an: we had a blizzard today, so, needless to say, school was cancelled for me and I decided to write this for you. Thank you for all of the amazing reviews! :D
Nikki Dalton, in her tight whiteskinnyjeans, faded blue Forever21 t-shirt, and fake Prada messenger bag with all of the money she had, made her way down Fifth Avenue and its' beautiful boutiques.
It would be so amazing if I could buysomething from here,Nikki thought to herself, knowing that her parents would never let her go inside one of the stores because they didn't want Nikki getting any ideas. They would rather have her save all of her money instead of going wild and buying things that she could barely pay for. She glanced around her and, despite the sea of bodies that flowed all around her, she knew that her parents were nowhere near where she was; she knew that they wouldn't be able to stop her from going into one of them shops.
A smile lit up Nikki's face as the thought of her trying on one of the beautiful and rich articles of clothing came to mind. Without another glance, Nikki took a step into the wonderful world of the rich, also called Prada, and out of her own.
Coral Carlyle-McAdams was one of the reigning-queens-to-be on the Upper West Side of New York City. She was the daughter of Katerina McAdams and Edgar Carlyle: two people whose families' fortunes were tied to that of Old New York, or the deep-pocketed folk. She was a girl who almost everyone looked up to, and someone that everyone hated and wanted to be. But today, nobodywanted to be little miss Coral.
Four Hours Previous
"Are you ready for our party tonight?" Kory Gedman, a girl with flowing blond locks and a cute round face, asked Coral in a nasally voice. Kory Gedman was one of the heirs to one of the richest families of Manhattan, and Coral's best friend.
"Yes!" Coral replied. "Are you?"
"Totally!" Kory told her as she pursed her large red lips. "I just hope that Bree Kennedy doesn't show up."
"Ew! I know!" Coral shouted. "I wish I knew before someone invited her to come!"
"Can you believe her?"
"What?" Coral asked. "The fact that she's-"
"Who's what?" Regina Vazquez, the Carlyle-McAdams Manor maid, spoke in a thick Spanish accent, tying her stark black hair into a tight bun and glaring at Coral and Kory with hard brown eyes.
"You know Brianna Kennedy? Well, she's a full year younger than I am, and she's not a virgin anymore." Coral rolled her glittering green eyes at her. "Can you believe that, Gina? Girls these days are becoming so...immodest. They don't respect themselves at all!"
Regina grunted and walked into the pale pink room, telephone in hand. "You have a phone call."
"Who still calls the house?" Kory, who basically lived there, asked.
"No one important," Coral answered. "Just hang up and tell them that Father will call them back later."
Regina's face showed a small frown and her eyes began to water.
Regina glanced over Coral with a saddened look playing in her dark, muddy eyes knowing that the girl that she had taken care of for the entire length of the young girl's life was about to become more saddened than she thought she could ever be. "It is very important, Coral," the old woman said gravely.
"Fine," Coral whined as she took the phone from Regina's hand. "Hello?"
Regina stood closer to Coral and Kory leaned closer to the phone, wanting to hear what was so important.
"Coral Carlyle-McAdams?" a deep, manly voice asked on the other line.
"Yes. Who's this?" she inquired.
"I am your uncle, Tiberius, and I am sorry that we have to meet under these…absolutely dreadful circumstances," the man answered dramatically.
"What do you mean?" Coral asked. She did not understand why her uncle was being so dramatic—heck, she barely remembered having an uncle, but she knew that her father had talked about a "Tiberius" every once in a while. She had never met any other members of her family, other than her cousins that lived in France. All of her family was important business people who never had any time for visiting each other. She had never met Tiberius, let alone spoken to him, so why call her now?
The man on the other end of the phone sighed deeply. "Your mother and father…I will be sending someone down to pick you up later this evening. Your parents may reside in New York City, but they would prefer to be buried near the family plot here in Westchester."
"Wait, what?" Coral asked loudly; she had no idea what this man was talking about. Her parents weren't dead; she had seen them, spoken with them, just that morning! "What are you talking about?"
"What is it?" Kory inquired curiously; the look on her best friend's face—the look of sheer terror and utter disbelief—was something that Kory had never seen before and it was startling her in ways that she would rather not feel.
"Nothing," Coral replied quickly. She didn't believe this strange man who telephoned her unexpectedly. Kory looked disheartened, but that didn't keep her from leaning her ear closer to the telephone (despite the fact that she could barely hear a thing the person on the other line of the phone was saying).
"Coral," her uncle said softly, "I'm afraid that there are many things we must discuss when my assistant arrives to come and get you."
"Excuse me? Won't you tell me what he heck is going on here?" Coral nearly shouted. "Are you suggesting that my parents…that they didn't—"
"I'm telling you that your parents have perished in a boating accident," her uncle replied bluntly. He didn't mean to sound unsympathetic, but there didn't seem to be any other way to get it into Coral's head that her parents were, well, dead. His words were answered with silence. "Coral?" he said.
"What?" she asked, her voice sarcastic. "You're joking, right?"
"I am afraid that I am completely serious about this," he answered.
"But how? I just saw them! Just four hours ago!" she shouted, feeling Regina's arms wrap around her tiny body and being held tightly against the old woman's chest. Kory was pulling herself away from Coral. She hadn't heard what the other person was saying, but she could tell the nature of the conversation from the way Coral was acting. "I don't believe you," Coral retorted.
Tiberius sighed deeply. "I understand that this is hard on you, Coral, but this is the truth. My assistant will be there within a few hours."
Within a few hours.
Everything went black.
Nikki Dalton strutted on the streets of Fifth Avenue like she owned it, showing off her new thin, yellow, Prada dress, hiding her other clothes in her bag and the small bruises that were all over her ribs. The jacket was one of the only things that she could afford, and it was by far the most fashionable. After spending her entire life wearing but her mother's old clothes from the eighties and cheap Goodwill clothes, Nikki was proud to be sporting a designer dress. As she was walking down the street, she couldn't help but admire the trio of girls who were making their way out of Bergdorfs. Their hair seemed to cascade down their backs like waterfalls, and their eyes seemed to shimmer in the bright, sunlight. Nikki was tired of having to live in an old, drab, and run-down house while being raised by her abusive father, and she was extremely envious of the girls who were walking in front of her. I bet that they have a better father than I do, she thought bitterly to herself.
They walked past a boy with stunning light brown eyes and waved, though they didn't bother to stop for a quick chit-chat. He smiled back at them and glanced in her direction and smiled at her as well. She had no recollection of meeting this boy before, but he walked over to her like they were friends of sorts, and that sort of scared her.
"Hey!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I heard you're having a party tonight!"
"W-what?" Nikki asked, confused. She didn't even know who the boy was and she certainly wasn't throwing a party, especially at her house, so what was this boy rambling on about?
The boy chuckled to himself lightly. "I haven't been away that long, have I?"
"Do I know you?" Nikki asked, arching a perfectly plucked brow (she'd done it herself and she was quiteproud). She didn't even know why this utterly handsome boy was speaking to her. Clearly he was some rich blue blood who shouldn't even being associating with her. She could tell by the way he walked like he owned the place—which he probably did—and his clothes looked like they cost more than her entire house!
"Derrick Harrington ring a bell?" he smiled warmly down at her. Nikki's small red lips formed a perfect "o" shape and she silently cursed herself. She knew exactly who this boy was, and she knew that he was completely out of her league. Upon seeing her surprised expression, Derrick said, "C'mon, Coral, you've got to remember me! I've only been gone for five measly little years!"
Coral? Nikki thought to herself. She didn't—oh.She knew precisely who mister Derrick Harrington thought she was; he thought she was Miss Coral Carlyle-McAdams, one of the richest girls in the state of New York! Another young girl in the young socialite society.
"I'm not—"
"Hey, I've got to go, okay? But I heard it's a masquerade party. I'll be over with Cam and the boys around seven or eight-ish, whenever Cam decides to stop being so heart-broken over Kory Gedman!"
"But—"
"See you then, Coral," Derrick said as he quickly leaned down and kissed her cheek and melting her insides. She sighed dreamily as Derrick walked away from her; she could definitely do with another kiss from him.
Tonight, Nikki Dalton was going to be attending a party of one of the richest and most envied girls in the Upper West Side's Edgefield High.
I don't feel like I got enough of Nikki's background in there, so maybe I'll put some more information on the next chapter. Thanks so much for all of the reviews that you guys have given me. You guys are great!
Concrit is a treasure.
