Scarlette
The alarm on my nightstand rang way too early.
I wasn’t ready for the day. I had been up all night with a strange sense of foreboding that I just couldn’t pin point. Macy and I had stayed up late on FaceTime as she showed off several outfits, she planned to wear this upcoming weekend. I still wasn’t too keen on the idea of going to one of the wild parties thrown by our classmates, but Macy didn’t seem to be showing any signs of giving up.
Despite me telling her that I really didn’t want to go, she continued to pull clothes that she swore would look fantastic on me. Rolling out of bed, I made my way to my en-suite bathroom and showered before dressing in my purple and gold skirt and blazer uniform. Pulling my hair up in a high ponytail, I raced downstairs where I was welcomed by Angelie, our maid.
“Good morning, Miss Scarlette,” she greeted me, as I walking into the kitchen.
My mom was on a business call as she smiled my way. There was a plate filled with scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and whole wheat toast ready for me on the kitchen island bar. I knew this had been prepared by our chef and not my mom.
I saddled up to the bar and began eating. I watched as my mom paced the kitchen, taking sips of her steaming coffee in between talking to whoever was on the other line. All my life, I had craved for more attention from my mom. Now don’t get me wrong; I have a great life. I have parents who provide everything I would ever need, but they are rarely around. Sometimes, I don’t mind being alone, but there are times when I wish they would notice me.
Moving the phone away from her ear, mom turned to face me. “Have a good day at school today,” she says, flashing a smile.
Just at that moment, dad waltzed into the kitchen, carrying his black leather briefcase and dressed in a sleek, black suit.
“Good morning, Scarlette,” he said, reaching for a cup of coffee.
“Hi,” I said, through a mouth full of eggs.
“Your mother and I will both be working late tonight, but I have instructed the chef to prepare a dinner for you,” he told me, before taking a sip of his coffee.
I admired my parents for their work ethic and motivation to succeed in their respective careers, but part of me still wished for a day when they would want to slow down and spend time with me.
“That’s ok. I have tutoring after school today,” I explained.
Dad raised his brows at me. “I love your enthusiasm for academics, but you don’t need to work, Scarlette.”
I knew that my parents couldn’t understand why I would subject myself to staying after school, just to tutor someone for little to no pay. However, it was better than having to join a club or sport.
“I don’t mind it,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Besides, it gives me something to do,” I say, my tone bleeding with sadness.
My dad shoots me and look and for a brief moment, I see pain radiating from him. Just as he goes to open his mouth, his phone rings, and I know that he has to take the call. I turn my attention back to my food and my dad slips out of the kitchen.
By the time I make it to school, Macy is already waiting for me at my locker. We walk to class together and I spend the rest of the day focusing on not being alone.
When the day is over, I make my way toward the library where our tutoring sessions are held. The expansive space looks more like something you would find on a college campus, rather than a high school.
As I walk inside, I spot Mrs. Miller, the counselor over the tutoring department. She waves me over and I smile as I walk through the rows and rows of books.
“Scarlette, I’m so glad you are here. No one else showed up to tutor today...” she begins frantically.
I see her holding a folder and she seems rather nervous. I’ve never seen her this frazzled before. Her eyes narrowed and she moved in closer to me, lowering her voice as she began to whisper. “Now, if you don’t want to work with this student, I will understand.”
Her voice is shaky and confusion settles over me. Why would I not want to work with the assigned student? Mostly, it was athletes and students who were trying to get into Harvard or Yale and needed additional help on work. I had never turned down anyone I had been assigned to, so this was truly flabbergasting to me.
“I don’t mind. I mean, how bad can they be?” I asked, chuckling nervously.
Mrs. Miller was making me uncomfortable. Her eyes shifted to the small conference room to the right of us and that was when I realized why Mrs. Miller was acting so strange. Sitting at the head of a table, leaning back in the black leather chair, was Ason Antoni. A deep scowl settled on his face as he noticed my staring. My heart dropped to the pits of my stomach and I suddenly felt ill. A nervous sweat began to form over my forehead and I was sure that my face had paled. Of course, Mrs. Miller was frantic. The savage mafia king was sitting in that room, just waiting for someone to come in and help me.
Hesitating, I sucked in a deep breath as I adjusted my backpack on my shoulder. “Um...” I couldn’t seem to form words as I just stood there, frozen in place, and staring back at Ason.
“Are you ok?” Mrs. Miller asked, bringing me out of the fog my mind was stuck in.
Nodding, I croaked out a, “Yes.”
“If you need me, I will be in my office,” Mrs. Miller explained, before she left me to fend for myself.