Chapter One
"School here we come!" I screamed as we made our way to school on another typical Friday morning.
Spencer shook her head as she watched me wave to all the poor students who had to ride the bus to school. Those poor kids having to endure the trials and tribulations of the public school transportation system. SUCKERS!
"You know you could have easily have been one of those kids…" Spencer said smiling.
"No way…I was born into privilege and that's the way I like it." I said letting my ego shine through.
"You are so spoiled." Spencer said poking me in the arm.
"I may be spoiled but I'm hot too…so everyone just looks past that tiny flaw of mine."
"Tiny?" Spencer said scoffing.
"Oh look a spot!" I said quickly parking my car. I made my way out of the car and ran to Spencer's side to open her door. It was a custom of mine now and she made sure that I didn't forget it.
I held out my hand for her to take as she stepped out of the car. She got out of the car and kissed me on the cheek.
"Hey…the fee is more than that for the ride!" I said pointing to my lips. She shook her head and leaned forward kissing me softly.
"Happy now?"
"Yes…very…" I said smiling and closing the door. I hit the alarm button and grabbed her hand walking towards her locker.
"Oh look the T.A.T.U girls have arrived!" Madison said as she made her way past with her fellow cronies tagging along.
"You know it scares me how much you know about the" I gasped in surprise. "'Lesbian' lifestyle and entertainment…is there something we should know about Mads?" I said winking at her.
"Oh grow up…" She said flipping her hair and walking off in a huff.
"Spence…I don't want to grow up because…"
"I'm a Toys R' Us kid…" Spencer said laughing and sliding her arm through my own.
We reached Spencer's locker and she pulled out her books while I watched amazed that she even tried at school. Well I guess we can't all have our lives paid for. Lucky me!
"So are you planning on going to class today?" She asked handing me a book to hold while she searched for something else in her locker.
"You know…I have this absentee record streak going…so if I go now…then…that record is ruined and we can't have that…"
"Your mind is going to waste away you know that right?" She said shaking her head.
"No…I beg to differ…I spend my time learning music, movies, TV, and Spencer Carlin…" I said smiling at her. She blushed and grabbed her book from my hands.
"I didn't know that I was a subject that could be studied."
"You are the most interesting of all my subjects…" I said whispering in her ear.
The bell rang indicating that prison had officially begun and that the slaves of the education system were being beckoned to their doom.
"Well there's my cue…" Spencer said taking a deep breath.
"I will see you at lunch…" I said pulling her in for a quick kiss.
"What are you going to do in the meantime?"
"Oh I don't know…I may head home and see what's on the tube…" I said shrugging.
"Well you have fun with that while I learn the wonders that are…" She looked down at her book and laughed. "Business Foundations." She couldn't help but make a face and I had to smile at how cute she looked.
"You have fun…and later…you can tell me all about what you learned in class…actually on second thought…keep that to yourself…" I said walking away and waving.
"Yeah yeah…bye sweetie!" She said turning and heading towards class. I had to watch her go and she shook her hips deliberately to make me squirm.
"Now…what to do…what to do…" I said heading back to my car.
I looked around carefully and made sure no one was in the vicinity and snuck myself away from the evil eyes of the guards that kept our poor souls confined.
I decided to just head home to sleep the morning away and found myself pulling into my driveway to find a strange car parked in front. Must be mom's new boyfriend. Ok so I guess I should pretend I'm the cleaning lady again.
I jumped out of my car and took my keys out. In my head I was making up sentences in Spanish as to what I could possibly say to the new man in my mother's life. The last guy wasn't so bad because he bought my affection or rather attention with ice cream. Too bad he saw through my mother's façade of the perfect woman to see that her veins did indeed run black.
I opened the door and stepped inside to hear my mother and another woman's voice talking in the other room. Mom…you sly girl you…who would have thought that…
"Ashley? Is that you?" I heard my mother call from the other room.
I debated whether or not to say anything but when she called out to me again I screamed internally. "Yeah…" I said hoping that this would be a quick conversation.
"I need you in here…" She said in her cold tone.
I dragged my feet as I made my way to the living room. I turned the corner and found a striking blonde sitting next to my mother. She was wearing a nice black suit and I was sure she was a Victoria's Secret model in her spare time.
"Darling…I'm glad you decided to skip school today…please have a seat…"
"Look if you want to 'scold' me for not being the perfect daughter you can do that later when I'm…I don't know…dead?"
"Funny…" My mother said giving a short and cold laugh.
"Ms. Davies…" The woman who I didn't know said extending her hand. "I'm Tabitha Williams…I represent your father's estate and was put in charge of your trust fund."
"Sweet…so is there like a way I could maybe get an advance…I would love to take my girlfriend to Europe after she graduates this year but I don't know how that works exactly."
"Actually…there is an issue I need to address about your trust fund…"
I looked at the woman whose name was Tabitha…what an interesting name. Wait…what issue is there with my trust fund? "Ok? Umm…what issue can there be? I mean I know that I need to wait till I'm 18 but that's not too far off now…"
"I can see that no one has spoken to you about the other condition that you need to meet in order to receive the funding…" She said pulling out a folder containing a whole bunch of papers.
"What other condition?" I said feeling my heart begin to beat harder.
"I wasn't aware of any other condition either." My mother said now very interested in the conversation.
"Well…your father changed the fund shortly before his death…we aren't sure why he did it but he made it clear that he wanted you and your sister Kyla to have a good education and…added that you would need to receive your high school diploma in order to have access to your funds at the age of 18. If you failed to complete this requirement then you would need to wait until your 21st birthday to have access."
"Thanks Dad…" I muttered under my breath as I listened to Tabitha go on and on about the condition that was added.
"So…is that the only other condition that I need to finish?" I asked crossing my fingers hoping that there was no other surprise condition like having to go kiss the feet of the Pope or something.
"That's the only other condition…I apologize that you weren't informed of this earlier but here is a copy of the trust fund agreement for you to have." She handed me the folder and I stared at the manila item trying to set it ablaze with my eyes but to no avail.
"Thank you for stopping by." My mother said standing and shooing the other woman out quickly. "Well Ashley…I suggest you get to school and find out how you are going to graduate…seeing as you probably haven't been to school in quite some time…" She said smirking at me and then leaving me to my own thoughts.
"Yeah like you would have noticed…" I muttered falling back against the couch cushions.
Ok so I needed to graduate to have access to my trust fund or I would have to wait until I was legally capable to drink my sorrows away. How the hell am I going to graduate when I haven't seen the inside of the classroom in about oh I don't know since the beginning of time?
I slapped my head with the folder and tried to think of any way I could get around this stupid condition but nothing was coming to mind. I looked at the clock to find that it was about an hour into the school day for the well adjusted children and decided that there was only one person that could help me with my predicament. Her initials began with an "S" and ended with a "C" and had me in the middle…I made a funny. Focus…I have to get back to the hell from which I just escaped. Damn it this sucks.