Violet De Cruz-Chapter 7

!SEVEN

Knock knock.

I yawn and look at my alarm clock. 5.45 a.m. Who knocks on my door at this hour?

"Who the heck is that?" I groan in a loud voice.

A girl, my height, wearing a pink miniskirt and a white tank top, walks in. I squint at the blurry figurse and rub my eyes. Bella. Wait, did I just see Bella? What is she doing in my house? It's probably just a dream, she isn't even...Oh, yes, Bella.

Now that Bella took the guest room next to mine, she's definitely going to bother me often. Very often.

"I need to use your mirror." Bella says smugly.

I rub my eyes. "Use your own. You already have your own room. If I have the right, I'll make you sleep on the living room floor. No, maybe the next to our car. Get out."

Bella rolls her eyes. "Too bad. You don't have the right, so I still get the room. I can't find any mirror in the guest room, I need yours. Now."

I eye her clothes, sleepily. "Why are you all dressed up."

Bella shoots me a "duh" look. "Getting ready for school? I must look good on my first day in a new school in a new city!"

"Oh," I sink deeper into the pillow and pull my blanket higher. "Your choice. Get out then. The family only wakes up seven!" I yawn.

Bella drops her crossed arms and frowns in an angry way. "Didn't you hear what I said? I said, I need your...."

That's all I heard from her before I fell asleep again.

***

My alarm rings at 6.50. I silence it by throwing it on my floor mat without even opening my eyes. I didn't seem to have enough sleep. I remember being interrupted somewhere in between.

I flip over and stare at my cupboard. The cupboard door, the one with the mirror, is open. Since when? Was there a burglar? Was that what interrupted me when I was sleeping? No, it's some pinky person. Yes, Bella. I seriously hate her.

***

I run down the stairs with my sling bag over my shoulders. I'm dressed in black shorts and a light blue T-shirt that has a yellow star on the front. I also have two light purple studs on my ear loops.

Weird. I actually wanted to put on my violet star earrings, but they were missing. I always keep my accessories in place, they never get lost.

"Mum!" I shout the moment I get to the bottom of the stairs. "Have you seen my violet star earrings?"

Mum turns from the juicer in the kitchen. "Goodness, Violet, you've already reached the bottom of the stairs, what's the point of shouting at me?"

I roll my eyes. "Have you seen it or not?"

"I have!" Vanessa shouts as she points across the dining table. "There! I have seen it! I just saw it, in fact!"

I trace Vanessa's finger, leading towards Bella. She was still chewing, bacon I presume, and suddenly she stops moving. There it was, my earrings, on her ear loops.

I stare at her with an angry, questioning look. All eyes fall on Bella. Even Mum's. Let's see how Little Miss Perfect will react.

Bella's eyes widen. I knew it, her same old big-eye-didn't-know-anything trick. "It's yours?" I'm so sorry! When I was using your mirror, I saw it fall on the floor. It didn't really look like your type of pattern so I just tried it on and forgot to take it off! So sorry!"

I cross my arms. "In my room, if it's not mine, whose is it?"

Bella shrugs innocently. "I don't know. I thought maybe your friend came over and dropped it."

Like, hello? We just moved in a few days ago, which friend can come?

Mum sighs loudly from the kitchen and comes out. "Don't bother, Violet. Let Bella wear it for the day then. Oh, yes, I forgot. Bella, you don't have a mirror in the guest room, I'd be getting a new one for you soon. In the mean time, Vanessa or Violet can just lend you theirs."

Bella smiles sweetly. "Yes, of course, I understand. Aunt, you can take your time, I am not so urgent for a mirror."

I don't know why, I have not eaten breakfast yet and I already have the urge to puke.

Violet De Cruz-Chapter 6

SIX

"Mum? I'm ho--" My voice trails off and I stare blankly at the girl sitting on my favourite couch. Bella.

She's sitting there daintily with her legs crossed and two big, pink suitcases are next to her, and also a light blue baggy carrier bag sitting on her lap.

When she sees me, she smirks. "Hello, cousin. You--" She notices my hair and scowls.

"Aww..." I give her a pitiful glance. "Poor little Bella not allowed to dye pink streaks, huh?"

"Oh, shush--" Bella starts.

"Girls?" Mum comes down the stairs.

Bella turns away from me and smiles. "Hello, Aunt Mindy, Violet's home."

Mum looks at me, then she turns to look at Bella. "Yes, sorry to keep you waiting, darling. It's snack time! You can put your bags upstairs first."

As Bella picks up her bags and stand up, I put up my hand. "Whoa, wait. Why is she here so early?"

"Why can't she?" Mum retorts. "Tracy needs to stop by at the mart before heading to the airport so she sent Bella here early, do you have a problem with that?"

"You know what?" I stare at Mum. Bella stares at me. "Yes, I do have a problem with that." With that, I run up the stairs. Then I realise I forgot something and I turn back to give Bella a glance. "You better not enter my room or touch anything that belongs to me in this house!"

***

Knock knock.

"Come in." I say as I flick through a old fairytale book that I loved when I was young. It's so old now. The book cover is still hard and firm, but the book's yellow and dirty.

"Violet?" Mum walks in. She eyes the book. "Oh, the fairytale series, I used to read it to you. Looks like you dug it up from somewhere."

I shut the book. "You used to read, not anymore, those times are over so tell me what you're here for."

Mum sighs. "Violet, when are you ever going to change your attitude?"

I put the book on my lap. "I don't think you came in to say this."

"Oh, yes, do you mind if Bella shares your room?"

I stare at her.

"Violet?"

My mouth drops open.

"Answer me!"

My eyes widen, I throw the book aside and scream.

Mum winces. "I got it, okay?"

"Get out!" I shout. "That girl is never, ever getting to my room, so don't tell me about sharing it!"

***

Bella is always a good girl when adults are around. The moment they're gone, the devil inside her comes out to play, and it's one serious devil.

We've got a small white table in front of the TV, there are no chairs because you're supposed to sit on the floor. So there Bella is, sitting cross-legged on the grey furry rug in the living room (that I chose) with a plate of chicken chop with potato salad on the table in front of her, and with her eyes glued to the TV.

"Why isn't Bella joining us at the dining table?" Dad asks.

I seriously think Bella heard that, cause' her head turned less than a centimeter (and yes, I saw it), then it turned back.

"I don't want her to!" Vanessa and I snap at the same time, then we laugh.

Dad frowns. "That's not very nice, we should get her to join us." Bella is concentrating on the 'Bratz' cartoon on TV, I don't think she would even want to join us, except to make my parents think she's so good.

Why does she still watch that anyway? Oh yes, I think I know. She's a brat herself. That's the perfect explanation for a girl like her who is already my age. And I think I said that out loud.

"I think she's a brat herself."

Dad frowns, again. "We weren't even talking about that!"

I drop my fork. "Oops."

"I have no idea what grudge you two hold against Bella," Mum says as shes comes in with a pot of mushroom soup.

"Don't tell me." I pick up fork and hold up my hand. "She's such a nice girl."

Vanessa starts laughing so hard that food flies out from her mouth.

"Vanessa!" Mum howls.

Bella turns with wide eyes.

Mum changes her a-mum-who-is-going-to-kill-her-child look to a welcoming smile. "Bella, mushroom soup?"

I just found out the special talent in my family. Acting. They really do it so well, I nearly believed them.

Violet De Cruz-Chapter 5

FIVE

I grab my books from my locker and tidy the piles of the others. As I lock it up, two blondes approach me. Britney, Lola and Sharon pop up behind me as well. What's with the people hear? Appearing suddenly all the time.

The two girls come closer. I take a good look. One of them is the irritating senior from yesterday. Next to her is a girl who looks around my age and has that same smug face. What are they? Sisters?

"Ugh." Britney says in disgust. "Those sisters again." So, I was right.

"Who are they?" I ask, and I think I made it sound dumb.

"Who are they?" Britney repeats. "Did you just say, who are they?"

I roll my eyes.

"Practically everyone knows them," Lola informs.

Britney flicks her wavy fringe. "Sally and Sabrina. The sister group. Sally is a senior."

I huff. "I know. An annoying one."

"Don't mess with them," Sharon whispers, "they're not very nice when you go against them."

Before I can reply, they've already stopped in front me. "Oh," Sally gives me a dirty look. "You."

Sabrina squints. "Who? Newbie? Oh, welcome."

I don't entertain people like her. From her face, I can see clearly not she's a serious smug one. I shrug off her welcome and turn away. I see Sabrina's jaw drop. "Did she just do that to me?" I hear her tell her sister.

***

"Oops."

I stare at the cream puff that just landed on my lap, on my new shorts actually. I look up into Sabrina's face.

"Sor-ree." Sabrina shrugs. "It was an accident, you know, it just slipped off my plate."

I shrug too. "Yeah, of course I understand." I push the cream puff off my lap, it lands on the floor, or rather on Sabrina's shoe, the cream splats out.

Sabrina's eyes widen. "It's new! Oh my gosh! It's neeeewwww!"

I grunt. "My shorts are new too, darr-ling. And by the way, it was an accident, you know, it just landed on the wrong place."

Sabrina shrieks and slams her tray on our table, then she heads to the toilet. Just before we can start laughing, Sally storms over. "Look," she glares at me. "I've tolerated you enough on your first day and now you ruined my sister's new shoes, you're really gonna pay for that."

***

"You kidding me?" Britney stares at me. "Another new girl? Your cousin?"

"Cool." Sharon grins. "I bet she's as nice as you."

I pick up Lola's pink pen. "Lend me."

"Is she nice?" Britney narrows her eyes at me.

I rummage through Sharon's pencil case and pick out a sparkly scarletn pen. "Lend me." I stare at Britney's pencil case with keen eyes.

Britney sighs and puts her hand on it to protect it. "You've not answered my question."

"You'll see."

"No," Britney whispers to lola and Sharon. "I bet she's not nice."

I grab Britney's pencil case and take whatever I want while Britney gossips. I start sketching on a piece of paper torn out from Britney's fancy purple notebook. I use all their colour pens and decorate on the paper: Welcome, Bella. :D

"Get what I mean?" Britney ends her talk.

"Yup." I answer.

"You do? You weren't even listening!"

I grin at her. "Thanks for the pens and paper."

"Noo! Not my notebook paper!'

"There," I pass the piece of well-decorated 'welcome paper' to Lola. "You three can present this to her tomorrow."

"Eww?" Britney peeks over. "Bella?"