viii. The Only Thing

When I was a child, I hated socializing.

Yes, I know what you all might be thinking. Isabel Kabra, one of the most richest and elite socialites in all of Britian hates the thing that gets her most of her wealth?

But, you forget one thing. Before I was Isabel Kabra, I was Isabel Vesper-Hollingsworth. I was, a girl who had no identity, no glory, and absolutely nothing which I could call my own.

My mother and father were never around me. They were both high ranking Vespers in the field, who were always out on missions. I grew up alone, midst nannies, chefs and other downtrodden servants. We were very wealthy, even then, you could have guessed.

I don't know what made me the way I am today. Could it have been the lack of attention from my parents? The absence of a good role model in my life?

I really didn't know the answer to that question.

From the start, I was a quiet kid. I was the type of person who hated talking to anybody, the type of person who usually hid in their room all day and only came out for meals.

Of course, when I was small, I had to listen to my parents. Since they were usually on missions in different corners of the world, I always had to go to parties and other social gatherings in their name. It was tiring, but if I needed someone to pay for all my bills, then these were some of the formalities I would have to endure.

But that didn't mean I didn't hate going to those parties.

"Hey, Isabel. Stop sitting by yourself, this is a party." A girl said to me once, at the first party I had ever gone to. Little did I know, there would be many times that the same sentence would be said to me.

It was a warm summer the time I turned sixteen. My parents had organized a huge party for me, but they, of course were not present there themselves. To be honest, I had wanted to spend the day searching for my perfect college, but instead I had been forced to attend a party, which I didn't even want to go to, and be fussed over by people who were probably just there because I was the daughter of billionaire parents.

"Happy sweet sixteen Isabel." They all fawned over to me, and it was truly sickening. They all had hidden motives, I knew, and if they wanted something, all they could do was ask. There was no need for them to act so irritating.

The party was stupid. My parents had been careful not to make it very pink, since they knew I despised things like that, and yes, I was grateful to them for that, but I still hated it. It was too noisy, and all I saw around me were irritating people engaging in stupid activities that I had no interest in whatsoever.

So, this is the reason, I was sitting all alone, by myself, at my own sweet sixteen.

After a while, I saw a few people come sit nearby. They were all fooling around, asking each other stupid questions like "Do you like anybody?" and all that nonsense. I was going to leave the place, when somebody caught my attention.

A girl in the group was asked the question, and she replied with a simple 'No'. The thing was really weird, and I felt like I just had to say something.

"Why are you lying?" I asked her. "You like that boy, don't you?" I pointed to a person with blonde hair, who was standing at quite a distance from us.

"Darren Bishop?! He is so immature!" Another girl, in the group cried out. I turned to her and frowned.

"What do you mean? You like him too, don't you?" I said to her. She looked at me and gave me an ugly look.

"Shut up, Isabel. Just because this is your party, it doesn't give you the right to talk lies about us."

"Y-yeah." The previous girl said, nodding in response.

"You all are the ones lying. I could see from both of you, from your body language that you like this boy." I turned to the girl who had replied untruthfully. "When you were asked if you liked anybody, I saw you fumbling your hands nervously. You were also looking at that boy while replying, and your pupils were dilated. It was obvious."

I then turned to the other girl, and was about to spill the facts about her that had given the act away, when she started yelling at me.

"Shut up! Don't say anything. Stop with all the body language nonsense! There is no way-"

"I was right, wasn't I? About you liking that boy?"

"Oh god, you're kidding me right? Stop acting all-"

"Answer my question. Was I right or wrong?" My tone had changed. The girl didn't answer me, she just looked away, an angry look on her face. Her fists were clenched, but she still didn't say anything.

"Touché." I said, walking away. They all just stared after me, dumbfounded.

Just then, a voice called out to me.

"Hey! You there!" I turned around.

"Yes?"

"I'm the president of the Indirect Communication club. We have headquarters in the countryside and study traits like you did today. We don't have many people on board, but we are searching for members. And judging from what you did today, I request you-"

"What do I get in return?" The man coughed.

"Um, well, it's a non-profit organization, but-"

"Sorry." I said. "I'm not going to waste my time if it's not going to get me anything. Good day." I turned away, ready to get away, when that brat spoke again.

"People like you are ruining our future. This is so selfish of you. Our organization could really help the world, but its people like you, who are so interested in their own personal gain that they fail to realize that."

I wanted to slap the insolent brat, but I held myself back. I just calmly walked on, as if nothing had happened. I signaled for our main butler, Chester, who had been standing nearby to follow me. Once we were alone, was when I let all hell break loose.

"Who was that idiot?! And how the hell could he insult me like that?! Tell me, who was it?"

"I believe he was an American." Chester replied calmly.

"Why was someone like him allowed to come to my party at all?!"

"He too, is like you, miss. His parents are high-ranking Vespers, and that's why he was present today." Chester gave a pause. "I believe his name is Arthur Trent."

I walked up to the window of the room, where I could see the whole landscape of my birthday spread out. I could also see that idiot from before. He was storming out the exit, clearly angry. I smirked.

"Arthur, huh? Well, we shall see who will have the last word."

That was the day I started hating socializing. Sure, I had been quiet from the very start. But, today, after that massive embarrassment, I hated it.

However, I had learnt something else that day.

Why, I stepped into that game, I don't know. Why I confronted those girls, I didn't know.

But thing was certain.

I had let Arthur Trent have the last word.

But, that would never happen again. I would do anything, train myself, push myself until I reached the top.

Because the only thing I hated more than socializing was losing.

And that was what I always kept in my mind, whenever I visited one of those awful parties and was forced to talk to stuffy women and flash fake smiles to them. I hated myself to, for doing things that I myself hated a long while away.

But it was worth it. This was only for showing the world that I was capable of making a name for myself. The only thing I needed was the serum.

And when I got it, I would show Arthur Trent and the rest of the world, that I would reach the top. I was going to have the last word, and I was going to WIN.

-Ghost.