2133

2.1 Young

(Pearl Belle, our new protagonist, is pictured above. Try to imagine her without all of the make-up.)

I had never seen Mistress Raser up close before. There had always been rumours that she had this fierce and mean presence.

Now I knew it was true.

Right when I turned eighteen, they knocked on our door. My sister Kelly - what they call a Barbie over here - was not surprised, she was excited for me. She would be turning twenty next year and so far she had an 'amazing' experience with the agency.

Here I was. Sitting across Mistress Raser, waiting for her to say something, while I was scared about my life.

"You do know the rules, Pearl?" she finally asked. I nodded. "Once you are on the other side, you can't contact your family anymore."

It was not like I had a big family. It was just Kelly, my sister, and me. Our mother died three years ago and our father never paid us any attention. He was a middle-class guy living on the other side of the fence.

"You are also to oblige to do anything your new family asks of you," she informed me. I had heard all of this before at school, but I acted like I was inhaling her information deeply. "They are your priority. They must be pleased. Take a leaf out of your sister's book. She was perfect. Her family donated 50k pounds when Kelly returned."

"I will do my best, Mistress Raser," I told her.

"Then it is about time, Pearl Belle." She stood up. "You will be attending the Tomlinson family. They are very important to the agency. Mr. Tomlinson has close ties to the mayor of the city."

***

I woke up with a strange headache. I must be allergic to the serum they gave me.

The room I woke up in was small. It only had the bed and a closet in it. I got up and exited my room.

Didn't anybody expect me here? Where was everybody?

My room was little, but the rest of the house was enormous. It was a miracle that I landed in the living room and heard voices that led me to the dining room.

The Tomlinson family was casually eating their lavish breakfast.

"Hello, I am Pearl Belle," I announced myself. Mr. Tomlinson's eyes shot up and looked straight at me. His wife continued her eating and his daughter checked me out with a critical look in her eyes. They were both blonde, and looked very alike.

"Couldn't you have chosen a prettier one, Louis? She is so ugly and fat," his daughter said. She called him 'Louis'?

Well, that was a warm welcome.

Mr. Tomlinson went ahead, "Grab a plate and sit down with us, Pearl Belle. This is my wife Ashley Tomlinson and my daughter Ember Tomlinson. I am Louis Tomlinson."

I sat down far from them. I did not feel good vibes from Mrs. Tomlinson, or her daughter. The only one who was sort of paying attention to me was Mr. Tomlinson.

They finished their breakfast, and before she left Mrs. Tomlinson uttered, "The mayor will be pretty busy today. Do not expect me home before 10 pm."

When Mrs. Tomlinson left, Mr. Tomlinson asked his daughter, "Is everything alright with your things? Did you check whether they arrived at your new school?"

"Yes, Louis. Everybody is patiently awaiting my arrival," she uttered annoyed.

"It is your fault that you have to change schools, not mine. So you better watch your tone before I sent you to a public school on the bad side of the city," he threatened her. His statement silenced Ember. She left me alone with Mr. Tomlinson.

"I am sorry you had to witness that so early in the morning, Pearl Belle," he said to me.

"I do not mind, Mr. Tomlinson. I am just here to do my job," I replied nervously, Mistress Raser's words hung heavily in my head.

Mr. Tomlinson distanced himself from the table, and for the first time, I saw his stature. His black suit fit him perfectly, and he looked as if he worked out. His hair was cut short. My eyes were glued on his body. I was being very rude. "Let's show you the house, shall we?"