Fake It 'Til You Make It

|10| Pizzelles

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Yes?" I groaned, trying to not let my annoyance seep into my tone. I raised my remote to the smart tv and paused my YouTube video, shoving my Hot Cheetos to the side.

"It's me, dear. May I come in?" Melanie softly called through the door.

"Sure," I muttered, hauling myself to my feet to unlock the door. There she stood in all her perfect beauty. Her pearly smile lit up my dim room, acting as the sun in the actual star's absence. I wasn't sure how someone could radiate such energy even after a busy day.

She walked in and closed the door behind her. Her figure was shadowy, faint beams of lights weirdly highlighting her facial features. "How was your first day at Richbrooke High? Was everyone treating you well?"

It took all I had to bite my tongue. It took a huge amount of effort to not bash her children at the top of my lungs. They had treated me like rotten meat, and it wasn't fair. Life just wasn't fair. However, it wasn't my place to play God, or to rat them out to my heart's content. Their karma would come eventually.

So, I plastered a fake smile on my face. I mean, I guess I did make headway in faking it, right? I was in with the populars. Well, in a way. Tala enjoyed my presence although I didn't quite enjoy hers. All I had to do was gather the rest into my good graces. I had planned it all in my head. This had allowed my spirits to rise.

"Yes. I got in with some of the more popular crowd."

She squealed like a school girl talking about her crush. "Really? On your first day? That's pretty difficult to do! I'm so, so proud of you, Ada!"

"Thanks. I got in with some girl named Tala. She was the one that pulled me along with them."

"Tala?" The mood in the room seemed to shift.

"Yeah. Tala. I don't know her last name. Filipino, I think. Violet hair."

"I'd be careful with her family. Her brother Chris goes there, right?"

I nodded, something twisting in the pit of my stomach. "Yeah. What's wrong with her family."

She shook her head back and forth, a grimace barely visible on her visage. "Let's just say this town and the people in it aren't all they're cracked up to be. Nothing against Tala herself. She's actually one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. But, her father is a totally different story."

Thinking about it, Tala was quite nice. However, I wasn't sure how much of it was a facade.

"What about her father?"

Melanie deeply exhaled. Something in her demeanor completely shifted. The last thing I wanted to hear on my what, third day in Richbrooke, was all the evil that resided in it.

"Rich and him don't get along. And, well, it's not important. Just business stuff."

I could call her bluff. I wasn't sure what about me screamed 'stupid'. Yet, I let it go. "Oh."

"Why didn't you go out with the kids?"

There she was, reverting back to the Melanie I had come to know. She held this motherly kindness, this air of caring.

I merely shrugged. "I went out with them yesterday. I had school today. This has all had a major toll on me, you know? I'd rather just relax tonight."

She nodded, but something in her barely visible expression told me she didn't quite believe me. Well, it was sort of true. It just wasn't the main reason.

"Well, I cooked dinner. Would you like to eat? I made some pizzelles for dessert."

My eyes widened as my mouth watered. "Pizzelles? You know how to make them?"