couch close to her. “Mother please can you answer me the question, I wanted to go out to the pool” I lied, but she believed me.
“His name was Richard something, but he wants to be called Rick if I remember right” She said. “He just graduated from your High School before you enrolled there” She added. “Okay thank you mother” I said and walked back upstairs. I decided to go to the pool after all. I had nothing better to do. I went into my room and to a huge door, which lead to my walk in closet. It was almost as big as my room. I walked to my swim clothing area and got a bikini and changed quick. I got into my flip flops and put my hair into a bun. I took a pair of sunglasses and put them on as well. I grabbed a towel and went down to the pull.
Unfortunately Chelsea was there with her girls. “Hey little sister” Chelsea smiled and took of her sunglasses and smiled at me. “Hi Chelsea” I said “I think I come back later, don’t wanna interrupt” I said and turned around. “Stay Annabel” My sister said and got up and lead me to a beach chair. I sat down and watched my sister sitting down. I covered my head with the towel, when I heard steps getting closer to us. “Excuse me Miss Mason” A unknown voice said. “Actually it’s Mrs. Charles” I heard Chelsea say, while her girls started laughing.
“It’s not, it’s Miss Mason!!” I said, my head still under the towel. I lifted it a bit to see the person and it was the ginger haired guy. “She’s being her mean self again” I said. “I wanted to ask where I can find flower seeds” He said and Chelsea and her girls laughed at his question. “Does she really look like she knows something like that??” My sister’s best friend Ariana Darcy asked. I lifted the towel a little higher and saw how uncomfortable he felt. “I can show you” I said and looked against the sun, meaning I didn’t really see him.
I got up, the towel still covering my head.“Follow me” I said and got into my flip flops again and starting walking, hearing him follow me. “Don’t think I am crazy, but the sun isn’t good for me. I faint easily, I don’t know why.. The sun makes it so much easier for fainting to hit me” I said and realized that I was talking too much. “Sorry, sometimes I just can’t shut up, you are free to stop me” I said as we walked to a small house, which was more like a bungalow. I opened the door, which was never locked and walked in, he followed me. “So, everything flower related you can find here, the door is never locked so you can get in here any time” I said and he nod. “Thank you Miss Mason” He said and I laughed. “It must be funny to talk to a towel head and don’t be afraid to say the truth, I am not Chelsea” I said and he laughed “Maybe a little” I laughed at that.
“See you around” I said, turned around and left. I walked back to the pool and walked the stairs up, but I went inside the house instead. I wasn’t up to hang out any longer with my sister and her friends. I went up the stairs and changed into some hot pants and a sports bra and sport shoes and turned on the music and started dancing. My parents always wanted me to dance, well they wanted me to dance ballet, but I took some modern dancing instead. I became not as good as I thought, so I quiet a year or two.
I was never really talented in dancing. After 30 minutes I grabbed my phone and called Tara, but she didn’t answer. She must do something with her family. The family that hates me. I was so bored that I decided to take a shower. Being a rich girl is so boring!! I let out a loud groan and lied my phone down beside me and looked at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and turned on my side and grabbed my stuff teddy and cuddled it close to my body and tried to fall asleep, for a long time. Didn’t work.
I groaned again and put the teddy bear down and got up again. I walked over to the balcony and onto it. I went to the railing and spotted the ginger haired guy again. I smiled and sat down on a chair. Chelsea, Ariana, Nicole and Sarah were still sitting by the pool. I rolled my eyes and suddenly I heard my stomach growl. Right... I haven’t eaten anything since I came home.
I got up and went through the endless hallway to the stairs and downstairs, followed by another endless hallway. Finally I reached the kitchen and entered. The kitchen staff was already cooking dinner. “Hey Pam, could I get something small to eat. I didn’t eat lunch and I am starving” I said and she smiled at me. “Of course Belle” She said and made a sandwich and handed it to me. “You know an apple would have been enough” I said and smiled at her. “But thanks anyways” I said and took a big bite of it.
“How was school?” She asked and I shrugged with my shoulders. “It was okay I guess. Still hate it tough, but better than to hang out here with perfect Chelsea” I Said and took another bite. “Miss Mason is a... delight” Pam said and I laughed. “I feel sorry for Andrew. If he’s really sure that he wants to marry her” I said and I knew Pam wanted to say something, but was scared that Chelsea finds out.
“I want her to move out of here and leave. I am nothing when she’s here, my parents don’t look at me when she’s around” I said and Pam put everything down and hugged me. “You know where to find me Belle” She said and I hugged her back. “I know”
I took a look on the clock and almost 40 minutes passed by. “I should get back into my room before my parents catch me here” I said and jumped off the counter. I put the plate down on the dish washer and walked back upstairs.
After we finished dinner, I went upstairs and to bed. I wasn’t up to spend anymore time with them. Sounds awful, but I hate hanging out with my family. I closed the curtains and and cuddled into my bed. I grabbed my teddy bear and soon I finally fell asleep.
