(Alicia at the top)

Chapter |3|

"Hey. Guess what? I've heard that this year, Daniel is participating. I wish it could have been next year, then I would've had a chance with him," one of the junior girls sighed dramatically.

"I know right? I wish he just doesn't find his princess. That will leave him unavailable, at least," The other one replied.

"What about Ryan? I've heard that Alicia has called dibs on both of them," another one piped up.

I rolled my eyes. I was standing at my locker, taking out the books for the next period. I couldn't even count on my fingers as to how many times I'd rolled my eyes because of the talking of the ball.

Some were bawling while some were worried about what they'd wear because-and I quote- 'they didn't have any clothes'.

The excitement seemed to increase by the minute. Since it was the last study hour, before the summer break started, everyone seemed to have ants in their pants. Day after tomorrow was the day when everyone was supposed to gather in the Ricksville, two hours away from here.

To be honest, I was a little excited too. Almost every girl dreams of having her own fairytale, where a prince would come and sweep her off her feet. And I was no different.

Just because I disguised myself didn't mean that I disguised the girl in me along with it. Deep inside, even I longed to dress good every once in a while. Even I wanted to wear different shoes and sandals.

But that is what the thing was.

I couldn't. Even if I wanted to.

So it was easy for me to roll my eyes and pretend that it didn't hurt one bit when others gushed about these kind of things with their friends.

Friends.

It was such a foreign word for me. I really did wish that someone would try to see past the mask I'd put on for everyone to hate. I wish that I could have someone to show who I am and not who I pretend to be.

But we all know that thats not happening anytime soon.

"Get you fat ass moving," Mandy, another popular girl sneered as her sidekicks pushed me aside.

I simply shook my head and headed for my last class.

****

"No mom. I can't wear this dress. This is so...so last year," I heard Alicia whining for the umpteenth time.

All her complaining was getting on my nerves and I wanted nothing more than to go and duct tape her mouth so that I could finally read my book in peace. And what did she even mean by 'so last year'?

Dresses didn't come with expiry dates, that is, as far as I knew.

I returned to my novel. I had nothing better to do, so I was currently re-reading the Percy Jackson series and was on page 137 of Sea Of Monsters when her whining started.

Honestly, I was waiting for dad to show up with my gift. I can't say I wasn't excited. This excitement always prevailed before the day of my birthday.

We gave gifts the day before each other's birthdays so that we could wear and use whatever the person gave us then next day. Mom had made us practise this tradition since I was five. According to her, the day turned out to be even more special for the person who wore the gifts.

Unable to read it because of her shrieking, I decided to start my packing. We were leaving early, day after tomorrow.

So I had a whole day and a half to pack my things.

Dragging myself to the closet, I opened it. I groaned when I saw all sweats and loose shirts jumbled up in a mess. I randomly picked up some of them and dumped them in the open suitcase. I tried to pull my favourite sweatpants when they got stuck. I tugged and tugged but it won't come free.

I groaned. Not my favourite sweats, please.

Thinking of giving another try, I clutched the black fabric tightly and pulled. After a few pulls, it came free and I landed oh so gracefully on the floor with a thud.

Rubbing my now aching butt, I got up and picked up my sweatpants. I didn't expect a dress to come along with it.

Putting the sweats away, I took a look at the dress. A memory swarmed my mind as I took in the dress.

A low chuckle escaped my mouth as I remembered the day I'd bought this. Mom had been insisting on buying me a pink dress while I wanted a blue one.

She had wanted to bring the girly side of out because she believed that I was becoming more and more like dad, lazy and boring.

I had to plead and beg but she didn't budge at that. At last I had to use the cheesiest lines of all to flatter her. The lines of used that day for her could even make the melted butter jealous of how smooth they were.

I knew she didn't believe them at all but I made her laugh. That was the time when I would've agreed to buy that pink dress. Her laugh was something that I longed to hear every second of the day.

Maybe it was because I knew that someday I'll have to live without that laugh.

I picked the dress and went into the washroom. Removing all the clothes and my belts, I tried the dress on. It was a strapless electric blue dress that flowed down to my mid-thigh.

I chuckled as I thought how it used to reach my knees three years back and now it barely reached my mid thigh. It was a bit tight around the bust area but the rest of it didn't look bad on me.

I examined myself on the mirror. A smile crept up my face as I twirled around.

Do you recognise the giddy feeling you get when you do something that you've wanted to do for so long and finally get to do it? The same feeling that has the stomach turn into a cage of butterflies.

That's what I felt seeing myself twirl in that cute little dress.

But the dream of wearing something like it came crashing down when I heard knocking on my bathroom door.

"Who is it?" I asked, trying to pull the dress off me.

"Hey honey, it me," Dad's muffled voice came through the door.

"Yeah, dad?" I said, quickly putting on my clothes and belts. It was a shame that I had to keep this secret even from my dad. I couldn't tell him because I knew that he would eventually tell Linda and then I would be left with nothing at all.

Dad was already under her influence so much so that he remained oblivious to whatever I went through because of that witch.

I hurried with my belts as excitement bubbled inside me. Maybe he was here with my gift.

"Just wanted to tell you that we are leaving early. Instead of the day after, we are leaving tomorrow morning," he said. I paused and furrowed my eye brows in confusion.

"But aren't we supposed to register there by the day after? Why are we going early?" I asked, sad that I won't be able to enjoy the comfort of my room for another day.

"Your sister wants to make a good impression so, yeah."

Step sister, I wanted to correct him but the words didn't leave my mouth. Instead, I stood there as half way done with my clothes silently cursing the she-devil. As if going there early would immediately make her any less bitchy.

"Oh and before I forget, it's going to be a long four hour drive so pack accordingly."

I was about to reply with an "ok" when I paused mid-way. 

"Wait-four hours? But isn't Ricksville barely two hours away?"

It was true. It took about an hour and a half to get to Ricksville. Even after we put in traffic jams, road blocks and excessive traffic, it would take maximum three hours. Not more than that. Never more than that.

"Oh I think I forgot to tell you. We aren't going to Ricksville. They changed the location due to some weather conditions."

"So where are we going now?" I asked, cautiously. Somehow I had a weird feeling creeping up at me. A feeling that was a little more unsettling than usual.

"Silver Valley," he replied nonchalantly as if it was just another town, as if that didn't mean anything to him.

"S-Silver Valley?" I asked again to confirm. I might have heard wrong. The door was pretty thick after all.

"Yeah," he replied, as calmly as possible.

By now I had finished with my clothes so I opened the door with an incredulous expression on my face.

"How are you so calm about it? Why are you saying that as if it's no big deal?" I asked as I looked at him. He was supporting a surprised look.

Silver Valley was mom's hometown. It was where she had insisted we bury her. At that time, she used to say it jokingly but I knew she wanted to be in her own town, where she grew up and had her childhood memories fixated on every rock there.

The reason why I was getting hyper was that Mom had made us promise that we wouldn't come visit her. She didn't want us shedding tears while sitting by her grave.

She wanted us to move on in our lives.

Seemed like dad had done a pretty good job at that. He had married Linda almost after a month mom died. I didn't object to it because I didn't want dad to remain sad.

Silver Valley was a place where even I had a lot of memories. Memories with mom, memories with my grandparents, memories with a perfect family. But the picture of the perfect family that we used to be seemed like a mirage now.

In fact, ever since Linda came into my life, I hadn't been able to take even a step out of this town. She made sure that I couldn't go to anyone who could help me in anyway. I didn't even know how my grandparents were even doing. Dad didn't bother taking me to them either.

Going to Silver Valley was going to be painful and dad didn't seem affected at all. It was as if we were just going to another town, with no relevance at all.

"Calm down. It's not a big deal. It's just a town," he let out the words.

I held in the urge to give a disbelieving scoff. What the hell did he even mean by that?

"What do you mean? Does it not have any meaning to you at all?" I asked incredulously.

Before he could utter even a single word, Alicia stormed in, all excited and captured dad in a bear hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love them," she shrieked.

I furrowed my eye brows in confusion. What was she talking about?

That's when I noticed the five big paper bags hanging around her arm.

"It's okay sweetheart."

"What is all this?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Alicia let go of dad at that moment and smirked at me. "Oh nothing. They're just a few dresses and shoes that dad bought me."

She waved the bags in front of me and I noticed the brands.

Chanel. Jimmy Choo. Armani.

"Anyway, I have to go try these on. Toodles," she spoke with a sinister smile.

I looked at dad for response, who looked at me guiltily. "Sorry I didn't bring you anything. Actually, now that I think about it, it wouldn't have fit you so guess that's a good thing."

Ouch. A stab with a knife would've caused less pain.

Dad never stood up for me like he did for her. I let it go.

Dad never asked me about my life like he asked Alicia. I didn't let it bother me much.

Dad didn't know that I got hurt almost everyday. I didn't mind.

Buying her gifts while thinking that I wasn't good enough for them? Low.

That too the day just before my birthday when he very well knew our tradition.

I didn't mind what dad would've gotten me though. I would've been happy even with a single thread to tie around my wrist as a bracelet.

"Dad?" I called out in a hoarse whisper. My eyes that were getting heavy with tears, traced the patterns on the ground as I asked him a question.

"Did you buy anything for me at all?"

"What?" I could hear the confusion radiating off him. "I told you that I didn't think anything would've fit. And they're expensive clothes. I don't want to waste money by buying something that was of no use."

Double ouch. I managed not to flinch at his response.

"What is tomorrow?" I asked straight away before he stabbed me with his words.

"What do you mean? Tomorrow's Saturday."

I looked up with my tear stained face.

His eyes widened. He tried to step towards me but I stepped away. I took another one away from him before taking a deep breath.

I wiped my tears. It was useless crying over something I'd lost. Or in this case, someone.

I smiled at him. It was forced, but a smile nonetheless. It was taking all the effort in my face muscles to keep it up but it was better than crying and showing him my vulnerability.

"What time do we leave tomorrow?" I asked, trying my best to keep my voice from breaking.

"What are-"

"Dad, you should probably leave. I still haven't packed yet and I really need to start if I want to finish it by today," I said, forcing out a chuckle.

"But what did I d-," he tried but I didn't give him the chance to complete his sentence.

I was done getting hurt by his actions and words. And to think that he thought that I'd changed my name because of mom's death. I bet he didn't even remember that my actual hair colour wasn't black.

He didn't even care to know about my life at all. All the thought about me was that I was his fat, ugly daughter who wasn't worth all the expensive things he bought his other daughter.

My love for my family wasn't materialistic. I was okay if I didn't own any latest dress from high end brands.

But now, I was done getting wounded by him and his family. As far as I knew now, I didn't have any family left.

"Dad, please leave. I really don't want you here."

"Is it because of the dresses I bought your sister? Are you jealous of her or something? Look I told you-,"

Was that what he thought? I didn't know the man standing in front of me. He wasn't my dad. Not the one I thought I knew.

He wasn't the same guy who used to call me Princess and wished for me to live a fairytale.

How ironic that I was just doing that but skipping the whole 'being happy' part of it.

"Is that how low you think of me?" My voice quivered but I tried to not let it show.

This time I didn't give him the chance to utter even a single word before I spoke in a cold, hard voice.

All the emotion drained out of my voice as I spoke-

"Thanks for making me aware that I was a low, selfish and a jealous bitch. For that, I'll let you and your perfect little family go to Silver Valley together. Don't try to worry about me. I'll drive there on my own," I spoke, my eyes going numb.

"You can't drive there on your own. You're still a minor," he spoke in an authoritative voice, trying to play the protective dad part.

I gave a humourless chuckle. "I don't think an eighteen-year old is a minor, dad."

"What are you talking about you-," he paused and his eyes widened at what I told him.

Understanding dawned upon him and his eyes turned apologetic. Guilt was plastered on his face and he kept on trying to utter more than a word.

"Yes, dad. I'll officially be an adult tomorrow. So you don't need to worry about me," I said, giving him an empty smile.

I started shutting my door but paused. "Oh and dad?"

He looked into my hurt eyes with hope. Hope for forgiveness. But it was too late. Way too damn late for that.

"You are dead to me."

With that, I shut the door on his face.

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I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please ignore the typos. I'll edit them later.

Do vote and comment.

Until next time...<3