Boarding School

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

EJ🖋️

"I have something for me too." He replied raising up the chain from under his shirt to show me something like a key. He unhooked it from his neck, took the key and places it in the keyhole of my heart shaped necklace.

That was when I noticed it had a lock. In half part of the heart, there was a picture of the both of us and in the other, was a painting Jordan had made of me.

"Here, my love is with you always." He said making the both of us laugh.

"With this, I am giving you a token of my love." Jordan said lowering his head down to place his forehead on mine.

"I love you so much." He took in a deep breath.

"I really love you a lot. I don't know what I'll do without you." He said bringing his arms that were by his side around me while I placed my hands on both his cheeks.

"I love you too Jordan. So much. I'll find a way to make my parents cancel the engagement." I promised stretching out my pinky and he gave me his too.

"I'll cancel my engagement as well. I hate Camilla."

"Well, makes us two." I responded as we shared a laugh.

"Has anyone seen the young madam?" I her a maid voice making Vincent release me as I walked away.

"Young Madam. Where were you?" A maid said trying to look into the corridor Jordan and I stood, the one I came out from.

"No where really. I'm here now, let's go." I said. She looked at me suspiciously but nodded following me closely behind.

I got to the garden and saw a lot of people there both the ones I invited and the ones I didn't. This is not how I wanted my party to be. I wanted something calm and collected not this.

"Hello mi lady." The root of my problem and unwanted guests Anthonio said behind me making my shoulder square and my lips straighten.

He took my left palm and placed a kiss on it before placing a kiss on my cheek.

What's he doing here? He shouldn't be here. He should be in college.

"I came back to surprise you." Anthonio said answering my unasked question.

"Okay, welcome, thanks for coming." I said making him smile.

I searched through the crowd with my eyes and saw my best friend in her own struggle with Vicente.

'God I hate them both' I murmured under my breath but unfortunately, Anthonio heard me.

"Aliya! That's so rude of you to say." He said applying pressure to my left palm that was still on his right one.

"Sorry." I wishphered meekly dragging my hand but he only applied more pressure

He hated whenever I said sorry. He wanted a challenging woman. Someone like Jane and I'm not that so pinching my sides, palm, or even tripping me are his correction method.

I've stopped reporting him to my parents cause their response are usually the same thing.

"Boys will always be boys. Endure it honey, he'll change but it keeps getting worst.

"Boys meet my fiancee, Aliyah." Anthonio said to a group of boys I've never seen before I guess his college friends or his teammates from football game still holding me roughly.

"She's pretty." A blonde haired boy I've never seen before said.

"Yes and she's all mine." Anthonio replied applying pressure to my hand while the boys laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Leave her hand." I heard Jules voice behind me. I was so happy to see him. Anthonio feared parents, Jules and Jordan. He would never maltreat me in front of them.

Looking at his flustered face gave me so much joy that I almost forgot about the pain in my hand until someone grabbed it.

"I'll talk with Anthonio." Jules said holding Anthonio's hand with twice as much force he did mine and they walked away leaving me with his friends and Jordan who was holding my hand.

"Hello to you too George." I replied my younger brother.

Ohh how much I wish his life was mine. Free from an arranged marriage, free to fall in love, free from responsibility.

"Ali, please come say hi to my friends over there they've always wanted to meet you." The seven years old said in a meek voice making me chuckle.

Staring at the boy with brown eyes and ginger coloured hair, he looked so cute I couldn't say no. Nodding my head, I let him lead me to where his friends were.

"So, who knows what sound a T-Rex makes?" I heard the voice of the boy who always mange to bring a smile to my face. Walking closer to where they were, I stopped to admire him.

"Roar..." A girl I recognize to be Abigail Ratchford and my brother best friend said making the kids shout a couple of noos.

"You're wrong. So the big bad wolf is gonna eat you." Jordan said running towards the girl . When he finally caught her, he tickled her, making her laugh.

"Hey guys here is the princess." George said holding my hand while the kids ran towards me trying to hug me at a time.

Thank God mother dearest wasn't here she would have shouted about how a noble woman should be noble in both character and name. I hate that I looked like her physically.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my mother. I just hated the fact that she's trying to control my life.

I used both my hands in ruffling the hairs of the boys and patting the girls. Boys hated their hair being ruffled and I loved whatever they hate.

A couple of "urghh"s and chuckles were heard from the kids.

I saw Jordan standing and his eyes were on me. Just me and I liked it way too much.

"My brother is so in love with you." Jane said to me looking making me laugh as I turned towards her. I didn't even know when she got here.

Turning towards Jordan, I saw him looking at me with so much love in his eyes and it's all for me. He blew a kiss to me making me blush and I'm so sure Jane saw it.

"What's that on your neck?" Jane asked me touching my neck chain the heart shaped one Jordan gave me.

"It's a gift." I replied not interested in continuing the conversation when I saw the look in her eyes.

"Is it from Jordan?" She asked. I could tell she was going to tease us about it later but she deserved to know. Besides, I will be saving myself a lot of trouble cause she's going to find out later.

"It is " I replied smiling. Thank God I didn't add blush to my makeup I knew my cheeks would be producing a lot of it.

"Ohh so this is what he's been hiding for days." Jane said laughing

"He has?" I asked.

"He has and he's been so flustered this morning asking me about your likes and dislikes. He's such a lover boy." She said laughing

"And so am I, a lover girl."

"That you are." She agreed as we shared a laugh before we both walked off to cut the cake.

I was in my room after the party had ended Jane was sleeping over. It was like a tradition for the both of us but she went home to get her stuffs. I tuked George in before heading towards my room.

"Aliyah."My mother has called my name as soon as I entered the room.

She was sitting on my bed dressed in the same attire she had on during the party. Sitting like she owned the bed. Mother never came here except she wanted something. She always asked the maids to call me. It's been 3 or four years since I saw her in my room.

"Mother. Good evening." I replied still in shock but I masked it up wouldn't want the wrath of the witch.

"Come here child." She called patting the side of the bed for me to come sit. This was what Jane mother does. Not my mother, never my mother, definitely not lady Philip.

Taking slow and steady steps towards her, I sat oh the bed.

"You've grown into a fine young woman."

"Thank you mother."

"Well, you are my daughter after all, you take after me."

My mother might not have liked the fact that I was a girl, but she definitely was happy that I took after her both in looks, speech and grace. I inherited my calm nature from my father, George too. That was the only thing she hated about us. Jules was her perfect son even if he looked like my father, he was as vicious and ambitious as my mother but he wouldn't hurt me or watch me being hurt. He loved me.

"By December next year, you'll be eighteen right?" She asked. I have a feeling I knew where this conversation was heading but I didn't want to accept it.

"Yes mother. Why are you asking?"

"Insolent. You only answer my question and don't ask back. How many times must I teach you that?" She was getting irritated so I just nodded my head and let her continue.

"That's more like it." She smiled in satisfaction at least, I've learnt one thing she must be thinking but didn't say it out loud.

"Your marriage to Anthonio Rodriguez had been fixed for next December." She said finally dropping the news that brought her to my room.

"Mother, what if I don't want to marry him? He treats me so bad." I complained hoping that for once she would care about me.

"Have I spoilt you too much that you dare defy my orders?" She asked.

"No Mother." I replied almost immediately. I don't want punishment, the were the worst thing you could wish for, especially not mother's.

"He is not treating you bad you're just giving him a tough time like you always give me." She complained.

"But mother, Father treats you better than he treats me." I tried to reason with her.

"That's cause I work hard for it and you would too."

"But.."

"This is not up for discussion Aliyah. You'll marry him by December." She said raising her hands signifying the discussion was over.

"Yes mother."

"Yes what?" She asked liking the fact that I was agreeing with her but wants to be sure on what I was agreeing.

"Yes I'll marry Anthonio Rodriguez by next year December." I said my head bowed down like she taught me.

"Good girl." She said smiling before walking out of the room.

I couldn't marry Anthonio. I loved Jordan. Anthonio doesn't even want me. He detest me. How can I expect him to be married to me, to love me, or look at me like father does mother?

Sitting on the bed in my attire that once made me a princess, a free one, I broke down in tears.

I didn't want to be a princess if I don't have my own choices. I want freedom. The one princesses gets.

I couldn't marry Anthonio and I couldn't defy mother. I wanted out and out I'll get either by choice, force, pregnancy, or death.