Country Love

xiii

 Everything is coming together. Chad will wish he had never hurt me when I kidnap his lovely little sister, Chantelle. I think she's the only one he truly feels affection for. I have an amazing plan for kidnapping her from Russell School. The best time to find her alone will be when she is in her room. All I have to do is pose as a delivery person with an important package, and they will give me access to her dormitory.

I uproot some grass from outside the school and wrap it in a newspaper I steal from a stall. The man is too busy reading his own newspaper to notice me. I eat the tiny white flowers I find in the grass to satiate my appetite. I have never tasted anything so delicious back at home- London is truly a wonderful country.

I stride towards the security with my fake newspaper package and a confident expression.

"Excuse me mister," I say, putting on an accent like the taxi drivers, so that I fit in, "Need to deliver this package to a certain Miss Chantelle Sloane from Russell School." I wave the grass in front of his face. A few blades are poking out of the edge but I hope he doesn't notice.

"Alright," he said, "Give it to me and I'll hand it over to the office."

"Oh, no, no, mister, you don't understand. I must deliver this package myself. This is a very important package from Chad Sloane himself. You know, the handsome one with the blue eyes and chiselled jawline and glorious blonde hair. . ." I lose myself in dreams of Chad, and the guard is looking at me curiously.

"If it's so important why didn't the man come himself? Family members are allowed to visit."

"Chad is a busy man, ya know? Sent me, delivery girl, over. He trusts me, Chad does." Tears almost well up in my eyes as I say this because I don't know if it's true anymore.

"Then wait here till school gets over and we will ask the student if she knows you. Give me your name, please." the man says.

"Brianna," I tell him, knowing Chantelle will come out to meet me. We had bonded over Kerri Smith so much that she had begun to feel like a part of my own soul. I am only here because Chad's betrayal has hurt me so much I need to hurt him back. The security guard nods and points to a bench outside where I can sit.

"Thanks! Shakespeare rocks!" I tell him, knowing how much these London people like that guy. I keep the package on the bench to highlight its importance and lie down on the ground next to it.

🐴

Chad is smiling that luminous smile again. He tells me that I look beautiful, he pronounces it in that cute way, 'bootyful'. I look into his sapphire eyes, and say, "I love you, Chaddy. Only you. It's me and you, forever."

Chad gasps, and suddenly his face warps into Brad's. He says, "I knew it. I knew it Brianna, I always knew. Since the second I laid my eyes on you."

I try to retract my declaration of love, but now Brad is gone and my father is standing before me. His mouth is set in a grim line, his brow is furrowed. My mother walks in through a door.

There was a door?
She's holding a two tiered cake. A burning one and eight top the green cake. Fondant horses are grazing.

"Happy birthday, Ann!" she says, as she sets the cake on my desk. My father pulls out his knife from somewhere and cuts my cake for me. I don't protest. I simply watch. He picks up one of the horses and asks, "You know who this is?"

"No.." I reply.

He turns to my mother, "Brielle, do you know who this is?"

"Why, of course," the corners of her mouth turn upward, "it's Tucker."