Against the Odds

Chapter 1

Natalie

As the bell rang, I quickly grabbed my books out of my locker and turned to hurry towards my next class, already late. I was attempting to shuffle the books into the right order when I ran into something. I bounced backwards, scattering books and papers everywhere. I started to fall when I felt a hand grab my elbow, steadying me. I looked up and my gaze was met by a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"Sorry." He said and his voice was smooth and rich, like honey. "It's um... fine." I replied, a bit flustered as I studied his face. He was quite handsome with caramel colored hair that was spiked up in the front and those piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through me. He knelt down and began to pick up my books. After a pause I knelt next to him and began to help. "I really am sorry," He said, "I wasn't paying attention." I shook my head, "No it's my fault too, I was totally not watching where I was going."

I picked up a notebook I didn't recognize, the name Bradley Turner was printed neatly on the front. "I think this is yours." I said handing it to him. He smiled, "Yeah it is, and I believe these are yours," He glanced at the binder on top, "Natalie." He met my gaze and smiled at me, I returned it with a smile of my own and took the stack of books from him. I stood slowly, "I should probably go, I'm uh, late for class. Sorry again for running into you." He grinned at me, "Don't be, I don't really mind when pretty girls run into me." I blush and take a step down the hallway. "I'll see you around Bradley." He grins again, "Yeah, see you around Natalie."

~*~

"Hello Ms. Natalie, and Gracen. How was school today?" Penelope, our maid, asked as me and my best friend Gracen come through the door to the penthouse. "Good." We reply in unison, dropping our bags on the floor and taking a seat at the counter. Penelope pushed a plate of cookies and two glasses of milk towards us, "Did anything interesting happen?" She asked. I shrugged at the same time Gracen blurts out, "Natalie met a boy." I slap her arm, "Gracen!" I hiss, she just grins at me, "Oh come on Nat, lighten up, you said he was super cute." I glower at her but she just smiles, taking another bite out of the cookie in her hand.

Penelope smiled at us, an amused expression on her face, "Well, let's hear it Ms. Natalie, what happened with this boy?" I groan and flop my head onto the counter, "Nothing happened, I just ran into him, that's all." Gracen glared at me, "You're so not telling it right. Penelope, the entire story is actually the cutest thing ever. It's totally like the beginning of a romance novel. You know, she's late to class and crashes into him in the hallway, he helps her pick up her books and then they keep running into each other. It's like the start to an epic love story. You're so lucky Natalie."

Penelope laughed as I smacked Gracen on the head, "And you're so delusional. I've ran into him one time, that does not qualify as the beginning to an "epic love story" as you called it. That is called I ran into a really cute boy that I'll probably never see again." Penelope laughed again as Gracen muttered under her breath, "Just wait, I'm totally right about this." I rolled my eyes but let it go, not wanting to fight with her over something this stupid. Instead, I pulled out my math homework and pointed to the second problem, "Okay what did you get for this one because I'm not sure if I should have moved the x to that side or if I should have left it."

A couple of hours later, after Gracen left, our butler Kaid came into the kitchen. "Ms. Natalie, your mother has requested you in her office." I set my phone down and stood up, "Thanks Kaid." He nodded as I headed out into the living room. I walked through the room quickly and into my mother's office, knocking on the door as I came in. She looked up and put on a fake smile, "Ah, Natalia, there you are." I ground my teeth, "I go by Natalie Mom."

She just waves her hand in my direction, hardly even looking up from the papers in front of her. I bit my lip to keep from saying something I would regret. "Okay, Natalia, two things for you. One, I set up a photoshoot with Ralph Lauren for next Wednesday at 3:15. Two, your father and I have a benefit dinner Friday night at the history museum and you need to attend. You'll need a date too, it's a very formal event, I'm sure I can find someone for you to go with oh, and you'll need a new dress. You should go shopping tomorrow or I can just find you something from my fall line. Is that all?" She looks around her desk, "Yes, that's all, you can go."

I stare at her for a moment before taking a step forward. "I'll go shopping tomorrow, you don't need to find me anything and I'll get my own date." I say, she waves her hand dismissively "Alright then, you're free to go Natalia."

I quickly exit her office, not wanting to spend one more minute than I have to with her. She may be my mother but she's no mom. I mean the woman doesn't even know that everyone calls me Natalie. I may share the same living space with her but I only see her like twice a week. She thinks that I was a mistake and obviously doesn't give a damn about me.

I hurry through the large airy halls of the penthouse as I make my way to my room. The whole house feels cold and foreign to me. I try to spend as little time here as possible, the whole house is pristine and untouchable, the complete opposite of what home should feel like.

I enter my room and immediately go to my closet, I slip out of the designer clothes I have on and exchange them for a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie that's 2 sizes too big. I then collapse on my bed and stare at the map on the wall across from me. There are red stickers of all the places I've been and a list on the side of all the places I'd like to go. The list is pretty lengthy, traveling and exploring other cultures is my passion and I can't wait until this last year of school is over and I can leave New York and go do bigger things.

I look around the room, at the marble floor covered entirely by throw rugs and clothes. At the desk with my top of the line laptop sitting on it and the papers cluttering it. At the many maps and pictures from my travels covering the walls. At the window seat that's covered in cushions and books. At the bookshelf that is overflowing with books on travel and foreign places. My room is my sanctuary, the only place in this cold house that feels like home.

I get up and grab a book about South America and begin to flip through it to the chapter on Cano Cristales, Colombia. I read about the river that is called the liquid rainbow, wanting to escape from this reality for just a little while. People always wish that they had lots of money, saying that things would be so much better if they did. I beg to differ, my parents have lots of money and I hate it. It's made them distant and unappreciative, I don't want that and want to strive to make myself noticed without the influence of their money but that's easier said than done.