Valentina Finds Her Voice | A Blushington Book

Chapter 6

Luckily for me the fall festival took center stage and everyone seemed to move on from bothering me. The end of October had us all not only looking forward to Halloween but also towards the end of the semester.

The second to last weekend of October was our festival and it was open to family, friends and the local community. It was a fall festival only Blushington could produce. Mom was right they didn't do anything small.

Mom and dad arrived around noon and planned to spend the whole day with me at the festival. They brought Rebecca and Mila, my friends from my old school, along with them.

There was a carnival including rides, game tents and a hay maze. We had a blast. Dad won mom a giant koala bear. We ate junk food and we laughed until our sides hurt.

While we sat to eat a real lunch I introduced Rebecca and Mila to Jalissa, the tex twins and Cassie. We talked about everything that happened so far, what our studies were like and how going to an all girls school was so different.

Rebecca kind of fell right in with us but Mila seemed to only be able to respond with snide remarks, passive agressive commentary and jokes about rich kids. I could tell she was making everyone uncomfortable, but I was afraid to say anything. I didn't want her to feel like I was singling her out or didn't want to be her friend.

Wasn't her sarcasm one of the things I loved about her? I don't remember it being so negative and hurtful. She decided to take a walk around the festival and Rebecca joined her. They asked if I wanted to come but I thought I should stay and talk with my Blushington girls.

"She's really cool once you get to know her," I offered lamely, "she's just probably feeling a little out of place."

No one responded. Jalissa changed the subject and said she was going to find her parents. The other girls decided to find their families as well. Alone I looked around and spotted mom and dad speaking with the headmistress so I went on a hunt for Rebecca and Mila.

I looked everywhere for them around the festival and finally went inside the main hall to look for them. I rounded a corner and found them. Right as I was about to say hey, I heard what they were talking about.

"Why'd she invite us here if she was just going to hang out with her school friends," Mila asked?

"I'm not sure," Rebecca muttered, "she seems different." "I don't know how exactly but different," she continued. "I mean we haven't spoken much and then she just randomly invites us here. I didn't know if I should dress up or not."

"Oh you mean stuck up," Mila offered, "she's definitely that." "She thinks she's so much better than us because she attends this fancy school. Did you hear the way she introduced us as friends from her old school."

Rebecca laughed, "Yeah, like oh darling these are my old peasant friends."

"What happened to our pact," Mila asked, "friends forever no matter what, loyal, true, through and through."

"Come on let's go back before she thinks we've tried to embarrass her," Rebecca whispered.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I walked back outside through a side door so they wouldn't see me.

We'd all been a little distant because of midterms I thought to myself. The course load here was pretty intense. Yes, I introduced Jalissa to them and told them who her parents were and yes the tex twins are heiresses and Cassie has many famous celebrity relatives, but I didn't introduce them with a hint of arrogance. And I especially didn't make them out to be peasants.

No amount of deep breathing was getting rid of the tightness in my chest as I looked all around for my parents. When I finally found them, they could immediately tell something was wrong. I quickly explained and felt the tears fall before I could catch them.

Mom whisked me away to a secluded corner and we had a chat while I cried softly.

"You know sweetie," she began, "sometimes people grow apart and it's not always bad." It's difficult to maintain a relationship when you don't see each other often and you're doing new things and meeting new people."

"It doesn't mean it's impossible just harder, but both parties have to work to understand and be patient with the other for it to work," mom finished.

I just nodded my head and held her tight. We sat that way for quite awhile before we got up to go find the others. I didn't mention what I'd heard I just thanked them for coming and said I hoped they had fun.

After giving dad a long hug I said goodbye to everyone. And I know it was petty but I was happy Rebecca and Mila rode with my parents so that they'd have a long awkward ride home.

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