Just as I'd expected, hoped and prayed , my second, third and fourth day of school weren't as bad as the first. Everyone had gone back to minding their business, ignoring me way more than usual but it was cool. Once upon a time, I used to crave attention but after yesterday, I think I'm perfectly fine to be in the shadow.
Day five and everything was still going smoothly. As I walked past people in the hallway and saw some people on their phones, a boy stealing sandwich from his friends bag, the party girls talking about who did the deed last night and nobody whispering my name, I felt true happiness. Peace and calm.
With a smile plastered on my face, I opened the door to English class. The class was almost empty with just three students sitting in a circle. I never knew their names but damn! These girls could sing. They were doing a cover of Elle King's 'Exes and oh'.
"One, two,three they're gonna run back to me." I hummed as I took my seat beside the window. I love these seats because you can always look out the window whenever the class gets boring. One student had even jumped out once but I'm never trying that. He came back to school with a leg cast and clutches.
"They won't let go!!! Exes and ohs." The short one in the group was the one with the high pitched voice and she always finished their songs.
"You guys were great." I commended.
"We know." The short girl rolled her eyes at me.
"You didn't have to do that." Her friend frowned and muttered sorry to me as they started their next song.
"Where's the rest of the class?" Our English teacher came in with a purple paper bag. Miss veronica was a thirty five year old woman who looked fifty with her premature gray hairs and wrinkled face. But I loved the gowns she always wore to class. The one she was putting on today was a simple black knee length gown. It was cut low at the neck but not low enough to show any cleavages and it clung to her slim figure in a nice way.
"I don't know." I answered her since the other three girls were busy muttering something under their breaths.
"I'm going somewhere so just," she brought a black whiteboard marker and began to write. "Do this and submit on Monday. Make sure everyone gets it." She nodded at me and left.
Write a five hundred word essay on the day I'll never forget.
You know, the most annoying things about these essays is you never get a complete mark on them. I mean, you could be asked to write a composition about yourself and still score three over twenty. Teacher, are you me?
I wrote the assignment topic in my note book and bowed my head. At least I could rest before the next teacher came in.
The classes today got boring and boring as each teacher came in and finally, it was time to go home. Fridays were my best days because everyone came back late. Dad always had to do some extra work at the office, my stepmother chose Fridays as her beauty day, Hailey and Laney had cheer leading practice so I was free and alone till night.
I've heard people say they can't stay at home alone, its boring, etc... I swear, the best company you can have is you.
Well, that's what I tell myself since I have zero friends. Not counting my study buddies.
I tried putting my key into the keyhole while holding the door handle and the door squeaked and moved back a little. Somebody was inside. Somebody was back. This wasn't supposed to happen.
I pushed the door further and noticed that not just somebody but everybody was back. And they were all dressed up. Well, all except dad. He was putting on a grey T-shirt and jean shorts. He waved at me and walked towards his room.
"What are you staring at? Go get dressed too." My stepmother shouted at me.
"Where are we going?" I slowly walked in just to make her mad.
"Your aunt got us free tickets to visit the newly opened trade fair. They're having opening sales and it's kind of like a party and not just a trade fair."
"I don't understand a word you said." I shook my head and pouted my lips.
"She wants us to take pictures there. So just dress up, come with us, take pictures and you can disappear for all I care." She shouted.
I loved times like this when she was forced to do something. To the outside world, which included her younger sister, she was the best step mother in the world. Only I and the people in this house knew the devil she was.
"Okay." I sighed and walked up the stairs. I didn't want to go but I had to do it for aunt Marie. Although she way my step mother's younger sister, she was so different from her in many ways. She genuinely loved me for one.
Remind me why I came to this place?
This was even more boring than the time I'd sat down to watch a marathon of 'the amazing world of gumball'.
I felt like I was window shopping but dressed in a flower patterned gown and black heels while doing so.
I turned to look at Hailey and her sister; they were having the time of their lives taking selfies with different shapes of eye glasses. The one Laney way putting on was shaped like a pentagon. Bold and yellow. Hailey was putting on a pink heart shaped one and they were both sticking their tongues out as they took selfies.
I decided to leave them and stroll along to a shop I found exciting. It was a jewellery shop, judging by the bangle designs on the banner but that wasn't what caught my attention. People were gathered there and they seemed to be playing a game.
"Spin the wheel of fortune." A woman was saying. "You get one trial each to win fabulous prizes. Isn't that awesome?" She pointed at the wheel.
"You think you've got a shot?" Someone whispered behind me.
"No. I'm just here to watch. I don't think I can be that lucky." I sighed.
"Come on. Just try. I'll buy you the ticket."
When she said this, I turned to look at her. Tall, tan skinned with hair that looked like they cost a fortune. She was dressed like the owner of this mall. With those diamond studded earrings on each ear , I could punch sense into my half sisters.
"Okay."
She stepped out of the crowd and purchased two tickets just as a girl was claiming her prize: a silver necklace with a star shaped pendant.
I stood in front of the large spinning wheel and looked at the options. A pink bow,nothing, nothing, a blue stuff that looked like badly drawn shoes, nothing,a silver anchor,nothing, a black star that was crossed off- I guess that's what the girl won.- nothing.
With a deep breath, I spun the wheel, harder than I wanted to. It went round and round until it began to slow down until it rested on the pink bow. And moved a little and stopped at nothing. .
"Oops! Sorry." The game organize shook her head sadly. "Next!"
I walked back into the crowd and folded my arms, watching as the woman who purchased my ticket spun the wheel. She seemed to do it with a lot of confidence. The wheel spun a bit slower than mine had and the arrow stopped on the pink bow. And didn't move an inch.
"Wow,wow,wow! Guess who just won our Pandora's special?" The game organiser announced to the crowd as she pulled out a brown box and gave it to the woman.
"See, I told you I'm not that lucky." I said to her as she came back with her box.
"You were almost lucky." She smiled at me and stretched her hand towards me. The hand with the box.
"What are you doing?"
"Take it. I've got a whole lot more." She smiled. With her earrings glittering like that, I knew she wasn't lying.
"Um, thank you." I took it from her. "If you had so much more, why did you play then?"
"If I didn't okay would you have a Pandora's special box in your hands?" She answered my question with a question and walked out.
"I'm sorry." I tried waking after her but tripped and fell. The box fell out of my hands. While on the floor, I saw my stepmother staring at me from a distance. She was beckoning at me.
I stood up, dusted my gown and put the box in my bag. Turning around, I couldn't see the lady who gave me the box. She'd probably walked into another shoo to help somebody else.
It turned out my stepmother was just calling me to take a selfie with them. One that required putting on fake smiles. It's funny how pictures lie. Just with a camera and a smile, I could convince the world I was happy even if I was dying.
Immediately the perfect photo was taken, they let go of me as if I was drenched in a pig's bathing water and walked towards the exit door empty handed.
With my Pandora's box in my bag and a satisfied smile on my face, I followed after them.