Falling For The True Heiress

The next morning my alarm went off.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

I groaned and slapped my hand on the bedside table until I found my phone and turned it off.

It was 5:30 AM.

I lay there for another minute, staring at the ceiling.

Then my second alarm went off.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

I had set it three years ago when I realized I was the kind of person who always slept through the first one.

I turned it off and forced myself to sit up. I stood up and went to freshen up. When I came out, I stood in front of my wardrobe for a while, then picked out my uniform.

White shirt, plaid skirt, blazer with the Westbrook crest, which was already ironed, and white sneakers.

I tied my hair back neatly, applied my makeup, and picked up my bag.

I stood at the mirror staring at my reflection.

How will today be for me? But if I didn’t go, that means I’m really afraid. I can’t run away forever.

I took a deep breath and walked out of my room.

I went downstairs and Mom was already at the dining table.

"Good morning, honey," she said, looking up from her coffee.

"Morning, Mom," I said, sitting down.

"Sylvia isn’t up yet?" Mom asked, looking toward the stairs.

"I don’t know," I said, picking up my fork.

A few minutes later I heard footsteps on the stairs. Sylvia came down still fixing her blazer, her bag hanging off one shoulder, her hair only half done.

"Good morning," she said, breathing heavily.

Mom looked at her. "Sylvia, sit down and eat first."

"I’m fine, Mom. I’ll grab something later." She looked at me. "Are you driving?"

"Am I going to school together with you?" I said, still eating my food.

Mom looked at me. I felt what she was trying to say right away.

"Mr. Clifford will take you to school, Sylvia," Mom said, looking at Sylvia.

Sylvia turned to me. Her eyes looked pitiful.

I didn’t mean it, but I had to. If she keeps defending me and one day she stops, what will I do then? Won’t it hurt even more by then?

So I have to take the insults all by myself and avoid her favors.

"Mom, I’m heading out now," I said, standing up to leave.

"Are you still angry about yesterday?" Sylvia asked, making me stop mid-step.

I didn’t turn around or say anything. I called the butler to get my car keys. When he handed them to me, I walked out of the house.

I walked to my car and got in. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

I’m sorry, Sylvia. I don’t know if your kindness is real or fake. I just don’t want to get used to it.

I started the car and drove out.

The school parking lot was already busy when I arrived.

I could feel it the moment I stepped out of the car. Eyes turning toward me. Groups of students whispering.

I got out of the car and locked it. I was three steps away when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey."

I turned around to see who it was.

It was a girl. She was tall and beautiful. Her curled hair bounced as she walked toward me.

She was really a goddess.

"Wow," I whispered without realizing it.

She walked up to me, waving her hand. I hadn’t seen her anywhere in this school before. She must be a transfer student.

"I’m sorry, but do you know the way to the grade 12 classroom?" she said.

Her English was good, and she didn’t speak like she was from this country at all. I blinked and tilted my head a little.

"And you are?"

"Oh! I’m Daniela González Pérez," she said, smiling.

Her smile was really gentle and she had a dimple on one side of her cheek that completed her beauty.

"Are you Spanish?" I asked because her name sounded like one.

She nodded. "¿Cómo lo sabes?" She asked, smiling happily.

"Porque tu nombre suena como uno," I replied.

"Vamos, esa también es mi clase." I said, turning to leave.

A black-tinted SUV stopped in front of us, and Sylvia stepped out. The whole school started whispering immediately when Mr. Clifford came out of the car.

"Is that the real daughter of the Winston family?"

"She’s really beautiful."

"Unlike some fake heiress."

I turned to Sylvia. She looked at me and then past me at Daniela. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned back to me.

"Let’s go, Daniela," I said and left.

Daniela walked beside me and turning a bit toward me.

"Do you know her?" she asked.

I didn’t say anything. She would find out soon enough.

Inside the main corridor the whispering got worse as I walked past. The hallway was crowded with students switching books at their lockers and rushing to homeroom. I could feel the stares following me like heat.

"There she is."

I didn’t turn around to see who was talking.

"The fake Winston." The voice was loud enough for me to hear it. "Must be embarrassing walking in here after what happened."

I kept walking, with Daniela beside me.

"Hey, I’m talking to you, Amelia."

I recognized the voice now. It was Dana Keller. She sat two rows behind me in Literature. She had always been quietly resentful, the kind of girl who smiled at your face and waited patiently for you to fall.

She had been waiting for this for a long time.

"Leave it, Dana," someone else muttered.

"Why?" Dana said, louder now, feeding off the audience forming around us. "She used to make everyone else feel small. Now she knows how it feels."

I stopped walking but didn’t turn around. My hands were shaking a little at my sides.

"Are you okay?" Daniela asked, touching my hand.

"I’m fine." I said, not looking at her.

How could I say I was fine? I was dying of embarrassment.

Thwump!

Fwap!

Thud!

A bag came flying and hit Dana right on the head. She stumbled and fell.

Everybody turned to look in the direction the bag had come from.

I turned immediately as well.

And it was Sylvia.

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