☆Alexis' POV
There's a continuous knock on the door. I groan and get out of bed, reluctantly making my way to the bathroom.
“Zu could you please get that?” I call from the toilet seat.
No response.
“Zu?”.
I finish up, wash my hand and move out. The knock comes again.
“Hold your horses, I'm coming!” I whine.
I was exhausted. I throw the door open.
“What... girls?!”.
“Hi!” Poppy chirps.
I peep around the hallway.
“What are you doing here? How did you find my room...”.
“Can we come in?” Ruth-Alma cuts in.
I stand aside and they fill in. Poppy drops her backpack on the floor gently. I look at it.
“What happened to your bag?” I ask.
She peeps at it.
“Oh no! Ruth-Alma!” she whines.
“Relax, Alexis will fix it”.
“Now hold on a minute... what am I fixing? What are you even doing here? School's not over until...”.
“Right now” Ruth-Alma says, checking her watch. “We came with an Uber. We need your help”.
I cross my arms.
“I thought I you said you'd figure something out”.
“Well I tried. But I don't know what to do with this”.
She reaches into Poppy's backpack and brings out a tiny dog. I gasp.
“Where did you get that?” I ask.
“Rae, it number twoed in my backpack” Poppy pouts.
“We'll just swap it Alexis' bag” Ruth-Alma says.
“No you'll not. And you didn't answer my question. Where did you get the puppy?”.
“An ally okay?”.
“What were you doing in an ally? You go to a top notch private school for rich kids. How'd you get past security?”.
She reaches into her pocket and takes our a shiny card.
“Mom's credit card. It gets me places”.
I shake my head in amazement at the 12 year old child genius in front of me. The puppy whimpers.
“It's Valantina's pup” Poppy says petting it.
“Well girls, I don't think Valantina will be happy when she finds out her baby's gone. You gotta get it back to its mother”.
“I don't think immigration is going to allow Val come back from dog heaven, Alex”.
I look at Poppy.
“Oh...”.
“We had to save him. He's the only one left. They murdered the rest of the puppies and Val. We found him buried under a pile of trash and I dug him out”.
I arch a brow.
“You... Ruth-Alma Emerson... rummaged through trash... for a dog?”.
“I care about things you know?”.
“No, I don't” I laugh.
“Mom hates dogs...”.
The irony...
“... so we can't take him home with us. You're going to have to take care of him...”.
“No, no” I say quickly. “We have a no pets policy”.
“You don't. I checked on your school's website and I asked dad if it was okay for you to have a dog in here and he said yes”.
“How's permission from Robert going to get the school to allow him to say here with me?”.
The girls exchange looks.
“She doesn't know?” Rae asks.
“What don't I know?” I ask.
“That daddy's the new Dean” Poppy says sitting in the couch with the puppy.
I arch a brow.
“Robert?”.
“Are you in this school at all?”.
“I didn't know...”.
“Well you do now so he's going to stay here with you”.
“We're not going to keep calling him he right? He needs a name. I'm thinking Fernando” Poppy suggests. “Adds a nice rrrrring to it”.
She laughs at her own joke.
“Okay. I'll take care of him... but we're not calling him Ferrrrrnando”.
“Awww”.
“He's my responsibility now. So I get to name him”.
“Ouuuuu... we should play rock, paper, scissors. Winner gets to name him... loser gets to do doggie poo duty” Ruth-Alma smirks.
“You are so devious” I shake my head. “C'mon let's get him cleaned up. You too Pop. We'll go out and get a snack, buy some dog food... and a leash...”.
“And dog clothes!” Poppy chirps.
“Maybe... c'mon”.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“Alex wait!”.
I turn around and Ruth-Alma throws herself at me.
“Thank you”.
I smile and return her hug.
“Of course”.
She grins and heads back inside.
“How are you two getting along so good?” aunt Cassidy asks.
“Hey... I'm beloved” I wink.
She laughs.
“C'mon. I'll drop you off at...”.
“No. I will do that” Robert says. “You work too hard...”.
“Rob...”.
“And besides I'm going there anyways”.
“He's right aunt Cass. Go on a vacation”.
She chuckles and gives me a hug.
“You're the best miracle ever kiddo. I love you”.
“I love you too” I tell her.
I get in Robert's car and we karaoke all the way to the school.
“Thanks for the ride Rob” I grin.
“You're welcome niece”.
I laugh and give him a hug.
“Go on. Get some rest. It's a school night”.
I nod and head on to my hall. I step out the elevator and get to my dorm room door. I hear laughter coming from inside.
“There she is!” a boy cheers as soon as I open the door.
“Hey, where have you been?” Lola asks.
I look around at the many unfamiliar faces.
“What's happening?” I ask.
“Just a little get-together” Lola replies.
“You're throwing a party on a school night?”.
“Exactly my reaction” one boy, who's name I think was Ash adds. “But I tried some of the stuff... totally worth it”.
“We're getting prepped for tomorrow's mixer!”.
They cheer. I look around.
“Where's Zuleha?”.
“Study date. They've got a huge test tomorrow. Being a doctor doesn't come easy” Lola snorts.
Clearly... if she were here, this madness wouldn't be going on!
“Mmh...”.
“You're coming right?”.
I’m a little distracted by the two boys I see making out in our bathroom.
“Are they...”.
Lola follows my gaze.
“Close the damn door people c'mon!” she yells at them.
I blink.
“So we good?”.
I turn to her.
“Good? There are a bunch of strangers in our dorm room; half of them stoned to the core and you're asking me if we're good? Are you out of your mind?!”.
She laughs.
“You're drunk!” I scold and take the bottle of whatever away from her.
“Oh c'mon! But you're coming to the mixer tomorrow night”.
“No” I answer and shove past her.
“What, why?”.
“I don't think I owe you an explana...”.
A girl runs past me and barfs into our indoor flowerpot. I shoot Lola a look.
“Relax. I read somewhere... (hic) that this turns to... (hic) natural... (hic) fertilizer” she says, hicupping between words.
I shake my head.
“Get these people out of our dorm room!” I tell her.
I pull her aside and get into my bedroom; shutting the door behind me loudly. That's when I hear the moaning from underneath my covers.
“You have got to be kidding me!” I scream.
The moaning stops and two male heads pop up from underneath the covers.
“Sorry did you want something?” one asks.
“Want something?!” I cry.
“Why'd you guys stop?” a feminine voice asks.
Oh my God!
The girl looks up at me.
“Hey, you must be Alex. I'm Hana. So cool to let us hang out in your crib. You're dope” she grins, sniffing loudly.
I clench my jaw. I hear a whimper from across the room. It was the puppy.
“Oh my gosh!” I cry and grab a stool.
I pick him up from the top shelf.
“How'd you get up there?” I whisper and step down.
I hear Hana giggle.
“She won the scavenger hunt!”.
I turn to face them with a scowl.
“Hey you wanna... maybe...” she winks at me “... join?”.
One of the boys sit up and holds out his hand towards me.
“Four's something alright” he grins.
I move towards the door and hold it open with one hand; the other hand cradling the puppy.
“Out! Now!”.
|°—°| >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I step out of my bedroom
“Morning!” I chirp. “Come on cutie” I say to the cavpoo.
He runs out and let's out a happy bark.
I come to a halt at the sight I see. There was a huge table with varieties of foods on it.
“Errrr...Zuleha?” I call out. “No, no, buddy” I cry and pick up the puppy before he can create a mess.
“Hey, you called...?”.
Zuleha trails off. She had her dress on and was busily trying to fix her hair.
“Okay Alex, I know I have an important test today but planning to overfeed me? It's a bit much”.
I shake my head.
“But I didn't...”.
The cavpoo barks.
“Ooouuu who's this little guy?” Zuleha coos with a smile.
She looked even more gorgeous whenever she smiled.
“Haven't named him yet” I tell her. “I didn't do this Zu”.
She looks up from the puppy at me.
“Who did then?”.
“Oh good, you're both awake. Happy breakfast!”.
I roll my eyes and move away.
“Lolade what's this?” Zuleha asks.
“What? I can't treat my best roomies to a healthy and delicious breakfast?” Lola asks.
“She's trying to buy your forgiveness with overpriced fruits and bacon. Don't fall for it!” I say filling the puppy's water and food bowl.
“C'mon buddy” I whisper.
I slip it in his cage and get him to go in without any trouble.
“What would she try to buy my forgiveness?”.
I shut the cage.
“You don't know?” I chortle.
Lola looks me in the eye.
“She threw a party with her loser friends...”.
“Alexandra don't...”.
“In our dorm room! They did drugs and she was beyond wasted! My dog was up on a shelf and your crap friends were having a threesome in my bed!”.
“You have no right to call my friends that!” Lola defendss.
“The truth huts Lolade. You think it's okay to go around with people like them? You're not like that! You're better than this...”.
“Oh I'm sorry! Would you prefer I slept with the Dean?!”.
I frown.
“Are you crazy? That's disgusting!”.
“Says the same girl who's sleeping with the Dean”.
“Lola!” Zuleha scolds. “Stop saying things!”.
“Are you high or something?”.
“Don't believe me? It's all over the school's website. 'Melbourne University's foreign freshman seen having an affair with newly posted Dean'. Go on; have a look. Then tell me which one of us is pathetic. You have no right to point fingers at me Alexandra”.
I chortle nastily.
“You shut up, because you have absolutely no idea of what you're talking about”.
Lola laughs.
“Go on. Keep playing the innocent American card. It doesn't work anymore. Everyone knows what a slut you truly are”.
I take a step forward but stop.
“Alex, calm down!” Zuleha tells me.
“You're not worth my anger” I tell Lola. “I'll sign you up for rehab”.
I grab my bag and walk out the door.
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The talking ceases the moment I walk into every class that morning. People stop talking and turn to look at me; disgusted.
Someone posted a picture of Robert and I last night when he dropped me off on the school's website. Everyone had seen it.
I tap my pen against my forehead and try to listen to what the Physics teacher was saying. Someone throws a piece of paper at me. I look around. Picking up the paper, I unfold it. The word 'Hore' was written on it.
I pick it up and turn in my seat.
“I would be offended... but you left out the W. Now I feel bad you're ugly and dumb” I say loudly.
I hear chuckles.
“Ms. Graham?” the Physics professor calls out to me.
I turn round.
“Administration wants to see you... now”.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
I rub the sweat off my palms and take in deep breaths.
Please don't let me be expelled!
“Alexandra!”.
I turn my neck and rise to my feet.
“Robert!”.
He gives me a hug.
“What is going on? I just got a call from my assistant”.
I sniff and pull away.
“Someone took a picture of us last night and posted it on the school's website. And made it seem we're having an affair”.
He frowns.
“So what, an uncle can't hug his own niece anymore?”.
“They don't know that uncle Rob” I say.
“That's why the Ministry wants to see me”.
“Ministry? I thought it was the Administration”.
He looks at me.
“I am the administration Alexis” he tells me. “This has got to stop”.
I pull him back.
“No! You can't tell them I'm your niece” I say.
He gives me a confused look.
“You know, you and your aunt have this thing where you say crazy things at very inappropriate times. The madness ends now”.
“Uncle Robert I'm begging you. Please don't...”.
“Alexis...”.
“If they find out you're my uncle, then they're going to find out who my aunt is. Automatically they'll find out who my parents are... and everything about my family. They're going to know that I'm the girl who the then prince of Illyria, now king, dumped for his pregnant ex princess girlfriend...”.
I swallow; my heart thumping wildly.
"... I've worked too hard to leave my past behind... it can't come back and haunt me again. I can't go through that again”.
At this point, the waterworks weren't going to stop anytime soon.
“So you're asking me to let my good name and your clean image be carpooled on?” he asks.
Robert shakes his head.
“I'm sorry but what you're asking me to do is simply impossible and incredibly selfish Alexandra. I've worked too hard too... I can't let this go on any further”.
“Uncle Rob...”.
He pulls away from me and marches into the conference room. I drop back into my chair and hug my knees. There was only one thing to do if the truth got out.
I was going to have to leave Australia for good.
Update!
I'm keeping my wordddd😁😁
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~the_atticwriter 💕