Death of a Dream (Requiem #0.5)

Chapter 2

Scarlett Burke's toes curled in excitement as she caught her first glimpse of terracotta roof tiles and cream stucco. Today was her first day at a new school and she was brimming with anticipation.

"Did you know that Jake Gyllenhaal and Emily Deschanel went to this school?" she asked her twin brother.

"Yes. You already told me. Three times." Ryan's voice sounded sullen.

Scarlett ignored the barb. Ryan had been in a bad mood for the past month, ever since Dad had announced they would be transferring schools at the beginning of the spring semester. At first, she'd been resistant to the idea too. Scarlett had been furious at the prospect of leaving Palisades Charter. She'd formed a tight-knit group comprised mostly of freshman girls and a handful of sophomores from the higher-income families in the Palisades. Scarlett's family was among the wealthiest of the friend group and she always had the trendiest clothes, the newest shoes, and the sleekest accessories. Every day she answered half a dozen texts asking for her opinion on outfit pairings. She was quite pleased in her role as the fashion expert and loved the attention and simpering she received from the girls. She could tell they were jealous of her and she relished it.

Scarlett's face broke into a smile when she saw the sign reading "Harvard-Westlake School" with the school's coat of arms affixed to it. As she watched, the gate slid open to reveal her first unobstructed view of her new school. When her father had announced the twins would be transferring to Harvard-Westlake, her objections had vanished. Harvard-Westlake was one of the most exclusive schools in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Who needed to spend her time fielding fashion questions from girls beneath her when she could be relaying the latest gossip to the daughters of Southern California royalty?

"I heard Lily Collins is a junior here. Such a shame the upperclassmen go to a different campus. Did you know she's an actress AND and model?"

She'd thought that telling her brother they'd be going to school with models might provoke some reaction out of him, but when he didn't comment, she was happy to continue.

"Lots of actors have gone here. Emily Deschanel, Jake Gyllenhaal and his sister, even Shir-"

"I don't care about how many celebrities go to this stupid school, OK?"

Scarlett turned to look at her brother. He was sitting at the opposite side of the car with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"What's your problem?" she asked.

"Football season is over," he said as if that explained anything.

"So? It's over at Palisades Charter too."

Ryan didn't bother to clarify. She rolled her eyes at him. He was always like this. He never explained his feelings, just stayed quiet and moody when he was upset about something. This was completely opposite of Scarlett, who loved to chatter. Especially when something upsetting had happened. She wished her brother weren't so closed-off all the time. It was his fault they didn't have a close relationship like so many twins shared.

"You're just worried the girls here aren't going to worship you like they did at Palisades Charter," she drolled, trying to pretend she wasn't worried about the same happening to her.

Scarlett turned back to look at the approaching school so she could hide her sudden bout of anxiety. Was leaving her circle of followers a mistake? What if the girls here saw her as a nobody? What if she'd traded unquestionable popularity for obscurity?

Ryan didn't have anything to worry about. Their family's money was attractive enough on its own, but her brother was also athletic and good-looking. The quiet and moody nature that annoyed Scarlett came off as brooding and mysterious to other girls. She'd seen the way her friends' eyes followed her brother when he came into a room. She'd scoffed in disgust when girls melted over him. Sometimes she wondered if her friends came over to her house to see her or to see her brother.

He was attractive; she had to admit that much. While she had their father's plain brown eyes, Ryan had inherited their mother's azure blue. They stood out against his SoCal tan and were framed with thick eyelashes. Scarlett had inherited similarly luscious eyelashes, which were her second-favorite feature after her hair. Fate had the good sense to grant her with a rich, dark shade of auburn to color her locks. In a sea of blondes and deep brunettes, she stood out with her natural dark red. Sunshine brought out the red shimmer, but no freckles. She was a devout believer in sunscreen and foundation.

"You wouldn't understand," Ryan said.

She sent him a glare, wondering if he knew she was starting to feel insecure. Ryan didn't look like someone who'd just taken a shot at his sister's pride. He looked like he was too busy feeling sorry for himself. She continued to stare at him, wondering if something was going on with him bigger than just his typical moodiness.

She prided herself on her skill for sniffing out drama. Drama was exciting and people never looked at you so intently as when you had some juicy secrets to spill. She'd sensed tension between Ryan and their father, but that was nothing new. Their father wasn't someone who took disobedience well. She'd seen her brothers, especially Joe, on the receiving end of his wrath. Scarlett had the benefit of being Daddy's Little Princess and never got in trouble with him. Sometimes she wondered though if he didn't care about her enough to concern himself with her behavior. He only paid any attention to her when Mom accused him of showing favoritism for his sons. Or when Scarlett relayed Joe's or Ryan's misbehavior to him. She'd learned over the years how to tell on her brothers in a way that exaggerated the circumstances yet retained the facts.

Joe failing his college classes stirred up some major drama potential. Her father wanted someone to follow in his footsteps at his law firm. His first choice had been the child he'd named after himself. They all knew by now that Joe wouldn't be getting into law school. With Joe out of the picture, had her father set his sights on Ryan as his new heir? That would certainly explain the sudden upgrade he'd demanded in their schooling. But why didn't her father think she was capable of extending his legacy? And why wasn't Ryan seizing the opportunity to become the new favorite child?

Scarlett was opening her mouth to question Ryan when the car pulled to a stop in front of the administrative building. Excited at the prospect of making the best possible first impression on her new classmates, she focused all her attention on the situation at hand, not on analyzing her sulky brother.

~~~

Scarlett sat at her assigned desk, crossing one leg over the other and glancing at her sparkly heels. She looked casually around the classroom, analyzing everyone's clothing and trying to recognize brands. She needed to know whose family had the most money and who was here strictly on scholarship. Her quick circuit paused on her brother seated next to her. He finally didn't look depressed anymore.

She followed Ryan's eye line to a girl seated one row ahead and one seat over from them. Her golden skin and silky dark curls were set off nicely by a dusty rose sundress. Scarlett recognized the designer but was certain this dress wasn't available in boutiques yet. This girl had status, which her high-end shoes and designer bag only reinforced. A gold necklace resting at the V of her neckline read Elena.

But Scarlett knew Ryan wasn't concerning himself over the girl's fashion sense. Elena batted her eyes delicately and glanced at Ryan, a small smile on her glossed lips. Scarlett glanced back to Ryan, who looked the closest to smiling as she'd seen him in a month.

Clearly Ryan would do well here. Scarlett continued her estimation of the other students. The girls who'd gained admission based on academic merit only stuck out like sore thumbs. Scarlett wouldn't waste her time with them. Many of the wealthier girls were definitely above her family's status, including the alluring Elena. If Ryan didn't screw this up, he might be her in. This Elena girl could be her ticket to relationships with their generation's up and coming celebrities.

Scarlett couldn't wait.