I impatiently tapped the white eraser of my lead pencil against the square oak school desk in front of me. A pair of blonde haired girls, sitting in the front of my English 11 class, whispered and giggled to each other as our teacher ranted about the deeper meaning of colors in the Great Gatsby.
Their blonde curls bounced every time their bodies exasperated laughter, making my headache in annoyance.
Wanting the pain to stop, I picked up my phone and text Lauren, who conveniently sat right behind one of them, and told her to shut them up.
Within seconds after I sent my text, I heard Lauren whisper to the girls: "Chelsea would like it if you two would zip it."
The pair of blondes turned around and eyed me with their glimmer filled blue pupils, then one turned to the other and whispered: "Told you."
They both suppressed another wave of laughter and turned around without another look back.
What the fuck? Did these girls just laugh at me? Someone is going to have to explain, or these pair of blondes just might get to see summer break.
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"What the hell happened back there?" I questioned Lauren as we walked out of English. The blonde bimbos were nowhere in sight.
Lauren's face became plastered with a confused facade before replying: "What do you mean?"
I grabbed her elbow, stopping her from walking off, automatically I felt the eyes of a thousand devils upon us.
"Why did those two bimbos snicker after you told them to shut up?" I asked, being precise. I didn't have time for games; if there were rumors being spread behind my back, I wanted to know.
Lauren's eyes scanned the many faces watching us, before whispering: "Some people think you're only with Logan because you're desperate for attention."
I released my grip on Lauren and straighten out her school jacket.
"Get Madeline and Caroline, we need to have a little conversation," I said, sweetly. Completely hiding the enraged emotions I felt at the moment.
Confused, but obedient, Lauren nodded and headed off towards the science section of Manhattan Prep. Curious students whispered amongst each other as I headed in the opposite direction, towards the math section, where I knew Logan had just taken Abstract Algebra.
My eyes admired how the white wood covering the walls of Manhattan Prep and the oak pillars collided perfectly against the black marbled floor. Millions of dollars were donated every year for school renovations, and this year Manhattan Prep renovated its interior design.
Walking by the staircase leading towards the Astronomy classrooms, I spotted Ethan laughing along with Dylan Russell. Dylan was notoriously known for providing other students in Manhattan Prep with marijuana, and there was no doubt in my mind Ethan was hanging out with him because he had returned to his old ways.
Too busy worried about Ethan's well being, I became oblivious to my surroundings and walked into a solid object.
Whatever I had walked into saved me from falling backwards, and as my mind caught up with my surroundings a familiar voice rang: "We should watch where we're walking, Miss Young."
My head snapped in the direction it had came from. Justin stood in front of me, looking like a model in his tightly fitted black Bottega Veneta suit and holding a brown leather briefcase in his left hand.
"What are you doing here?" I hissed, looking for Logan amongst the crowd. Girls eyed Justin and I, whispered and shook their heads in disapproval. Great, now people will start rumors that I've also started a fling with New York City's playboy of the year.
A few months ago it wouldn't have bothered me, but in my current situation and the recent turn of events, I had built a hatred for Justin. He had ruined so many aspects in my life, all because of his burning passion for money and desperate need to secure Logan's future in their family's company.
"I just got a hired as the new French teacher," he responded, proudly.
"We only have three weeks left of school, before summer vacation starts," I said, annoyed but frighten all at once.
Justin smiled. "Well, it's going to be an interesting three weeks. Isn't it?"
I didn't respond. Logan's blonde hair was clear in the crowd of students walking in my direction. His blue eyes lit up as they caught a glimpse of my face.
"Ah, I see my little message didn't get to you," Justin said as he looked in the same direction I was looking in.
Anger arose in me, which caused Justin to smirk even further. He lowered his lips to my ear and whispered: "Now, Chelsea, you don't want to get expelled for slapping a teacher, do you?"
He backed off with an eyebrow raised, questioning and pleading me to slap him and get myself expelled. Much to his surprise, I shook my head.
"Well, see you in French class," he whispered walking away right before Logan reached me.
"Was that Justin?" he asked, his eyebrows frowning in confusion.
"Yeah, he's our new French teacher," I said, placing my hand in his. Logan's eyes dropped to our intertwined hands and smiled, completely forgetting about his cousin's presence.
"I really enjoyed the show we pulled off this morning," he said.
"I'm still shocked you did it," I replied. "I thought you wanted to keep us private."
"I did," he sighed, "But then I saw you walking up those steps alone and just thought to myself kiss her."
"And you did," I said, a small smile forming on my lips. I was happy, but couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.
"Maybe we should give everyone an encore performance," Logan whispered against my lips. I looked around at the dozens pair of eyes staring at us. Putting on a show would declare our relationship official and not a sign of desperation, but instead a sign of superiority. After all, Logan and I were considered the most "popular" kids in our school.
Dating each other heighten our authority and superiority over the rest of the student body. I smiled as I realized the brilliant investment I had made finally deciding to date Logan.
Unaware of the hazel eyes intensely watching me, my lips met Logan's and for the first time in a long time, a feeling arose within the depth of my heart, making me snap back and running away from a confused Logan and curious crowd.
Kissing Logan again finally made me recognize the feeling I had failed to acknowledge since the first time I saw him.
I was in love and that frighten me.
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Embarrassed and afraid to face Logan, I hid in the astronomy bathrooms for the rest of the day. Other than an occasional hook-up, nobody used the astronomy bathrooms mostly due to the numerous ghost stories told or the mere fact the janitor never stocks the stalls with enough toilet paper.
As I stared at my reflection in the mirror for the hundredth time and continued to ignore Logan and Lauren's calls, I heard two people arguing right outside the bathroom's door.
"You should've just killed her instead, now she gets the company and the boy!" a woman hissed.
"I wanted to make her suffer not release her from pain," a man argued. The voices sounded familiar, but I couldn't put faces to them.
"She'll ruin everything. If her father doesn't remove her from power, not only will we lose everything, but other families will hold us responsible for not taking care of it," the woman replied. I pressed my ear against the door, trying to hear their discussion more clearly.
"I have a plan," he announced. That voice, why does it sound so familiar? Come on, Chelsea think!
"Your plan better involve her leaving, or I'll have to take care of it and trust me she will leave even if it has to be in a sealed coffin," she replied.
Oh. My. God. It was Amy and Justin. They were arguing about me! Afraid of them possibly entering, I quietly locked the restroom's door.
Not wanting to hear anymore, I backed away from the door and thought about the things I had just heard.
1) Amy and Justin both wanted me gone and it has to do with me taking over Clemenceau Designs.
2) If I keep the company I will ruin everything. Well, there's no surprise there.
3) I still don't understand why Justin doesn't want me with Logan.
This whole thing was getting awfully confusing and frustrating. I wanted to know why these two despised me so much. Curious to hear if there was more, I pressed my ear to the door once more and heard the name of the person who may hold the solution to all my problems.
"You should stop worrying so much about Chelsea, and start focusing on getting rid of that Bentley kid. He's related to Danielle and knows what you did," Justin warned.
If Bentley was related to Danielle, the girl Amy accidently killed during summer camp, and he knew what happened that night, then that not only meant I could get rid of Amy, but I could blackmail Justin into leaving me alone.
As I contemplated a way of getting Bentley to help me drive Amy out of New York City for good, my cell phone vibrated in my left back pocket. After pulling it out and looking at the screen, I realized Amy and Justin's plan was already working.
My phone's screen contained the white text that created a sense of urgency inside of me. Andrew's text message read: Dad is asking the Board not to let you run the company. I'll tell you how it goes...BTW, when were you planning on tell about Logan?
Angry at my dad's choice of having me removed, I paced back and forth inside the restroom letting off some steam and waiting for Justin and Amy to leave.
As soon as the last period bell rang, I unlocked the restroom door and stormed out the school building, not even looking back when Logan called after me.
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"It's in your best interest, Chelsea!" my dad yelled. We had been arguing for the past five minutes, while Andrew remained sitting on the white sofa, watching us scream our heads off. He only spoke when he agreed with one of our comments.
"You just don't want me to run the company! You want to keep it all to yourself!" I hollered.
"No, I was planning on giving it back to you when the time was right!" he defended.
Yeah, right. He was going to sell it that's why my mom left it to me. She didn't want him selling the company that has been in her family for four generations.
"Why can't you just let me keep something I deserve?" I asked on the verge of tears. It hurt to believe that my own father didn't think I could achieve something on my own. I knew he thought it was a great responsibility, and I had acknowledged the amount of pressure I would be under, but I honestly believed I could handle it.
He sighed, tired.
"It's not the responsibility nor the pressure, I think you can't handle dear. It's the thing you have to do before the board can fully recognize you as your mother's successor," he said, his face was plastered with tiredness and sadness.
"What does she have to do?" Andrew asked, curious as much as I.
My dad hesitated before saying: "She has to get married."
"What!?" I hissed. Was he being serious?
"Not only do you have to get married dear, but the board has to approve the marriage is legitimate," he finished.
"Why does she have to get-" Andrew began, but my dad finished his question for him: "Married? Because Clemenceau Designs was intentionally only supposed to be inherited by a male heir, and your mother was already married when she inherited the company. I came across the clause two summers ago, when your mother's lawyer brought it to my attention."
"I can't get married! I just turned 17!"
"I know honey that's why I was asking the board to postpone your membership, until you turned 18 and can legally marry someone," he replied.
"Dad, I'm not planning on marrying someone once I turn 18, it's not right!"
"We'll think of something, Chelsea, Don't worry," he comforted, embracing me before slipping his phone out of his pocket and excusing himself because he had to make an important phone call.
Andrew got up from where he sat and hugged me as I cried into his shoulder. I wasn't angry about losing my mother's business. No, I was angry because Justin and Amy had gotten what they wanted, and that was much worse. Much, much worse.