Chapter 2 2.

- POV LAYLA

After the call, my father returned to the living room, and my stepmother and I disguised our expressions of hating each other's company and acted normally as if two seconds ago she hadn't been giving me the middle finger and I had been returning it with a banana.

She gestured with a swear word and I would have said it back, but my father walked in just then.

"Who was that, dear?" he asked interested.

"That was my boss! I'll have to go to her, I'll probably only be back for dinner, he's still going to send a maid here, so Layla... the kitchen is all yours daughter," he informs me and I can't hide the happy smile that forms on my lips.

"Yay! Thanks, Dad!" I celebrate and hug him warmly. I go up to my room and finish putting my things in the closet when I hear the doorknob click.

"Hey big guy!" he calls.

"What is it?"

"We're starting school tomorrow," she says excitedly.

It's my last year, and I'm as happy as a history teacher having to teach a class of forty students where only five pay attention to what comes out of his mouth.

"Yay!" I celebrate, showing no interest, I hate school, I didn't like my school where I knew people, imagine this one where I don't know anyone.

"What? It'll be nice."

"If you say, now come on, I've finished here, let's go downstairs, I'll make us some dinner."

In my absence, Dad is a great cook and I've learned to make a lot of dishes with him

"Wow! I love it when you cook... don't tell Dad, he thinks it's mine..."

"I'll keep your secret busty."

I see his smile turn into a frown, and I smile back.

"You don't know how to joke."

He speaks to me tongue-in-cheek.

"Me? You're the one who doesn't know."

"Shall we stop playing this stupid game?"

She says angrily.

"All right! The one who said it is no longer here." I say, raising my hands in surrender.

"You'd better! And I'll have macaroni for dinner."

"Only if you cut the cheese," I suggest as we head down to the kitchen.

"Sure, I'll get it right away." She says excitedly, and goes to the fridge, takes out the cheese, and starts cutting it into small slices.

I grab the macaroni and the rest of the ingredients, ready to be a master chef.

...

We hear the door open and I see Dad with a huge smile on his lips.

"Wow, that smells good!" he compliments and I thank him with a smile.

"Dad, Layla made it, but I cut the cheese, which was essential for the dish." Luiza comments and he bites his lip before speaking.

"Of course it was and you Layla, you've always been our master chef," he comments and I laugh.

"Oh Dad, you're being kind," I say and he looks at me seriously, but then smiles, comes closer, and kisses my forehead and Luiza's, then goes upstairs, I think he's after Antonela.

Dad comes down with his girlfriend and we start our meal, and believe me, it's all gone in the blink of an eye, he offers to do the dishes, so Lu and I go up to our rooms.

I decide to take a long shower, put on a sweater, and look out of the window, noticing that now my father's boss's house is even closer because someone's window is only one wall away from mine.

I look up at the starry sky and smile, my mother was fascinated by astrology, I remember when I was little she used to draw some things related to it.

My attention is drawn to the window opposite, the bedroom light has been switched on and I see a male silhouette.

I feel like I'm invading the privacy of whoever the man is, so as soon as he starts to take off his shirt, I shake my head in the negative close the window, and throw myself on the bed, staying there lost in my thoughts, and finally falling asleep.

...

I wake up stretching on the edge of the bed, take a shower, get ready for school, and go downstairs to have coffee. When I open the door, I see Luiza staring at me.

"You look beautiful baby."

"Thanks, big tits, you too." I thank her with a wink.

"Okay! My day has already started badly, if I punch you in the face, I'm sure it'll get better."

"Wow, I love you too! Now let's go."

"you're lucky."

Dad and Antonela were already at the table, we joined them, had a quick coffee, and went straight to school, using Antonela's new car, since Dad's is broken.

...

We arrived at the school, and soon I saw the huge name Braston High School on top of the big school in front of me, with lots of students in their little identification groups.

I parked the car and we got out, walked into the building, and received a lot of curious looks, some comments like "Wow, just what was missing here in Braston, you little bitch" and "I bet they're all holding their noses".

I've always hated this stereotype that we big city folk are shallow and characterless. Of course, but Luiza and I weren't like that, and that made me furious, so I was ready to spill my guts, but my sister took a firm hold of my arm.

"Get a grip! It's not worth it."

"You're right," I say and take a deep breath.

Before we went to the classroom, we stopped by the principal's office to find out where our classes were.

"Hi, I'm Katherine Caccini, but you can call me Kate or Kat," she says, excited to meet us.

"Hi, I'm Maria Luiza, but you can call me Lu, Iza, or Malu, and this is my sister, Layla, we're the Collins girls."

She hugs us, taking us by surprise by her attitude.

"Well, Miss Collins... I'm going to show you all around the school."

She says, taking us in her arms and leading us down the corridors, I just hope I don't meet someone who makes me hate this school.

And I don't need to like any boy, that's all I need, I'm already screwed up from my previous relationship, and I don't need another guy thinking he owns me.

Alex was a big mistake, and I don't intend to repeat it here, I also don't need a queen bee, the girl who runs the school who dates the bad boy, and who has loyal followers willing to listen to her nonsense and be together just because of her popularity.

But as in every root school, this one would be no different.