Eleanor
Had life been easy, I would have never stumbled into the sorrow of missing out on the only thing a girl like me prepares for since childhood, her own sister's wedding.
Walking along the trails of this explicit new house with almost 6 easy break in places, I chose the easiest one, the front door. As I had expected, it was left unattended. At the door, there lay a beautiful feather, green, blue and purple, almost resembling that of a peacock. I picked it up, swirled it around a few times and placed it in my almost blonde hair bun, dragging my luggage inside the house.
I stumbled into a few piles of clothes, some weird boxes full of gym stuff and a few yoga mats lying around on the ground. It was almost as if someone had broke in before me, took all the useful stuff and left these stupidly annoying kinds of stuff that reminded one of how many kilos they had gained behind.
I closed the door behind me with one foot while the other pushed the stuff lying around to make way for me to walk in.
That is when I heard her cry, a lady in the lightest shades of blonde, a figure like a Greek Goddess and skin tone of a pearl. I was taken aback, so it really was a robbery.Â
I went close to her to find the noise of her cries increase, her mascara all scattered up while her makeup all washed out because of her tears.
I picked up a cloth lying on the floor and covered the mirror behind her. What? Technically, the amount of makeup she had on must have taken hours which meant if she sees herself in the mirror now, it would become really impossible to guess what has caused her the pain, the robbery or her spoilt eyeliner.
Her crooked voice kept on raising up. Finally gaining the courage, I placed my hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
She screamed on top of her voice turning around and grabbed me in her hold. It seemed as if she had just run out of tears. "It's okay, you can tell me what's wrong." I tried to comfort her, "should I call 911?"
"Why?" She cried, "why would you call 911?"
"Because you got robbed?" I asked hesitantly.
"I got robbed?" Her tears returned as her crooked voice deepened again, "First my favorite character dies and then I get robbed?"
"What?" I glared at her face in disbelief, "You're crying because your favorite character died, not because some robber created this mess out of your house?"
"Huh? What mess? I was looking for my high school prom dress for you," she wiped her tears, "I didn't get robbed. But they just killed Ned Stark in Game of Thrones."
"Mum!" I yelled cursing myself to fall into this trap. How can I forget, I'm back at the Renaldi Mansion. Ladies here are weird, crazy and all drama queens!
"Eleanor!" She hugged me tightly trying to wipe her tears in my scarf.
I forcefully parted from her and rushed upstairs to look for some peace. It's been ages since I had been with her yet being around her still was the same kind of alarming. You wouldn't know when she would bring a guy for you to go on a romantic date or hook you up with some girls to go clubbing. I sighed finally being able to breathe in the over the soothing room of my sister, Mieal.
"What beauty is a soul without being a little dusty?" I asked myself caressing the wedding photograph of my sister, after carefully examining it for a couple of minutes.
"Elenor?" My mother called.
"Over here," I replied through the door.
"What are you doing in Miael's room?" She asked. Her pretty golden curls tossing on her shoulders as she carried my bags.
"Just wandering." I stumbled into her bed, "She really got married." I sighed laying down.
"She is stupid, but she is a good daughter." Mum smiled partially, lying beside me.
"I miss her." She added rolling over to my side.
"Why would you do this to her?" I rolled away farther from her, "And why is she in New York now? Rather than being with her in-laws?" IÂ asked a 0.1% portion of the million questions I had.
"Your father needed the deal, we needed a house and her in-laws are our great family friends for generations. Above all that, we never forced any of you. It was her choice. Mimin volunteered too, but Miael just went for it. And she is in New York because she wanted to have at least a little segment of her life for herself, luckily your brother-in-law is a nice guy, so he agreed." She yawned getting up.
"Where's Mimin?" I stood up completely ignoring her explanation.
"She is off on a trip with her classmates. She'll be back in a few weeks." Mum answered fixing her hair in the mirror. "I called off my divorce with your dad."
"I leave the house for 4 years and more than half of us get into relationships." I rolled my eyes before picking my bags up and slipping into my room which was adjacent to Miael's. A little satisfying smile skipped my lips.
"Also, its Riri, stop calling me that explicit old name!" I added before locking the door.
"Got it! Good night Elenor!" Mum teased through the locked door. Gosh, she loved doing that to me.
I got into the shower pondering over all the phases of my life before entering this new chapter. It all started when I was born as the younger sister to the Renaldi twins. Miael and Mimin were the two evil blessings that I had. They were weirdly talented and ill-fated. Miael never liked being bounded and so she kept on traveling with dad everywhere. Mimin was a little different. She was more like devoted to herself and our family. I was the rebel here. I was with my Grandma for the past 4 years since my family moved to Canada. With some unfortunate turn of events, my family went broke and dad's business almost collapsed. Thanks to his best friend, he agreed to help us but the condition was pretty impractical. Anyway, my sister sure did get married for his sake.
I woke up on hearing the lousy noise of my alarm clock, still snuggling into the super soft feathery pillows. I was all hashed up with the trip and above all the fear of not having my sisters around while I join their school was killing me. It was around 5.30 in the morning and I had my date with the morning sun. The only partner I had been loyal to all my life. And I guess it was because it brought the lovely scent of dawn along with it.
The cold wind blew over my still sleepy face as I said my greetings to the rising sun. I hated the cold, but I loved the blue.
Suddenly a sound of energetic music disturbed my chain of thoughts. I peeked from my balcony to find Mum jumping with her hands raised up in the air while her feet crouched whenever she touched the ground. She was in our front yard doing what she loved the most, staying in shape. No one can say she has got three daughters and one of them is actually married.
"Good morning sweetie." She forcefully smiled breathing heavily.
I saw her struggle as she bent down to lift up some weight, the sweat through her edges kept on crawling down.
"Good morning, sweaty!" I laughed leaving her to her business.
Somehow I managed to get ready and gathering all my courage dared to step inside the school building.
Linkton High, the school that was known for its speciality of making couples. I didn't believe in such rumours because none of my sisters got their soulmates from this place. Miael married according to our father's wish while Mimin was still single after years of being in this school. Miael left 2 years back after she got married while Mimin, well she was in the senior year now. Both of them were 21, mature as mum liked to call them and non-identical.
"You're blocking the way, Missy." I heard someone speak to my back.
"Excuse me?" I asked turning around.
He leaned down to my face, took a deeper look as if he was searching for my skull, "Could you please move aside?"
I looked around to find a few people staring me, a few girls gossiping while a few clicking my pictures. "Woah? What's going on?" The confusion grew wider as I stepped aside.Â
"They are giving you attention." He said walking away.
"Attention?" I mumbled noticing them actually treating me like a celebrity.
I forced a smile to all of them and waiving faintly turned back towards him only to find he was gone.
"Wait! Hello?" I called out to him. He kept on walking away raising his hand to say goodbye without even turning around. I followed his steps in sync calling him out again and again but he behaved pretty arrogantly and never actually turned around. He stopped all of a sudden without giving any hint and I banged my nose in his back. It was then I noticed how masculine his body was. He had the scent of dawn and it took all my mind away.
He swiftly turned around, "why do you keep following me?"
I took a step back, gulping down the weird hesitation, "Why were you not stopping? I called out for you, didn't I?" I asked tucking my hair behind my ears innocently.
He sneered at my face while I stared back at his eyes. He sure had a beautiful face, perfect jawline and absolutely oceanic eyes! He was pretty tall although I wasn't much short myself.
"How long have you been here?" He asked.
"Just a few minutes."
He laughed faintly and turning around began to walk away.
"What the...?" I stomped my feet taking a few steps trying to follow him.
"You're asking the wrong guy." A blonde girl said, "I'm Lele, Mimi said you'll be wandering around wrong people."
"You know my sister?" I questioned stupidly, knowing she just used her nickname.
She stretched out her hand, "Mimin is my favourite senior. She saved me from Jade's wrath."
"Am I sensing a fangirl vibe?" I asked shaking her hand.
"Sort off. I mean, who isn't a fan of the Renaldi girls?" She laughed.
"Oh damn!" My whole world went upside down on realizing it was like first grade again. The whole school will be obsessed with my sisters and I'll automatically become a celebrity for no reason. I hated that scenario.
I pulled her arm slightly gaining her attention, "How many people know I'm a Renaldi?"
"By now, only me. But I'm so excited to tell everyone that I actually am your first-friend/ side chick." She said jumping on her feet.
Side Chick? I don't want a girl to stay with me all day working as an assistant, I would be happy with a friend. "Okay, so before I get officially doomed, can I request you to keep this a secret? I really don't want any attention." I explained moving my hands in a cross.
"What? Are you kidding me? C'mon!" She said throwing a tantrum.
"It would mean the world to me. Do it as a favour, please."
"Dear God! a Renaldi just asked me for a favour! I think I'm going to faint." She said zoning out. Being a Renaldi really meant a lot.
"So, will you?" I asked bringing her back to reality.
She looked at my face with a wide smile and asked, "What should I call you then?"
"Riri, it's my nickname. And don't mention my surname, so nobody would care." I told her as we began to walk along the corridors.
"Okay. Let me take you to our class then." She offered.
"I need to head to see my dad first." I smiled walking inside his cabin while she stayed out.
"Look who do we have here!" Dad exclaimed hugging me.
I went on to open my arms and hug him back, "The only daughter who isn't known to the world as Renaldi?" I joked.
"Eleanor, never say that again." He hushed me.
"It's Riri." I pouted.
"What's happening here?" Martin uncle, dad's best friend asked entering his office.
"Riri's here." Dad introduced proudly.
"Hello, uncle." I greeted hugging him. Martin uncle has been such a support system since childhood that when he asked for the most unreasonable condition to help our family in hard times, even then I never really hated him. Even then I thought there's good in everything, plus Miael agreed to the proposal and she is the smartest of all of us, so it really made sense.
"You have grown so much since I last saw you." He said cupping my face.
"I'm in junior year of graduation, what else do you expect?" I asked.
He laughed faintly rubbing my back, "Well, your eldest sister is now my daughter-in-law so I really don't expect anything anymore."
"Don't worry, I don't mind it," I said assuring him that we were still on the same page. I really was okay with all this new arrangement until I was sure my sisters were fine with it too.
"When is Mimi returning?" Dad asked.
"It's a two-week trip, so I'm not really sure. Why did you allow her to go in the first place?" I rolled my eyes. I had no intention of becoming a hot topic when Mimin was missing.
"Has he ever been able to stop anyone of you from doing what you want?" Martin uncle said raising his eyebrows. I chuckled slowly before leaving the two of them to their business.
I walked through the corridors with Lele while all the other students kept on staring at me. Lele seemed happy and she sure was enjoying all the attention. I peeked in through the windows of my classroom to get a closer look at the new world I was going to enter. There was no turning back now. I saw a group of students sitting in the front row, they seemed pretty nerdy. The next row students were similar to the front bench people but they knew how to smile and talk. Then there were middle bench girls, complete attention seekers. And then the last was the group of over smart kids who seemed to believe that they own the classroom. In some classic cases the school too.
"Students, we have a new admission joining us today. Let's welcome her." The teacher announced.
I sighed out of nervousness before hearing someone speak the worst, "Midterm admission? Why do I smell another Renaldi?"
"I'm officially doomed." I murmured.
"Hey guys, please welcome our new friend, Riri." Lele introduced entering before me, saving me from the embarrassment.
"Riri? What kind of name is that?" A hot-girl with no brains commented on my name.
"A unique one, you'll get used to it soon. Anyways, Greetings, I'm Riri." I stormed inside to verbally punish the one who just messed up with my name. I wasn't the violent type, though I had heard a few bones crack when I get into a vocal fight with anyone.
"Welcome, Miss. Riri. Why don't you take a seat beside the guy in white?" The teacher suggested still trying to figure out the name swap.
"Sure." I said and before I could take a step forward the guy in white denied, "No, I'm good."
It was him, the guy who smelled like the dawn.
I pulled up my sleeves and cranking my bones stormed towards his desk and stomped it hard with my palm. "You Bitch!" I roared disturbing the whole atmosphere of the silent classroom and embarking myself to become a hot topic without my sisters being around. I guess I was always prepared for the worst.
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