To be with him

15

I stay in my room all day, avoiding Mother and Daddy. Eliza comes to check on me once, but I send her away. I doubt she knows what Daddy does; she's too kind to work for someone involved in the things he is. I climb out of the bathtub and wrap a towel around myself.

I decided to take a relaxing bath a few minutes ago, just after finishing some of my weekend schoolwork. I know I have to face Mother and Father eventually. I can't keep hiding in my room, even though I'd love to spend the entire weekend here.

I take my time getting dressed, well aware that I am running late for dinner. It feels refreshing to do things my own way for once. I glance at myself in the mirror before leaving the room.

"Oh, there you are!" Eliza exclaims as I descend the stairs. "I'm just about to call you down for dinner."

"Sorry, I take a longer bath than usual," I reply, smiling at her. "I hope I didn't inconvenience you?"

"No," she grins back, turning around. "You were just running a bit late, that's all."

I nod one last time before heading down the stairs. As I approach the dining room, I overhear my parents' conversation. I wait for a moment, as it's the only time I can truly get a sense of what's happening.

"I don't know what's happening at that school, but it seems to be driving a wedge between us," my mother complains, her frustration clear. It's obvious she's referring to me. "I'm thinking we should withdraw her."

"We can't do that," my father replies with a hint of exasperation. "Think about the media. 'The Winstons enroll their daughter in public school only to withdraw her – is this some kind of publicity stunt?'"

"Of course, it is!" Mother bursts out in anger. "It was all for show, and now that we've achieved our goal, we can send her elsewhere or something, so no one questions us."

As I listen to their conversation, my heart sinks, and a sense of dread washes over me. I'm shocked but not entirely surprised. I had briefly thought they were finally considering my wishes, but it's clear that this is just a part of their hidden agenda.

I wipe away the tears that have managed to escape my eyes and put on a forced smile as I enter the dining room. "Hello, Mother, Daddy."

"Darling, how are you?" Daddy says, his eyes filled with genuine concern. "I haven't seen you all day."

"I'm catching up on some schoolwork," I reply, forcing a smile as I divert my gaze to my food. I struggle to endure their deceptive expressions. "What about you? How's work going?"

Daddy emits a soft chuckle. "Well, work is work, honey," he says, pausing briefly. "Stressful, but nothing out of the ordinary."

I glance up to find Mother looking at me with an inscrutable expression. I choose to ignore her and turn back to Daddy. "I'm curious about your work, particularly the house renovations. Do you buy the properties, fix them up, and then sell them?"

Mother interjects, her tone carrying a hint of annoyance, "What's with this sudden interest, Annalisa?"

"I'm just genuinely curious about our family business," I respond, maintaining a neutral expression. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, darling, there's nothing wrong with that," Daddy says, clearing his throat. "I purchase the properties from the government, renovate them, and then sell them."

I press further, a hint of anger creeping into my voice. "And what about the people who used to live in those houses? What happens to them?"

Daddy takes a sip of his wine before answering, "Well, those individuals were either behind on their mortgage payments or rent, and it wasn't economically sustainable for the town. They likely found more affordable housing elsewhere."

"You mean trailer parks," I retort in disgust. I had hoped that Ruby's words were either a lie or a misunderstanding, but it seems they weren't. "So, you're kicking people out of their homes to make room for the wealthy?"

"Annalisa!" Mother shouts, dropping her cutlery. "Mind your tone, young lady!"

"Tell me that's not what you're doing, Daddy," I beg, desperately hoping for a different answer. "Tell me you're not evicting people from their homes."

Daddy hesitates for a moment before responding, "Well, Annalisa, if they can't afford it, they have to find somewhere else to live."

"Unbelievable," I laugh bitterly. "These are people's homes, filled with their memories, and you're taking them away, all to sell to the highest bidder. You go around town portraying yourselves as saviors, claiming to stand for helping people—" I pause, recalling Zane's words from our first meeting, finally understanding what he meant.

I rise from my seat, locking eyes with Daddy. "For the first time ever, I'm ashamed to be your child." Ignoring Mother's constant shouting of my name, I turn away and walk out, leaving the dining room behind. 

**********************************

It's Monday morning, and ever since that fiasco, I've done my best to keep my distance from them. I gaze at myself in the mirror, admiring my outfit. It's the pair of pants Robin and Chloe got for me, along with the most casual T-shirt I own and a comfortable pair of sneakers. It's a typical outfit for a normal teenager but considered an abomination by Mother.

I smile at my reflection and leave the room, heading for the kitchen to grab a quick snack. Eliza is busy tossing something into a pan.

"Morning, Eliza," I greet her with a grin as I take a granola bar from the island.

"Goodness!" She exclaims, noticing my outfit. "Are you sure your mother will allow you to leave the house in that outfit?"

"Nope," I reply with a mischievous pop on my lips. "But it's time I start doing things for myself, right?"

She chuckles softly, and I make my way out of the house through the kitchen door. I'm not afraid of what Mother will say, well, not anymore. But if I want to make it to school on time, using the kitchen door is the best option.

I quickly run to the car where I see Brett leaning against it.

"Morning!" I call out as I enter the vehicle hastily.

He turns to look at me, concern in his eyes. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine," I reassure him with a smile. "I'm just excited to go to school this morning."

"I can tell; it must be because of your outfit," he smirks as he starts the car.

"It might be," I admit, looking out the window as he pulls out of the driveway.

Usually, the trip to school doesn't take more than ten minutes, but today, it feels like hours until Brett finally pulls into the school parking lot. My stomach flutters with nervousness.

"Have a great day," he says as I get out of the car.

I nod and step out, scanning the area until I find the particular someone I'm looking for. As I make my way toward him, I hear people gasping and whispering—nothing new, but still irritating nonetheless. Finally, I spot him leaning on his bike, indulging in his morning dose of cigarettes.

"What's up, princess?" he asks as I approach him, leaving only a small distance between us. It's close enough that I'm enveloped by his scent.

"I want you to teach me to do things for myself," I say, pointing to his chest to emphasize my point.

"And what makes you think I'd want to do that, princess?" he leans down and whispers into my ear, his breath causing my skin to tingle.

"A little birdie once told me you can't get me off your mind," I whisper back to him.

"Lesson one," he leans back slightly to meet my eyes. "You don't give a fuck about what people think."

With that, he pecks my nose and grins, pulling me into his arms.

At first, I'm puzzled, but as I see people pointing and whispering, I realize that our positioning makes it look like we just shared a kiss.