Just Like Queens

Groggily, I stood and dressed. My clothes were too old for anyone to look at me without knowing I was mistreated. Why did they choose to ignore it?

It's not like my parents weren't well off. We had stability... We had an amazing amount of money, but Annasay got the most of the two of us. I was only allowed $50 three weeks before school to buy everything I'd needed. Obviously, I'd spend it on the supplies I'd need first. Then came clothes, if there was any money left over. I could rarely buy them. I wasn't allowed a job, my evil parents wouldn't allow me to hold money in my hands.

"Lydia!"

"What Annasay?"

"Up?"

"No."

"Wake up then."

I could almost hear her eyes roll. They had such a dramatic way of moving, I could read them like pages in a book.

I looked over at the tiny digital clock, reading 6:20. I had ten minutes to get to the school, and that just wasn't enough... Unless.

"Anna?"

"Yes?" She hissed. I knew she'd be standing out there, waiting for me to move and open the door so she could slap my face.

"Can I get a ride?"

"To school?"

"Yes."

I sighed. It was so demeaning to have to ask my younger sister to give me a ride to school.

"I suppose."

I wasn't expecting her to be nice. Sometimes I wondered if she had a human heart at all, or if the vessels pumping inside of her were made of steel or ice.

I hopped into her Eclipse, the red frame glowing through the cloudy sky. My books were mangled and dirty, hers were shiny and brand new. My parents arranged that.

"Listen, I'll drop you off at the corner. I don't want to be seen with you."

I nodded but she snapped at me for a verbal answer. "Yes, Annasay."

My leg got a sudden itch and I scratched it with my bare nails. I looked over in envy at her manicured, perfectly fake red nails. They were the exact shade of her car.

She dropped me off and I walked the rest of the way. I watched as the girl from a few days before stepped out of her silver Mustang.

She absolutely fascinated me. I was terrified of her, but fascinated. Her green eyes locked in on a girl who I recognized to be Leah from my Spanish class. She shoved oversized glasses onto her beautiful eyes and quickened her pace just a bit.

Then I noticed I wasn't the only one staring at her. Many eyes were transfixed on the quick, pixie-like girl.

She and Leah shared a quick conversation and then she pulled her arm away and ran. I wondered what Leah had said to make the girl run.

I could have sworn I saw a tear slide out from underneath those glasses, but she never reached up to wipe it away.

I searched in all of our familiar places all day for Skylar. I wanted to apologize, explain even, but he was gone, I had lost him forever. I could have called or gotten up the courage to do it yesterday. Maybe even the day before. Then I heard the rumors that he was moving away, and I couldn't bear to think they were true.

Who knew the pain would be so horrible when I realized they were that in the middle of History, I looked over at his empty desk and stared sobbing?

I couldn't control myself.

It would have been so much easier to meet his eyes in that class, instead of meeting the empty desk with similarly empty eyes.

My day was slow and I only wished it could have been slower. I took my books out of my locker carefully and walked out of the building quickly so I wouldn't miss my bus.

I wasn't paying attention and I walked right into the pixie girl.

"COULD YOU JUST WATCH IT?!" She snapped. She probably wasn't having a very good day either, and I understood.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, tears forming for more reasons than one.

I had forgotten about the pain in my side until I walked into her and she whipped around, her elbow sending another blow into the new ache.

"It's fine. I'm sorry I snapped. It's been a bad day."

I just nodded.

She shook her head and walked away... And I watched my bus drive past me.