Chapter 5 Behind The Gate

Paula.

"Ummm, nothing love. Was just trying to remove something from her face." Andre replied to me as he walked away from me towards her.

He wrapped his hand around her waist before giving her a peck on the lips, followed by a wink. My mum's cheeks turned red as she blushed and I found my gritting my teeth against one another.

'Was she that dumb, she surely wouldn't believe such an excuse right?' I thought but got proved wrong in the next minute as I watched my mum wrap her hands around his neck, then kiss him back.

'Fuck!' I cursed, feeling anger running through my veins as I just wanted to barge forward and rip her off him but then controlled myself, letting out a hiss unconsciously before walking out of the room.

"Bunch of fools." I muttered under my break angrily kicking the chair in front of me away, dashing up the stairs to my room.

The next morning, I was woken up by an excited mum who told me to prepare for I was starting my new school today. I got dressed in the school uniform, got into the car with Andre and avoided him throughout the drive to school.

We got to school in no time and the gates were opened wildly. I gasped as I stepped out of his car, a view of the massive building greeting me, serving as a reminder that I had gotten the chance to study here.

It was one of the most prestigious colleges in the city. Everyone's dream school and Andre, my step-father was the owner.

'I guess he could be useful for something.' I thought sneakily, finding myself smiling wide at this thought, my heart racing.

"Are you alright, Paula?" He asked gently behind me and I froze, frowning at how soothing his voice was before deciding to turn.

He, too, had gotten out of his vehicle and was adjusting his suit. I snorted noticing how dashing he looked, deciding to ignore him and to my horror, he did.

He started moving towards the building, and I followed right behind him, my two hands clutching my books tightly to my chest, my head bent down towards the floor, due to the fellow students I saw walking around, and I wondered why.

'Could it be the fact that I knew, I did not belong here with them?' I pondered as we made our way towards the Chief Accountant's office to get myself settled in, and after everything, I was handed my timetable, my hostel key, and other stuff.

The registration was pretty easy and simple, but I needed not to be surprised, for it was a big shot that gave me admission, after all.

"I will be taking my leave now, Paula" He informed me while turning to look at his watch, and I nodded.

"Thank you." I found myself saying, appreciating him. His eyeballs widened in disbelief and he gave me another one of his bright smiles before departing, leaving me all alone to myself and fate.

I took in a deep breath before deciding to locate my hostel room and get settled in. Since I was the owner's step-daughter, I wouldn't be staying in the school dorm but I still wanted to see it.

But before that, I decided to look around the school, and I was amused.

'Everywhere was so perfect and beautiful'. I thought, a feeling of satisfaction going through me.

"I finally got to study," I muttered to myself, with a new determination in mind.

I was walking, trying to find my hostel when I noticed the school had a sprawling green garden and a large ground.

The garden lay at the center and could be viewed by almost all classes. It also had comfortable communal areas where students could relax and socialize with fellow students.

The vintage buildings of the school didn't fail to mesmerize me with their glorious beauty.

"Well, I should not be surprised", I muttered under my breath. The school is secluded in the Lush Hills of Octave States, where it encircles around the rich only.

Its huge building complimented the blue and yellow that painted the school walls. It was also well-equipped with all the contemporary gadgets.

The classrooms are built in between the dormitories where students easily match and receive their daily curricular activities according to what I read on the net.

Fortunately, I am lucky enough to be enrolled in such a prestigious school and gain a wonderful education.

Finally, I found the hostel building. It is a mixed boarding school and has separate boys' and girls' hostels.

The boy's hostel is a few miles away from the girl's hostel. Each student belongs to a particular house named after some beautiful color, and I was in a purple house, my favorite color to be precise.

I took a deep breath and was about to knock on the door when I stopped, feeling my heart racing. I placed my hand instead on my chest to calm myself down.

"Everything will be alright, Paula" I muttered to myself but failed to calm myself down.

This was a school for the rich, and I was rich now but if they were ever to find out I was poor before, would that mean bullying?

I gasped, feeling my heart pounding faster as I began to recall memories of the past I had been trying to forget and move on from.

"Are you okay?" I heard a voice from behind me, and that distracted me from my thoughts. I slowly turned to see a cream-haired girl clad in the same uniform as I was.

A white crop top, with a long tie and a red mini skirt with white stripes. The only difference was while I had on white boots to match, she had on black heels, and her skirt was way shorter.

"Back to earth, girl, you don't need to ogle at me like that. I know I am pretty," the cream-haired girl told me, while flaunting her long hair back with her fingers, her chin held high, standing tall.

My fingers began to twitch unconsciously, my feet trembling, and my palms sweaty. I could almost feel my whole body shaking as I tried to control myself.

"Who are you, by the way?" She asked, scanning my entire appearance with her eyes.

"I haven't seen you around before" She added, her stares turning into sharp glares and I gulped down the saliva forming in my mouth, while looking for what to say.

But instead I drafted away from there, pushing her out of the way and running outside only to see Andre back in the school.

'Didn't he just leave now?' I wondered but seeing him again made me remember how I met him.