Rags To Riches; His Secret Desire, Her Cross to Bear

A cold and frosty morning it was as Natasha Lindsay Adams tossed and turned in bed. She was having a nightmare, and as she was about to be hit, she woke up to the sound of her phone ringing; she had ten missed calls.

"Oh my God!" She cried, "It's past 8 am. I will be late for the tour," and off she went to have her bath.

Ten minutes later, as she walked into the parlor all dressed up, she was welcomed with glares from her parents.

"Lindsay, what are you wearing?" Mom cried out in shock, "It's a school tour, not a dance party," she ended. Her mom was conservative and overbearing, the reason Natasha moved away in the first place. Now that she had returned, her mother was all over her again.

Natasha looked down at her leather bump shorts, Fenty shoes, polka-dotted crop top, leather jacket, and matching bag. Her ginger braids fell loosely to her back, and her makeup was the best she'd done in months. She couldn't believe her mom wanted her to change her clothes. And not her mom calling her Lindsay when she insisted on Nash or Tasha.

"Natasha," her mom yelled, pulling her out of her moment of confusion. "Get in there and put on some decent clothes."

As Natasha hurried off to get changed, her friend Victoria came in all dressed up for school. Victoria was popularly known as Tori and had been her best friend since elementary school.

Her blue skin-fitting gown complemented her sky-blue eyes and the matching ribbon on her blonde hair. Her silver wedge heels matched her jewelry and her Pierre Cardin bag. It was the latest bag, and she couldn't wait to flaunt her birthday gift at the university. She had a dark, furry coat on, which completed her look.

Natasha came out five minutes later dressed in a yellow fluffy blouse, a blue knee-length flared skirt, black flats, and a black Hermès bag. Her braids were tied into a neat pile that rested at the back of her head, giving her an immaculate appearance. She felt awful in her outfit and did nothing to hide her feelings; her expression said it all. Tori giggled upon seeing her, earning glares from Natasha and her parents. Natasha loved to braid her ginger hair, as it was impossible to tame. As Natasha donned her brown winter coat, she swore internally she would leave this house.

Natasha and Tori said their goodbyes and set off. They boarded a cab, and the ride lasted twenty minutes, during which Tori teased Nash over her outfit. Nash decided to stay quiet and was lost in her daydreams until someone tugging at her arm brought her back to reality. It was Tori.

"Tasha, get yourself out here; we are going to be late," and off Tori went to meet her old classmates. She was home for the holidays, and with the semester reopening, she was returning to her hostel on campus.

Nash half consciously stepped out of the cab, tripping in the process, and was saved from falling by a breathtakingly handsome stranger. He stared at her while she ogled him for a while. Natasha searched for words but couldn't come up with any.

"Excuse me, miss?" Lucas said, seeing as she held onto him tightly. Who was this beauty?

"Oh, I am sorry... Thanks for your help." She said with a shy smile, her cheeks red from embarrassment. She wasn't about to keep a record on her first day here.

"That's the lamest thing I have ever heard. You can do better," Lucas teased. She stirred something within him, and that smile...

"Excuse me! What are you talking about?" Nash said, glaring at him. Who the hell did he think he was?

"Definitely not my type; you are too rough on the edges." Lucas bragged, sizing her up. He had this conceited look about him, and Nash recognized an egoistic person when she saw one.

Natasha sighed, and he released her abruptly, causing her to fall with a resounding thud. She was annoyed at this point, and before she could give him a reply, the bell went.

"Oh, fuck! The tour," she muttered as she scrambled up, cleaning her outfit as she headed to the dean's office.

The tour lasted an hour, and she was shown around the campus. She was new to the university and had to go through the formalities. In her final year, she had chosen to transfer back home after her father was diagnosed with cancer.

As she stepped out of the block, she was famished and tired. The students were planning an outing, but she was in no mood to party; after all, she was new and barely knew others save Tori. And after her welcome experience, she wasn't sure she wanted to socialize.

Tori's voice pulled her out of her reverie. As she spun to give Tori a tongue-lashing, she gasped. On Tori's arm was the annoying, rude, arrogant, egoistic guy from earlier, who eyed her with disgust.

"Hey Tasha, how did it go?" Tori blurted, sensing her exasperation.

"After leaving me and going off to God knows where, is that all you can say?" Nash blurted angrily.

"Come on, girl, don't be mad at me. I had a lot of catching up to do. I am sorry." Tori admitted.

"Well, thanks to you, I discovered some monsters exist here," Nash proclaimed.

"Wait! Tasha, what is this about? Monsters? Here?" Tori giggled with a confused expression.

"He can explain better," Nash said, pointing towards the guy who stared at her with disgust. Oh! How she hated his guts.

Just then Tori remembered he was there all this time.

"Oh, I see you two have met." Tori commented, eyes swaying between the two of them.

"No, we haven't. She had a failed pass at me. Nothing more!" Lucas replied.

"Not in my next life," Nash stated, earning stares from other students.

"Take it easy, you both." Tori whispered to Nash, "Girl, you are creating a scene; get yourself together." Tori was surprised and worried. Nash was usually calm and composed, but seeing her argue with Lucas was unsettling. Lucas was normally calm and playful too, so what changed?

It was then that Natasha realized students, parents, and teachers were staring. Uh-uh! She was off to a bad start and couldn't wait to get out of there.

Nash moved into the school hostel with Tori, getting away from her mother and her rules, to her greatest satisfaction.

Her first days in school were weird, as she had no friends apart from Tori, who spent a lot of time with the annoying Lucas. Spotting Tori from afar, Natasha walked excitedly towards her but stopped in her tracks when she saw Lucas. Did he have to look so smug all the time? Everyone seemed to be staring at him, which further irritated Natasha.

"Natasha Lindsay, are you avoiding me?" Tori exclaimed as Natasha made a swift turn to avoid saying hi.

"Oh, I think she's just excited to see me and is acting up," Lucas muttered, grinning at Natasha. His eyes shone, pissing Natasha off. Did he have to look so good?

Just then she spotted a familiar face heading towards them. Good heavens!

"Oh, Nash!" Meredith said as she rushed to hug her. "It's been ages. I see you are new here. I haven't seen you around before." She turned to see Tori standing next to Lucas and shrugged. It was no secret Meridith still liked Lucas. They were together for two years before she cheated on him with a senior from another university.

"Oh, Meredith! How long has it been? Five? Six years? I have missed you so much," Nash said. They went to secondary school together, and though they belonged to different cliques, they were neighbors and playmates until Meredith and her family moved to another neighborhood.

"I heard you were in Chicago. Why did you return?" Meredith inquired, curious of this new development. From way back, Nash had worked hard to leave for Chicago. So the sudden move was suspicious. Also, this was the second time she had seen Natasha around Lucas, her Lucas. If he wasn't hers, he won't be anyone else's.

"Oh, I just missed home and my parents," Nash expressed, hiding the real reason why she returned. Her mom loved to keep up appearances and would scold Natasha if she spread the news.

"Well, I will see you around then. And a word of advice: mind who you socialize with; some people are wolves in sheep's clothing." Meridith whispered in her ear as she left with her foot soldiers following her around. She was the queen bee and looked down on others at school.

Natasha found the advice weird, wondering who she was referring to, but ignored it as she attended her two lectures for the day.

On Friday after lectures, Tori invited Nash to an all-night party. It was the last place Nash wanted to be, but she didn't want to stay home without Tori, and she also hoped to make some new friends and relax a little, so she tagged along.

After all, her mom wasn't here to control her, and she could have some fun. It was going to be an experience, and Nash was ready to finally breathe.

After high school, Nash had moved to the University of Chicago for her accounting major with a minor in secretarial duties, eager to get away from her parents' constant poking. Her mother was controlling, and she had grown weary of her ways. 2 months ago, her father was diagnosed with cancer, and she returned to spend time with him. She was an only child, and her parents were both well-to-do.

Her mother was a medical doctor and her father a university professor, and they were well connected and respected in her society, so she didn't have much to worry about. She had had no life in secondary school, as her mother planned everything in advance; her mom was a paragon of perfection in their society. Even the school parties she barely attended because of the hideous outfits her mom always picked. This made Natasha an introvert who had a hard time making friends.

Lucas was extremely pleased with himself. Raised by a single mother, he had studied hard all his life while doing odd jobs. As for his father, Lucas always got monosyllabic answers from his mom. He was dead. No matter how he asked, she never said more, and it became a bone of contention between them until her death two years ago. He was popular at the university and aced all his courses. In his first year, he had opted to live off campus to be able to work his side jobs and study, avoiding the school parties. Now he was in his final year and wanted to get good grades, but he had promised Tori he would be at the party tonight. He casually remembered the spitfire he met earlier today. There had been so many like her before, but he never got carried away by their tricks.

As he walked into the party, he spotted his spitfire in a miniskirt with legs to die for and a blazer with Louboutins. Oh, you could smell the money from a mile away. Natasha was her name. They had a lecture together the previous day, and she threw him dangerous stares.

"Hey, Lucas! You made it. Everyone, look who is here!" Tori exclaimed as he walked in, crushing her in a bear hug. They met in their first year at the university and clicked even though they had distinct personalities.

Tori was social, outgoing, and the life of the party; she was not to be trifled with. Her blonde hair was always impeccable, and she had an unbeatable fashion style, so Meridith saw her as competition. Tori was in her final year, like Lucas, with a major in interior design and a minor in fine arts. Since Nash was new, she pulled her to tag along. Rumors had it that Lucas and Tori were lovers, but Tori was discreet about her relationships, so she used their friendship as a distraction. This made her a perpetual enemy for Meredith and her clique.

"Hi, Tori," he said as he pulled her into a bear hug and high-fived the others around. Nash sat in the far corner sipping on her iced tea. She didn't want to come along, but Tori dragged her along, and when Tori was determined, nothing could stop her. She had no say or choice.

The night was filled with booze, drinks, shots, and dancing. Everyone was having the time of their lives. Tori, as usual, disappeared, leaving Nash to sort herself out. Natasha, though timid, loved dancing. Her body never got used to alcohol, but she always loved a good challenge, so she indulged. The night rolled slowly into the early hours of the morning.

The sun filtered through the drapes as Lucas stretched in bed lazily as his head pounded within. Last night had been terrific. One minute they were arguing, and the next minute they were moving to the beat and grinding on each other. He smiled; Natasha seemed timid, but the alcohol brought out the dancer in her. But the other part was blurry. Wait! Lucas woke up with a start as he felt something or someone on the bed.

At the same time Nash stretched in her sleep, and woke up suddenly with a scream falling off the bed

"What the heck? Lucas? You, here?" She exclaimed, staring at her state of undress and the stains on the sheets. She was done for. How did she end up here?

"Natasha? How did you get into my house? Into my bed," Lucas demanded, looking at her with disdain. The sly bitch!

"Lucas, I have no idea. OMG," Nash muttered as she struggled to cover herself up. She was in bed, naked, with Lucas. One glance at the bloodstained sheets and anyone would know what had happened. "No, no, no...it can't be."

The doorbell pulled them out of their confusion as Lucas rushed to get the door while Nash furiously gathered her clothes and rushed into the bath to get dressed. Just like that, she had lost her virginity.

While Lucas was still at the door, she sneaked out through the back door, avoiding the walk of shame. She had just moved to this school, and she had already lost her virginity to a stranger. How did she get here?.

Natasha saw a fleet of cars parked in front of his house and thanked the stars she had gotten out of there in time. Lucas lived off the side of campus, and she was sure someone must have seen her leave.

"Hey, sweetie! Where were you last night? Looked all over the place for you." Tori said as Nash tried to sneak in unsuccessfully. She had a crazy night and got home, hoping to find Natasha, but their hostel was empty.

"You abandoned me at the party. Where else would I be?" Nash said sourly and walked into the bath, shutting the door in her face. She would never go out with her again.

She quickly cleaned up and got ready for her afternoon class. She had a business accounting lecture at midday, a lecture she shared with Lucas, and she was embarrassed at the prospect of facing him again. She had slept with him shamelessly. Damn it! He had been so crass to her before and was going to think her a cheap whore now.

As she settled into her seat, she spotted the class trolls staring at her, and she felt uneasy. Could it be that they knew?

"Oh, see who we've got here? The new class whore!" They said, giggling amongst themselves. "Spent a great night in his bed, huh!" So cheap and ugly. He won't even glance at you anymore, as you aren't his type." They laughed noisily.

The lecturer walked in, interrupting the show, and for the rest of the lecture, Nash looked straight ahead, avoiding being the subject of their mockery anymore. Lucas' seat remained vacant throughout that lecture and for the rest of the lectures throughout the semester.

Nash began feeling restless, sick, and uneasy. On one of her visits home, she threw up, causing her mom to worry and choose to run some tests. In the past she had missed periods so she wasn't exactly worried until her mom came home screaming her name as she stepped into the house

"Natasha Lindsay Adams, come here this minute."

Nash ran downstairs wondering what that was about as her father came out of the kitchen, a glass of fresh juice in hand.

"Hi, Mom, is everything ok?" Nash inquired, staring at the envelope in her mom's hand with worry. What could make her mom so angry? What was in the envelope?

"Can you explain this?" Her mom said as she flung the envelope at Natasha. Natasha picked up the envelope, opened it, and burst into tears. She was pregnant! She was really pregnant after a one-night stand.

Lucas hadn't returned to school in the last 3 months, and rumors had it he had dropped out and left town. How was she supposed to find him? Luckily for her, the class trolls had stopped, and she could move freely again. She looked up to find her parents staring at her, hoping for answers, but she was too shocked to say anything and ran to her room, locking the door behind her.

"Who is responsible, Natasha?" Her mom demanded through the door as her father stood in silence.

"Mom, I don't know... I..." Natasha was too scared to mention Lucas. He had disappeared without a trace, and no one had heard from him. He also had no family in town and hadn't contacted anyone in three months. What if he denied the pregnancy? She would have no way of proving it was his then. She wouldn't abort too, and she knew her mom wouldn't let her stay here. She was too upright to endure the shame and disgrace.

"Natasha, are you going to stay silent on the matter?" Her mom demanded.

"Mom, can I be left alone, please? I need to think." Nash cried through the door. She knew her parents were hurt, but she had to think.

"She can't stay here, Love. She can't stay here." She heard her mom say. Her mom would rather die than let her stay.

"I will make plans for her to move to my mom's in Mount Vernon. She will have to complete her studies by distance learning." Her dad replied, and Nash wept bitterly. One night had ruined her life. Never in her life did she imagine she would get pregnant after a one-night stand or that she would lose her virginity to a total stranger.

"Natasha, you should pack up. I feel embarrassed by you at the moment. It's better you leave for the meantime. The break will do a lot of good for all of us." Her mom replied coldly and walked down the stairs.

"Baby, I am sorry; you know what your mom is like. She is mad right now. Give her some time, and she will come to her senses. Mom will be glad to have you around. I will make the call so she's expecting you." Her father said sorrowfully, wishing things were different. His wife had sacrificed so much; she had become overcontrolling, and their daughter had suffered the most. It was for the best if she left, at least for now.

She had just moved here, and now she was moving away again. Her parents cared more about their reputation, and she just had to leave; she felt defeated. She didn't tell Tori or Meridith, and within a week, she drove away, leaving her old life behind.