Mirror || H.S

1

here we go...

____________________

age 12

Diamonds are pretty. I've always liked diamonds. They say they're a girl's best friend and I would have to agree. They're really pretty, especially when they sparkle in the sun like a rainbow.

Father says I can be like one too one day. Not like an actual diamond though, like it's characteristics. I can be strong, priceless, and desirable. He pushes me to be the best at everything, telling me that I'm already strong, but I need to keep training. He tells me I'm already priceless, but I need to know my true worth. He tells me I'm desirable, but I need to know how to attract everyone and anyone.

I sometimes think it's impossible to be as strong as father wants me to be, but he reminds me everyday how much potential I have. In fact he sees so much in me that, ever since I was born,  he has always called me his little jewel.

I don't feel that though. I don't feel sparkly and strong underneath the sun, not even now, underneath the true sun. I only feel warm and overheated.

I block the sun with my hand before I open my eyes to sit up. I hate summer.

"Juliana, what have I told you about laying out here?" My father finds me sitting on the grass in our backyard looking out towards the beach.

"You told me to not lay out here," I sigh. "But I needed a break from Mary. She always beats me. It's not fair."

My father lets out a small laugh, as he sits beside me. "Jules, you need to understand that, losing is okay" I look at him with annoyance.

But I will never be good if I always lose.

"You, my little jewel, need to realize that losing is a part of learning. Losing will help you and Mary understand what you need to work on until you're absolutely skilled."

"What if I never become absolutely skilled?"

"Oh, I doubt that. You are too skilled to train with people your age, Jules. You train with the best fighter I know. You are already skilled. It just needs a little more time and patience. Patience is what will be of great value to you one day."

I sit there quietly, a little tired of that one sentence about patience. I'm not patient and I don't think I ever will be.

Father teaches me everything I need to know. He has always been my mentor. I have many. Mary, Achilles, Finley, and three others, but father has always been the one to guide me through everything, through every challenge. I guess learning from him is a fun class. I don't have many of those.

I don't go to school with all the other kids in the Hamptons. I'm homeschooled by six teachers, plus my father. Each teacher teaches me something different.

Mary is my skills teacher. She teaches me not so basic fighting skills. Achilles is my weapons teacher, he trains me to use any type of weaponry. A bow, sword, knife, I can use them all. Finley's my history and english teacher, most of my homework here is easy essays I need to complete. Ava is my etiquette teacher. She teaches me to sit up straight, smile nicely, speak politely, and elegantly walk and act. It's my least favorite class. Jovi is my strategy teacher, his class is my favorite. He teaches me how to strategize how to handle a difficult situation that could occur in the future. Lastly, Martin is my math teacher. My father says it's important to calculate numbers, especially money.

I usually have all my classes everyday. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are my days off. I like how I don't have homework because most of my work is done in the one hour classes, but it can get lonely doing all your work by yourself with no classmates. That's the only downside of my version of school.