The City of Lies

Chapter 4: First Day

Monday had rolled around and as soon as the sun came up I was out of bed. A new school meant a fresh new start no one knew where I came from, what I was doing here, or that I was fatherless. 

"That uniform looks great on you." 

I turned around and my mom was at the door. 

"I thought so too." I replied with a big smile on my face. 

"You, John, Stella, and Luke are going to school together the chauffeur will be here in 20 minutes so make sure you are ready." 

She walks away and I am left with my own thoughts. A chauffeur?? How cliché. The life I had watched on the drives with my mom to and from my previous school was becoming a reality. It all felt like a dream and it also felt like I didn't belong. I walk out of the penthouse and into the escalade to see that Luke, Stella, and John had already been waiting for me. Lately, I've been doing this thing where I unwillingly draw attention to myself. John and Luke give me a smile while Stella insisted on looking away from me as quickly as possible. All I could do on the ride to school was pray that the other girls at this school are nothing like her. 

I quickly learned after 20 minutes of being on campus that every girl was like Stella which meant I would have a hard time meeting anyone I could potentially be friends with. All of them flaunt their thousand dollar bags and talk like they only have half a brain. They insist on making it clear that they parents can literally own you. I couldn't help but think how this is where I've landed in life. It felt like everyone had their eyes on John and I, the "new" kids who don't have money but live with strangers who do. We all split our own ways almost to show that we don't know each other and our unique living situation does not exist. 

Standing at my locker I could see Luke and three other guys talking a few feet away. I waved at Luke and he had ignored me, feeling awkward and not knowing what to do I tried to hide myself behind the locker where I could hear their conversation. 

'Who's that?" One of the boys asked. 

Another boy responded, "Luke, isn't that the girl living with you and Stella that you were complaining about?" 

Luke remained silent until another one of his friends interrupted, "Do you think you can let me tap that? She's pretty hot if you ask me." All the other boys laughed; however, Luke did not find it funny. 

"Chill out you are not touching her." Luke insisted aggressively. 

"Dude relax do you wanna tap that too?" The same friend asked. 

"Hell no, she's more like the help." Luke responded. 

With that statement I slammed my locker shut and went into the bathroom. I always knew Luke was a prick but I didn't know he was capable of being just like his sister. The way he spoke on my name was beyond hurtful because it wasn't like I had chosen to live the life I wasn't born into, and I was comfortable living where I was I never took it for granted. I looked at myself in the mirror and remembered that I was better than how Luke depicted me. My anxiety had gotten the best of me and I felt as if I couldn't breathe. 

"Are you okay?" A girl asked from behind me. I could see her reflection in the mirror. She was blonde and had piercing brown eyes with light freckles. Her lips were full and her body was nice but something about her was different. She wasn't flaunting handbags or designer shoes, she had a little bit of an edge to her. 

"Yeah sorry I didn't know being new here was gonna be so stressful." 

"I've gone to school here for years and it doesn't get any better trust me." We both laughed at her comment and proceeded to talk about a few things.