Our Differences

Chapter 4

Chloe's POV

Now that Felicity and I were partners, I was hoping I'd be able to make up for my awful behavior before. Maybe, just maybe, we'd even be friends. I know I'd be kind of stupid to even suggest such a thing but.... Maybe. 

I declined my friends' invitation to go shopping, giving the excuse that my parents plan to take me out. After school, my friends went home right after the bell rang. 

Felicity came running to me with a smile on her face. "Ready to head to my house?" she asked. 

"Uh.... Yeah, sure." I said. 

"Come on, we can walk there together.... If you want, of course." she said, smiling.

Uh.... No. I thought. Girl, are you serious?! I just said that I wasn't allowed to be seen with you and now you're asking me to walk home with you? Nuh-uh. 

"Or...." I said. "You can just give me your address and then I can get my chauffeur to drive me there, okay?" 

She seemed a wee bit disappointed at my suggested but she nodded cheerfully anyway. 

"Uh.... Ya, sure. I'll give you my address." She gave me her address and then waved goodbye as she walked out of the school gates. 

My glimmering white limousine came to pick me up not too long after. I ate lunch before heading off to Felicity's house by foot. Just in case the girls so happened to pass by Fe's house and spotted my limo. They knew my limo's number plate and would so kill me when they see it stop in front of her house. 

Instead of wearing all those frills and fancies that I would normally wear, I chose a simple black turtle neck, white ruffled skirt and navy heels. Their house seemed pretty decent. I kind of liked it. I rang the doorbell. I saw someone peek through the peephole. The door opened and Felicity stood at the doorway. She was wearing a pink dress and white tennis shoes. 

"Welcome to my home, Chloe. Come in." she said. 

"Where are your parents?" I asked. "I'd like to meet them." 

She looked at her feet a little uncomfortably. "Um.... Well, they're working. They're really busy. Sorry...."

"So.... When will they be home?" I asked. 

"Any time before 7 a.m. and after 8 p.m. And also on weekends." she replied. "I rarely get to see them. Why do you ask?" 

"Oh, n-nothing!" I quickly replied. Do. Not. Show. Her. Your. Soft. Spot. Yet. I reminded myself. 

"So, anyway, let's get to work. I don't want to be here all day. My parents might freak if I'm not home." She showed me to her room. 

It was pretty cozy. She had a dark blue single bed and the pink walls were covered with posters of celebrities. 

"We can work at my desk." she said. She offered me her swivel chair while she sat on a stool. 

She seems pretty nice  to me despite all the things I've done to her. I thought. 

We searched for info about the three famous people we have decided to write a report on earlier that day. We worked for a while, taking short breaks in between. 

We were sitting at the dining table with mugs of hot cocoa and a plate of cookies in between us when Fe said, "Thanks a lot for coming." I smiled. "You don't have to." She took a sip of her hot chocolate. 

"Chloe....?"

"Yes?"

"What's like being Queen Bee? I bet it's awesome." 

I thought long and hard. "It's not easy." I finally replied.

"Oh, why?"

"Everyone expects you to look good, have a big house, own many cars, attend many hot parties, throw a lot of lit parties yourself, not mingle with 'nerds' or anybody 'outside your clique', have a perfect life and you just can't be yourself. It's frustrating."

I can't believe I told Felicity so much about my life as Queen Bee. But I knew it was going to slip anyhow. 

"I get it." she nodded. "It must be pretty stressful." I nibbled on a cookie. 

"What's your hobby?" she asked. 

I hesitated. "Um.... I have a few." I chomped down the last cookie. "Alright, let's get back to work. I have to go soon." We finished up our work and then I bade her goodbye. 

"Do you think.... You can come again.... Tomorrow?" she asked, somewhat shyly. 

I smiled kindly at her. "We'll see." 

Felicity was a pretty nice girl. I walked home, considering telling her just a bit about my little secret. I made up my mind to be just a little bit nicer to her. She's not a nerd. Just because you don't have a lot of friends doesn't make you a loser. She's just a little.... Quiet. But I'm sure she'll get a ton of friends if she just opened up a bit. 

I ate dinner with my parents and then we watched Netflix on our flat screen TV in the living room with the lights off while relaxing on our comfy couch with a huge bowl of plain, unsalted popcorn and thick fluffy blankets. I woke up the next day in my comfortable four-post bed. 

I dressed in my usual fancy, branded fancy clothing. That day after school, I declined Fe's invitation to work with her. My friends and I went for a manicure at our favorite spa. 

We shopped and splurged on everything and spent money like it grew on trees. Loaded with shopping bags, we chatted happily as we exited the mall and climbed into my limo to drive us home. I looked at my friends. Bossy, arrogant, mean, spiteful. Are these the friends I really want? 

Then I thought of Felicity. She's forgiving and gracious. I don't know much about her but she seems nice enough from the little I know of her. People may dislike her, but I don't see a reason to. 

"CHLOE!!!" I heard a familiar voice yell into my ear. I jumped. 

My friends were eyeing me suspiciously. 

"You've been really quiet." Mira pointed out. 

"Yeah, girl. What's up?" Kristen asked. 

I shook my head. "Forget it." 

They still glared at me a little before changing the subject. I participated in it as much as I could so that they wouldn't feel suspicious anymore. Once I got home, I got onto my laptop and wrote more about the story I was working on. 

That night, while lying in bed, I looked up at the ceiling which had a beautiful painting of what a perfect night sky would look like. One thought was churning in my head and that was, should I befriend Felicity? Should I tell her my secret or do I stick to my rich stuck-up BFFs? 

I buried my head in my pillow. Being Queen Bee was a lot harder than it looks.