After fighting the spine-chilling Battle of Silverado which left weak hearted Mr Juno Hemming and the overprotective Mrs Gem Hemming in a frantic frenzy over their daughter's life and well-being, Alora Hemming was reduced to the confines of her 1.22 acre mansion with a private tutor and homeschooling as companions.
A part of her was glad that she wouldn't be seeing the overbearing and annoying face of that Finny boy anywhere, whilst another part of her was even more glad because now she could spend more time with Quinn and Quenton Diora!
Being at home had always been boring when she was alone. Sure momma and dada spent a whole lot of evening time with her, and sure her dolls were great company, but there was something so fascinating about the concept of playmates that Alora so desperately wished to possess. And playmates came in the face of Quinn and Quenton, whom Alora adored because they were the only ones who questioned her.
They were the twins of her father's personal assistant, Gregory Diora, and distant cousins from her mother's side. They had recently moved to the central city for they wished to get into the well renowned, Worthfinder Academy.
Mr Gregory was smart enough to realise early that opportunities and connections would be better established under the nose of the Hemming family's influence. Hence why, one winter morning, he knocked at Alora Hemming's extravagant turquoise doors and pushed inside his two unwilling kids.
Befriending came easy with Alora's extroverted personality.
"Hi! I'm Alora, I like draving and colors and I like playing with dolls," was the three year old's proud introduction as she held out her hand for them to shake.
Quinn Diora was a sweet girl of five, with a heart-shaped face and soft features. She shook Alora's hand first, not maintaining eye-contact. "I'm, um, Quinn and I like playing doctor doctor," she all but whispered anxiously. Her brown curls shadowed her face, dark eyes staring at the ground, unblinkingly.
But Alora was quick to pull Quinn into a hug, their hands still clenched together as she excitedly squealed, "Oh! I love playing doctor doctor too! I really like doctor doctor because vhen my dolls fall sick then I get to break them apart and make them better!"
Quinn's eyes widen with much concern.
And it was true, for Quenton, the five-year-old boy with a strong jaw and sharp eyes, was quick to notice the array of mismatched dolls scattered on the teal rug sitting in front of Alora's canopied bed.
Disney Barbies of different ethnicities were merged together, Moana's head on Rupanzel's body, Aurora's head on Mulan's, Jasmine and Snow White with interchanged hands, Cinderella floating in a teacup with Ariel's tail and Ariel's upper body dressed in a small frock standing beside little Anna and Elsa dolls.
This child was concerning, the twins concluded.
"They were all sick...?" Quenton coughed out, concerned black eyes roaming all over the room. And indeed there was a whole shelf of frankensteined bears with eccentric features smiling down at them, sitting in a glorified corner, locked behind the glass shelf doors.
Alora was quick to nod in reply, Quinn chose that moment to let go of the insane girl and cling to her brother's hand instead. "But they're all deformed. You've been really mean to them," the girl mustered up enough courage, behind her brother's back, to voice out her thoughts.
Alora frowned at that and Quenton was quick to rephrase his sister's complaint. "She means to ask, why did you do it? Hurt them to make them... better?" His words ended with an unsure question as he itched his head. Why did father have to send them to a psychopath in the making?!
Alora's green eyes widened in surprise, as if this was the first time she was being questioned for her actions. No one had ever asked her about her dolls before! Alora, with stars in her eyes started forming an answer in her head. Then, she narrowed her eyes in an ambiguous direction, forehead cutely frowning. Her fingers wiggled as she tried forming big sentences, excited to explain herself.
Suddenly, Quinn and Quenton were being pulled toward Alora's bed, their hands being led by Alora as she spoke, "I'll tell you. One day pink fall sick," she pointed at Rupanzel before grabbing Quinn's hand again, "And then everyone got sick. So I rearised vhy they vere sick and it vas because they vere bored. They vere... very....um," she struggled for words, "Same same? They vanted to be different. Everyone vanted to be everyone else. So, I gave them a makeover!"
Alora proudly displayed the Cinderella-Ariel doll concoction to Quinn and the Aurora-Mulan experiment to Quenton, before continuing, "I vanted everyone to have a...um, a- turn? To be a princess and a mervmaid and have big hair and be a fairy. Everyone gets to be everything one day and they don't get bored!"
And the twins nodded, still wondering why she chose the cruel way to inclusivity. What about the dolls' personal rights?
"How old are you even?" Quenton wondered out.
"I'm thrvee," Alora grinned, holding up all ten fingers.
Maybe nobody took time to tell her that deforming dolls for establishing different experiences was concerning...but, well, as long as it stayed amongst dolls, she'd be fine. Right?
"That's nice. I'm Quenton; I like books and I only want to get into Worthfinder because father wants me to," Quenton introduced himself, plopping himself on Alora's bed and holding out a hand for her to shake.
Alora shook it vigorously, curious green eyes questioning, "Vhat is Vorthfinder?"
"It's the best school. We're going to study there," Quinn smiled with her reply, sitting herself beside her brother.
"Oh? A school? I don't like studying," Alora giggled, shoving a hand between the twins' and pushing them apart to make a place for herself. She pulled out a turquoise stool from under the bed, climbed it, then crawled over the bed to sit between them.
"Do you vanna play a game?"
And that was three years ago.
.
.
.
"I want to go to Worthfinder!" A taller Alora announced, strawberry hair pulled up in two space-buns as she pushed open the door to her parents' room, around eleven at night. Her long white lace gown dragged across their carpeted flooring. She tone was desperate, her eyebrows anxious, and the thought of Quinn and Quenton leaving her alone burdened her desperation.
"Excuse me?!" Mr Juno choked out a laugh, keeping his book aside to look at his daughter's passionate stance. Hands on her hips and everything. Mrs Gem, too, stopped her nightcare routine to smirk at her six-year-old daughter.
"Yes dada, I will go to Worthfinder! I want to study!" Alora declared proudly, running over to jump on her parents' bed and bounce on it. There was no way she was staying within these isolated walls all by herself again.
"But darling, you hate studying. Stay with momma and dada and make pretty art," Mrs Gem Hemming laughed, walking over to the bed from her dressing table. She took a place on the bed and grabbed Alora by her waist, pulling the child in her lap.
"Yes, butterfly, why would you want to go to a boarding school? It's a sad place! Did someone make you upset?" Mr Juno leaned in to kiss his daughter's forehead. He had kind grey eyes, bespectacled because he wouldn't let go of reading under a dim lamp during the night. Her father was quite a handsome person with a chiseled jaw and wavy brown hair.
Alora's mother was gorgeous too, she was a famous actress for a reason, with her pin straight dark hair, mysterious blue eyes hidden under thick eyelashes and eyebrows. Her bone structure was as chiseled as if she personally got it sculpted from God.
And to top it off with a cherry, her gorgeous parents were kind as well. Alora was truly, blessed. But she was greedy and always wanted more.
"No, no, no, I'm not upset. I want to! Quinn and Quenton are going! I don't want to be alone," Alora pouted, jutting out her lower lip and pushing her eyebrows together.
Momma Gem cooed, easing out Alora's frown with her finger, whilst Dada Juno very nonchalantly declared, "So what, my butterfly, you don't have to leave us for them. We'll make Quinn and Quenton stay. Wouldn't that be better for you?"
"I- what?" Alora was lost for words whilst her mother laughed out loud.
"Oh you bring me great joy," she managed to utter between laughs.
"No dada! You cannot make them stay! It's their dream to go there!" Alora complained, cutely rubbing her heels against the soft fabric. "Look momma, dada is being a big meanie!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Mr Juno.
The older male laughed, eased open the rest of Alora's fingers and kissed the back of her hand. "What did we talk about pointing fingers at people, butterfly? It's rude. You don't do it. Point your hand instead," he reminded pleasantly and Alora nodded, quick words of apology on her tongue.
"Yes, I'm sorry, but if you don't let me go, I will cry!" Alora whined, hiding her face in her mother's chest now.
"Oh now darling, don't you cry. Dada wouldn't let you cry, now would he?" Mrs Gem looked up at her husband and saw him tapping away on his iPhone.
"How could I ever let my butterfly cry? Look, it says that it is very hard to get into Worthfinder Academy. You'll have to study so much! Would you be okay with it?" Mr Juno asked, tapping his daughter's shoulder to get her attention. Alora sniffed hard and crawled to her father with a big smile.
"Can't you just do it? Get me in?" She proposed with a shameless, chubby grin.
Mrs Gem could all but scoff at her audacious daughter. "She's getting so bold," she mouthed to her husband, who could only sniffle with pride.
"My nefarious daughter, I do love your charm," he rolled his eyes, stifling laughs.
"You can get me in, can't you?" Alora insisted, not minding her parents' muted conversation.
Mr Juno shrugged, "With your academic record, there's only so much I can do, butterfly."
"Bu-but- I rea-lly wanted to..." Alora's green eyes widen big, eyebrows scrunching like a puppy and face drooping. Big tears were about to well in her eyes when Momma Gem quickly tickled her sides and took control of the situation.
"Of course we can get you in, darling, but you need to get passing marks. You'll get the passing percentage in the entrance exam, won't you?"
And Alora was suddenly all smiles, jumping up to hug both of her parents. "Momma, dada, I love you! You're the best!" She squealed, rashly jumping off the bed with a loud thump. She landed on all fours, turned to give her parents a big thumbs-up and skipped away.
Mr Juno's phone slipped to the carpeted ground as his heart left it's cage alongwith Alora's jump. Mrs Gem's jaw dropped in concern.
"No rash actions like jumping, Alora Hemming! No hurting yourself or you won't be going to Worthwhatever Academy, you understand!" Mr Juno shouted at the retreating blob of Alora, and her lacy white nightgown, who ran out of their room as quick as a heartbeat.
"She worries me everyday," Mrs Gem whispered, shifting closer to embrace her husband.
"Don't worry, my love, I'll make sure to send a shit ton of bodyguards along with her," Mr Juno comforted his wife with soothing pats on her back.
As long as Alora lives happy, their debt would be paid.