"Renee! You come out of that room at once." Grandmere called. " I will get your father to break down this door." She threatened. I still wasn't coming out.
"I'm not going to school today. I thought I already told you that." I struggled unsuccessfully to keep the tears out of my voice.
"I thought you liked school. Your father pays good money so you can learn to read and write."
"Pull me out then."
"Is it still about this Gaston fellow? I thought you broke up with him?"
"No"
"Nanette and Odette still fighting?"
"Yes but that's not why I'm not going."
"I give up." The sound of rustling clothes came from the other room. She seriously had given up. Somehow my stunts for attention never seemed to work on her like they did on father.
" Fine," I gave up too. "It's Belle."
"The new girl? What's wrong with her? I hear she's very pretty."
"and smart" I added grudgingly.
"Is that what's worrying you honey."
Silence
"Come on Renee. Your still smart. Don't let it get to you." She argued.
"Just leave me alone. You're not my mother."My voice was full of venom. I imagined her quietly going back to her sewing. In my mind I saw her glancing at the door every four seconds waiting for me to open it. I buried my head even farther in the pillow.
We had waited for months before we'd given up on my mother. She just simply never came for us. I would gaze down the road leading to forest for hours imagining her appearing. Even ten years later it still hurt. I knew no one could ever replace her. At least Prince Philippe had given up looking for us long ago. So there was nothing to worry about, nothing to fret over. Except of course social status, and, I guess, school work. And for the first time my title of Smartest girl school was about to be snatched up from under me.
"We missed you in school today." Bridget commented absentmindedly without looking up from her embroidery. Bridget was my best friend ever. "That new girl, Belle, she ansewered all the questions and read aloud In class. Only you've ever read in class. It's like an insult." She babbled on, but I wasn't listening. How could she ever read aloud in class? Didn't she know that was my right? I had to remind myself that she didn't know and I shouldn't go out and teach her a lesson right here and now. She didn't know answered most of my questions. Well, all except one. Why had the other students let her read? It left a hole in my heart wondering what they really thought of me.
The next morning I went to market. Just like always. Bridget came with me. Just like always. I was supposed to buy eggs and bread. Just like always. Just like I liked it. I smiled as I entered the market. I had the euphoric sense of everything being right with the world. That lasted all of 10 second. Until I saw Belle that is.