The Billion Dollar Girl

(Chapter 19)

Ͼ Ella Castillo Ͽ

He looked down at me, his familiar brown eyes crinkling into an expression of surprise. Quick as a flash, it disappeared again.

“Close your legs,” he said, disdainfully.

I looked down at my legs, which were spread-apart. Oh, perfect. Everyone had seen my underwear. I immediately snapped my legs together, blushing. I gathered up my books quickly. Why wasn’t Zack helping me? The Zack I knew was helpful. I sneaked a glance at his face. His expression was bored – exactly the way he used to look at the stupid, brain-dead Jocks back in our school in Brooklyn. Why was he here? How did he get into a place like this?

When I was done, I stood up. He was gone, already making his way to what was labeled on my map as the “Main School”.

I ran after him, grabbing his hand. Zack shook me off.

I stared at him, hurt. This was Zack. He used to be my best friend. We’ve known each other for so long. I can’t believe.

“Zack…Why are you here?” I clutched my books to my chest, struggling to match his pace.

He didn’t reply. I ground my teeth. I hated it when people ignored me. And I thought, after I signed the whole contract thing, no one would be able to ignore me any more. Because I had money. And money equaled respect.

“Zack?” I yelled, shoving his arm. I was walking backwards, in front of him, trying to get his attention. A tall boy swerved out of my way, and glared at me. I mouthed sorry.

“Stop!” I shouted, putting a hand on the centre of his chest, forcing him to stop. He still wouldn’t look at me. “Zack! Zack? Hello?”

He was still staring above my head. His forehead creased, and his mouth curved into a little O shape. Did he just see something? Was there something behind me?

Don’t turn around and look, Ella. You’ve fallen for this, so many times. Don’t turn around. There’s never anything behind you.

Ah, the power of human curiosity.

I turned around, and when I turned back, Zack was walking away.

“Zack!” I screamed. “I thought you would be my friend!”

He stopped, and turned back again. His brown eyes betrayed nothing. Then he frowned.

“Wait, do I know you?”

***

ῼ Ash Castillo ῼ

“When did she come to this school?” James rambled. We were sitting on the seats of the stadium that lined the racing track. “I had no idea Gabriella would be the new girl in the other homeroom…”

“Shut up, James.”

There were a couple girls training on the racing track. James made me come here every so often to “check them out”, as they pranced around, stretching and chatting, pretending that they were oblivious to us, when we all knew they were putting up a show. Sure, they were cute, but completely and utterly fake. I’d been to school with these socialites since practically birth (my Dad is very keen on surrounding me with the ‘right’ people), and I’ve seen them go from cute, to geeky, to cute, to either skinny or fat, and then suddenly perfect. You didn’t have to be a genius to work out that the “suddenly perfect” stage was achieved through plastic surgery. So sure, they were cute, but not real. Not like Ella.

Why am I thinking about that idiot? I shook my head, trying to clear my mind.

“I mean, I know she’s your wife,” James said, quickly. I focused on him again. “So I can’t, you know, go for her. But she’s really pretty. Not in that way,” he hastened to say, when I shot him a glare. “You two love each other. I get it. I’m not stupid.”