The birds chirped melodically outside her window, while the wind rustled the leaves of the trees nearby and the gentle breeze carried the fresh fragrances of spring flowers right into her room. The beauty of nature was cut off abruptly by the ugly beeping of her alarm clock. Kate slammed the snooze button and retreated into the safety of her covers, in attempt to hide the harsh reality of day. Waking up on a school day was definitely not something she enjoyed doing; she hated waking up into a world where she didn’t belong. Weekends were unquestionably much better because that was when she didn’t have to worry about being the sad, lonely nerd who nobody liked. She longed to remain in her dream, where everything at school was perfect for her but she knew she had to get going now if she didn’t want to be late for school. She allowed herself a few more seconds of heavenly bliss before she had to boost herself with a sudden rush adrenaline that would eventually drag her out of bed. She rushed to escaping the house before her mother insisted on driving her to school in their sleek black limousine.
*****
Kate sat silently on the two-seater of the Oscar train and stared blankly out the window, watching the forest of trees and grassland pass by in a blur. In the distance, she noticed the flaming sun peer over the horizon, providing her with a second of hope that today was when everything changed but she knew that it would never happen. Good things never happened to her, she knew. While the beautiful sunrise should have distracted her from the worrying thoughts of school, her mind did not obey her will to be preoccupied with the sun.
He extended his hand towards me in a swift motion and I took it gently, allowing him to lift me from my seat in the back of the limousine. He eased his hand around my waste and guided me towards the double doors of the ballet theatre. People turned to admire my slender figure and the handsome man at my arms. They envied the glamorous red Valentino, the beautiful Prada shoes and the famous Louis Vuitton handbag. We walked into the private box reserved for us on the second storey, complete with a finely set table and glasses of wine already poured. The lights dimmed and the ballet began with the grand opening played by the orchestra…
The passenger announcement interrupted her daydream. A part of her held onto that fantasy, hoping that one day, she would get to show them that she was far wealthier than they thought, but for now, she was content with them thinking of her as the poorest girl in the school.
Of course, they had absolutely no idea that she was rich. You couldn’t tell by the way she dressed or how I acted. Kate never wore expensive jewellery, although she had plenty, never wore fashionable shoes, although she had a whole closet dedicated to them, never wore make up, although she owned the most exclusive sets of famous brands, never acted like she had any money, although her bank account said otherwise. That is, she never did these things at school.
On the weekends, away from the nasty girls at school, she could be herself without having to pretend she was so poor that she couldn’t afford a new pencil case. Each week, she had two days of paradise, where she could wear stylish clothing and dazzling shoes without hesitation or fear of being discovered.
