Eastwood Academy: Cruel Love

Chapter 50: Battle Lines

I don't know the group of people standing in front of our table, and I have a feeling that I don't want to. It's another family with two children. They positively drip wealth and opulence. All of their clothing is from designer brands; the father is wearing what I judge to be the most expensive watch I've ever seen, and the mother has had so much Botox she can't move the upper part of her face. The first of their kids looks to be a boy around middle school age. Their other child is a girl, I'm guessing within a year or two of us.

She's just as dolled up as her mother, but without any botox, not that she needs it. This girl is model pretty. Wearing a pale pink sheath dress, nude heels, and an ivory wrap, she's the picture of angelic perfection.

Tall, slender, and willowy, she's probably the most beautiful person I've ever seen, which is amazing considering that I go to school with Beth. But this girl gives Beth a run for her money, even though she looks nothing like her. She's so flawless it's unfair. Fair-skinned, the girl's pale white-blonde hair cascades down her back and drops to her waist in perfect waves. Her curtain bangs frame her oval face and complement her ice-blue eyes.

Her eyes land on River, and of course, of course, her eyes light up like she's just found the best thing since sliced bread."River!" she exclaims as Gordon, Isotta, and River rise to greet her parents. I have to resist the urge to grind my teeth in frustration. I could barely get him to agree to meet my father, but this bitch shows up, and he can't wait to socialize with her family. Maybe I was wrong about him not being ashamed of my financial status. "Oh my god, it's been like forever! How are you?" Without waiting for an answer she leans forward and throws her arms around him.

I watch in agonized silence as he tenses but then relaxes, and his arms wind around her as he hugs her back. "Winnie, it's so great to see you," River responds, pulling back to smile at her. I notice that she keeps her hand on his arm even after she finally stops hugging him.

I'm about two seconds away from jumping up and physically tearing this Winnie girl away from my boyfriend, consequences be damned, when I hear the words, "You simply must join us!"

It's Doug, inviting the newcomers to stay. I've known him for less than an hour, but I can already see that he's the most friendly guy on the planet. Normally, I'd love that, but today, it's caused me nothing but grief.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude-" Winnie's mother says, obviously meaning the opposite, but Gordon cuts her off.

"Nonsense. You're not intruding. You must join us, I insist. I hear young Winnie is one of the brightest students at her academy. Her grades and extracurriculars are exemplary." Flagging over our waiter, he instructs him to pull up another table and push it against ours. This is how we end up eating with Winnie's family. Her mother, whose name is Audrey, sits next to Isotta. She has the same eyes and hair as her daughter, but she's a good five inches shorter than her.

Good luck to her, I think snidely. She won't be able to get a word out of that woman. Her husband, Simon, sits next to Gordon, and their son, Deacon, sits next to me, buried in his phone. He's a mix of both parents, with that light blonde hair and his father's hazel eyes. Winnie is placed next to River, which she looks thrilled about.

As soon as she's seated, she turns to him like the rest of us aren't here and starts a steady stream of conversation that I can't hear because I'm across the table from them. I watch his disbelief as my boyfriend, who could barely be bothered to acknowledge my existence, turns to give her his undivided attention. And all I can do is grit my teeth and bear it as he gives her his most charming smile and attentively asks her questions. Across the table, Gordon and Isotta acknowledge each other for the first time with satisfied, knowing smiles. They share unanimous expressions of victory because this is exactly the type of girl they want their son to be with. Someone just as snobby and pretentious as they are.