Polar Opposites

Chapter Two: My worst nightmare

"Good morning_" I restart my greeting, a little bit more audible than I previously was but don't get a chance to finish it.

"Good morning Grace, good morning daddy" A high pitched voice ring out from behind me.

If it isn't senorita perfecta Isabella.

Isabelle_or like she wishes to be called Belle walked past me and straight to the the cookie platter on the kitchen counter.

When mum decided to marry Lucas, I was happy for her and wished her all the best but it didn't take me long to start regretting my decision to support, when he moved in and brought along Isabelle with him. She became my step-sister and my worst nightmare.

Surviving the years still locked up from my trauma was even more unbearable with her around. She never stopped to remind me of my misery. While I declined to being the gloomy soul I was, she spared no second to flaunt her perfectionistic self in front of me.

She became what I was not. The school goddess and beauty. Because I had to skip a year, she was ahead of me in class. Everyone loved Belle, she was the dream of every boy in school—some teachers too. And she saw no problem with showing that off.

Totally ignoring me. Like always. Belle stretched her hand and picked up a cookie. Mum didn't stop her. She treated us equally, although sometimes it felt like she treated Isabelle better. I don't blame her. Belle never failed in making her proud. Why me on the other hand brought her only worry and heartache. She probably was tired of babysitting me and with all of my mental wreck.

Like a ghost that I was, I grabbed my backpack and slith out of the kitchen without being noticed. It happens all the time, when Isabelle was in the picture, I end up being the wallflower that nobody sees.

I went ahead to wait in the car. I didn't have to wait for long cause Belle and Lucas make their way to the car few minutes later.

***
After few minutes of holding my breath and closing my eyes, we finally arrive at school. I was the first out of the car. Since the day of the accident, I kinda like developed a phobia for car rides. For the first year after the incident I would puke or pass out once I get into a car. I remember walking myself to school throughout the second year but doctors adviced I start doing all the things I find hard to do, so every morning I have to endure being driven to school by Lucas.

"Sylvie!" Lucas call out to me before I could walk off.

I turned.

"Have a nice day at school" he said with a sweet smile on his lips. I smiled back— at least I tried.

Lucas was nice, he keeps trying to be the father figure in my life. Not that I hate that or anything but I just can't accept him and pretend to forget what I did. Anyways he never stopped trying and I admire him for that, maybe someday... in the farthest future, he would get that lovely stepdaughter he always wanted.

I nod to his words and continue my walk into the school building.

Students crawling here and there. A walk through the aisle was probably no different from the walk down heaven's road, it took hours to squeeze through the sea of bodies. The only difference was you probably wouldn't see people smooching on the way to heaven.

I adjust my hoodie and balance my specs, they were my shield in this vile teenage den.

"Syl!" A melodic voice rings out from amongst the students.

I don't have to look, there was only one person that call out to me with so much enthusiasm, actually there was only one person in school that knows my name apart from the teachers.

"Tyl_" my words gets muffled out as I'm enveloped by warm hands.

"Good morning Tyla"

Tyla my best friend, we were best friends before the incident and she  stayed with me throw it too. She had also purposefully skipped a year just so she could wait for me to get back to school. A great friend indeed. She was probably one of the reasons I didn't lose my mind during those years.

Tyla pouts "what's good about the morning? I have been trying to reach out to you all weekend but you have been totally out of radar. Did you get a new best friend during the weekend?"

I chuckled "it'll be my loss if I did"

"like absolutely! There's no where you'll see a friend like me. I'm incomparable" her pout was gone, now she was beaming like the morning sun.

Tyla suddenly gasped "speaking of which, Syl help a friend with her project. The Art project is due on Wednesday and I'm no where near getting an inspiration" she said pouting.

I could only shake my head. Have I mentioned I was an art geek. I never really was one from the beginning, dad was the Art expert. I remember always watching him in his art gallery as he worked on his projects.

After his demise, I unexpectedly took up the habit of drawing and painting. It was my only way to feel closer to him. Whenever I painted it was like I could feel his hand holding mine through every stroke. With art I didn't feel the need to express myself or fit into a world I forgot how to live in. With time, It was as if I was possessed by an art god cause I got perfect in it in no time.

"Sure but you're following me home this evening, you have to be there to watch the whole process just in case you're asked about it"

A smile appeared on her face, she hugged my hand and moved to nod but then a sorry look appeared on her face and she looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry Syl I wish I could go with you but then I promised my aunt I would finish the work she had given me" i could see she was telling the truth so I sighed.

"sure as always I'll make a video of myself and send it to you"

She thought about it for a while then suddenly suggested "Why don't you go to my house instead, I have basically all that you need to complete the assignment. I could work on my Aunty's assignment while you work on the class project. What do you think?"

We didn't get to finish our deliberation cause the bells sounded signalling the start of class. We both had to run off to not get late.