Chapter 5 — The First Day
1710 Words
The shrill sound of an alarm pulled Ellie from her sleep.
She groaned and buried her face in the pillow.
For a moment, she forgot where she was.
Then reality hit.
The mansion.
The Walters family.
The stepbrothers.
The new school.
Ellie sat up immediately.
“Right…”
Today was her first day.
⸻
She got ready quickly, choosing a simple outfit and trying not to overthink everything.
But it was impossible.
Her stomach was already tied in knots.
What if nobody likes me?
What if the brothers make things difficult?
What if I don’t fit in?
When Ellie entered the dining room, only Ethan was there.
As usual, he was staring at his phone.
Without looking up, he said,
“You’re late.”
Ellie frowned.
“It’s seven-thirty.”
“Exactly.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down.
A few moments later, Jayden walked in.
His tie hung loosely around his neck.
He grabbed an apple and smirked when he saw Ellie.
“Ready for your first day, new girl?”
Ellie narrowed her eyes.
“I’m not a new girl. I have a name.”
“Sure you do.”
Jayden laughed and took a bite of his apple.
⸻
A few minutes later, Darius appeared.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
He nodded briefly to his father and sat down without saying a word.
Ellie glanced at him.
He didn’t even acknowledge her presence.
After breakfast, they headed outside.
Several luxury cars were parked in front of the mansion.
Ellie’s eyes widened.
“How many cars does this family have?”
Jayden grinned.
“You don’t want to know.”
⸻
Mr. Walters cleared his throat.
“You three will make sure Ellie gets settled in.”
Immediately, both Jayden and Ethan looked unhappy.
“Nope,” Jayden said.
“Not happening,” Ethan agreed.
Mr. Walters gave them a look.
Neither argued further.
The moment their car entered the school grounds, Ellie realized this wasn’t an ordinary school.
The campus looked more like a university.
Students walked around in expensive uniforms.
Luxury cars filled the parking lot.
Everyone seemed rich.
Everyone seemed confident.
Everyone seemed like they belonged.
Except her.
⸻
The car stopped.
Ellie’s hands tightened slightly.
This was it.
Her first day.
Her first real step into her new life.
She opened the door and stepped out.
Almost immediately, dozens of eyes turned toward her.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
“Who’s that?”
“She’s new.”
“Did she come with the Walters brothers?”
“No way.”
Ellie’s heart began to race.
And she had a feeling…
This day was about to become much more complicated than she expected.
The moment the Walters brothers stepped out of the car, three girls came rushing toward them.
“Jayden!” one squealed.
“Darius!” another called.
The girls wrapped their arms around the brothers without hesitation.
Darius immediately stepped away, his expression turning cold.
Jayden removed a girl’s arm from his shoulder with obvious annoyance.
Ethan simply walked past them like they didn’t exist.
Ellie raised an eyebrow.
Well… that’s awkward.
The girls looked offended by the lack of attention, but their eyes soon landed on Ellie.
They slowly looked her up and down.
Judging.
Mocking.
Searching for flaws.
The tallest girl crossed her arms.
“And who is this?” she asked.
Another girl laughed.
“Is she a maid or something?”
Their followers immediately burst into laughter.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
Everyone knew these girls.
The school’s infamous Queen Bees.
Rich.
Popular.
And feared.
For a moment, nobody said anything.
Then Darius spoke.
“Watch your mouth.”
The laughter stopped instantly.
The Queen Bee blinked.
Darius’s eyes darkened.
“She’s my sister now.”
The entire courtyard fell silent.
“Show some respect.”
Shock spread across the students’ faces.
The Queen Bees looked completely stunned.
Before anyone could react, Ellie stepped forward.
“I can defend myself.”
Darius glanced at her but said nothing.
Ellie turned to the girls.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
“You know what?”
The girls frowned.
“I think you’re all my worst nightmare.”
More whispers erupted around them.
“But luckily,” Ellie continued, “I already know trouble when I see it.”
The girls’ faces darkened.
“And since I prefer peace, I’d appreciate it if you stayed far away from me.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Nobody could believe what they were hearing.
Students stared openly.
One girl actually gasped.
“Did she just talk back to the Queen Bees?”
“She’s crazy.”
“No one talks to them like that.”
The Queen Bees looked furious.
Their faces burned with humiliation.
“This isn’t over,” one of them hissed.
Then they spun around and stormed away.
Their followers quickly followed behind them.
The crowd remained frozen.
Ellie simply adjusted her bag.
And for the very first time since arriving at school…
Everyone knew her name.
📖 CHAPTER 5 — CONTINUED
After the confrontation outside, the crowd slowly began to disperse.
Whispers still followed Ellie as she walked through the hallways.
“That’s the new girl.”
“The one who stood up to the Queen Bees.”
“I heard she’s living with the Walters brothers.”
Ellie ignored the stares and tightened her grip on her bag.
Great… and it’s only my first day.
Mr. Walters had told her to report to the principal’s office before attending class, so she followed the directions carefully.
As she turned a corner—
Bump!
“Oh!”
Ellie accidentally collided with two girls, sending a pile of books tumbling onto the floor.
“I’m so sorry!” Ellie said immediately, kneeling to help pick them up. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“It’s okay,” one of the girls replied with a warm smile as she accepted her books.
She had bright eyes and a friendly face.
“I’m Zoe.”
The second girl couldn’t stop smiling.
“And I’m Amara!”
She clapped her hands excitedly.
“Wait… you’re the new girl, aren’t you?”
Ellie nodded shyly.
“I guess everyone already knows.”
Amara grinned.
“Of course we do! I can’t believe you stood up to those girls.”
“You were amazing!” Zoe added. “Nobody ever talks back to them.”
Ellie smiled awkwardly.
“I wasn’t trying to start a fight. I just wanted them to leave me alone.”
Amara laughed.
“Trust me, after today, the whole school will know your name.”
Ellie sighed playfully.
“I was actually hoping to stay unnoticed.”
The three girls shared a laugh.
For the first time since arriving at the Walters Mansion…
Ellie felt like she might have just made her first real friends.
📖 CHAPTER 5 — CONTINUED
After chatting for a while, Zoe glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
“Oh no! You still need to report to the principal’s office.”
Amara grabbed Ellie’s hand with a smile.
“Come on! We’ll take you there.”
The three girls hurried through the hallway until they reached the principal’s office.
Ellie took a deep breath before knocking.
“Come in.”
She stepped inside while Zoe and Amara waited outside.
A few minutes later, Ellie came out holding her class schedule.
“Done?” Zoe asked.
Ellie nodded.
“The principal said we’re all in the same class.”
“What?” Amara squealed happily. “This is the best news ever!”
She linked arms with Ellie.
“Now let’s go before the teacher arrives.”
As they walked down the hallway, Zoe looked at Ellie curiously.
“So… is it true?”
Ellie tilted her head.
“What?”
“That you’re living with the Walters boys.”
Ellie hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Yeah.”
Amara’s eyes grew wide.
“Seriously? Then what are you to them? Their cousin? A family friend?”
Ellie let out a small sigh.
“It’s… complicated.”
The two girls leaned closer.
“My mom married their father.”
Silence.
Then Ellie smiled awkwardly.
“So… I’m their stepsister.”
Zoe and Amara stopped walking.
Their mouths dropped open.
“STEP SISTER?!” they exclaimed at the same time.
Ellie laughed nervously.
“Yeah.”
Amara quickly covered her mouth.
“You’re kidding!”
“I wish I was.”
“Oh my gosh,” Zoe whispered. “Do you know how many girls in this school would dream of living in the same house as them?”
Amara nodded excitedly.
“They’re literally the most popular boys here!”
She grabbed Ellie’s arm.
“Tell us! Are they really as handsome as everyone says?”
Ellie made a face.
“Eww.”
The two girls burst into laughter.
“Eww?” Amara repeated.
“That’s your answer?”
Ellie shrugged.
“They’re annoying.”
Zoe and Amara exchanged a look before laughing even harder.
“You are definitely different.”
Before they knew it, they had arrived at their classroom.
Students were already filing inside.
Ellie took a deep breath and followed Zoe and Amara through the door.
The moment she stepped inside…
She froze.
Sitting near the window, casually scrolling through his phone, was Ethan.
A few seats away, leaning back in his chair with that familiar confident expression, sat Jayden.
Ellie’s eyes widened.
They’re in my class?
Her heartbeat quickened.
Jayden looked up first.
The moment their eyes met, a slow smirk spread across his face.
Ethan glanced up from his phone, saw Ellie standing at the door, then calmly looked back at his screen as if nothing had happened.
The classroom slowly fell silent.
Students looked from Ellie…
To Jayden…
To Ethan…
Then back to Ellie again.
Whispers immediately filled the room.
“That’s the new girl.”
“Isn’t she the one from this morning?”
“She actually knows the Walters brothers.”
“No… she’s living with them.”
Ellie tightened her grip on her bag.
This day had only just begun…
And she already had a feeling it was going to change her life forever.
- Writer
