My Little Secret

Chapter 1

With a groan Sophia rolled over to turn off her alarm. Five more minutes wouldn’t hurt. She rolled over, a content sigh leaving her lips as she buried herself in her warm covers again. The moment she started to drift off again her alarm started blaring that her five more minutes were up. Mumbling curses to her alarm clock, she swung her legs over the side of her bed, shivering as the cold in her room hit her still warm skin.

Yawning, she combed her fingers through her long, black locks. She’d have to brush all those knots. That was the risk of not braiding her hair before going to sleep. She shuffled to the kitchen, preparing her lunch for that day. Getting lunch at school was way too expensive. If there was one thing she could save on it was lunches. The food they sold there was trash anyways.

While chewing on a piece of bread she headed to the bathroom. As always she started with washing her face, combing her hair and brushing her teeth. With her hair smooth and soft again she put it into a flat bun, pinning it tightly to her head with several pins. There weren’t too comfortable but it was the best she had. With her hair in place she grabbed her wig, pulling it over her scalp. She tugged at the stands until it sat naturally on her head.

With a sigh she looked at herself, leaning against the sink. Tilting her head she stared into her own green eyes. They were just like her mothers, the one thing she refused to hide. Turning her head to the side she looked at the tattoo on the back of her neck. Gently she caressed it, her fingers following the direction of the wings. A phoenix, standing for her rebirth, but sometimes it felt more like a weight that reminded her of what she’d lost.

With one last glance to the tattoo she turned away from the mirror, heading for her closet in her room. Not feeling like wearing anything too special she settled for a hoody and some shaggy jeans. Before putting the hoody on she used an elastic piece of cloth to cover her boobs and flatten them more. Why needs a bra when you have this.

Grabbing her bag she gathered all her needed books for the day and lunch. With a heavy sigh she stepped outside. From her perspective the world was still the same as it was yesterday, but to the world Sophia Martha Wright wasn’t her right now.

She was Sander Jones.

-----

School had never been her favorite part of life, but apparently it is necessary if you wanted to get a job at some point in life. After grabbing her math book she closed her locker. She turned to head to her first class that day when someone caught her attention.

Felix Vang.

Tall, blond, and debatable good looking, but that was her opinion. He had a scar running across his face, something that many girls around school found attractive. To her however, he was jut another annoying boy who better stay out of her way. But for some reason that happened to be the last thing on his mind lately. It was strange, she had made it very clear on multiple occasions she would rather kill him then spend time with him. It was what she was known for in school.

Phoenix of the halls, they called her, dual to her tattoo. She didn’t mind the nickname as long as they knew why they gave her it. When school first started many looked down on her. For a guy she was rather small, easy to pick on they thought. How she proved them wrong. The school feared her, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Hey Sander,” Felix said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She simply rolled her eyes, turning away from him to head to her class.

Finally sat down at the desk next to window Sophia stared out through the glass, waiting for class to begin. Not long after some annoying dipshit decided he wanted to have an early funeral. Felix was one thing, Pete was a whole different irritation.

Pete sat down right next to her, snatching her notebook right out of her bag. Not even bothering to look at him she extended her hand, sneering, “Give it back, ass.”

“Come on Sander, you’re notes are always so neat, might come in handy.” Pete, still looking through the notebook, stood from his seat. Sophia sighed, about to stand up, punch him, and retrieve her notes, when no other than Felix Vang stopped Pete before he could walk off with them.

“Those aren’t yours,” he said with his deep, heavy voice, one that made any girl melt. Not her, though.

“Yeah, so?” Pete dared to say. Sophia had to admit, he was rather brave, or stupid. She would rather settle on stupid.

“Give them back and I won’t break your neck.”

She actually raised an eyebrow at that, surprised he had the ball. As far as she knew him he was a Prince Charming kind of guy who had more manners than royalty. Yet, here he was, threatening Pete. She had to give him credit for that, but then again, not many dared to go up against Felix. His height was intimidating to some, so most of the time a step closer with a glare was enough to convince the other to back off.

Pete scoffed, throwing the notes on my table before heading for a different seat. Felix sat down in the empty seat Pete had occupied earlier. He grabbed his stuff just when the teacher walked in. She sighed, sitting back in her seat.

“I could have handled that on my own,” she grumbled at him, taking her own books from her bag. “Since when do you even take this class?”

“I know,” he said, leaning closer so that the teacher wouldn’t hear him. “They thought this class would be more challenging so I changed.”

“Of course,” she mumbled, opening her notebook to a random page and started to doodle. Not long after class had started Sophia noticed Felix glancing at her doodles. She looked up at him, purposely placing her hand over the little drawings. “What the f**k is your problem.”

“Just thought they were good, where did you learn to draw like that?” He seemed genuinely curious about it. Too bad she couldn’t care less about what he thought.

“None of your business.”

Perhaps he finally got the clue that she wasn’t interested in talking to him. As best as she could, Sophia tried to focus on what the teacher was explaining on the board, but as time passed it her attention started to drift. It was going to be a long day.

---

Sophia rushed through the door at the back of the café she worked at. Trying to catch her breath, she managed to say, “I’m so sorry I’m late.”

“That’s alright,” Bella, her manager, said with a sweet smile. “Just get changed quickly.”

“Of course.”

Quickly, Sophia headed to the changing room. The café she worked at wasn’t an ordinary one. Almost every day was themed here, and so the waitresses had to look the part. They would wear pretty costumes and outfits that fitted the theme, and when there was no theme they wore maid outfits. It was kind of like a maid café, those you often see in Japan, but Bella liked to refer to the café as an out-of-the-box place where everything is possible.

Todays theme was cats, which meant a cute back dress for her with a tail and cat ears. Bella had asked if the girls could paint their nails in the color of their ‘fur’ in advance, so Sophia had her sharp, back nails ready to go.

Now changed, Sophia grabbed her notepad and pen, ready to welcome any new customers. “Welcome to-“ she stopped herself when she noticed who stood before her. Blood drained from her face as she met the deep, grey eyes of Felix Vang. He had his hood up, as usual, and a lazy grin on his lips. For once, Sophia didn’t know what to say to him.

“Welcome to Little Misses Café, where would you like to sit?” Bella asked, coming to her rescue. She nudged Sophia, which was enough to set her rushing to the back.

She leaned against the wall, covering her face with her hands. “Of all people, why him?”

“Soph, you okay?” Jasmin, another one of her coworkers, asked concerned. She was the only one Sophia considered as a friend, but only because they saw each other during work hours, never outside of it.

“No,” Sophia sighed, shaking her head. “No I’m not okay, my life is ruined and it’s all because of him.”

“Aren’t you being a little over dramatic?”

Sophia turned her head to look at Jasmin, raising her eyebrows. “Really? You know what, never mind, I’m having a long day.”

“Sophia, what was that about, you never freeze like that?” Bella walked through the door, a concerned look on her face. “Are you feeling well, you’re not unwell are you? I told you not to overwork yourself.”

Sophia smiled, gently pushing her managers hand away when she went to feel her forehead. Her concern was touching, although sometimes annoying. “I’m sorry, I just been feeling out of it today, no need to worry, it won’t happen again.”

“Alright.” Bella nodded, though didn’t seem fully convinced. “But if you need to take a break you can. Oh! And that handsome young man was asking for you.”

“Oh hell,” she breathed, but she didn’t back down. With a deep breath, Sophia put her best fake smile on, and headed over to Felix his table. Of course no one needed her while she walked over to him, just her luck. “How may I help you, sir?”

Felix chuckled to himself, only half attempting to hide it with his hand. “What’s your name, Darling?”

“Sophia,” she said through gritted teeth. “Now what can I get you?”

“Sophia,” he repeated, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Perhaps now she understood why all those girls turned into a puddle whenever he spoke. She passed it as it just being because she’d expected he would ever say her actual name, that it were just the nerves from the situation. “I’ll have a glass of water, please.”

“Water, coming right up.”

“Thank you, Darling.”

“f**k off,” Sophia mumbled under her breath as she turned, her first clenching. As she passed through the staff door she was met by Trixy and Jasmin. Of course they had been waiting for her. Sophia sat down on one of the chairs, letting out a long sigh. “I hate him so much.”

“Oh come on Soph, you’re exaggerating,” Trixy said, her hands on her hips. “I man, have you seen that body of his, and that scar! He’s totally my type.”

She waved her off. “He wants water, bring it if you want to so badly.”

“Really? You’re the best!” The blond threw her arms around Sophia’s neck, hugging her quickly, before racing to the kitchen, preparing his drink, and rushing out with it. It’s a shame she hadn’t tripped.

Sophia just couldn’t understand how some people were so simple minded that they’d fall for anyone pretty enough. Rubbing her temples, she stood from her chair. This was her place, and he was not going to bother her here as well. So, she spend the rest of that day avoiding him, which was easier then thought, even when he only left thirty minutes before closing.