Caramel | A Short Story Collection ✓

1. Dangerous Assumptions

We all assume things. It's a fact of life. But when a thief begins to strike in the wealthy halls of Ainsfield, Halley's assumptions are turned on their head as she realised just how dangerous they can be.

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When you hear the word 'stealing', who do you immediately think of?

A grubby fingered young boy who snatches sweets at the corner shop?

A desperate homeless woman trying to feed her addiction to drugs?

A rough teenager from the bad side of town who picks locks with one hand and wields a gun with the other?

I bet you don't think of a boarding school for the rich and privileged young ladies of society. I bet you don't think of beautiful, well-looked after teenage girl. I certainly bet you don't think that girl is a queen.

I didn't. But now I know better.

It was such an honour for Samira to come to our school, and it was an even bigger honour for me to be chosen as her roommate. As Ainsfield, there were two types of girls - those who got in on scholarships and maintained the academic excellence expected at a school like this, and those who came from exceedingly wealthy and kept the school running with their generous donations. I was the former, and Samira was the latter. Therefore, I couldn't help resenting her at first.

She arrived with three armed bodyguards in a flock of private limos. I gulped nervously as I stood waiting on the front steps of the enormous mansion we Ainsfield girls called home, my frizzy blonde hair tamed into a more presentable plait which could not be described as pretty, but indeed tidy.

I watched our headmaster practically trip over himself in gratitude as Samira lingered at the foot of her steps, her face screaming with boredom. I took the moment to survey her. She was undoubtedly pretty, with her long dark hair and perfectly symmetrical features, and she was obviously rich from her finely made leather trousers and plain but elegant blouse, a gold watch gleaning on her wrist, dangly earrings swishing from each lobe and a pair of designer sunglasses covering her face. However, to me, she just looked like any other Ainsfield girl. Nothing about her seemed out of the ordinary - nothing gave away the fact she was a young, orphaned teenage queen with the weight of a small country on her slim shoulders. It seemed incomprehensible that this sixteen year old girl had such a responsibility.

Like I said, we all assume things. My belief that Samira was just another Ainsfield girl was possibly the most naïve of them all.

"This is who you will be rooming with." The headmaster was suddenly leading Samira towards me, her expression unreadable through the heavy sunglasses. "She's our most gifted student, and extremely discreet."

"Halley Poppins," I introduced myself with a small smile. "It's lovely to meet you... I'm sorry, should I call you Your Majesty?"

Samira took a few seconds to answer, and when she did, it was clear she did not think much of the response. "You'd better call me Samira. Seeing as there's been so many threats to my life, it can't be widespread knowledge that I'm here." I usually prided myself on reading people, but it was hard to make up my mind on anything about Samira, her sunglasses concealing the eyes which were the giveaway to most emotions. They were beginning to really annoy me.

"Well then Samira, shall I show you our room?" We started up the steps, and so did her bodyguards, who bore the brunt of Samira's various 'necessities' nestled into dozens of designer suitcases. They left a short time later, and did not appear to be too happy about it, but everyone knew the same people who'd killed Samira's parents were after her blood. She needed to be hidden, and so the Asian beauty had to keep within the confines of our school, which had top security systems to ensure the safety of the rich heiresses within. After all, who would expect a queen to seek refuge in a school?