"Tough times never last, but tough people do."

Robert H. Schuller

•••

"You're going to fit right in," Lucy observes whilst combing her hair, she's staring at me through the wall sized mirror in our room. There's a hint of worry layering her words and I'm quick to pick up on it.

"And you're not?" I question with a raised eyebrow and press deeper into the super king sized bed I was laying on.

God, rich people had the comfiest beds.

"I don't think so. You just look like you will."

"We're wearing the same clothes, Lucy. Everyone at Willerton Academy will be wearing the same uniform. So tell me how will you not fit in?" I tug at my white shirt and point at my navy knee length skirt causing Lucy to muster up a slight smile. She didn't look convinced.

"But you're different, Nova. Just like the people...here. You look like you belong here. I don't." She mutters, pulling her gaze away from mine. I shuffle my way off the inappropriately gigantic bed and walk over to her.

"Lucy," I place my hand on her shoulder but she pulls away. I patiently wait for her to braid her shoulder-length hair into braids before I begin my typical elder sibling probing.

"What's wrong? And don't you dare say nothing. If you even think about lying I will waste no time in telling your new school friends about your peeing incident-"

Lucy spins her body round, as swiftly and eagerly as a curving bullet. I mentally high five myself when I catch fear in her eyes.

Four years and it still worked like a treat.

"I was ten! When are you going to let it go?" She complains, her face bunched into a scowl.

"When you stop hiding things from me. Now tell me what's wrong. For the past two days, ever since we've been living in this place, you've been over the moon. Giggling and jumping around like some high fricking bunny. All of a sudden you're sulking. Have you changed your mind? If you have then we can leave today. Right now. We'll find a way to escape and we'll find a place to live. Somewhere no one can find us. I still have money from my last...job. I can do this. We can do this."

Lucy shakes her head, "No I like it here, Nova. I don't want to leave. I'm just...scared."

I reach out to grab her, my grip tightens around her slim wrists, "Did someone hurt you? I swear to fucking god if someone, anyone, laid a single finger on you I will rip their fucking heads-"

Lucy surprises me by clamping her hand over my mouth.

"It's not that," she hisses, and looks behind. Our bedroom door is firmly closed but that doesn't stop my sister's paronia.

"Stop saying stuff like that! Someone will hear you! And what will they think? Especially, after everything they've done for us! No one's laid a finger on me. I'm just scared of losing you! Okay?" Lucy breathes heavily and wipes away the tears falling down her flushed cheeks.

"Losing me? That will never happen." I reply, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, I know," Lucy says eventually, "I just freaked out at the thought of starting a new school. You've always been so popular and I...I...started to think about how you're going to make amazing new friends and completely forget about me. So yeah, I panicked. It was stupid. I'm sorry."

I let out strangled laugh and dropped my hands.

"I've been worrying about the same thing, Lucy." I tell her with a relieved grin, "Why do you think I insisted our dear grandmother on letting us share a room? These people, although family, can't be trusted. Not until we know their true intentions. Do you ever think about why we're here? Why they found us now and not two years ago, when we needed them the most?"

Lucy frowned, "I don't think they're bad people, Nova."

"Fine," I say, rolling my eyes. She wasn't going to understand and I didn't want to keep harping on like a mad woman. Two days was enough time for me to go over every detail, every question, every action behind the increasing doubt in my mind.

My gaze suddenly fell on my school uniform, the fabric felt warm and soft against my skin.

They arrived a week ago, Eleonor had annouced proudly over dinner last night.

My suspicions skyrocketed at her comment and I had to physically restrain myself from bursting into a full on spat. A week ago? Seriously?

My grandmother had feigned her shock so well when we first met in my apartment two days ago. She was great at hiding the fact that she had known about our whereabouts a long time.

But how long? That was the answer I was looking for and sooner or later I will find out.

"Let's go," I say to Lucy without facing her. I grab my new leather tote bag. It was a gift from Eleonor, another thing which also happened to arrive a week ago. My fingers ran over the gold logo stamped between the hoop of the handle. The girls in my last school would kill for a bag like this. I would never have dreamed of ever owning such a thing.

But now I do.

Should I be thankful? Grateful that my life has turned into some Cinderella-like fairytale?

Despite my flamboyant surroundings and new found family I felt out of place. Like I had fallen into an alternative reality. A safe home and financial stabilty is all I wanted.

Now that I had found it, why did I want to throw it all away?

******

"My nieces are looking great in their new school uniforms!" Uncle Elijah says when Lucy and I walk down the long, spiralled staircase.

Guess, I didn't have to worry about getting my daily exercise in this damn place.

My grandmother rushes over to us and hugs us tightly. A light lavender scent fills my nose and I relax a little. She smelt just like my mother.

She pulls away, "Be good. Willerton Academy is a fantastic school with brilliant teachers. You will have the time of your life."

I snort. Yeah right.

"We will, grandmother." Lucy replies, smiling ear-to-ear.

Geek.

"Girls, the car is waiting outside so you should get a move on. Madison would have accompanied you but she stayed over at a friends last night so..." Uncle Elijah trailed off, his apologetic tone evoking a smidge of sympathy in me.

His daughter, my darling cousin really was an entitled rich snob. It was obvious that her so-called 'friend' was none other than Isaac Royal. They truly were a match made in heaven.

"Bye!" Lucy chirped and I managed to wave. Even though the effort was fairly lame compared to my sister's.

"Be good," my grandmother repeated before the doors at the Richardson mansion closed and hid our consistently smiling relatives.

Lucy hurried down the porch steps as if she couldn't climb into the black SUV quick enough.

Was this really the same girl crying about starting a new school just a short while ago?

I shake my head, both amused and exhausted at my sister's changing moods.

I follow her into the car and close the door. I jump when my gaze lands on the old man sitting in the driver's seat.

"Hello, darlings. I bet you're excited for your first day at Willerton." The man spoke in a British accent. He wore a black suit and a matching hat. Wrinkles smothered every inch of his drooping skin but it was his glowing green eyes that grabbed all the attention.

"My name is Lenny. I will be your designated driver until I'm instructed otherwise. I will take you to school and pick you up. I will need to know in advance of any detentions or after school clubs." He handed over two business cards, one for the both of us.

"Call me when you need to. I'm always free." Lenny chuckled and I couldn't help but return the smile. He seemed nice.

Lenny drove off a few minutes after his introduction. He pumped up the music and sang along to the dance song playing on the radio. He also busted a few grandpa-style moves when the song hit the loud bass. His energy was contagious and I felt myself completely forgetting where I was and where I was going throughout the short journey.

*****

Willerton Academy was exactly how I'd pictured it to be. Lucy, on the other hand, shrieked like a kid in a candy store when our car stopped outside the gates encircling the brick building.

"That doesn't look like a school. It looks like a fricking castle!" Lucy gawped at the building with wide eyes, her face pressed up against the car window.

"Enough of the creepy staring, princess. Let's go." I climb out the car, ignoring my rapid heart rate and the nerves swirling in my stomach.

"Wait up!" Lucy pants. I slow down my pace but start again once she's by my side. The quicker we got inside and into our classes the better.

I hear whispers and laughter as we pass through students huddled in large groups outside the entrance to the school. A few faces turn in our direction, their expressions curious and eyes narrowed with interest.

"That's her!" A voice I knew very well spoke loudly, "That's the cousin I was telling you about," Madison's voice ringed in the air.

Her declaration caused a widespread buzz in the crowd. The whispers had grown into full-blown chatter.

Several girls giggled whilst the boys stared at me as if they'd never seen a teenage girl before.

"That's the prostitue?" A tall, skinny girl asked before shaking with laughter.

"She looks like one!" A boy on the far left yelled. His friends high fived him and patted him on the back, joining in with the laughter.

My face burned and I hid my face behind my hair.

"Nova..."

"Let's just get inside." I tell Lucy, still keeping my face down.

"She takes after her slutty mother." The noise quitened down then. A chorus of gasps spread through the students surrounding us.

My head shoots up angrily and meets Madison's smug expression.

"Let me go! " I shake Lucy's hand off my arm and I stomp towards Madison. Her smug expression wavers but she quickly disguises the blip.

I stop an inch away from her face. Silence infused the entire ground now. The only sound, apart from the singing birds, is coming from the sweeping wind.

I take a single step back. A lopsided smile falls on my face when a look of relief passes Madison's features.

In life you should always stand up for three things. Your friends, your family and yourself. Do this and you'll never go wrong.

My mother's soft words echo in my mind like a delicate whisper.

I keep my gaze trained on Madison, as my mother's motto continued to chant in my head.

"You've got a little something on your face, Madison," I say with mock concern. Her hand fidget, slowly heading towards her face but I get there before her.

My clenched fist hits her perky nose directly in the center. I smile with satisfaction when a pop of blood trickles down her mouth.

She splutters, screaming at the crowd watching. I pulled back my fist to hit her again but I'm rudely interrupted by another familiar deep voice.

"Step back. Now."

Authors Note

Hello my lovelies!

What do you think of Madison?

Love,

HeartlessThoughts