Isabella

“Wake up, Bella, or you’ll be late for school.”

I wake up to my mother’s soothing voice ringing in my ear. I open one eye and catch sight of her elegant figure leaning over me as she caresses my cheek.

“Good morning. Come on; your brother is already downstairs eating his breakfast,” she continues.

“Good morning, Mom. I’ll be right down. Please tell Justin to go ahead without me,” I mumble as I stir and yawn.

Mom shakes her head in disapproval but ends up smiling before kissing me on the forehead and leaving my bedroom.

I sigh, gathering enough courage to get out of bed. 

Twenty minutes later, I’m showered, my makeup is done, and I’m looking fresh and clean in my school uniform—a blue blazer, a white dress shirt, a pink tie, and a blue pencil skirt. I slip into an expensive pair of black high heels and pick up a black purse to finish my look, giving my reflection in the mirror a self-satisfied smile.

I rush back to my bedroom to grab my laptop and cell phone before heading downstairs. As usual, I find the Williams family having breakfast in the breakfast room, ready to start a new day.

* * *

I was born into a wealthy world, specifically in Pennsylvania. 

My parents are billionaires and one of the most influential couples in the country. My father, John Williams, owns a law firm, whereas my mother, Anastasia Williams, runs a makeup empire.

My oh-so-dear twin brother—Justin Williams—and I look the same, except for the obvious fact that he’s a boy and a jerk, and I’m a girl and well-behaved. Justin also happens to be the captain of the school’s football team, and girls treat him like a greek god—his golden hair, tanned skin, deep green eyes, broad shoulders, and hard abs are more than enough to make him the most popular boy in school.

Like my brother, I also have blonde hair, although mine is much longer. My eyes are as green as his, but my skin is pale, which makes their color pop even more. I’m also the most popular girl in school and one of the cheerleaders. I guess being billionaires and the children of prominent public figures doesn’t exactly hurt our chances of being put on a pedestal.

* * *

“Good morning, Bella,” Dad says as soon as he sees me enter the breakfast room.

“Hey, sis, do you need a ride to school today? The guys are meeting us in the parking lot,” my brother tells me, shooting me his megawatt smile.

I flop down onto a chair next to him, scanning the healthful breakfast spread on the table—pancakes, oatmeal, a huge variety of fruits, cakes, and drinks. In the end, I go with my usual—an apple and a mug of coffee.

“Thank you, Jus, but you can go ahead because I’m driving my car later,” I reply, taking a tiny bite of my apple.

“Is that all you’re eating?” My brother scowls.

“I’m not hungry in the morning. You know that.” I shrug, sipping my coffee.

Jus rolls his eyes and places his last slice of cake on my plate. “Tsk tsk. I’ll see you at school, then.” He rises to his feet, kisses Mom and Dad on their foreheads, grabs his laptop and books, and strides to the living room. A moment later, we hear the front door open and close.

“Are you excited about school?” Mom asks me, smiling.

“Yes, I am, especially because this is my last year of high school. After that, I’m off to college,” I respond, excitement shining in my eyes.

“We’re going to miss you,” my father comments, glancing at me.

“I’m going to miss you too.” I give him a soft smile in return.

As soon as the words leave my mouth, my cell phone starts ringing. I let out a low groan of annoyance when I see the caller ID—Zack, one of my best friends and also my ex-boyfriend.

“Good morning, Zack.” My voice comes out polite as ever, even though he knows perfectly well that I despise being bothered in the morning by his childish antics.

“Are you on your way to school, or are you late again because you spent ages choosing a pair of shoes?” my ex-boyfriend mocks.

“No.” I pause, ignoring his rudeness. “I’m having breakfast with my parents. Justin is already on his way, though.”

“Why are you still there? Didn’t you read our group chat? We’re supposed to meet everyone in the parking lot,” he scolds.

“I did read the messages, but I already told you that I’m having breakfast,” I reply, not the least bit bothered by his loud groan on the other end of the line.

“Get your pretty and perfect ass to school now,” he demands, ending the call before I can even protest.

After letting out a sigh of frustration, I drain my coffee and stand up with my cell phone and my unfinished apple in hand. “Mom, Dad, I have to go. I’ll see you at dinner,” I say, kissing them on their cheeks before grabbing my purse, books, laptop, and the key to my convertible red luxury sports car, then heading to the mansion’s garage.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, I find myself parking my car in the Vista High School lot, right next to my brother’s massive yellow luxury SUV.

Once out of the vehicle, I instantly catch a glimpse of my friends gathered in front of the school’s stairs, who, much to my embarrassment, start cheering the moment they see me, making me lower my head as I walk toward them—not to mention the students whispering and shooting me those fearful-slash-praising looks as I pass by.

I’m used to most girls waving and smiling at me and the boys swooning over my figure. However, I’m also used to ignoring all of them, which is why the entire school thinks I’m a snobby goody-two-shoes. My reputation has been like this for years.

The truth is, I’m well aware that ninety-nine percent of the people who want to be friends with me are really just interested in my name, my popularity, my money, and my handsome twin brother.

“Finally,” Zack exclaims, pulling me into a tight hug the moment I stop in front of him and the rest of the group.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” I hug him back reluctantly, forcing a smile.

“Hey, girl, I was waiting for you.” My best friend Katy pulls me out of Zack’s grip and hooks an arm through mine in a protective gesture, much to my relief and gratitude.

Don’t get me wrong; I care about Zack because he is one of my best friends. But these past couple of days have been weird, to say the least, as, apparently, being friends with your ex is more complicated than it looks.

“How was your trip to Asia, Katy?” I ask, shooting my best friend a heartfelt smile.

“It was absolutely amazing.” She grins from ear to ear. 

“How about Brandon? Did you guys have fun together?” I pry mischievously.

“Oh, yes. Brandon and I had a great time together,” she replies nonchalantly, though something in her tone feels off. “Speaking of the devil…” She points toward her boyfriend, who is approaching us with our friends Julie and Collin trailing behind him.

“Bella, Katy.” Brandon greets me with a kiss on the cheek, moving on to kiss Katy on the lips.

I wave at Julie and Collin, who wave back in response, stepping closer to me. Although we usually clash head-to-head over our different opinions and behavior, I can’t help but feel happy to be surrounded by them again.

“Where is Jus?” I frown, noticing my brother’s absence.

“He’s hanging out with his teammates,” Collin says.

“Then why aren’t you, Brandon, and Zack hanging out with the football team? You are teammates as well, aren’t you?” I arch an eyebrow, curious.

“Yeah, but we chose to meet you first,” Zack smirks, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing the back of it.

I yank it away, hissing, “Cut it out. We broke up weeks ago, and I made it clear I don’t want you kissing me anymore.” I take a few steps back.

Zack throws his arms in the air, looking defeated. “Fine. I’m sorry,” he pouts, trying to sound hurt. But I dated him for two years, and I know him well enough to see that he’s actually enjoying messing with me.

Julie glances at her phone and grimaces. “Oh, shoot, I’m late. I’m supposed to show the school to the new underprivileged students.”

Zack grimaces, his voice dripping with disgust. “My dad donated a huge sum to that stupid scholarship program this year—he’s practically paying for those poor students’ education.”

“So has my father,” Julie huffs, her expression mirroring his.

“I think it’s great that your parents are helping these students,” I comment. “They come from public schools and deprived neighborhoods, and they deserve a chance at a better education.”

“To hell with those kids. I don’t care about them. They’re different from us, and they should be banned from our private school. The fact that we have to share the same space with them is outrageous,” Zack snaps, scowling.

Annoyed by their rude remarks about the scholarship students, I decide to head to homeroom without them. “I’m going to homeroom. I’ll see you guys later,” I tell them, walking away before they can stop me.

I stop at my locker to put some books inside, and Julie suddenly appears beside me, startling me.

“Why did you leave the group so suddenly, Bella?” she asks, arching an eyebrow, slightly out of breath. “I had a hard time keeping up with you because you were walking too fast. I almost started sweating. Ew.” She grimaces.

Without hesitation, I reply, “I left because I was disgusted by how you and Zack were talking about the scholarship students.”

“Why? We were just stating the truth, weren’t we?” she snorts, her lips curling into an arrogant smile.

I place my books in my locker and shut it with a snap, giving her a pointed look. “Then why did you offer to show the new students around today?”

Julie lets out one of her signature unkind laughs. “Because I’m the Student Council president. According to the principal, it’s my job to welcome the poor students and convince them we’re all ‘equals.’” She air-quotes equals, rolling her eyes and snorting again.

“Which proves you shouldn’t be president at all,” I declare, giving her one last pointed look as I head to homeroom, forcing myself to stop before I say something even harsher.

* * *