Chapter Two

Amaryllis Burton

"Amari, get down here this instant or I'm throwing you in a box and shipping you to Catalonia." I heard my mum's voice in my sleep and I turned on my bed and buried myself deeper under the duvet. Whatever Catalonia is, I wouldn't mind going as long as I was allowed to sleep in that box. I smiled softly when I realized my mum didn't yell anything again, and that means I could get some additional minutes of sleep.

My happiness was short-lived when a loud horn blasted in my ear and I shot up at the speed of light. I looked around to find Oliver with a small trumpet in hand, and a mischievous grin on his face. Of course! What was I thinking?

I reached for Oliver, and thankfully he wasn't expecting that move so he didn't have the time to run away. I grabbed his small body and threw him on my bed. I hooked his head between my armpit and smacked him badly on his behind. His stupid screams made my morning so much better, and soon enough, I turned his behind into a drum and I was diligently humming along to the beat.

"MUM! RILEY IS HARASSING ME!" Yup, that's another nickname out of the mountain of nicknames I have. If his cry for help reached the ears of my mum, we couldn't tell because mother dearest didn't even say a word or appear in my room. At least, she's allowing me win this round.

"Let me go. I can't breathe from the stench reeking from your armpit." Wow. Way to appease me, Oliver. After two more minutes of making sure he would have difficulty sitting down today, I released him and shoved him away. He landed on his sore butt and let out a painful yelp. His face was red from pain and I smirked at the pathetic sight.

"You're the worst." He growled and ran outside my room. More like staggered actually. I did a pretty good number on that butt and he would definitely need an ice pack when he gets back from school. I glanced at my bed and sighed sadly at the crushed hope of getting more minutes of sleep.

I picked up the pieces of my broken heart and went ahead to make myself look presentable enough to face the day. I mentally went over all the classes I had today, and I realized there was absolutely none to look forward to. Well, there's the class I share with Jordan.

"Jordan! Mall!" memories of yesterday came rushing back and I suddenly felt sick to my stonach. How would I face him after that embarrassing moment? Would he believe me if I told him I was just running an errand. Well, I could tell him to touch my butt to confirm I wasn't wearing diapers. Ewww, definitely not.

I got into a dark pair of jeans and a blue crochet crop top, which I paired with a thick white and black flannel shirt that I left unbuttoned. Slipping on my decent pair of vans, I declared myself ready for the day. My golden curls had been finger combed and left to fall all over my back, and my face was bare of makeup....like it mostly was. Not like I'm allergic to make up or anything, I just rarely feel like using anything.

"And the queen arrives." Dad beamed at me and I ran into his open arms. Yes! Yes! Yes! I am totally a daddy's girl and I am very proud of it. I have the tightest bond with my dad and I could swear our hearts were woven into one. If anything would go wrong with me, my dad would feel it, and likewise. Mum was always jealous of the bond we shared but she has accepted that I'm the first wife and she's the other woman. Cue evil laughter.

Dad was the first to leave so he dropped us off at school. He planted a kiss on my forehead and wished me the very best. If only he knew he might never get any grandchildren from me because the only man I want to marry thinks I wet my pants unconsciously.

"Good morning, peasant. You look rather trashy today. I bet your shoes are tired of being over used." Dear God, if this is my first murder, I ask that you save me from the burning pit of hell.

"I would wish you a good morning, Carmel but I doubt anything good wants to come close to you. So, morning to you too." Her eyes flared and I rolled my eyes. She gets angry when you throw an insult at her but she can't stop insulting people? Classy.

"I wouldn't say that, seeing as I have all the good things in life but you are too poor to afford them." Her little scene was already generating a crowd and I didn't want to be seen beating up the Barbie of Halloway.

"Last I checked, I didn't come to your parents to beg for money to fund my education, clothe myself, or feed myself. My parents are perfectly capable of taking care of that so I doubt you have the right to call me poor." She wanted to respond, but I was too annoyed to keep going round in circles of insult without actually slapping the hell out of her, so I interrupted.

"Shhsh. If I wanted to hear your input, I would ask for it. I honestly do not have time to indulge a love and attention starved spoilt princess this morning. It's not my fault daddy's credit card can't buy you the love you need." The crowd made an ouch sound. I didn't wait to see her reaction because I walked away immediately I said what I wanted to. A part of me wanted to feel bad for saying that to her, then I remembered she had done worse to me and she wouldn't hesitate to do more. Carmel Addission was the bad five-letter world of Halloway and I'm the one sent from above to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Hello, anti-Carmel." I heard Rose's voice just as I was opening my locker and I flashed her my signature conceited grin. Yep, sure feels good to be the one who gives the bully a hard time. Don't ya wish your girlfriend was more like me?.......or preferably me?

"Hello, best friend of the saviour of Halloway high." She shoved me playfully, giving me a stink eye.

"Oh, shut up. So have you seen Jordan this morning?" She wriggled her eyebrows and I was reminded of a snake. I sighed sadly, memories of yesterday flooding my head.

"All hope is lost, Rosaline. Jordan will never want to look at me again." I shut my locker and placed my head on it, cursing my fate. I didn't hear anything from Rose, but I heard retreating footsteps. I raised my head from my devastating position only to find out that Rose was gone, and in her place was Jordan.

"Hi, Jordan." then it clicked, JORDAN ANDERSON WAS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!

"Jordan! Hi!" My voice rose by a lot of octaves and I'm pretty sure I sounded like a constipated whale.

"You've said that already, Ama. Hi to you too, how are you?" I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. Jordan was really standing in front of me and he was really talking to me, and not running away from me in fear that I might unleash bladder juice on him. Before I could say anything, he reached for my hand (heaven is calling my name!), and placed it on his cheek (HEAVEN, HERE I COME!). My jaw dropped and I blinked rapidly. My goodness!

"You were looking at me like I was a ghost and you had that disbelieving look in your eyes, so I decided to help you confirm that I'm flesh and blood, just like you. I hope you aren't mad I touched you without permission."

Mad? Mad my foot! The only mad I am, is madly in love with you, my darling beautiful boy. How could I be mad? This is my dream come true. Jesus is aliveeeeeeee!

"Wow." His eyes widened and I was wondering why when something occurred to me. I desperately prayed it wasn't so, but the look Jordan was giving me told me it was absolutely so.

"Please tell me I didn't say all that out loud." I closed my eyes, afraid to look at me because I might dissolve into a puddle of embarrassment and dashed dreams. Now he's never going to talk to me again.

"Either that or I'm starting to hear voices." He chuckled and I hit my head on the locker. I wanted to stop at one hit, but somehow my head consistently banged the locker till Jordan pried me away from it.

"It's not that bad, Ama. I kinda knew you liked me already, I just didn't know it was the big L word." If he was trying to help me reduce my embarrassment, someone better tell him he was doing a pretty crap job at that.

"You're totally not helping." I groaned, still with my eyes closed. Never in a million years would I look at Jordan face to face again. Not even if I was offered a million bucks!

"Well, if it helps, I actually came here to ask you to go on a date with me." My eyes flew open instantly. Guess Jordan worths more than a million bucks. He ran his hand along the back of his neck, and I could see that he was nervous. I guess he never planned to ask me like this.....but who caressssss!

"Yeah, quite shocking, huh. Ama, I've liked you for a while now. You're one very tough girl and I think it's really cute how you don't take crap from anyone, not even Carmel who's pretty scary. You're also very beautiful too. I was scared you might not like me back, so I stayed away from you. Then, yesterday I decided to man up and actually talk to you and I'm glad I did." I was no longer in the hallway of this stupid school, instead I was in a beautifully decorated church, walking right down the aisle, with Jordan standing there waiting for me.

"So, Amaryllis, will you go on a date with me? and let's see where this takes us?" Oh, I know where this takes us, boy! This takes us to a church, where we would exchange vows and get married.

"Yes. Yes, I do. Umm...sorry, I mean, I will." The laughter dancing in his eyes told me he knew exactly what I was thinking, but he didn't comment.

"Thank you. Tomorrow's good? 8pm?" I nodded frantically, causing him to chuckle. He bade me goodbye and I watched him disappear from my sight before I jumped up and threw my first in the air.

"Today's the best day ever!" I sighed and sprinted to class like a girl who won a lottery. Rosaline, I hear I come! Mrs. Amaryllis Anderson on the wayyyy.

.....................

"Acceleration........time......you.......product of...... " Whatever Miss Salma was saying wasn't in any way entering my head. I was zoning in and out. God knows I was trying my best not to fall asleep.

"OH. MY. GOD! OH. MY. GOD!" We heard the loud scream and one of the students came rushing into the class. Miss Selma looked ready to kill. Even before she uttered a word, her hand was already on the detention slip stack.

"Wha..."

"I JUST SAW THE LEXINGTONS IN THE HALLWAY!" She screamed, cutting Miss Selma off and every where went crazy. Even Miss Selma blanched. Hell, I blanched. The Lexingtons! That's like hearing Jeff Bezos was in our school!

Everyone rushed out of class to catch a glimpse of the celebrity multi-billionaire couple that everyone wished they were. Carmel was deliberately shoving me out of the way in the struggle to quickly dash out of class.

"Move it peasant. Birds of the same feather flock together. The Lexingtons are too good for your wretched eyes to see." She huffed and ran out in her desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of the people her parents can never be. The Addissons might be well to do, but their net worth would probably the wardrobe allowance of a Lexington family member. Yes, they were that rich. Everyone who lives at Lakeview, California is a top of the ladder kind of elite. There are elites and there are elite elites.

"Girl! I heard the Lexingtons are in school." Jade managed to find me on the mass of students. Everyone had heard the big gist and they were all running around, trying to maybe touch the hem of a Lexington garment. Rumor had it they were in the principal office.

"Miss Amaryllis Burton. Please proceed to the principal' office." The dreaded voice of Mrs. Johnson sounded through the public address system and every one (that knows my name) zoned on me. My eyes widened and Jade nudged me.

"Isn't that your name? Damn, that's your name which means that's you! The principal is calling you! In the same office where the Lexingtons are!" Jade went on and on, but I wasn't even registering it. Why would I be summoned? Even if they wanted to grant someone a scholarship, my name wouldn't even make the top ten list.

"Peasant, the Lexingtons probably want us to get rid of the trash in Halloway." Of course, the banshee had something to say. Mrs. Johnson repeated the announcement, with hatred lacing her voice. We all know Mrs. Johnson hates repeating herself.

I reluctantly pushed myself in the direction of the principal's office, ignoring the murmurings among the student body. Everyone was probably as confused as me, but they could never be more confused than I am. Never in a million years because I was at the peak of confusion.

"You can go in." Mrs. Johnson said without even looking in my direction. Only God and the woman knows what crawled up her behind and died, leaving a dirty stench of bitterness.

I opened the door to the principal's personal office and my eyes widened when I sighted my parents, sitting together with the Lexingtons. Well, they had to be the Lexingtons because they looked really sophisticated, and I might have seen the man sometimes on the TV. I never really followed gossips but everyone knew of their power and influence, even if you couldn't place a face to the name.

"Mum! Dad! What are you doing here?" My parents looked at me, and I saw their red rimmed eyes. My heart flew out of my chest and I couldn't even begin to count how many thoughts had begun to run in my mind. What could my parents have done to the Lexington's?

"What's going on?" I finally shifted my gaze to the other couple and my breath hitched. Not out of excitement or adoration, although I felt all of those, but because I finally met someone who had the same features as me. The golden curls and eyes were extra familiar because I had been seeing the same ones in the mirror everyday for seventeen years. Wow! Felt nice to actually have the same attributes with someone famous.

"Oh my God. My baby! Look, Adrian, our little baby." Mrs. Lexington broke down and wept in her husband's arms. I might admire the woman a lot, but at that moment, her utterances were of someone who had lost it. There was no baby in the room.

"What's going on? What baby?" I voiced out my confusion and mum rushed over to me and engulfed me in a big hug. I would have hugged back but my head was wrapped in confusion.

"Talk to me, mum. Why are these people here? What do they want from us?" The more I spoke, the more Mrs. Lexington broke down in tears, and it was honestly beginning to get on my nerves.

"I told you we should not have this conversation in her school, but you said you couldn't wait to see her." Dad voiced out angrily, even though his voice was shaky with tears.

"I can see my daughter whenever and wherever I want to!" Mr. Lexington growled, his teary eyes hardening up. You could tell he was livid and his wife understood that too, so she placed a comforting hand on his arm and his eyes softened immediately.

"Your what? Somebody talk to me before I lose it. Whether right here or on the moon, I don't bloody care. I need someone to say something right this instant!" How I summoned the courage to yell at five adults was beyond me, but I didn't care. I was beginning to have a very huge headache.

"Let me handle this--please." Dad directed at the Lexington's. Then he came over to where I was standing, and crouched in front of me.

"Amari. I wish we could talk somewhere else, but I have to say I understand their urgency to see you. Amaryllis, these couple right here are your real parents."

Your real parents.....

Your real parents.....

Your real parents.....

I didn't wait to call his bluff or find out if he was telling the truth. I did the one thing I was fond of doing whenever I'm faced with situations that seemed bigger than I could handle. I took to my heels, leaving behind everyone that wanted to make my head erupted in flames.

Who could have thought these things also happen in real life. Who could have thought I wouldn't ever be in a position where I would find out that the people I loved the most in the world, and called mother and father would turn out to be people who lied to me.