Undercover

*Chapter 1 ~ Memories

Beatrice

Jump then fall was playing on the background as I was painting a scenery. A forest of pine trees and under a beautiful night sky. Painting is a way for me to escape. Silence is my refuge and strength at times when I can not bear the bustling noise of the world. Of course, reading is one of my hobbies as well. My brother Josh walks into my make-shift studio, which is actually just the attic that I redecorated.

"Hey sis!" He says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Jump then fa-al, into me, into me,

Everytime you smile, I smile

"Beatrice!" He tried again.

"HELLO?" He persists. I sighed and peeked out from the easel. "Yes, brother dear?"

"Could you not blast music while you paint? It's distracting!" He walks towards me gesturing to the speakers.

"Painting requires submerging yourself into your inner thoughts and feelings. Music helps." I pointed out. My brother disagrees and mumbled that he can hear it from the second floor. "Sorry, I'll turn it down a little." I gave him my horrifyingly big smile.

"Ugh!" He exclaims distastefully. "Tip sis, try not to do that. You'll scare the lights out of anyone within a 3-mile radius." He laughed as he started walking out the door. I made a mocking face, but then I realized that too was ugly.

"Oh, and sis?" He was already at the door. "Yeah?" I peeked out again from the easel. "You might want to check the time before you talk about patience and painting." I checked my phone and I died. "God help me." I rushed out the door passing my brother whilst he yelled, "You might want to wash your face while you're at it! You painted yourself a mustache."

I reached my room in like 5 seconds. It was a new record. I washed my face because it was covered in paint splatters, so were my pajamas.

I prepared my things and took out my necessities. Here's the tricky thing about me. I have blonde hair. In the entire school body, there is exactly one person who has blonde hair. Bingo! That person is me. What are the odds that only I have blonde hair? It's not even like yellow blonde or the normal blonde. It's a cross between strawberry blonde and blonde. Ever since I was young, people always asked whether or not I dyed it that way. The disciplinarian would call me to the office and ask me why I dyed my hair. They'd think I was some delinquent child that wanted to be a rock star or something. It wasn't pretty. I've learned that people are not as accepting as I thought they were. I was young and naive.

"God Beatrice! Stop wearing that accursed wig! It looks bad. Seriously." Josh said suppressing a smile.

"As long as my hair is weird that will never happen." I said sticking my tongue out at him. Josh looks nothing like me. He'll never understand that people are quick to judge. I hated answering questions about how my hair looks.

I am thankful to my friends for literally saving me from my fate. They don't know about the hair because there's more to it than me just hating the color. There's more to it.

School is okay. I don't love it, but I'm okay with it. Summer is a day away and I feel a surge of excitement wash over me. This particular summer, it's not only because I can read or paint to my heart's content. There's something more this time. But before anything, tomorrow I will face another struggle I must overcome. You know how it is. Before you get to the other side, where the grass is greener, you have to cross a swamp with giant alligators and snakes.

"Beatrice Summers. Get down here. You are late!" And that's Rebecca, my stepmother. I don't know what my father was thinking, but he's ill. I think he was afraid to leave me alone and all. So Rebecca will eventually take over my father's company. Isn't that great?