Rivals? (MLM)

Chapter 2. Solaris

I'm Solaris Asher, 17, and I'm a model/actor. Do I hate my job? No. Do I love it? Also, no.

I don't know how I feel about it, I mean, it's nice to be famous and all, but it's quite overwhelming.

I'm just a kid, really. A regular human being. I'm just more elite than the other humans, but I'm not irregular.

I'm a minor, I'm not an adult, I'm not mature yet, I'm only 17.

People are criticizing and judging me without looking at the real me.

Being famous is pressure at its finest, for sure. Reporters just love interrupting my day, suffocating me with the most personal questions ever.

"Are you dating anyone?"

"What made you so famous?"

Well, it isn't any of their business. I'm sure all other celebrities feel like this, too. It's not just me who's getting treated this way. Almost all other models are criticized for the smallest mistakes and questioned about the most irrelevant things.

Lucian isn't as mean as he seems. Sure, I may not know much about him, but I know for sure that he doesn't actually hate me, right?

The fans, the people, the ones who are making us this way. They're the ones that are suffocating our real personalities and shifting them into fake ones; a personality that isn't mine, or his.

When is it my turn to have a loving family like everyone else? When will it be my turn to have real friends?

Today's another day, will it be better than yesterday? I have no clue. But I'll try.

My parents aren't home. They never are. My siblings don't care except for Sam, but he has his own stuff to deal with. I've learned over time that if you depend on someone, you'll just hurt yourself. Which is why I don't depend on others. All I want is someone to talk to.

Oh, the bus is here.

A whole lot of girls started talking to me the second I walked onto the bus, the second. Despite them talking to me, I rushed to the back, where Lucian was sitting all alone.

Would he let me sit by him?

I tried not to stutter, keeping my normal smile on. "Hey, uh, can I sit here?" My grip on my bag tightened as I worried about what he would say to me. What if he didn't want me to sit by him?

"Sure, just don't bother me." He didn't look up from his phone. It seemed like he was consumed by his phone's light, like everyone nowadays is. 

After saying that, he didn't pay any attention to me. His phone was his main and only priority. He didn't look up once, not to look at the scenery, not to even look at if we were at the school or not. 

Great, socializing.

I cleared my throat, interrupting the silence Lucian was much enjoying. Talking is my thing, I can't go long without annoying somebody, Lucian, my rival, just so happens to be within reach to speak to. "Well, uhm, why aren't you talking to your girlfriend...?" 

I noticed Lucian's eyes glance up at me, but his head didn't move. "None of your business." He snapped, looking back at his phone. 

"Right, sorry." I moved closer to the edge of the bus seat, inching further away from a clearly annoyed Lucian. Maybe he doesn't like me, I mean, he shouldn't. We are rivals, aren't we? If I never joined the acting industry, maybe, just maybe, would he consider being my friend?

We turned away from each other, him on his phone and me just staring off into space.
I'm not like most teenagers, I have a mental time limit for my phone, and it just gives me migraines if I spend too much time on my phone.

Maybe I can play music, but not actually use my phone. I hope the music just calms my nerves...

The cameras, the reporters, are all too much. I want it all to just back away, hide in a corner, and never come back.

Oh, we're here...

I got off the bus, my hands in my pockets as my playlist blasted in my ears. If I didn't mind the world, the world shouldn't mind me. Right?

You're wrong. The world always minds me; it never leaves me alone.

"Solar!"

"What?" I said in a weirdly rude voice.

The person who decided to ruin my peace and quiet was Mari, sure, she was a good friend of mine, but music was all I wanted to hear.

"You wanna go to a party I'm hosting tonight?"

Right, it's Friday.

"Uh, sure."

I turned back to my phone, putting my headphones back up,

"Ugh, you're always ignoring me! Listen!"

"And you're always annoying me. I already said sure, leave me alone."

My volume magically went all the way back up, blocking all the words Mari said next.

Eventually, I had to learn.

Disgusting, right?

I honestly just want to listen to my music all day, nobody talking, no learning, no people.

The teacher walked up to his standing desk, holding a clipboard and a pen. He looked young, really young. He had short black hair and glasses, and he wore one of those vests with folded collars. Basically, he just looked our age. On the first day, a few people simped for him cause they thought he was a student.

"I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, as we will be doing a lot of economic studies for the next week." He had announced loudly,

Why are we doing economics in both history AND homeroom? Isn't one enough torture already?

He spent half the class talking, and the other half was a participation grade.

Did I participate? Of course not. Being rich is a huge plus. I don't even have to do half our daily assignments, and I'll still get a high grade. It's mainly because my parents contribute big numbers to the school. We wouldn't have our gym if my parents didn't.

Despite my parents being a big thing in the school, there's one higher-class family...

The Walkers. They're the wealthiest and most powerful family in the entire country. They've contributed the most to the school. Actually, most of the school is sponsored by them.

The sad thing is, nobody ever says thanks for it all. As a matter of fact, I've never heard a thank you from anyone for our contributions. Not even the teachers say it.

Celebrities like me would have been bullied if we weren't famous. This is why I want a normal teen life, going to school and making friends like everyone else. Why can't I just make friends? Real friends.

"I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"

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Word Count - 1,131

Date - September 15th, 2023