LIFE OF THE PARTY |ELITE|

1.11

"So, if it wasn't for Nano, why did Marina and you grew apart?"
"Because eventually that's what happen to people; no matter how much you love them."

"What are you doing here?"

Cordélia was walking to her car when she spotted Nano leaning against his, casually smoking in front of Las Encinas. She told Carlos to way while she changed her route to meet the boy.

"Came to pick up, Samu, I figured I might see you too, I wanted to check in, but I wasn't sure a text was the right way."
"Ow, aren't you sweet?"
"Don't make me regret it, posh girl. No, seriously, how are you handling things?"
"Well, did you know that breaking up with someone within your friend group makes you meet new people? Because I didn't until today."
"Not so good, huh?"
"I hate it here; I can't wait for the year to be over already."
"You'll see, eventually things will start to get better. And if it doesn't, my offer still stands, I'll kick his ass if you ask me too."
"Thanks, Nano."
"And, if you need comfort, you know where to find me."
"Nano, I don't want you to think that I'm using you, because I..."
"I know, posh girl, don't worry. Now, go, people are starring."

The brunette kissed her friend's cheek before slipping into her car watching Las Encinas disappear as Carlos drove away. The one thing that she loved the most in her life was that it was frozen, her whole future had been written by the time she was born, it evolved a bit as the year went by, but it mostly stayed the same. She was born to be the third Duchess of Ascott, but her mum's passing would make her the second, she would attend any university she'd like and live her life until the day came to take over her family's titles. For a while, even her love life had been planned, Lia wasn't sure of how she ended up betrothed to the crown-prince of Sweden, their families were close, their mother had studied together in college, but she was to be a simple British duchess, and he would be king. She and Erik had grown up as great friends, but they never developed feelings for each other, they knew they would live a happy life together because they were friends, but they would never love each other, and that they couldn't live with. The girl figured that Queen Kristina let them break the betrothal because she had just lost her mom and she pitied her, but no matter the reason, they were free from this obligation, unaware that their cousins would have to deal with the consequences.
Cordélia loved each and every of her cousins, but she loved Beatrix, the youngest one, the most. They were similar on many things, they looked exactly alike, except their eyes, Beatrix had blue-grey eyes and Lia had her infamous unmatched eyes, a blue and an amber one, and their personalities were very much alike too. Both of them wanted to make their family proud, but both of them had complicated father, Beatrix's one had wished for a son to take after him, a son to keep his family name going, but he only had a daughter, and Lia's, well, Lia's father was a complete jerk. The cousins were the closest thing each had to a sister, something they never wanted to lose, but Cordélia had no idea that when she and Erik broke their engagement, Beatrix and Erik's cousin, August, would have to pay the price. They were their cousins' replacement, forced into a relationship until Beatrix graduated high school which wouldn't happen for another three years. Erik had tried to find a way to get them out of it, but as he had told the girl, it was them or their cousins and the queen wouldn't let them get out of it this time, so she bearded the guilt of what she put her cousin through every day.
Sometimes, especially on days like this one, she wished she was still betrothed to her friend, at least she wouldn't suffer from a stupid teenage heartbreak, because she would have known that there was no future for this relationship. That thought didn't leave Cordélia until she walked into her house, letting her bag and shoes rest on the floor of the hallway as she headed to the living room to answer her weekly call with Erik.

E: How's my favourite Spanish student?
C: Call me Spanish one more time and I'll drown into this stupid lake in that school of yours.
E: Wow, I know someone who had a bad day. Want to talk about it?
C: I broke up with Ander on Saturday.
E: What happened?
C: I walked on him cheating with another boy.
E: Ah. How are you handling things?
C: Do you think people would notice if I ran away and hid somewhere?
E: I'm pretty sure they would, yes. You can be sure that I would help you though.
C: I hate him, but somehow, I hate myself even more.
E: Why? You did nothing wrong, Lia, you tried to save this relationship, he's the one that shut you off. You don't have to feel guilty about it.
C: But if I did more, if I was more, he would...
E: Lia, I know where you're going, and I don't like that. You're perfect the way you are and if he can't see it, that's the dumbest boy to have ever walk the earth. I have to go I have practice, but remember that I love you, Lia, just the way you are.
C: Love you too, see you, Erik.
E: See you, Lia.

The two friends hanged up and Lia threw her phone on the other sofa, she wanted her heart to stop hurting, her brain to stop spinning, she needed everything to stop even just for a minute. The girl took her clothes off as she got to the pool and once she was only in her underwear, she jumped into the water. The water was cold, but not cold enough so she'd have the urge to get out of it, she let her body sunk to the bottom of the pool, exhaling every ounce of oxygen she had left in her lungs and when she couldn't handle it anymore, she re-joined the surface. The brunette did it a few other times until she heard someone scream above the water, forcing her to swim back quickly. She looked around until her eyes finally met a brown-haired female figure that she identified as her dad's newest fiancée.

"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I thought you were dead! I saw you sink to the bottom!"
"So, you think someone is dead and you scream instead of jumping in the water to help them? How clever."
"I... I..."
"Now, would you care to tell me what the hell are you doing in my house?"
"Your father said it was okay for me to stay here while he was away for business."
"Of course, he did. Did he talk to my grandpa?"
"Why would he have to? It's his house."
"Nope. You can stay in the house, but if he steps a foot here, you're both out."

Cordélia stepped out of the water, wrapping herself on one of the many towels she kept out around the pool at any time and picked up her clothes as she left the pool. She couldn't believe her father would send his stupid bride here, away for business, how naïve must she be to believe him, every time he's been out for business he would always bring a new girlfriend, one to replace the old one. Once the girl closed her bedroom door, she let go of everything she had in hand and called the only person who could help her, the only person her father feared: his very own father, Hector de Martin de Viviés.

C: Grand-Père? Dad sent his latest fiancée to live in the house while he's away, I'm scared he's going to be back soon, and God knows what he might do.
H: I'll be here by the end of the week, if François shows up, go to a friend house, alright? Everything is going to be fine, Cordélia.

It wasn't Cordélia's favourite way of doing things, usually when she had to deal with her father, she'd try to do it by herself, by avoiding him, but this time she had enough, he had to go for good.

"When someone die, everyone tells you to stay strong, that they wouldn't want you to give up. There was nothing Cordélia hated more than people using her dead loved one to tell her what to do or not, they were gone, therefor they lost that privilege."