The Troublemaker's Team

Chapter 6: It's Nice To Have A Friend

(Yeah, I know that that title is actually a song. That too an awesome one by Queen TS!)

"When I introduced you to the inner circle, I meant that you are in, Penny. Don't be a stranger now!" Ellie told me when I was looking around for a seat in the cafeteria. I smiled at her as I took a seat next to Damien.

I wouldn't have been in the cafeteria if it were up to me. But according to the principal, I need to mingle with my peers. He went as far as assuring me that I'll be graduating from this school.

Yeah, tell that to my parents!

I was 101% sure that my parents will make me change schools as soon as they remember that they have a daughter named Penelope. Or when they get a phone call from the school informing them about my latest adventure in destroying the school.

I wasn't a bad girl or the rebellious kind of a kid. And I was surely not a rich snob who didn't care about anything. At least I don't think so. My mother and father are very busy people. And with my sister who is literally the star kid, they almost always forgot about me. Like really forgot me. They once left me alone in the house when I was twelve and went on a family vacation.

I know it's sad but I don't really care anymore...

"Penny, you are our friend now. You have to sit with us at lunch everyday. No matter what happens!" Jason told me. I smiled at that.

I did have friends in the past but they were all either with me because I had rich parents and a I-don't-give-a-shit attitude. But having people call me as their friends when they didn't know the size of my inheritance, it was new.

You don't have a huge inheritance, Penny. Don't forget that your sister will be getting everything from you parents!

Well, that might be true but I still have my uncle. He loves me more than he loves my sister. I was actually living with him. He had promised my parents that he'd take care of me when my parents got a call from my last school. My uncle didn't have any kids of his own and so, he treated me like his daughter.

"Thanks for that. I will remember that from now." I said with a mock salute before I started eating my spaghetti.

"So, Penny, tell us more about yourself." Liam said after a few minutes. I looked up to find everyone looking at me, waiting for my response.

"There's not much to tell. I am just another troublemaker who has been a new kid in so many schools that I have seriously lost count." I shrugged before taking another bite of my food. I have been to many schools but this might just be the only one which actually has semi-decent food in the cafeteria.

"Why? Do your parents move a lot?" Ellie asked with a frown. I shook my head but then I stopped as I thought about it.

"I don't really know about that. I only see my parents during holidays when the whole family gets together." I told her, honestly. "I actually pull a lot of pranks so whenever my parents get a call from the school, they just make me shift and attend some other school." I explained with an eye roll.

"So you live alone?" Damien asked me in a concerned voice. I turn to look at him with a smirk on my face.

"Why? Are you worried about me, pretty boy?" I ask him. He rolls his eyes before shaking his head.

"No. Actually, Ellie stays alone too. Her parents are almost always away. So I thought that your situation was kind of similar." Damien told me. I turned to Ellie and frowned.

"Well, my parents are very busy but they make time for me and come back home whenever they can." She told me.

"My parents don't do that. I don't really have a home. I've just been to too many places to even call any place my home." I said in a quiet voice.