Yuli stepped out of the principal's office, feeling a little relief.
She walked down the hallway, her footsteps echoing off the lockers.
As she pushed through the front doors of the school, she was greeted by the usual warm sunshine and the sound of chatter from her classmates.
Alice was waiting for her on the steps, a concerned expression on her face. "Hey, how did it go?" she asked, falling into step beside Yuli.
Yuli shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "It was actually pretty okay. I thought for sure I'd get suspended or something, but Principal Everett was surprisingly cool about it."
Alice's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? What did he say?"
Yuli snorted. "He basically told me that I've changed, and that he's impressed. Can you believe it?"
Alice grinned. "I knew you could do it, Diana! You're really turning things around."
Yuli rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, yeah. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here."
They walked on while Yuli filled Alice in on the details of her meeting with Principal Everett, including her parting shot about Francine.
Alice giggled and teased her about being a troublemaker, but Yuli just shrugged and smiled. She was indeed.. a little bit of a trouble maker.. Just that she isn't the one to make the trouble first.
Yuli's expression turned serious as she asked, "Hey, Alice? Remember when you said you'd ask someone to help me find my brother?"
Alice halted, her shoulders fell as she realized she had actually forgotten about that. "Oh no, Diana! I'm so sorry, I completely forgot!"
Yuli looked slightly disappointed, her eyes clouding over. When was she going to find Zeke? But Alice quickly reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Diana, please don't be mad at me! I feel terrible for forgetting. But I promise I'll make it up to you."
Alice took a deep breath before continuing. "Actually, I was planning to visit my brother this weekend. He has enough connections to help you find your brother. I'll ask him about it, and I'm sure he'll do everything he can to help."
Yuli shrugged. "Okay, thanks Alice. I appreciate it."
Alice smiled at Yuli. "No problem, I'll make sure to ask him this weekend. And I'll let you know as soon as I get any news."
Yuli abruptly stopped as she remembered something. "Alice, wait," she said, her voice tinged with amazement.
"You don't even know the name of the person I asked you to help me find, do you? Or have a picture of him?"
Alice's expression faltered, revealing her own oversight. A sheepish smile spread across her face. "I guess the mistake is on both of us."
Yuli nodded in agreement.
Alice's puzzlement deepened. "But, Diana, how can you claim to have another brother apart from Derrick and Kimberly? Where did he come from? Does your father have another...illegitimate child that you're close with?"
Yuli hesitated, weighing her options. Then, with a resolute nod, she met Alice's gaze.
"Derrick and Kimberly may not actually be my real siblings," she began, her voice measured. "Don't get me wrong, they're my father's children, but... this brother I'm talking about, he's my real brother. His name is Zeke."
Alice's puzzlement deepened. "His name is Zeke.. yeah.. but," Yuli paused, her voice measured.
"I don't even know if I can use that name to find him"
Alice was even more confused. Zeke? What was Diana talking about? What did she mean by Zeke? Who did she mean by Zeke?
She had never heard Diana talk about any brother, and she was certain Diana's father had never mentioned another child.
They were part of the upper society, after all. If there was an illegitimate child, Alice would have known.
She was confused about where this Zeke came from. That's why she was so perplexed. What did Diana mean by "he's my real brother"? Alice's mind was racing with questions.
But then, a thought occurred to her. Maybe Diana had decided to cut ties with her family because they had been treating her unfairly. Maybe this Zeke was someone Diana had grown close to, someone who had become like a real brother to her.
Alice's expression softened, and she leaned in, her voice filled with concern. "Diana, what's going on? Why are you talking about this Zeke person? What's happening with your family?"
Yuli shrugged. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual stuff." She paused, total indifference in her voice.
"They're not even back from meeting Kimberly's fiancé. They've been gone for a while now. Maybe they're too busy enjoying vacations and getting to know their in-laws to remember I exist."
She added with an even more devil may care tone, "Well, not like I care. Their absence couldn't have been more beneficial. Everyday is quite...very peaceful."
Alice nodded her head. "Okay, it's good that you're not letting them get to you anymore, especially that Kimberly. It's great. I love the new you. I love who you've become."
Yuli repeated the same statement she had made to Principal Everett. "I didn't change. I just became... some girl."
Alice gave her a skeptical look but smiled it away. The change in Diana was indeed drastic, maybe she really had become someone else. And Alice loved the person Yuli had become. She totally loved it.