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CHAPTER SIX
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Mornings with my mother are never good and right now, eating breakfast in the dining table with her is proving to be one of the most uncomfortable situations that I've been in. Food prepared by the chef in the kitchen were piled up on the table.
"Mother, isn't there too much food?" I asked while cutting my hashbrown.
"Nonsense! This is the first breakfast we had together since a long time ago," she said as she happily munched on her souffle.
"It's just breakfast Mom. I could live with just a two pieces of pancake and a sausage from McDonald's," I said.
My mom looked at me sternly and said, "Just eat, Isabella."
I finished my food and got up from my seat. I was about to walk away when I remembered that I would probably see Nate at school today. I'm still a bit hurt about th things he said and I just didn't want to see him.
I sat again ang looked at my mom.
"Mom, you have to call off the engagement," I said.
"Excuse me?" she asked, clearly frazzled.
I hesitated this time and hung my head. "You have to call off the engagement, Mom."
"It's been decided," my mom said and continued eating.
"No, Mom. It's fine if I'm the only one affected but Nate is too," I pleaded. "Mom, please."
"Isabella, for the last time I'm telling you no," she said and banged her palm on the table causing me to let out a gasp.
"Mom... just please," I pleaded again, looking her straight in the eye.
"It's your duty," she said. "If you weren't being so selfish, this conversation would be over by now. Why can't you be more like your sister?!"
Silence surrounded us and I looked at her with tears in my eyes.
"I didn't want to be a princess, Mom," I said. "And I sure as hell didn't want to be the next in line."
"You were born a princess so just live with it and about being next in line, if you didn't want to be, then why did you do what you did ten years ago?!" she replied.
"I told you it was an accident!" I screamed.
"Yes it was but it was still your fault," she screamed back at me. "If you hadn't brought her outside the walls, she would still be here!"
I just looked at her and walked away.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm going for a drive," I answered.
"How about school?" she asked again.
"I don't know if I'll go," I said and walked to the front door and shut it loudly.
I was crying while walking to my car. I drove and drove all over the city till it was lunch time. I decided that I didn't have any more places to go so I just drove to school. I saw Nate's car parked there and felt my heart clench.
I got down my car and clutched my bag, walking toward the cafeteria. I spotted Cassie sitting on a table with some of our friends and I sat with them.
"Hey," Cassie greeted.
"Hi," I said and dropped my bag on the floor.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk about it right now," I admitted and stole her green apple.
"Okay, I understand," she said and talked to her friends again.
I just sat there, not paying attention to a word they were talking about. It was probably just boys, nail polish colors and clothes and I wasn't in the mood for stuff like that. I ate my apple and stared blankly at the window of the cafeteria when I felt eyes on me. I turned to look at my right and saw Nate looking at me but he immediately dropped his gaze when he saw that I was looking. He was with his friend Alec and they looked like they were talking about some serious stuff.
5 minutes before the bell and most of the students have already fanned out from the cafeteria. Only a few people remained, including the people seated in our table. I got up without them minding me and walked toward my locker. I was shuffling through the songs in my phone when I bumped into someone.
"Ow!" I said, clutching my shoulder. "Sorry."
"Watch where you're going," the person said and when I looked up, I saw a glaring Nate.
"Sorry," I apologized again but this time, I said it a bit harshly.
He just scowled and walked away. What the hell? I was a bit annoyed--no, really annoyed--that he was acting this way. It wasn't my fault that he got stuck with me. I was really getting frustrated of how bad this day is that I almost ditched my class. But I was late and the teacher reprimanded me but I was too annoyed to care and just pretended to listen to her.
This was one of the classes that Nate and I both had so naturally, I saw him staring at me.
I gave him a glare and sat down in the front.
When class ended, I went home and called Cassie.
"Hey," she said. "How are you?"
"I could feel better," I said.
"So what happened?" she asked.
"Just my mom," I trailed off. "She... uhm... she got me engaged."
"What?!" Cassie screamed from the phone and I just had to remove it from my ear. "Who's the guy?"
I gave a nervous chuckle and said, "Nate Brooks."
"Holy crap!" she screamed with excitement. "Seriously?"
"Yes, unfortunately," I said.
"Well, it sucks to be engaged at this age but you know, you're a princess and all," she said. "But at least it's better because your husband-to-be is Nate Brooks! Oh my goodness!"
"But then, I feel bad because Nate got stuck with me," I said. "He's even blaming me for everything."
"Why would you feel bad? You're a beautiful girl and you're the princess for goodness sake," she said.
"I'm hardly a good catch," I admitted, toying with the edge of my oversized shirt. "I'm a wreck, Cassie and you know that."
"You're not a wreck, Winter," she said. "And besides, you're trying to get better for months now."
"I'm getting worse, Cassie. You just haven't seen some of the bad days because I probably would have said mean things to you," I admitted.
"You'll get better. I know you will," she reassured but I knew that she still had doubts. She knew how messed up I was and she was there when I looked a therapist for myself.
It was one of the bad nights when I saw a picture of my sister in my mom's journal and a note that said "Always the best daughter" was written at the back. I got myself a bottle of champagne and downed it. I was hunched in a corner of my room and Cassie saw me there.
"Winter! What's happening?" she asked that night.
"I need you," I said. "I need you to take me. Take me and let's find someone who can help me. Anyone."
I was crying by the time we reached her car and we drove along the city, with Cassie not even knowing what I was looking for.
"Stop," I said in my drunken haze. "We need to stop here."
"Alright. Just wait for me to open the door for you," she said and removed her seatbelt.
"No, I need to go there now," I said and got out of the car, only to scramble and drop on the pavement.
"I told you," she reprimanded and swung my arm over her shoulder. We limped toward the rehab center and that's where I met Dr. Peters. She also moved to U.S. with me since she's single and rich and can go wherever she liked and at that time, she helped me but it took months to alleviate the depression episodes.
"What are you thinking about?" Cassie asked me.
"Just thinking of how much more wrecked I was when we were fourteen," I admitted.
"See, I told you you were getting better," she said.
"No, I'm not," I said. "Hey, here's an idea. Let's go out and go to this guy from school's party."
"No," she said sternly. "You might get tempted. You know what happens when you even get a sniff of alcohol."
"That was a long time ago," I said. "And besides, I have a plan that will make my mother undo the engagement."
"Oh no," she said. " I think we need to get you to Dr. Peters'."
"Oh come on, Cassie," I pressured her. "It's just one party."
Cassie arrived at my house 10 minutes later and we headed to the party. We were wearing normal clothes, shorts and shirts since we probably wouldn't stay there long.
"I've just had a really annoying day and I really need this," I said when I saw her pouting.
"I'm just scared of what will happen," she said.
"I'll try Cassie. But I really need a drink and some fun," I said as we pulled over.
We walked toward the door and went inside to see lots of people. I went straight to where the beverages were and got a drink. Cassie just sighed and went to go to the girls. I didn't know what happened next because it was all a blur. I just knew that I was dancing on the dance floor with a bottle in my hand and my wig on the floor.
The people were looking at me weirdly and I saw Cassie stumbling toward me.
"What the hell happened to trying?" she asked angrily as she tried to hide me from the people looking. It was too late since they all knew who I was now.
"Sorry. I just had a really shitty day and I couldn't help myself," I said to her, slurring. I drank from the bottle again and looked at her with misty eyes. I dropped to the ground and she crouched beside me. She just looked at me with pity and tried to make me stand up but she can't.
"Okay fan out people!" she screamed when she heard cameras clicking.
"Cassie," I moaned and cried. "Why can't I just be like her?"
"Because you're not her," Cassie said truthfully while still trying to get me up. It was official, I was breaking down and a lot of people were here to see me. I hugged her and placed my face on her shoulder and sobbed.
"Hey, here let me help," a voice said and I found myself being carried by someone. When I looked up, I saw Nate with his jaw clenched but worry was evident on his face.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked him.
"Because you're my fiancee," he teased and smirked at me.
I just looked at him and then buried my face in his chest. I sobbed and the tears started coming once more.
"Let's go to my car," Nate said. "I'll just drive you guys home."
I stiffened and panicked.
"No," I complained. "No I can't go home. I can't. I don't want to."
"You have to go home, munchkin," he said.
"No. I need," I said. "Cassie, I need her. I need her, Cassie."
Cassie seemed to understand and told Nate that we will be taking her car and that she will be driving. Nate and I were in the backseat with my face still buried in his chest. He wrapped me with a thick blanket that Cassie kept for situations like these and rocked me back and forth as I cried to the memory of my sister.
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Halo guys!!! :)))
Hope you liked the chap.
love,
Alex