Chapter 2
Amanda only regretted what she did for, at most, a few hours. Her step-sisters dragged her down stairs to clean up the mess her father had made when he died. They watched her to make sure she didn't miss a single spot. She was done by the time her step-mother came into the house. She said she wasn't going to have a funeral for Amanda's father. They just cremated him and put him on the mantle of their fire place.
That is how it went, for years, Amanda's new mother thought her daughters could do no wrong, and god forbid if they got their fingers dirty. Amanda did all the work around the house, while her step-family spent money like they had millions to burn.
"You have no right to spend my fathers money like this!" she got the courage up to say on day.
"We can do whatever we want with his money. He left no will." at this comment Paula, Ella, and Heather burst into a fit of laughter. Sometimes Amanda would find ways to get out of doing the work, but when she did she was punished, double chores. She tried to run away a few times, but the police would bring her back, laughing if she had told them about how she was treated. Thinking surly she was exaggerating. Whenever Amanda had a spare moment to herself she would sit and think. She had thought that surly her father would have left everything to her, but according to Paula, he had left no will. Amanda's step sisters took everything that was important to her and made it their own. Whatever they liked was theirs, no matter if it belonged to someone else.
Amanda was eighteen years old before she had her first chance to get out on her own. She had no friends, she had no time for friends. There was a field trip to Paris France. She forged her mothers signature and stole the 150 from her purse. After that she just turned it in to the office and a week later she was on her way, across the ocean. She saw beautiful castles from the sky, they may have been centuries old, but they were beautiful nonetheless.
The flight took fourteen hours until they finally landed. The baggage claim was simple and there were people that would drive you where ever you wanted to go. Hardly anyone else from her school was there. The school only offered a chance to go there, once you were there you were on your own. But you did have a reserved room at a hotel. Amanda had a single suitcase, so it was easy for her to maneuver herself through the crowd.
She stepped outside and a cold breeze made her clothes ripple. A car drove up and it rolled down its window.
"Need a lift?" the driver asked, finding English difficult.
"Thank you." Amanda said opening the trunk and throwing in her suitcase. She slid into the back seat as the driver rolled up the window.
"Where to?" the taxi driver asked. Amanda looked at him, then switched her gaze to the world outside. She looked back at the driver and smiled.
"L'hotel Paris." she said in high school French. The taxi driver smiled and drove into the oncoming traffic. Gazing out the window at the many wonders of this new world as they passed her by. In the distance she could see the Eiffel tower, glowing in the afternoon sun. They soon arrived in front of a large building with many windows. The male taxi driver turned around and began to speak to Amanda.
"Welcome, to L'hotel Paris." he said grandly. Amanda gave him some money and stepped out of the car as he popped the trunk. She took out her black suitcase and shut the trunk staring up at the large building ahead of her.
"Wow." she said walking up the steps to the front door. The inside of the building had intricate carved pillars and an oak desk. The walls were painted tope, a very soothing color, and the desk was beautiful, only a finishing seal on it to show its natural beauty. She strode up to the front desk and smiled at the woman sitting there.
"Hello," she said, "How may I help you?" her English was fluent.
"I just came from the Americas, I believe I have a reservation here. My name is Amanda."
"Amanda H.?" the woman asked.
"Yes."
"Your room number is 218, here is your key." she handed Amanda a copper key with a tag that read '218' on it.
"Thank you." Amanda said politely as she walked away. She waited at the elevator and when it finally came, it was empty. She stepped inside and pushed the button for the third floor. When she finally stopped going up, the doors opened and she walked down the hallway, looking to either side of her for the number '218'. She dragged her suitcase past nine doors before she reached her destination.
"218." she said satisfied. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. The room was beautiful, a two-bedded room, with one large window that was covered by red velvet-like drapes. She put her suit case on one of the beds and walked over to the window, examining the fabric and feeling its texture. She through them wide open and looked at the view before her. Several building were scattered throughout the huge city, and in the distance she could catch a glimpse of the Eiffel tower, glowing in the light of the setting sun.