Popularity is an Illusion

Crimson Valley, a small town situated somewhere in the West of America was believed to have housed a generation of some of the wealthiest families in the country. It was blessed with a lot of natural beauties such as a beach, a landscape with an alluring sight. Its environment was peaceful and serene. During the summer, the town made its money from granting tours and sightseeing. All these perks were enough to lure a handful of prosperous families into living in the town. Two schools were situated at the crimson valley, the first was Winter preparatory founded and controlled by the Winter’s family. The second was the town's owned Crimson valley education center, comprising of the elementary, middle, and high schools. In a certain house, the waterproof plastic door to the bathroom was slid open as Lullani Hathaway stepped out with a white towel wrapped around her body, her exposed skin glittering as a result of the kisses bestowed on her by the sun peeking through the window. The urge to change into some pajamas, lay on her queen-sized bed without a worry in the world was summoning, quite a tempting invitation for someone as exhausted as the female but she couldn't give in to the temptation even though her body was in dire need of rest. Her eye bags were seated proudly as a reminder of how much she needed a good amount of sleep after all the human body could shut down from so much stress. Lullani had returned to town the day prior after spending the summer with her mother and sister. The holiday for her was a sort of escape from the reality of the situation she was born into. Being the daughter of a famous actress was not as fun as onlookers imagined it to be. Allure Hathaway, her mom was a well-renowned movie celebrity who has starred in various best-selling movies, making her a house whole name, just like Angelina Jolie. She was a middle-aged lady of about 45 years of age, blessed with ginger hair also flowed past her back. She had a slender figure with a rather commanding but beautiful face. Lula's sister, Aurora was at the early stage of her life and a spitting image of her sister. She was also a red-haired but hers flowed down her waist. In as much as she has a busy schedule, Allure made sure to spend whatever free time available with her kids in grand style, touring the world. As a growing child, Lullani could not count the number of times her mother was absent in her life, the number of things she had missed during the growth of her child's life was quite alarming, from her first day at school to her first presentation, her first role in a class drama and even the first time lulla’s menstruation began she was also absent. All she had was her father and Nanny who tried their best to make up for the loss of her mother. Her mom had made provision for her nanny to take care of both her and her sister. Although the teenager was grateful for her nanny and all she had done for her, it still did not feel the same way it would feel if it were her mother. She could remember when it was ‘bring your mom to school day’ while she was at elementary school. She had eagerly called her mom immediately she got home informing her of what was to take place in a week time, she also pleaded with her to make herself available to which her mother promised positively but when the day arrived, she was yet again disappointed. She could remember the feeling of sadness gripping over her entire being as she waited patiently for her mother to show up but it was to no avail. Every other mother had shown up for their children, most of the mums bringing along gifts and snacks for the class, there she sat, longing to be like other normal children with normal families. Not until her Nanny walked in bearing gifts in an attempt to make up for where Allure had lacked. Lula recalls the amount of joy that flooded her soul when she caught sight of her nanny, she wiped her tears as she rushed to hug the woman who had been her saving grace. Later that day, her mother had called as usual apologizing for her yet another failed promise but she was too disappointed to care. It felt like reality had dawned on her, her mother was too invested with her career to be everywhere she needed her to be. Lullani had decided from then onwards, to allow Allure to do things at her own pace and time and also make do of her nanny. Allure was a career-driven woman who was ready to strive hard through every situation to make sure she was a successful actress but was it worth it at the cost of her family. Her husband and father of her children could not put up with it any longer. Having an independent career-driven woman was one thing but Allure was slowly crossing the line to being a workaholic without her realizing. When her husband could no longer endure her absence in their lives, he opted for a divorce which she granted after about two months of appealing for him to reconsider. Shortly after the divorce, Allure and her daughters relocated to Crimson Valley and got a house at St Claire's estate, trying to start their lives afresh but Allure went back to work trying her to best bury whatever pain she felt from the separation. Now that she had become a single mom, she vowed to spend as much time as she could with her children whenever she had a break at work. This was proof enough that sometimes money was not everything. Aurora on the other hand was nothing like her mother or sister. The female lived a carefree lifestyle invested in only arts and her artworks, she had no interest in popularity and its advantages. Lulla was jet-lagged from yesterday's workload and had to spend the day shopping for school essentials and getting her sister Aurora, who was going to be a freshman, tailored for their school uniform. Which led us to this moment, Friday evening at Jacob Naylors beach house party to celebrate the last day of summer. Lulla made her way into the walk-in closet, her eyes breezing through the neatly hung clothes with a particular one in mind. The clothing she had been fawning over since it caught her attention at the boutique. For something So simple it had caught her attention. Her fingers glaze over the fabric as she removed it from the closet, she gets dressed in the black spaghetti strap crop top and a pair of Jean shorts. Her eyes fixed deeply at the mirror taking in her reflection, drinking in every dip and curve her body had to display. Even in something so simple, the girl looked beautiful. Her peers referred to her as "A pretty face with a hot body". A female standing at an average height with long ginger hair flowing down her back, misty gray eyes fitted proudly on her face which looked like it was carved in the image of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Her firmly figured body consisting of full perky boobs, curves in the right places with a slim waistline, full rounded buttocks added broad hips one could say she was blessed in the physical category, indeed Lullani was a thrilling sight to every human's eye. She added the finishing touch to the look she was going for, her signature dark-red lipstick. Lullani wouldn't be caught dead without her ruby red lips. Giving herself one final look at the mirror, she grabs her car key and heads to the garage where she exits the large gates of the Hathaway mansion in a black G-wagon, driving out the gated community. St Clare was an exclusive neighborhood in the town of Crimson Valley with fifteen houses or rather mansions covering acres of land respectively. Allure had moved here when Lulla was nine and Aurora seven claiming the environment was proper for raising the girls. For most people in the town, St Clare was a neighborhood of filthy rich families grooming spoiled brats but neither the less, a certain amount of prestige came along with occupying a house in the residence and such prominence was second to none. Lullani arrives at the Naylors beach house, she exits the G-wagon and walks through the crowd of tipsy teenagers, the stench of alcohol evades her nostril with every step she takes. Teens in various peers of two or more were littered around all engrossed in whatever it was they were busy with. Flickering her eyes through the party, she tries to get sight of any familiar face but fails momentarily. "You're finally here, for a moment I thought you would bail on me" A familiar saccharine voice spoke. She immediately recognized that overly sweet voice as it belonged to her best friend and neighbor. Rosabella Primrose, popularly known as Elle Rose. Elle was a beautiful blonde with doe brown eyes and a skinny model figure along with long well sculptured legs, most of the girls envied. "Wouldn't dream of it, Belle!" Lulla responded using their childhood nickname for her friend as the latter enveloped her in a short thug. They hadn't seen each other in months although they texted and called throughout the holiday but as we all know it wouldn't be the same as physically being together. Her friendship with Elle was like all friendships, they had their ups and downs but they stood strong regardless. Elle dragged her further into the house to the area their "clique" were. Lulla wouldn't exactly describe them as a clique, the way the entire student body did. They weren't a group of best friends, they were just cordial to each other, like a mere acquaintance who had no choice but to pursue a certain friendship. how they all found themselves was like a web to the teenage girl. When she and Rosabella started out at high school in Winter Preparatory, Lulla never envisioned joining the popular circle of Christian Naylor, Barbara Winter, and Mallory Sinclair. Running in the same circle as the trio subconsciously helped form the "clique". Now the trio had graduated and gone to college. "Lullaby, Princess" A drunk Jacob Naylor called from the bar on seeing them. His mannerism was noticeably disoriented as a result of the substance he was consuming Jake was the host and a member of the "clique". A typical Caucasian male, standing at a full height of 6'1, shaggy brown hair on his head accompanied with brown eyes, the male was a physical definition of the word handsome. Being the son of the Mayor of Crimson Valley and a younger brother to the infamous Christian Naylor had its perks in making him a popular kid at their preparatory. Unlike his brother who was in a committed relationship with Barbara, Jake was the self-proclaimed "Playboy" of Winter Prep, a rather opposite of what was expected. Lulla's relationship with Jake wasn't much, they ran in the same circle, got invited to the same parties, and would greet each other "hello" whenever they met. "You're supposed to be mixing the drinks for the guests not drowning in it dummy" Elle scoffed scrunching her nose at the intoxicated boy before her. While Lulla may have had a cordial relationship with the now drunken male, He and Elle on the other hand were always seen bickering and squabbling. Elle viewed him as "immature" which was partly true, and he often called her out for being a "haughty little angel" which was also true to an extent. "Do you care for a drink Lulla" he grinned from ear to ear ignoring the blonde. It was a known fact that Jacob Naylor mixed the best drinks, his mixing skills were unmatched by anyone at Winter prep and no one knew the secret to that. Was it a talent or was he taught, no one had the answer to it except Jake? Unfortunately, Lulla had to decline his offer for a shot as the drive back to St Clare was a forty-five minutes journey from the beach, and being the light head that she was, getting drunk and staying over wasn't part of the plan. "What about you princess, care for more?" He teased knowing fully well Rosabella never took more than a glass of alcohol at any event, she never got drunk. Always sober and in control. "Too bad! you're missing out on some Jake goodness" he spoke incoherently as an effect of the booze, his words and subconscious action earning an eye roll from Elle. She was utterly disgusted by his carefree attitude, it was like he gave no second thoughts to what people would say but then again, this was a party, people were expected to get drunk or high and have the time of their lives without a worry of how terrible it would feel being hungover the following morning. "What? Lisa over there seems to agree with me" he retorted like a child having an imaginary argument. True to his words the girl mentioned had been not so discreetly staring at him throughout. Her name wasn't Lisa it was Lana, Lulla knew this very well because she had shared a few classes with her over the years. She noticed Elle glaring daggers at the girl, perhaps something had happened between Jake and her best friend over summer that she wasn't aware of. The red-haired made a mental note to inquire from her friend later what was going on between her and Jake "Let's go dance," She rather said, hauling Elle away from the bar into the crowd of tipsy, horny teenagers. Their bodies grind together without a care about the heat and sweat emitted from their bodies coming in contact. ***** It was 11 pm and the girls were on the dance floor grinding to a Drake song. Lulla didn't have any regrets about coming to the party, she had missed this, the feeling of freedom that came along with having fun with her friends. A smile spread across her lips, one which Elle returned with as much energy as they screamed out the lyrics to the song blasting from the speakers. Lulla was so lost in the moment when a pair of masculine arms snaked her waist from behind, just before she could express her dislike for such an action, she was immersed by his familiar scent. "I haven't seen you in months, I have missed you" He whispered. "Maddox" She breathed., trying to take in his features Maddox Winter, the student body referred to him as Winter only a few called him by his name. Being the younger brother of Barbara and their family owning Winter Preparatory, it wasn't a surprise Maddox was also a member of the "clique". It also wasn't a hidden fact that Lullani and Maddox were hooking up. Their entanglement had been going on for almost a year now, each knew their boundaries and never overstepped. Lulla described her relationship with Maddox as having a boyfriend but without feelings and commitments. In other words, they were nothing but friends with benefits. "When did you get to town?" She asked snaking her arms around his neck. The Winters had gone on a family trip too for the holiday. "This morning" "Typical Winter, coming home and not letting anyone know" "I prefer the element of surprise" He replied leaning in for a passionate kiss. "I missed you too" Her raspy voice replied when they finally broke off. The rest of the night was eventful, from spending time with Maddox, dancing with Elle, and filling in for Jake at the bar when he had to go on a break for whatever reason. It was safe to say things were going well not until she checked the time on her phone and found out it was past 12. Her curfew was by 1. While Allure might have been absent as a mother, she didn't hesitate to hire a nanny to be in charge of the girls. The last thing Lulla wanted was her mom finding out she broke curfew. Lulla said her goodbyes and hurriedly made her way out of the house when she collided with someone. The contents of his glass spilled over their both clothes. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention" she apologized, looking up to meet face to face with the last member of the "clique". Crest Galani. He gives her a quick wave of his hand without acknowledging her apology. Lulla on the other hand did not have the time to ponder over his action as she continued in hasty steps out of the house. Getting into her car, she roars the engine to life mentally hailing herself restraint in regard to her consumption of alcohol at the party. Pulling out the driveway, she speeds down the tarred road. About some minutes later, Lulla finally arrived home at some minutes past one, she alights the vehicle quietly, sneaking into the house and hoping not to wake their Nanny. Successfully making her way to the bedroom without awakening the nanny, she takes off her alcohol-stained clothing and heads for a hot shower. Her mind wanders back to the events of the night, she could not understand why Crest was so rude for a teenage male, it would not be a big deal if he acknowledged her apology, but no, he took it upon himself to belittle her by waving her off. If she wasn't in a hurry, she sure would have given him a piece of her mind. She allows the liquid to pour down her skin, slowly washing away whatever form of anger and resentment she felt for crest. Shutting off the water, she cleans off her body and gets dressed in a comfortable pajamas, and makes her way to the bed for a good night's rest.