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"Hey, girl," I greeted Valerie with a smile as she opened the passenger door in her black and white school uniform.
I was parked in the pick-up area in front of her new school, Valley Academy, a private school in the pristine suburbs of Kisho Valley. Valerie was living a life Cheyenne and I definitely couldn't relate to, one that she herself had mentioned being surprised by. She had no idea there were schools like this, with fully functional gyms, a greenhouse, dance and drama studios, music rooms, a state of the art science department, and even a group of certified therapists whose services were included in the hefty monthly fees for kids, who might need to sort through conflicting emotions with someone they don't fear judgement from.
Valerie had already joined the dance class, her Tuesday and Friday afternoons spent in dance practice, where I hoped she was already making friends and opening herself up to a teenage life she'd been missing out on back in Inde.
"Hi," she returned with narrowed eyes, the bright spring sunlight dancing in her brown eyes, her two afro puffs glistening on either side of her face. I noticed that she smelled like the perfume I'd gotten her at Zara, a fragrance I included in the welcome home gift I'd gotten her. "You're here without security? Is that even allowed?"
"In these parts, yeah," I giggled, carefully driving out of the prestigious Valley Academy's parking lot, my gaze landing on several people who were more esteemed than me—politicians' wives, well-known social media personalities, fashion moguls, and famous sports stars—to name a few. This private school Towa and Alex insisted on enrolling Valerie into was truly elite, and it didn't take too much looking around to notice.
As I drove, though, it was clear that the more normal people here still weren't used to seeing so many famous people living life so casually. Some people stared into my open window, but said nothing directly to me. They just whispered amongst themselves. It was uncomfortable, but I'd become accustomed to this sort of thing when I was recognised in public. When my pregnancy became physically difficult to hide, people would take photos and post them when I was just trying to go about my business. Being in the public eye meant taking all of this as it came, and making sure I didn't let it get to my head.
"This is weird. I actually have a celebrity sibling," Valerie said, taking in the subtle pointing and whispering amongst some of the teachers as I made my way towards the gates and headed for Chey's place. "Is it weird?"
"It's awkward, yeah. I don't always know how to feel when people pointedly talk about me in public,but I get that I'm not living the most normal life, so I have to accept that I'll get into weird situations like this."
"Wild," Valerie observed, her fingertips rubbing the rough texture of her denim backpack.
"A little," I agreed. "Anyway, how was your day?"
"Insanely busy." Val shared with a slightly traumatised shake of her head. "I have a lot of catching up to do, but I think I'll be fine."
"I hope so," I stated. "Shout if you're not. I don't want you suffering through this new start alone, okay?"
