Michelle Sandiago's life was amazing. She was super popular, had two loving parents, she was an only child and there were no secrets in her family. There was only one small problem. Michelle didn't exist.
Michelle was a figment of twelve-year-old Annabelle Lee's imagination, the life she wanted. Annabelle's mother had died earlier that day, after almost three years of battling with cancer and they thought she was finally recovering when it had become a lot worse rapidly. It had been a rushed and tearful goodbye, to say the least.
Annabelle was very bright and observant, by the end of the day due to a large amount of observing had found out two things. One was that her brothers were filthy rich as she was boarding a private jet, and the second was that they were extremely busy as they hadn't taken the time to pick her up, she instead had received this text.
Daniel our driver is picking you up from the airport and bringing you home.
To which she had replied with a quick 'Thank you'.
The inside of the jet had three soft, beige, leather recliners. A quartz table was placed on the other end of the plane with a freshly cooked lamb roast steaming away on the table. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of it and she sat down and began devouring it with great haste.
By the time she had finished and the flight attendant had taken her plate away it was almost eight o'clock. She was tired and sad after such a depressing and shocking day, she laid down on one of the recliners, lent it back and fell asleep.
She woke from her rest with an aching back, and a headache. The kind flight attendant who had taken her plate the previous night looked at her."You awake are you,Dear?"
"Yeah... Can I have some water please?" She croaked out her head pounding, and her back aching.
"Sure." She replied, straightening her skirt and walking off to fill her request.
About half an hour after she drank the water her headache ceased but the aching in her back didn't. Another flight attendant gave her a remote for the tv that dropped out of the top of the plane.
She flicked it on, and to her surprise saw several movies downloaded, that matched her preferences.
Several grueling hours later the jet prepared to land. Belle gripped the sides of her chair for dear life. She'd been on a plane two years ago and hated the landing, clearly nothing had changed.
Her body shook as the wheels lowered themselves to the ground. She breathed out slowly trying to calm her nerves when the plane came to a rolling stop.
There was a long tunnel connected to the plane that led into the airport. There was the occasional window dotted along the sides of the tunnel. Annabelle looked outside and was surprised to see snow. She knew it snowed at Christmas time in England. She was just shocked to see it. It was a massive change as in Australia it was sunny in December. In Melbourne where she came from it got up to 40 degrees on some days.
Anna looked down at her outfit; she had a spaghetti strap tank on and denim shorts that reached her upper thigh, her hair was short and the cool breeze on her neck would definitely make her shiver. She was so not ready to go into the freezing outside wind, and weather.
Her suspicions were proven when she met Daniel moments later. He looked at her outfit with uncertainty before leading her outside to a Matte Black Limousine. It was just as luxurious as the jet.
If it wasn't in the current circumstances Annabelle Lee probably would have loved the thirty minute car ride to her new home. Instead, she spent the thirty minutes wishing her Mum was here to experience it with her and stressing about her brothers liking or disliking her.
The taxi pulled to a stop and she looked out the window. A massive mansion loomed over her and she shrunk back into her seat.
With all the courage she could muster her shaking clammy hands reached and opened the door. She stepped out and walked up the path as Daniel reversed and drove off.
Annabelle reached up a cold shivering hand knocked on the door and pinched her goose bumped skin to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The door swung open to reveal a boy who looked to be about 17. He had darkened blond hair, much like her own, that reached his lower shoulders, unlike her own, which was cut short into a pixie haircut.
"Oh, Hey Annie." He said nonchalantly like they weren't meeting for the first time in ten years. He also called her Annie which she normally hated but for some reason unbeknownst to her she didn't mind.
"Hi..." She replied awkwardly, shifting between her feet.
"Are you going to stand out here all day or are you gonna come in?" He whispered leaning forward to speak into her ear amused.
She blushed but still stood out there looking at him even after he stood aside so she could walk in.
"What's taking so long Drake?" A deep voice echoed from what sounded like the other of the first floor in the massive house.
"Don't ask me!" He replied. "Ask our sister who refuses to come inside."
Her cheeks heated up from embarrassment and she took a few steps inside.
Drake grabbed Belle by her lower elbow and led her into what she suspected was the lounge room. Four other boys sat lounged on the couch looking at her.
As if they'd practiced it, all the boys got up and formed a line from smallest to tallest.
Well, except for the two guys at the front who were so similar in height she doubted there was a centimetre difference.
"Introduce yourselves."