POV Anastacia
Ana, Ana, stop, Mia Jones catches up with me on the school porch. Her hair, as always, is perfectly styled in a complex hairstyle. The clothes smell like Gucci perfume. What the fuck does she want?
Jones, quickly and to the point! - I spit out and look at her.
Ana, as you know, Kate is sick. And she asked you to come to her, the brown-haired woman says in a pleading voice.
I sigh and take out a cigarette. Usually Kavanagh invites me to visit when he wants to do another socially shabby task. She's terribly infuriated by her work at the newspaper, which doesn't even bring in any real money. No, of course, Kate and I grow up in rich families, and we have everything you could dream of, but unlike her, I feel like an ugly duckling. The adopted daughter of brilliant diplomats Rhea and Carla Steele, she is one of the worst students in her class and a nightmare for her teachers. No, my parents love me, and they don t care about my grades, but I have never felt loved and needed by anyone other than them. However, never mind.
- Jones, this time work hard for the good of the newspaper, I passed. I have things to do, I let the smoke out of my lungs.
- Which? Drunk until you pass out in the company of Hyde and Rodriguez? How come you haven't gotten to the precinct yet? It's beyond my comprehension. Steele, life isn't about drinking and partying. Kate needs you, she insists that you take this task, Mia persuades me.
Damn, she knows how to convince. I look into her chocolate eyes and understand that I cannot let Kate down. Even though she infuriates me with her unattainable holiness and correctness.
I take out my phone, attach headphones to it and blast Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water at full blast. It distracts me from my thoughts and I almost run to Kavanagh s house. Whatever Kate comes up with for me, I will quickly deal with it and send her to hell.
It's raining outside as I enter Kate's mansion. Almost immediately I am greeted by Alma, the Kavanagh family's maid. An elderly, gray-haired woman about 60 years old. She smiles warmly at me and leads me upstairs.
Katherine, as usual, lies on the bed, surrounded by textbooks. She is taking notes, reading and at the same time looking for information in her laptop.
Hello, I plop down on her bed in my sneakers and look straight into her eyes.
And you re not sick, Steele, Kavanagh answers me friendly, I see Mia convinced you to come?
There s no trick against Mia, I laugh and tilt my head to the side, Why did you call?
Ana, I agreed on an interview for our newspaper with a prominent businessman. But, Kavanagh sneezes, you can see for yourself what condition I m in, so I ask you to go see him. It's not far from here. I ll print out a Google map for you, Katherine says.
Kate, fuck, I know how to use Google, don t think of me as a redneck. Just tell me what kind of elk is and what should I ask him? - I say and smile.
His name is Christian Gray and he is a leading businessman in New York. He s also a trustee of our school, the blonde says calmly.
Wow, our school has a sponsor. And I thought it existed only with the money of diplomats.
- And what is the list of questions? - I ask.
Ha, tricking some old jerk into an interview is easy for me. I know how to win over people, I love to provoke my interlocutor and see how they react to me.
- Ana, please don t do your tricks. This interview will determine whether Gray will continue to fund our school, Kavanagh begs, handing me the questions.
Masturbate, Kate, you're acting like a bitch, I smile at her and run my eyes over the list.
Kavanagh mutters something about my heredity, and I sigh. Fuck, what else do you expect from the daughter of a whore who committed suicide because of a client? My mother never loved me, never cared about me, and let her fucking pimp put out her cigarettes on me. Only the Steels were able to soften me a little and give me at least some care. They are holy people for putting up with me and my quirks.
Don t be angry, Kate, I understand, I ll be well mannered and virtuous, I put the questions away in my backpack and smile at her. We say goodbye warmly and I go home.
My mother meets me there and asks me about the day at school. Reluctantly I answer her and tell her about the interview with Gray. I don't like sharing my problems with anyone. I am very introverted and find it difficult to get along with people. My friends Jack Hyde and Jose Rodriguez know this and don't mess with me.
After dinner, I do my homework, review my interview questions, and go to bed.
Saturday morning is very cold and cloudy. Wow, the textbook screws me. After quickly eating, I put on jeans and a Harry Potter T-shirt, my best sneakers and a warm raincoat.
- Ana, should I take you? - Dad sits down at the table. He looks more like a rock star than a world-famous diplomat. Long hair, tattoo on arm, two-day stubble.
Come on, I smile. Despite all my antics and troubles, the Steeles are loved, and I pay them the same.
My father winks at me and we go to the garage.
- What will we go on, princess? he asks.
I nod towards the yellow Vanda beetle. I don t know why I like this car. I think because she looks like me - the same ugly duckling with a heart of gold.
Dad gets behind the wheel and we drive out of the underground parking lot. Ray turns on the radio and a Ricky Martin song comes out of it. We start singing along and I forget my excitement about the interview with that old man Gray. Yes, I haven t seen his photo, but I m sure he s a boring, prim English guy with a delusion of correctness, and he talks like a Harvard graduate. I never liked such people. They look smart and correct, but inside they are empty. Finally, we pull up in front of a majestic building and Dad opens the door for me.
Good luck, Ana, Rei smiles, and I walk towards the skyscraper.