Back Better Than Before

[1] The Prank of the Past

1 year ago...

    Adrianna lay in bed nursing her wounds from last night. She hadn't been able to make dinner in time last night and Michael, her father, had beat her as a punishment.  "Adrianna get up and serve my friends refreshments!" Her sister's high pitched voice came through the doorway. "Such a lazy person. Can't do anything right." Jasmine mumbled as she walked away probably to her snobby friends. Adrianna groaned as she tried sitting up. Her wounds hadn't yet healed. But, she had to get her work done or Eleanor, her mother, would have another reason to complain to Michael about her.

    Eleanor didn't allow Adrianna to call her mom or Michael dad. She continuously reminded Adrianna that she was adopted and she was living at their mercy. "The least you can do to show you are grateful is help around the house," is what Eleanor says whenever Adrianna had complained. The only time Eleanor was pleasant to Adrianna was when they had company or they went somewhere such as a party. People often complimented Eleanor and Michael for taking her in and giving her a good education.

Education... Adrianna's adoptive parents were nice enough to send her to school along with Jasmine and Nicholas. Or maybe they just send her to school so they could show their business partners that they did not discriminate between Adrianna and their children. Although, Nicholas and Jasmine made sure that nobody would talk to me. Her days at school were not that great being completely alone with everyone bullying her or laughing at her.

Adrianna sighed as she grabbed the tray with refreshments and walked to the game room where Jasmine and NIcholas' friends were staying. None of their friends cared that it was Adrianna who gave them their drinks instead of a maid because just like her siblings, their friends treated Adrianna as a maid anyways.

She pushed open the door to see there was only Marcus in the room. He was the best friend of Nicholas but he was the nicest out of all the friends. In her dreams, Adrianna was Cinderella and Marcus was her prince who saved her from her stepmother or in her case, adoptive mother. "Umm... where is everyone?" She asked hesitantly to Marcus. She had only talked to Marcus a couple of times.

Adrianna's eyes widened as Marcus suddenly stood up and walked near her. "They have gone out. It's just me here." His deep, husky voice said as he came closer to her.

"Wh- what are you doing?" Adrianna stuttered.

"I've always liked you, Adrianna but I was afraid to act on them. But not anymore." He came closer, our noses now touching. "But first tell me do you love me, too?"

Adrianna didn't think. She had a crush on Marcus for as long as she could remember. "Yes" she breathed out. She looked into Marcus' eyes and saw guilt before he blinked it away. Before she could ask anything, he pulled away and started laughing. The rest of Jasmine and Nicholas' friends came out from various hiding places all of them laughing. Confused, Adrianna looked at Marcus silently asking him what was happening. Instead of Marcus, Jasmine answered her.

"Did you think that Marcus would fall for someone like you! You are just a maid thinking you could be apart of the rich world. Your parents were probably so poor that they couldn't take care of you. That's why they made you our burden. It was just a prank." Unshed tears burned Adrianna's eyes as she listened to Jasmine. She turned around and started to walk away but not before she yelled "Just remember that Marcus is mine!" Adrianna didn't say anything as she started to run to her room.

She closed the door and pulled out a locket from her drawer. It was her mother's and there was MH carved on the backside. The day Eleanor told Adrianna that she was adopted, she had given this necklace to her and said that this was around her neck and there was a note stating Adrianna's name, birthday, and a simple sentence saying I'm sorry. It was signed by MH. Adrianna had the note as well.

Looking at the locket and note, Adrianna made up her mind. She wasn't going to stay here and endure their torture. She was going to go find her real family. The door to her room opened and Marcus walked in. Adrianna silently wiped away her tears and hid the locket.

"Umm, I- how are you?" Marcus asked. It could be clearly seen that he was uncomfortable in Adrianna's shoe-sized room.

"Fine." She replied curtly as if talking to a stranger. Marcus saw this and frowned.

"I am sorry if I offended you. It was a... a harmless prank." Marcus almost looked apologetic. Almost.

"It's alright. It's all in the past. It didn't affect me at all. Just a little shaken up but that's all." It was all in the past after all. When Adrianna leaves, then they will see what was in the past and what wasn't.  "Was that all?"

"Umm... yes." Confusion was written all over Marcus' face.

"Then please get out. I have work to do." Adrianna said stressing the 'please' Marcus looked hurt but nodded and left, closing the door. Adrianna waited a couple of minutes before getting up and grabbing a duffel bag and packing necessary items.

She packed clothes, some shoes, money that she saved, the locket and note. She went into Jasmine's room and took her favorite blood red lipstick. She snuck back into her room and took out a piece of paper. In big letters, she wrote:

I'll be back.

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