DANIELLA

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I stared at her dumbfounded

"You gotta be kidding me Stevie . " I finally said

She looked at me, took her phone and unlocked it. She scrolled through and turned the screen to look at me.

"This is me and her when she was ten and I was eight."

On the screen was a younger version of Stevie and Elena.

She swiped at many pictures of them slid past ranging from when they were young until they were almost fifteen.

"I don't see any recent pictures of you and how did you not look for her for the past one month and a half?" I asked her

"It's because we don't get along . My father wants the Scott company and he is using me to get to Travis so if I get married to him then I will have a share in it afterwards I'll pass it to him but honestly I don't like Travis enough to even want to date him.... I have someone else."

"I don't get it . How does that explain how you reacted towards me when you saw Elena ?" I asked her

"It's because she is behind everything. Our father cheated on her mother and I was the product formed. When my mother died at birth he was forced to take me in. At first Elena and I were the perfect sisters anyone could wish for but slowly her mother poisoned her mind. They could not mistreat me because Dad was always present but they used dad to make me do things I never wanted ."
By now her eyes were swollen from the crying that she had done and it made m heart go out to her.

"I wasn't this Queen bee everyone has named me....they made me. Each time they made dad make me go against my wishes I always found refuge in making others go through the same thing I was going through . And now they want me to seduce Travis and make him marry me. If Elena would have known that I had told you everything or I was even planning to considering that you are the first girl Travis has shown interest in then she would not have allowed it and it would have turned ugly on you ."

"You still haven't answered my question . Why didn't you look for her?"

"I still don't understand how she manages to live double houses and no one has ever noticed. She is always home at night and when she is late, she has a boyfriend who brings her home. I never knew she was living with you. We would wake up and she was gone, always present in school I thought she was what the Englishmen labeled 'the early bird."

"How could I have been so stupid ?" I asked no one in particular

"What did Elena tell you?" Stevie asked

"That she is an orphan. Her mother died and her father has been torturing her together with her step sisters and that's why I took her in for a month and a half now."

"That lier. That's my story ."

"And why will I believe you when all you have done is hurt me ?"

"All I did to you was her orders. Everything I do in school are her orders still. I am just crucified for something I have no control over. Even if I didn't do that to you, she would have found someone else to do it for her." Stevie said

I studied her face to look for any signs that she was cheating me, that it was part of her plan but it held sincerity .

Suddenly she widened her eyes, looking at me up and down like some reality was shoved on her face
"Oh my God?" She exclaimed covering her mouth

I turned to look behind me but there was no one.
"What is it Stevie ?"

"It is you. Oh my God ! It is really you. Ella you need to be extra careful . Elena is on a mission to kill you for a ritual or something . I overheard her talking over the phone about how the last time you escaped because you were not in the house but the second time she promised to make sure that you are in."

"What?"

Then the events of that day when I found out Travis was a merman come back. How she had realized I wasn't in my room that night still baffles me. How ungrateful these human are.
I'll teacher a lesson to never mess with anyone again.

"Thanks Stevie. Take care of yourself, I'll reward you your heart's desire and please greet me the lucky man."

"I will" she hesisated looking nervous
"Can I hug you please ?"

"Come here." And I hugged her close to me thinking of the things she had been through .

She had reminded me of Amelia on the first days in school , everything she had done had just been like Amelia's kind of thing. But this had me asking questions . Did Amelia also have a valid reason as to why she was so hostile to almost everyone? I hoped she had one and I planned to talk to her when I went home very soon.

I released her and headed to see Travis . I was going to meet Anita again and see if she would show up.

"I see you missed me  Ella. Of what help may I give be to you?"

"I need to use your shore for today night. I need to talk to someone in there ." I said nervously dreading that he might refuse

"Oh no problem. It's not like you haven't been using it without my knowledge ." He said smirking at me

"Did have to say that Travis ?"

He just shrugged his shoulders as we watched a movie together

*That night Anita never showed up. I waited and waited until it was almost morning but there was no single of her.

Something was wrong ...really really wrong

I couldn't assume the way my hairs were standing on my skin as I swam back to land

@hellenimari