The President's Daughter

Chapter Two

"Why should you feel the urge to leave?"

Great. Janet has found me packing my stuff.

"You know it's awfully dangerous out there and yet, you're still going?!"

I ignore her and rush over to my wardrobe.

"And the most depressing thing of all is that you couldn't even give a shi-!"

"I know what I'm doing!" I interrupt. "I want some freedom! I'm sick and tired of Jacob checking on me every five minutes when I'm in bed! Not to mention him standing outside the shower!"

"He's only trying to protect you!" Janet exclaims.

I give her a look of disgust.

"Well, he wants to go out with you too."

"That's the point!" I exclaim. "I can't stand his stalker-ish behaviour!"

Janet says nothing. I continue to shove my stuff in my bag.

"So you've leaving because of him?" Janet asks.

"No!" I cry. "I'm leaving because I want independence. I don't want to be known as the 'President's Daughter' all my life, do I? No, I want my own reputation and my own way of living!"

Janet stays silent while she watches me pack the rest of my stuff.

"You'll inherit the office," I say. "You'll do a better job than I would've done."

"No no no," Janet interjects. She walks over to me and gives me a pat on the back. "Look, we're not entirely sisters nut we're step-sisters! But now we seem like sisters! You're the closest person I can relate to, not the eight others who are still young and immature. For goodness sakes Alex! We're only seventeen! We still have ages to go, well, I'll still have ages to go until I inherit the office. There's till time to live."

"What's your point?" I ask sternly.

Janet sighs. "What I'm saying is that I want to spend my freedom left with you."

"Freedom!" I spit. "You call living in this house... freedom?!"

Janet says nothing. I can tell in her eyes that I have upset her.

"I don't want to lose you," Janet murmurs.

I zip my bag and wheel it over to the doorway, my passport in hand. I walk over to Janet and give her a hug.

"I'm sorry," I whisper in her ear. "I'm so sorry, I really am."

"It's okay," Janet croaks into my shoulder.

We embrace for about a minute, before Janet detaches from me.

"So... where are you going?" Janet asks with a sniffle.

"I dunno... Spain maybe," I reply. "Where Mum is."

"I wish I could've met your mum," Janet weeps.

I sigh. "I wish she was alive too."

"How are you getting there?"

"I've already got one of Dad's assistants doing the job downstairs."

Janet looks into my eyes before burying her face in my shoulder.

"Don't go," she sobs. "Please don't go."

"I have to," I whisper.

I push Janet away from me before dragging my bag out the room and slamming the door shut behind me. Janet's screams make the door sound as if it will fly open. It is then that I realise what I've done to her... I've abandoned her. I burst into tears and run from the door...