Alisha had University the day after the party, thus she left at twelve rather than the usual three o'clock, she was tired upon reaching home thus she quickly took off her make-up and slopped onto her bed. She checked her phone as she usually did before sleeping and noticed that five people had messaged her in the last hour. Eliza, Richard, Bruce, Bryan and Susanna.
Eliza: Hey Lishee, can I sleepover tomorrow night?
Richard: Hey loser, how're you feeling? You looked kinda out of it for the rest of the night.
Bruce: We need to meet with everyone soon…
Bryan: Hey Alisha, when do you wanna meet up for a date? ;)
Susanna: Can you send me the homework for tomorrow please!? I frgt to do it! Soz!
To Eliza: Ofc, make sure you bring your night-time kit though, don't use my stuff again!
To Richard: I just feel tired, what Bryan said knocked the wind out of me. I'm just gonna sleep, I'll ttyt (talk to you tomorrow).
To Bruce: Yeah we do…
To Bryan: Whenever you��re free and I'm free! ;))
To Susanna: Soz babe, I already submitted. Ask someone else for now!
She sighed and put her phone on 'Do not Disturb' mode and drifted to sleep.
"Alisha! Wake up!" She woke up terrified to see Diana hovering over her body. A fuming Diana too, she seemed to be glaring down at Alisha with her purple eyes and growling teeth glowing in the moonlight. "Wake up you b*tch!" she snarled at Alisha. Her breath stank of alcohol instilling less fear in Alisha than her initial shock.
"Di-Mother? What is it?" Alisha screamed as she huddled into the corner of her bed, terrified of the fuming woman in front of her.
"Bryan Martinez comes to me and says, 'Diana we're over, I'm in love with Alisha. I hope you find love one day too.' What does he mean he loves you? How dare you steal Bryan from me you conniving vixen?" Diana quaked with anger and sadness as tears began to fall onto Alisha's face. "What did you do to my Bryan? You b*tch!" Diana screamed as Alisha pushed her off herself and glared at the broken woman.
"First of all, don't you dare get on top of me like that again, second, I don't remember doing anything to Bryan. It's not my fault that he left you, and Diana you're married. I know father is a shitty husband but please give him another chance. Finally, get out of my room before I tell him of your affair with Bryan, and trust me I know he told you before too that he wanted to stop meeting but you ignored it, that's why he made his final move tonight. You're Mrs Richards, you have a certain image to maintain and Bryan Martinez isn't a part of that. Understand?" Diana was still fuming but had calmed down comparatively.
"Why? Why do you get him? Why Alisha? Why do you have to take this from me too?" Diana whimpered. Alisha grabbed her hand and decided to sit her down next herself on the bed. Diana was surprised at the action, thus she didn't fight back.
"Mother, that's what I���ve always called you. Honestly, you're more fitting as a mother to me than my biological one. I'm sorry that I'm proof of father's infidelity, but don't be like him. Mother, you love James Richards, don't you?" Diana broke down into tears next to Alisha. She was tired, her emotions were a mess, her life was a mess.
"Why is it so hard all the time?" Diana whispered, she flopped onto the bed with a sigh. She had never held any strong emotions for Alisha but she found an appreciation for her at this moment. She felt Alisha's warm hand squeeze her cold one and felt the warmth spread through goosebumps over her arm. Alisha was right, Bryan wasn't her true love but James had been and perhaps always would be. "Thank you, you're a good kid. I'm sorry I'm always so harsh, I'm sorry I hate you and I'm sorry I never tried to be nice to you. I don't think I hate you actually, I think you just remind me too much of myself. Somehow, you're better than me, you still have this love in you that always wins. I just want to stop having to fight everything. I'm so tired Alisha." Diana fell asleep quickly after, Alisha wondered if she would remember anything.
"Good night, Diana." Alisha whispered, she then fell asleep next to Diana.
At eight-thirty Alisha's alarm rang, waking both ladies up with a shock. Diana stared around at the room she was in drowsily as she yawned and stretched. She turned, startled to see herself next to Alisha, she almost screamed but she remembered the events of the night before. She sighed and brushed her bottom before standing up tall, "Good morning, Alisha, sorry for any trouble I may have caused you last night." she apologised before leaving promptly. Alisha was astonished by the efficiency of Diana's actions but recovered quickly as she had to get to her University.
She threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt, not caring about the brand as all her clothes were branded regardless, she grabbed her bag and laptop and rushed out of her house. She almost bumped into a fuming James, he was glaring down at her and Diana who had also had the misfortune of bumping into him. "What are you doing here Diana? And Alisha we need to talk about Bryan and you. First, though, Diana, what are you doing here and where were you all of last night? You didn't go to your house and you didn't tell anyone where you were. Do you know how long we've been searching? You're a grown woman, be responsible!" He shouted worriedly before grabbing the startled woman and hugging her. Diana was even more shocked, she stared at the roof from his shoulder before snuggling into her husband's arms and hugging his waist. She began shaking and silently crying, scaring James. He tried to see her face but she hid it in his chest. However, he was stronger than her so he quickly managed to grab her and hold her face, he giggled as he saw her blush and kissed her by surprise. Soon the couple were making out, luckily Alisha was long gone.
Susanna met a blushing Alisha outside her house, she wondered why Alisha looked dazed. However, she decided not to ask, she was still upset at Alisha and the rest. Suddenly, Susanna felt a tap at her shoulder, she turned to see Alisha grinning at her. "Happy birthday Susanna!" She giggled before revealing three small boxes on top of each other, the smallest on top. Susanna's eyes widened, she'd forgotten her own birthday. She blushed before hugging her friend. Susanna began crying and Alisha, like her father, was scared wondering why she was crying. Susanna, like Diana, was just happy to feel some love from someone she loved. Suddenly, the events of the night before seemed unimportant, her friends loved her and valued her, she couldn't hold back.
Diana was, of course, overcome with emotion because her husband hadn't shown her love in years. She had missed him. Diana was forty-years-old this year, yet she'd spent most of her life alone. "James I've missed you. I love you. I just needed to tell you. I'll never stop loving you." She wept, and James realised he was the biggest idiot. He had everything he needed yet he could never accept it, how could he have been such a loser?
"I love you too. I'm so sorry." He felt his eyes glaze over and couldn't stop meteors from cleaning his heart and fall from his eyes. Diana kissed him, and the couple knew they had to have a long talk later. At that moment, however, they decided to retire in one of the bedrooms for the first time in years.
Susanna and Alisha reached their university early that day in order to meet with one of their professors to consult her about changing Susanna's course. Susanna had always been creative and decided to change her major to fashion design, the professor agreed as Susanna had already built a folio and her grades were good for the course.
"Okay Su, I need to go to my lesson. I'll see you in an hour and we'll go grab some lunch." Alisha bid farewell to her friend and hurried to her lesson. She was scuttling down the hallways of her university, they were large and tall, they had an antique finish to them. However, even in such a large corridor of people, Alisha managed to bump into someone. She scratched her head as she rested on her knees, picking up her books. She apologised to the person she had bumped into, however her body jolted when she heard a deep laugh rumble from the person. She turned her head to see a pair of devious eyes stare at her, it was Bryan. He seemed to be everywhere.
"Alisha, are you okay?" He laughed as he helped her up and picked up one of her books. She blushed, she hated her clumsiness, she nodded and she thanked him. She was unsure why he was at her university. He read her expression and grinned, "I'm a guest for a...Ms Mackavoy, since I've had a good run in my businesses she invited me as a speaker. Alisha nodded, Bryan had always been a brilliant businessman. Through his help, his father's empire had managed to compete with the Richards, however once he gained control over their empire he became incredibly powerful. He managed to gain control over governments and countries, the only man he couldn't beat was the President. However, that would no longer be the case, he would never reach such heights in this life.
"Her lecture hall is next to mine, I'll be grabbing lunch with Su later if you wanna join." Alisha proposed, Bryan was ecstatic at the invitation, like a happy puppy getting a treat, he immediately agreed. Alisha left him behind and entered her lecture hall, there she saw a girl glaring at her. She wondered what she had allegedly done now. She decided to name that girl 'Mean Eyes', she wasn't feeling too creative today. Mean Eyes rose up and strutted to Alisha, she donned designer clothes, however they didn't match together well. Alisha who was constantly learning about fashion through the industry experts could immediately tell that this girl had no idea how to dress like the rich. She smiled amicably, a peaceful smile she had mastered, it was her poker face.
"Alisha Richards, you stole my boyfriend." Mean Eyes announced, almost yelling it. Alisha raised an eyebrow. This irked the girl, everything Alisha did made her mad, she screamed, "How dare you show your face after stealing another girl's man!" Alisha began laughing, everyone gulped as they had seen similar scenes. The more Alisha laughed, the less she could tolerate. Mean Eyes had only recently joined the class, so she didn't know how Alisha worked. "What are you laughing about? You snarky bitch! Just because daddy's rich doesn't entitle you to stealing men from us girls."
"Stealing men? Do you have proof? I don't remember kidnapping anyone." Alisha plastered her poker-face again.
"Shut up! You know what I mean smartass." Mean Eyes didn't notice the anger flare in Alisha's eyes.
"Maybe your boyfriend didn't leave you because of me." Alisha suddenly stated.
Mean Eyes screamed "What?"
"Maybe it's because of your terrible fashion sense, you've dressed yourself in dollars but you look like a crow dressed as a pigeon. Maybe it's your shrill voice that makes everyone want to dig out their ears and sell them on the black market for any price. Maybe it's your weird walk, you're trying to strut but you look like a lunging penguin, which I didn't know was possible. Maybe it's because you blame all your problems on other people rather than looking at your own ugly personality reflecting in the mirror. Maybe I didn't steal any man, maybe you're too disgusting to be around. Let's face it, you have only three real qualities and two of them are on your chest, the last one in your pants and we all have those, without those you wouldn't be able to land anyone because you'd look and act like a spoilt child. Maybe it's also because you're wearing enough make-up to hide an entire village. You know what's even funnier? Not one person is standing up for you because they know I'm right, next time you decide to throw accusations I will sue you bankrupt. Move out of my face you ugly duck."
Everyone clapped as Alisha pushed Mean Eyes out of her pathway and sat in her usual seat. Mean Eyes was crimson, unable to react, she began screaming, crying and ran to the toilet. No one chased after her, they knew that she had it coming.
"That's what you get for hurting our Ice Princess." a boy whispered to his friend who grinned back.
"She's so cool, I haven't seen her roast someone in ages." She whispered back to him, they both giggled and sighed with awe.