REBEL OF THE BALL
CHAPTER NINE
Urania felt like she could crush Tony Stark's skull with her bare hands.
She had never felt so angry in her whole life. Remembering what he just did almost fifteen minutes ago — trying to make her fill-out those stupid boarding school papers, Nia could feel her blood boiling. How dare he try to send her away? If he wants to get rid of her so badly, he could have just said so!
She sat on her room's carpeted floor, pressed against the farthest corner, hunched like a ball. Her fingers were still shaking with rage, humiliation and disappointment. Imagine, your own father trying to kick you out of the way?
Nia gritted her teeth and in frustration, kicked her bed. Once, twice. Then continued hitting again and again — crying out, cursing and even muttering a few profanities. Screw Redmond for even existing! Screw Tony and his dozen stupid sports cars! Screw everything — even her sucky life!
Feeling satisfied and a little out of breath, she collapsed on her bed, sinking down at the soft duvet. As she did so, her opened bag spilled out its contents.
Muttering words under her breath, Nia bent down and began collecting her stuff one by one, in certain, deft movements she always does when she's furious. But her hands paused when she picked up the picture of her and her mother.
It was when she was still six years old — months before the cancer started.
"Mom." Nia found herself talking to the picture. "I never realized it would be this hard. I don't even know if I could keep that promise… I wish you'd be here."
But her mother only smiled back.
Suddenly, a knock interrupted her thoughts. Nia looked up just in time to see Pepper standing by the doorway.
"Nia?" She said, her voice soft. "Your dad's leaving."
Nia said nothing, her eyes never leaving the photo. Her heart felt a painful twinge, recalling the words that came out of Tony's mouth.
"I don't wanna see him Pepper." Nia said quietly, not bothering to look at Tony's secretary.
There was silence. As of this time, Urania didn't care if Pepper would think she's being any spoiled kid. Or someone who's overreacting. She just didn't want to see Tony right now.
"It's fine. I understand. And I think he does too." Pepper finally said and closed the door.
"She doesn't wanna see you." Pepper said, looking at Tony with a sympathetic face.
Tony nodded. "I got that." He bent down and picked up his phone lying on the table. "Take care of her will you?"
She crossed her arms. "What do you want me to do?"
"Make sure she's safe — sleep in the guest room if that's what it takes, try to see if she's eating right and go do some shopping. I'm leaving you this. Max that one out, I don't care." He tossed her one of his many credit cards. "She'll like it, I'm sure."
"Mr. Stark, if you're actually thinking that this could distract her after all you've done — then you're miles away from doing it right."
He stopped and run a hand through his hair. "I know that."
Tony donned on his jacket. Pepper studied her boss — Tony Stark, for one thing, seldom dresses up like a real corporate boss. He only wears suits for formal occasions but at times like this, in jeans and a sweater, he was dressed ever so casually you wouldn't even think he's going to fly towards the Middle East.
"Urania needs you, you know." Pepper said to him, trying to sound casual yet her real motive was knocking some sense into the man.
Tony paused, nearly out the door. "She's a smart girl. She wouldn't need someone like me for a father. You know me Pepper — I wasn't raised that way. The only thing I can remember was my parents sending me off to a boarding school. And I don't have the slightest idea of being a Dad. And I don't think I ever deserve being one — especially to a kid like her."
"And you think pushing her away would make it all better?" Pepper asked, her bright blue eyes boring into his.
Before Tony could respond, Happy suddenly came in.
"Good morning Sir." He greeted cheerfully, unaware of the tension in the atmosphere. "Your car's waiting for you." Then his face fell, suddenly conscious after noticing their heavy looks. "Wait — I didn't interrupt something serious, right? Because I could just go —"
"Never mind Happy." Tony said, his voice tinged with something — guilt, maybe? Then he added jokingly "I was just leaving. I'd take the other car. Let's see how much you could keep up with me."
He suddenly went out without another word. Poor Happy, clueless of what they were talking about, shot Pepper a quizzical look.
She just shrugged, watching as the confused driver too, left the mansion. Even though Tony trusted Happy 100 percent, he didn't dare say that there was another person living inside his home. And Pepper didn't want to leak the secret out — Tony could tell him whenever he wants to.
The place suddenly got very quiet. As usual, vacant and empty. Though unbelievably huge, Pepper wasn't quite sure she liked Tony's house. It wasn't a home — it was just a large, high-tech building. What it was missing was a family, and right now, Tony's having it, with his daughter and all but everything so complicated and messed-up. But she couldn't blame him entirely.
Pepper wondered the most though, as she climbed up the steps toward Urania's room, is why she's trying so hard to patch up the bond between her boss and his daughter. After all, he was only his secretary, right?
Nia knew Tony already left the mansion.
She watched him from his window, speeding away with his silver Audi sports car. She scoffed, a scowl etched on her face. Let him leave — he was good at doing that.
Nia was aware he was heading to Afghanistan for some weapons project for the US Army back there. It was dangerous, and secretly, though she was irritated at her father, Nia's quite worried for him. He's going to make it back, right?
Of course. She decided she was just being too paranoid. Tony must've flew there a dozen times. This is what he does. Sell weapons, and people buy them. No biggie.
Disgusted because she kept thinking about him, Nia began ransack her bag, looking for something.
Then she withdrew her hand, now clutching a rectangular-like gadget almost as big as a regular iPhone.
Nia felt a smile creeping on her face. By far, aside from the picture of her mother, this was one of her favorite things. It was made by someone she knew back at the orphanage. A brilliant man — almost as brilliant as Tony — and even though it was the only prototype, he gave it to Urania. And she was thrilled. The gadget was amazing.
It was similar to a Sidekick, with QWERTY keyboards and a touch-oriented screen. What made it better was she could play games, has a USB port, is waterproof, HD camera, scanner, could text, wi-fi compatible and a whole lot more — possibly, it was everything. Trax said it took him almost ten years developing it.
Urania would like to call it a PPC — her Personal Pocket Computer. Hell, who cares about names? Sure, she admit it wasn't the coolest name for a gadget as awesome as that. But it'll have to do. She'd look into that next time.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Urania felt her face shift into a poker one. There was only one person who would do that — Pepper. Tony never bothered to knock, though he haven't even visited her into her room.
"Come in."
She heard Pepper step in, closing the door behind her.
"Tony already left." Pepper announced.
Nia grunted, opening up a computer game. "I know."
"He told me I should take you shopping." Pepper's voice rang throughout her room. She doesn't sound forceful, instead, it was stated in a matter-of-factly tone.
"What now? He's trying to buy his way in on me?" Nia scoffed, furiously clicking several buttons at once on her PPC as she began slashing virtual stickmen. "As if that would work."
The strawberry-blonde gave a sigh, mentally reminding herself on how stubborn her boss' daughter could be.
"Look Nia, I totally understand how you feel. But you can't hate him forever you know. You've got to smoothen things up at some point."
"I appreciate your concern Peps but I don't think I can handle a pep talk right now." She suddenly snorted in laughter and looked pointedly at Pepper. "Gets? Peps and pep talk? Oh well — okay, never mind. But it was funny to me."
But Pepper's face remained serious. "What are you planning to do today, anyway?"
"Dunno. Sleep? Eat? Lots of possible stuff do. Especially now since he's not around."
"Such as…?" The strawberry-blonde looked around the spacious guest room. Although it looked totally occupied, there was some sort of vacant feel to it. Maybe because Urania's things were only inside her messenger bag. "Nia, how many clothes have you got?"
"Dunno. Two? Three?" She glared at her screen, not paying attention and Pepper's keen observations.
Pepper sighed. The more reasons why they both should go out. She had decided to use the opportunity to try and talk to her. But seeing that Nia had only so little items with her, the secretary begins to see Tony's idea of shopping much better than before.
"You know, there's a lot more things to do to get revenge on Tony." Pepper heard herself say simply, knowing this could bring Urania's attention.
She looked up, eyebrows raised. "What?"
The blonde smiled slyly, raising the MasterCard on her hands. "You could max this one up."
Nia huffed and turned back to her game. "He wouldn't care. He's got loads of money."
A pause. Pepper felt like giving up. Maybe there is no way to take her out of this.
"I've got an idea." Nia suddenly said, putting her gadget down. "Pep, I've got to buy a dog. A big one."
This time, Pepper was the one who was surprised. "A dog? What for?"
"He doesn't want this pretty mansion to get dirty. And dogs do that. When Tony comes back, I'd train the animal into annoying the hell out of him." Nia suddenly laughed, pleased with herself. "Yes, that would do it." She turned to her. "Come on Pep, let's go then."