icarus

iii. pleasure

Yara's chin rests on her palm, her manicured nails pressing into her cheek, glancing at the to-do list scrawled messily on her palm. She's supposed to call her friends yesterday but forgot to write it down so she forgot to do it generally, it is the first on her list this morning. She's just ended the last call and leans her head back, sighing at the tiredness that sags her limbs. Mother's children are in the backseat, gushing over the cards that Mother had covertly pressed into their greedy hands as they left their estate.

"Why didn't you drive? I'd imagine it being more interesting than being with me." Zane asks, his hands gripping the wheel tightly as the two chatterboxes behind them ponder aloud, what they can and would do with the half a million that's in the card.

Yara flutters her lashes, her hand still holding her chin. "Why would you think that? Zaney poo, you're my brother and I love spending time with you." Zane's lips twitch and curves into a smile, and he glances at the siblings chattering in the backseat before rolling his eyes exasperatedly. Her and Zane exchange eye contact and then snigger.

"I heard mum got us both individual rooms close to Yara and Zane." Thomas says, his eyes never leaving the card. Kira looks at the card and at the approaching black gates and Yara thinks she would faint right in the car. Kira's blue eyes are misty, and her hands brush her a lock behind her ears.

Yara could've warned them, that Westwood Prep is filled with rich kids. Children of governors, doctors, presidents and the most elites of every field that rake in the most money. Children with influential parents usually live like there was a target on their backs - and half of the time, they do have targets painted on their backs. So they trust no one, and act like they do. Their half parentage of Elora Finn, famous fashion designer would barely be enough to grant them a foothold if they play their cards wisely but they don't seem smart enough to figure that out.

So Kira and Thomas's plan to integrate themselves with the elites of the younger generation by gluing themselves to her and Zane is most definitely doomed to fail, but she doesn't care enough to speak. Their leech-like behavior would be the beginning of their downfall.

Yara's eyes glance at the big black gates that open at the nod that Zane gives the security guards. Yara's two best friends are leaning against their cars, dressed in the school's sweater as required for the day of resumption. Zane has barely stopped the car, and Yara out the car when Vivienne jumps on the unsuspecting girl.

The car is the closest to her and Yara the one that has the brunt of the jump. Vivienne's curls flay as she squeezes Yara tight. Vivienne always smells like Chanel no. 5 and is dressed in flair leggings and Doc Martens. Viv brushes Yara's dreads out her face and kisses her on her cheeks, and Yara pushes her away. Vivienne is lighter than both of them, Raven and Yara being around the same shade of a darker brown so the light flush on her cheeks are more visible.

"Gross." Yara chuckles, and Vivienne sticks her tongue out at her.

The next is Raven, and she backs away, shaking her head, making her braids tied with beads jingle noisily. "I love you, Viv but we already done this twice." Viv pouts even more when Raven hugs Yara without all the theatrics of the former's. Kira stumbles out of the car and walks towards the girls.

"I'm Kira, Yara's sister." She introduces, a haughty gleam lighting her green eyes as she stretches her hand forth, her lips curling in an arrogant smile.

Yara rolls her eyes, and corrects. "Step-sister."

The girls glance at her, each look colder than the last. Kira takes a step back, eyes darting at Yara for help. Yara snorts. Wait till she meets the cheerleaders. "Alright girls, cut it out." She intercedes. They turn away from her, not giving her a second look. Kira reddens, her hands rubbing the sides of her arms. Thomas walks down, and stands by his sister's side.