Treasure's first day at Clifton high school was hectic. Moving from pillar to post clearing herself, paying her tuition fee and everything was indeed tiring.
"Isn't coming from home daily to study here a bit more stressful? Clifton College is a boarding school, and you don't have to worry about getting to school on time or siblings bothering you while you study at home, what do you think Miss Marcus?" Mrs Constance Bills, Treasure's guardians counselor asked as she raised a brow, but Treasure replied calmly.
"I will be more comfortable if I stayed at my house and attended school from there, I don't have any sibling, and I'm not ready to move to New Jersey just to apply for an admission over there, I will be fine here, I just know I will, so don't worry much about me" The woman smiled, and while nodding her head, she said. "Welcome to Clifton High then, we will be meeting more often, at least for the mean time, since I happen to be your guardians counsellor. With time, you'd get familiar with everything here, and trust me, you won't regret choosing Clifton High." Treasure smiled and getting up on her feet, she said in reply,
"thank you madam..."
"No, please call me Mrs Bills." The woman corrected.
"How did it go dear" Mrs Smith asked as soon as she caught sight of Treasure but she grunted a reply.
"Aren't you staying for your classes?" She asked looking worried.
"No, I'm tired today, I will start properly tomorrow" Treasure replied gesturing Mr Thomas, the driver to head home. After she had taken her bath and tried out her new school uniform, she sat in her study, got out the diary Lexi had given to her and wrote the first date of her experience on it.
Dear diary,
Today, I completed my admission process into Clifton high successfully but not without lots of stress and disturbances from my god mother, Mrs Smith. I love the colour of my new school uniform, (blue and Red) and the school environment here is lovely and serene too. I haven't met any friends yet, but I know I will tomorrow. Everyone here is rich, but I'm sure to fit in well too. I was told I will be put into a house tomorrow, but I'm pretty nervous about that. I'm also a little excited about what they call their Rose day and marquee week activities, and I can't wait to be part of the lacrosse team, sooner or later. My dad's mansion here in Bristol is awesome, and I've got really cool maids too, but I still miss everyone, especially you Lexi...
Bye for now diary,
Your author,
Tresh.
Satisfied with her write up, she closed the diary and placed it carefully underneath her pillow and slept off. The next day, she woke up very early and agile for school. After lady Minerva had helped her get dressed, she ate breakfast hurriedly and left for school.
"Please have fun today" Mr Thomas said as Treasure got out of the car.
"Thanks, I will." She replied and collected her backpack from him. At the hallway, everyone turned to stare at her. However, she walked on trying not to care, but she really did, in fact, she missed her middle school friends now more than ever.
"Hello! Excuse me" Treasure said drawing the attention of the school concierge who was busy trying to pick up rows of paper from the floor. When the man looked in her direction, she waved at him but he walked to her muttering words of disgust. "I'm so sorry to have disturbed you sir, I'm a new student, and I can't find my locker, I need your assistance to find it, will you..." She asked with a polite face. The grumpy man's facial expression brightened as he observed Treasure.
"So you are not one of those prats who make fun of me just to impress their friends huh?" Treasure was taken aback.
"No sir, I barely know you, and I can assure you that even when I get familiar with everything here, your matter will be the least of importance to me." The man managed a smile and calmly, he replied
"we shall see about that, come with me." Treasure followed silently, but soon, he suddenly stopped, she looked at where his index finger was pointing at and found her locker.
"Thank you sir, you really have..." Treasure stopped talking when she realized the man had long gone to mind his business.
"What a man" she said to herself again and began to stuff her locker with her books and her favourite perfume, Amber elixir. She was almost done when she caught a glimpse of someone staring intently at her. She turned just in time to lock eyes with a chubby blonde girl looking disgustingly at her. Treasure wasn't sure the exact facial expression to wear to counter that of the strange girl. "What's this? She's got guts, should I say hello or just look away?" Treasure asked herself, but when the girl wasn't making any efforts to look away, Treasure blurted out,
"hello! I'm Treasure Elaine Marcus, nice to meet you" Treasure said sticking out her hand for a handshake, but the girl looked her over and walked away. Treasure felt really insulted. She closed her locker and headed for her classroom, rather angry.
Walking in, everyone kept quiet immediately. Treasure struggled to find the nearest seat and made herself comfy. She had already started to feel pleased with herself when someone hit a fist on her desk.
"Umm...hey beautiful, this is my seat, do you mind?" Treasure looked up at the boy with the fist. "I'm sorry, I will just go elsewhere" Treasure replied getting up from the seat. As she took her bag to leave, the boy said,
"you should clean the seat, you have soiled it, so I can't sit on it." Everyone burst into a roar of laughter, but Treasure didn't say a word. She walked to the corner of the class and picked up the waste bin basket with the trash in it. She walked majestically to the seat and threw the dirt on both the desk, the seat, and everywhere around it. Everyone froze in shock. Treasure dropped the basket and said with a rather smiley face.
"you know, I didn't see the dirt or the grim on your seat before, but now I can, since I'm the reason it's there now." Treasure stepped closely to the boy and speaking into his face,
"Guess what handsome, I'm not cleaning it up. You should be glad, I just taught you how to differentiate between a clean seat and a dirty one, you are welcome." She said as she walked to another empty seat and made herself comfy. They watched her for a while dumbstruck, before Mr Gilbert, their Literature teacher walked in. They hurried to their various seats as Mr Gilbert observed them for a while before fixing his gaze on Tyson Coleman, the boy Treasure had humiliated before he walked in.
"Tyson?..." he called walking closer to him.
"You don't need to remind me of your notoriety everyday, I get it...ok? I get it. You sitting in trash is only rubbing it in..."
"No Mr Gilbert, it was..." "Enough!" Mr Gilbert interrupted him.
"No one tried to say anything in Tyson's favour either and Mr Gilbert spoke angrily
"Get up, tidy up this mess, and get out your literature textbook quickly, or I'd be forced to invite your parents." Tyson grumbled as he picked up the trash one after the other looking in Treasure's direction as he did so.
"We have a new student in our midst." Came Mr Gilbert.
"Can you please come to the front of the class and introduce yourself?" Treasure walked to the front of the class.
"Hello everyone, I'm Treasure Elaine Marcus and I'm happy to be a student of Clifton High school. While I study here, I promise to be of good behaviour, and to work in perfect harmony with each and everyone of you to make the school proud, thank you" The whole class had been quiet since she began to speak, but when she finished, a round of deafening applause filled the room.
"Excellent! Excellent!!" Mr Gilbert spoke on top of his voice signalling her to go back to her seat. Treasure's gaze met that of the girl she had seen at the locker room that morning, but the girl scowled at her. Treasure didn't even mind. She walked back to her seat in pride and sat carefully, crossing her legs afterwards. Mr Gilbert went on with his lessons, when his period was over, Mrs Daniella, their arts teacher came in. She was a plump woman with a jovial personality and she lit up the whole class with stories of ancient gods and their descendants. Treasure found all the subjects she was taught so interesting, that when it was finally time for recess, she didn't feel like going out to the cafeteria. Lady Antonia had already packed her lunch neatly and richly in a lunch bag, but Treasure didn't feel like eating it either. She sipped her water and buried her head in the notes she had made from the lectures they just had. She was still busy reading when someone spoke to her.
"Hi, I'm Percy, nice to meet you." Treasure moved her gaze from her book and focused it on the boy sticking out his hand for a handshake. He had a jet black hair, almond shaped blue eyes, a coloured complexion just like Treasure, and an awesome smile that exposed his neat set of teeth. "Hi" Treasure replied bluntly without taking his hand, and Percy feeling a bit embarrassed withdrew his hand and leaned on the desk instead.
"Um... I mean no harm, honestly, not everyone is like Tyson and..." "What have you got to say?" Treasure interrupted him. Percy became nervous immediately. He stuttered as he spoke, a bit scared of saying something that could upset Treasure.
"I'm sorry if I have disturbed you, but I really want us to be friends...and..."
"Sorry, but I really don't have time for this now ok?" Treasure said as got up to leave the class to the locker room. As she walked along the corridors, she saw a notice in the school's notice boc on the wall. The first sentence she read on it was an appeal to join the music club.
"Lexi would have loved this" she said to herself as she moved her gaze down to a space for sign ups. She stared at the blank space lost in thoughts.
"Don't even think about it!" Someone yelled from behind her making her jerk in a shock. Treasure turned to stare at a skinny dark girl walking up to her. Her negro hair was packed up into a bun, and because of her smiles, she looked exceptionally pretty. By the time she got to Treasure, she said
"Oh dear...oh dear... I'm sorry if I startled you, you are a freshman...right?" She asked and Treasure nodded.
"okay, my name is Amber Jones, and I'm the president of Clifton high dance club, please sign up here, you look fit, and I will be more than glad to have you in my club." Treasure stared into her excited eyes. She wanted to walk away without a word, but she couldn't get herself to do it. she had developed some kind of likeness for the girl.
"Maybe its because she is bearing the same name as my perfume... perhaps its the appearance or the excitement in her eyes" Treasure thought to herself.
"What says you dear?" Amber asked grinning.
"O_Kay." Treasure replied, Amber leaped in excitement
"Cloe! Ella! Rachael, come over here, we have a new recruit." The girls came running towards them.
"Hi!!!" They said simultaneously when they had gotten to where Treasure stood with Amber. "These are my friends, we are all sophomores, and together, we run the dance club. Ella here, is the vice president," she spoke gesturing with her hands, and Cloe is our public relations officer, she put up the notice..." Treasure looked to Rachael and asked,
"what about her? What position does she occupy?" Amber held Rachael's hand, grinning, she said
"hmm...she's CHS' second best ballerina!" Treasure was dumbstruck.
"Wow! So you guys dance ballet too?" She asked shaking Rachael hand.
"Yes, all types of dances, we are the best club here in CHS" Ella spoke while the others nodded. Something stuck Treasure's mind,
"you said she's the second best ballerina?" She asked no one in particular but they all nodded again.
"Who's the best then?" Treasure asked but the girls giggled. "Anyone we tell about ballet dancing asks the same question, but if you really want to find out who our big celebrity is, join the club first." Cloe said. Treasure thought it through then signed up.
"What type of dance do you like? Step dancing, break dancing, traditional, which includes the Chinese..."
"Ballet dancing! " Treasure voiced out interrupting Ella, and Rachael smiled nodding her head.
"You are welcome sister, you won't regret this" she said tapping Treasure on her shoulder.
"Here, these are our meeting days and venue, you're welcome to our dance club." Amber said handing out a flier to Treasure. "Lest I forget, what's your name?" She asked with her usual smiley face.
"Treasure...Treasure Elaine Marcus" Treasure replied.
"Bye Treasure!, welcome to Clifton High!" They said as they walked away.
"They didn't even tell me the name of the best ballerina..." Treasure muttered to herself.
Later that day, Mr Gilbert, their form teacher, invited Treasure to his office. It was a bit difficult to locate the office, but when she did, she was already thirty minutes late.
"I'm very sorry Mr Gilbert, I got lost..." Treasure apologized as she walked into his office.
"Its okay, sit miss Marcus." He said gesturing to a seat behind Treasure. As she sat, he began
"here in Clifton high school, there are four houses, Wollaston, that is yellow, Wink worth, that is red, pears, blue and Percival, which is green. I will write the four of them in different sheets of paper and fold them, then you will pick one of them, and any house written in it becomes your house. You understand me don't you?" He asked and Treasure nodded. When he was done, Treasure picked a paper and opened it. "What's in it?" Mr Gilbert asked. "Percival, sir" she replied not sure if she was excited about it. "Very good, that is green, its a pretty colour and an awesome house altogether, I will introduce you to your house mistress later. Hope you have been given a copy of the school guide and a list of its activities?" He asked and Treasure nodded again.
"Excellent! You will also have to join one of the sporting activities here, this is a list of some of them." Mr Gilbert handed her a pamphlet. Treasure rummaged through and raising her gaze to meet Mr Gilbert's, she said, "Lacrosse will be okay" Mr Gilbert ticked it immediately.
"I will inform the captain, she is in her twelfth year, Alexandra Bailey, a very good player, she happens to be in Percival too, so you made a good choice. Be ready, the tryouts are not very easy, but I hope you get in." He concluded and Treasure thanked him, leaving almost immediately.
After the lessons for the day, the school dismissal bell went and Treasure heaved a sigh of relief. Tyson gave her an annoying look before he walked out of the class.
"Thank heavens he's gone." Treasure muttered to herself as she packed up her back
By the time Treasure got home, she was already exhausted. She gave Lady Antonia her lunch bag and walked up the stairs to her room. "Madam, she didn't eat her lunch" Antonia reported, and Mrs Smith walked up to Treasure's room. After a gentle talon the door, she entered the room and found Treasure sitted, still dressed up in her school uniform.
"How was school today?" Mrs Smith asked with a smile across her face but Treasure was indifferent
"fine...thanks" she muttered after what felt like ages
Mrs Smith patted her back gently and continued,
"I was hoping you'd meet my daughter, she's a year older than you though, but she is also in her tenth year, she's a lovely girl." Treasure looked at Mrs Smith but didn't say a word.
"Ingrid, that's her name, a precious jewel she is..." Mrs Smith continued.
"If you like her this much, I bet she's a load of virtue" Treasure replied and Mrs Smith sat up, drawing closer to Treasure, she said,
"of course she is, I bet she'd treat you like a sister when she actually sees you in person." Treasure observed her for a while before she spoke,
"Did you tell her about me?" "Yes...yes, the day your mother called, I showed her a photo of you. I told her my attention towards her will be divided, that I had to take absolute care of my godchild and I could not compromise it. My lovely daughter didn't complain even when I told her she might suffer my absence for a while, that you had no one with you here that could take care of you the way a mother should..." Treasure suddenly felt bad for Ingrid, "she's with her dad right? I...I mean your husband is at home to take care of her while you're here right?" She asked with concern Mrs Smith shook her head smiling,
"no dear, Ingrid's dad, my husband, goes on business trips all the time, he can't possibly have the time to care for my Ingrid... But never mind, I left her with my younger sister, Theressa, and my maid, Grace. She won't miss me much, I call her everyday" she said caressing Treasure's palms, but Treasure was lost in thoughts.
"I can't believe I have been so selfish, Mrs Smith is here taking care of me, while her own daughter suffers her absence..." "Did you say something dear?" Mrs Smith asked, but Treasure shook her head.
"I'm sorry..." Mrs Smith continued
"I got carried away talking about my daughter, please take off your clothes, take a shower and come downstairs, I want us to eat dinner together, and please don't say no, you already skipped lunch." She said getting up from Treasure's bed, heading for the door.
"Yes, thanks Mrs Smith" Treasure replied calmly.
The next day at school, Tyson had tried one of his silly tricks on Treasure, but Percy was there just in time to save the day. Tyson from then on held a grudge against Percy for ruining his plans while Percy on the other hand used the opportunity to befriend Treasure.
Treasure was now two weeks old at Clifton high, and she had managed to familiarize with the school and its activities. Finally, her ballet audition into the dance club was set, and as usual, Treasure became nervous. Percy and Dave, her new friends were also in the dance club but in the step dancing section of it. They were both great dancers and had passed the audition easily. Meanwhile, Treasure was in the changing room adjusting her tutu over and over again in nervousness.
"Oh I wish Romane was here, I would have been calmer." She said to herself.
"Come on Treasure, its your turn, and everyone is waiting for you" Ella said knocking gently on the changing room door. Treasure braced herself and stepped out, heading for the stage. It took her thirty minutes to show off her talent, and when she was done, everyone applauded her.
"Very good Treasure, you got in!" Rachael said to Treasure when she had left the stage to join them.
"Thanks, I'm really excited" Treasure replied. Amber walked in on them.
"Now that she's one of us, though she's not in the breakdancing section like I am," she said grudgingly but Rachael scoffed, "why don't you show her your best ballerina?" Amber said smiling broadly.
"Yes!, that's a good idea, its a good thing he is coming here to see our new intakes, so you'd definitely get to meet him. You are so lucky Treasure, let's go!" She said pulling Treasure along to a corner of the Theater.
"Wait here, he'd be here soon, but make sure..." Her voice was drowned by the cheers of the rest of the ballerinas.
"What's going on down there?" Rachael asked herself stretching her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the dancer on the stage. Realizing who it was, she held Treasure's wrist and started running towards the stage. "What's wrong? What is it?" Treasure asked alarmed, but Rachael said excitedly,
"its him, the best ballerina of our school, come...come watch him dance" Treasure was lost in confusion,
"this is an audition, should he be dancing here when he's already so good at it?" Treasure thought to herself. When they had gotten really close to the stage, Rachael said,
"that's him, that's Ancel Eduoard, the best ballerina of CHS!" Treasure looked to the stage, and her worst nightmare stood before her eyes.
"What?!!!" She exclaimed but Rachael was lost in her own world.
"Romane's cousin?! Why him of all people??!!" She asked herself. "Isn't he adorable?" Rachael asked but Treasure scoffed. When he had finished dancing, everyone applauded him, and he proudly made his way down the stage.
"Hey! Ancel over here!" Rachael waved him and he walked towards their direction.
"He's coming Treasure, you'd meet him in person" Rachael said nudging Treasure who forced a smile.
"What's up Rachael? Who's your...OMG!" He exclaimed recognizing Treasure.
"Do you know her?" Rachael asked taken aback. Treasure and Ancel stared at each other wordlessly.
"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Rachael asked, but Treasure voiced out,
"its nothing..." But Ancel continued,
"Treasure and I..."
"... Don't know each other at all." Treasure finished, and Ancel stared at her in shock. He didn't expect her to deny him the way she just did.
"Is this true Ancel?" Rachael asked and Ancel nodded absent mindedly. Treasure looked away from him and focused her gaze on Rachael instead.
"okay, this is Treasure Elaine Marcus, our new intake." Rachael said to Ancel, and turning to Treasure, she said,
"this is Ancel Edouard, CHS' best ballerina, he's in his eleventh year too." Treasure forced a smile, and when Ancel stretched his hand for a handshake, Treasure ignored him. Rachael was too shocked for words, but Treasure acted like she hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. She looked at Ancel's embarrassed face and said,
"I'm sorry, but you are not wearing a tuxedo suit." Rachael's confusion worsened, but Treasure didn't care,
"I'd be leaving now Rachael, thanks for accepting me into your dance club." She walked away, leaving both Ancel and Rachael in awe. Ancel walked out of the Theater quietly, leaving the others staring after him in confusion.
"Tuxedo suit?" Rachael asked herself still trying to figure out what Treasure's words meant.
Back at her father's mansion, Treasure felt a little sorry for way she treated Ancel. After writing it all in her diary, she began to search for her stick note, where she had always written important phone numbers.
"I must put a call through to Lexi and the others, its been quite a while now..." She said rummaging through her bag. "Where is it?" She asked herself a little frustrated.
"Little mistress, is there a problem?" Lady Pauline asked walking in.
"I can't find my stick note, there are some important numbers in it I will like to call" Treasure said. Pauline was lost in thoughts. Earlier that day, she had been cleaning out Treasure's room and had picked up the bag Treasure had put the stick note in. She had washed the bag without checking it first, and finding the note afterwards, she had given it to Sydney to dry it out, but had forgotten to ask her for it. "Why isn't it in here?" Treasure's yell jerked her back to reality. "Umm...little miss..." Pauline stuttered,
"that's not the bag you left it in." Treasure turned to face her, "really? I thought as much...so where is it? The closet?" She asked walking towards it, but Pauline quickly spoke,
"I had it dry cleaned today." Treasure heaved a sigh of relieve "you must have seen my stick note then, where is it?" Pauline froze in fear.
"I...I...Will go and get it." She hurried out of the room in fear. Outside, at the maid quarters, Pauline asked of the stick note, but Sydney couldn't find it. "What do I do now? How could you be so careless Sydney? What do I tell little mistress now?" Pauline asked in panic, but Sydney was indifferent.
"tell her you lost it." Pauline grew in a rage.
"Seriously? That I lost it? You keep making silly mistakes expecting the rest of us to take responsibility for it. Never again Sydney, I have had enough of your nonsense! I'm not covering up for you, I'm going to tell Little miss the whole truth!" She said walking away.
"What?? Its gone? How?...how did you loose it? Its very important to me, I...I have really important numbers there...I..my friends...how...how do I call them now?" Treasure asked, red with anger.
"I'm really sorry little mistress." Pauline apologized. Treasure looked up at her and noticing Sydney's absence, she asked. "Where's Sydney?" Pauline lowered her gaze and Treasure sprang up to her feet.
"She's the real reason my stick note is gone and she's not even here. I get it, now I see why she's a favourite, she does whatever she likes." Pauline hurried to the door,
"I should call her" she said turning to leave, but Treasure stopped her
"don't, if she was sorry, she would have been here by now." "I'm really sorry little mistress, please forgive me" Pauline apologized.
"Its okay, please leave me" Treasure said feeling very sad but Pauline closed the door behind her.
"They have been waiting for my call, and now that I finally got the chance to call them, I have lost all of their contacts for good...what could be so disheartening? My maidservants in Coventry aren't this careless... Oh...goodness" Treasure muttered to herself.
In the evening of that day, Mrs Daisy called Treasure to check on her, she had received a call from a private number, and because of the strange questions she was asked, she started to fear for her daughter's safety.
"Look Treasure, you really need to be extra careful, the guy on the phone didn't sound like he was kidding. He kept asking after your late father's property papers, and kept accusing me of hiding the true heir. I tried to explain things out to him, but he wouldn't listen. He finally threatened to hurt the both of us if he found out I had been lying to him. You know Treasure, I'm really scared now, you...you are there, all alone...I..I..."
"Calm down mom" Treasure said.
"I won't go anywhere without Mrs Smith's knowledge and I won't do anything that could endanger my life, so please be at ease ok?"
"You're a smart girl darling, I will" Mrs Daisy replied as a smile brightened up her face
"I can't believe it, this is more difficult than I expected!" Elmer said soliloquizing.
"Calm down son, you need to relax." Mrs Susan, his mom
"you know, I never really liked your idea of calling Marcus' women and their children to threaten them to tell you who the heir is. You have only made matters even more complicated than it is already, because they'd start to guard themselves and their children waiting for your next move that might never happen! You acted foolishly Elmer." She scolded
"Its been a year, and you haven't been able to do anything reasonable both in finding the so called heir and running your father's oil business! I have told you already, you are wasting your time Elmer, if you can't think of a solution to this problem at hand, then its best you just drop it!" Mrs Susan said Elmer thought for a while before he voiced out,
"I don't think I'm the only one searching for this heir mother." "what do you mean?" She asked, and Elmer turned to face her. "Charles and Curtis don't think they are the heirs either." Mrs Susan stared at her son in confusion, but Elmer held her hands
"well, my instincts are never wrong mom but I've got to keep an eye on them from now on. I won't allow anyone take what's mine" he said totally lost in his own thoughts.