The Stepsisters - English [Completed]

Eight: Lily

WHEN I was little, I used to believe that my family was flawless. My Dad, handsome, reliable, and our provider. And my Mom, the beautiful and wonderful full-time housewife.

Everything was going well. We are happy. My family loves me.

Mom and Dad had me when they were twenty years old. Too young and their life were actually just starting but my Dad was a man of his words. So when my mom said that she was pregnant with me, Dad did not run and took the responsibility and took care of me and my mom.

He was an awesome loving father. Dad and mom's family supported them so they did not have a hard time raising me. I admit that I grew up with almost everything. My parent's family is well-off.  But even so, my parents raised me not to be spoiled.

I can say that I am one of the lucky children because my parents were awesome. I thought they were perfect.

I was really a happy child back then. We always go to different places, domestic and international. Especially when my Dad became a pilot. My mom finished her culinary degree as well but she chose to be a full-time housewife because she said she wants to take care of me and Dad.

I was so grateful. I couldn't ask for more.

Back at school, I have wonderful friends. During elementary, I was really popular. No one bullied me, everyone loves me. But it all changed when my mom died when I was in middle school.

+++

"Out of the way, mad girl," I heard someone say that snapped me back from my thoughts.

Before I could react and go out of her way, she shoved me already with her shoulder. Intentionally shove me. I almost fell backward on the floor if it's not with someone who supported my back.

"Watch where you are going, Sharpay. You don't own the hallway," I heard Jesu say.

Yes, she's the one who catches me and Sharpay was the one who slammed me. I stood straight and stopped Jesu. I don't want her to get into trouble.

"The mad girl was obstructing my way. And now you are telling me to watch where I was going? Are you blind?!" As scandalous as she is, Sharpay yelled at us.

"Watch your tongue, b***h. I will rip it off." Her minion, Ginger, came closer to Jesu and gave her a warning look.

"Try me." Jesu, who's really not afraid of these bullies, looks down to the smaller girl.

Ginger is really feisty even though her opponents are taller than her. Ginger is known to be really temperamental. That means, she's the one who is always doing the dirty jobs for their group.

"B-bun, stop. Let's just go. We are going to be late." I pulled Jesu but she was still doing the staring contest with Ginger.

I saw Sharpay smirking and my step sister who's beside her was just looking at us. As usual. She's just going to be the audience every time her so-called friends will bully me. But I don't blame her. I understand where she's coming from.

We are getting some attention from the students and it will be bad for us if a teacher will catch us. It is the first day of the junior year and I don't want to be in trouble on the first day.

"Ginge, Miss Lyra is heading here. Let's go." One of the bully's friends, Sally, pulled the smaller girl. She was still not budging and even Jesu. I think that just a little bit of push to the both of them, there will be a commotion that's going to happen.

Err, what should I do?

"Let's go, Ginge. They are not worth it. Let's adjust because we are the good girls," Sharpay said and continued to march the other way.

Before Ginger left, she signed her two fingers pointing from her eyes to Jesu. She's conveying to Jesu that she is watching her.

Jesu just smirked and showed her despicable look. God, we are in trouble. Other students who were watching us earlier smoothly pretended and went back to what they were doing before the supposed to be "fight".

The bullies greeted Miss Lyra when they passed to the teacher, looking like angels. Pretentious angels. I almost rolled my eyes but I restrained myself especially when Jenny quickly looked back at me. I can see that she was trying to suppress her feelings about what happened but deep inside I know she's really concerned about what Sharpay did. That hit from Sharpay was really harsh and it hurts a bit in my shoulder but this is nothing compared to what she has done to me before.

Ever since middle school, I was her mortal enemy.

"Are you okay?" I heard Jesu asked.

"Yeah, I am fine. How about you?" I checked on her.

"I am okay," she answered. She was about to say something when Miss Lyra reached us.

"Is everything okay here?" the teacher asked.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered with a smile.

"Are you sure, Lily?" she asked one more time.

"Definitely okay, ma'am. You have nothing to worry about. Right, Jesu?" I nudged my best friend to back me up. Miss Lyra then looked at Jesu.

"T-that is right, ma'am. This is the first day of school so we just greet each other, you know. We are all close friends and we just missed each other during the break. Right, everyone?"

Argh. Jesu.

"Y-yes," an awkward answer from the students in the hallway.

"Alright," the teacher said even though she looked not convinced. "Please prepare for the first period. It will be starting soon. It will be in room 3B. See you all there." Miss Lyra said and went ahead.

I almost fainted with the pressure. But no, it will be embarrassing. It's the first day and if I will faint, Sharpay and the others will have more reason to bully me if that happens. So I must not give them what they want.

+++

We are junior now and it felt like yesterday when we had the summer break. I really enjoyed the things I did last summer. I got to catch up with Jesu. But we mostly hung out at her place as I was protecting Jenny's image. Her sister graduated and I even attended the dinner with their relatives. That’s how close we are. 

Back to Jenny, everyone at school doesn't know our real relationship and I understand why Jenny chose to hide it. It was not easy to get bullied and I love my step sister that I only want her to be happy.

Since Mom Elvira and Jenny came to our life, I saw how my dad became alive again and genuinely happy. So I supported him immediately when he said he wants to get married again to his first love.

It was time for us to move on too. So I did not stop dad chasing the happiness he deserves. Ever since then, life was again blissful.

It was okay for me that Jenny was hiding our true relationship from everyone at school. Aside from I know the real reason about it, I don't want her to have a hard time being the prey of the bullies.

Now, Jenny is really getting successful and famous at school. She was promoted as the cheer captain last year and this year, they were convincing her to run as the Student Body Organization's (SBO) president. I am really happy for her.

As for Jesu, she's one of my best friends when I was in elementary and before middle school started, she was sent to South Korea to study there and live with her grandparents. But gladly she came back last year.

After Jesu left, that is when I started to get bullied. It was right after my mom passed away.

Back to the present, we came to the room that Miss Lyra said before the time started for the first period. Other students were chatting and asking how their summer break was. Jesu was playing on her phone. And the gorgeous bullies were just bragging about their i********: posts and getaways last summer.

Me? I was looking right outside the window. Looking no one in particular. I was reminiscing about what I did last summer as I was listening to Halsey's song Be Kind. Yeah, Air Pods on. The first-period teacher is not here yet so there is still time to procrastinate.

Anyway, aside from catching up with Jesu. My family went on a lot of trips outside the country. Well, that's some perks when you're a child of a pilot and a flight attendant.

Aside from that, we visited my grandparents in California before the summer ended; we went to Mom Elvira's province in Surigao City to visit her parents. It was the second time meeting Jenny's grandparents. I met them the first time at Dad and Mom Elvira's wedding. The oldies were as kind as Mom Elvira, so we got along easily.

We enjoyed island hopping and going to the famous Siargao. The beach was really good outside the country but I can say that the beaches in Siargao were awesome too. Then I made friends with Jenny's relatives and cousins. It was really fun. The most fun part was we are complete. That was the most important part for me.

I was zoning out when I felt Jesu's soft nudge on my arms. Then I saw Miss Lyra talking in front of the class and everyone was already listening to her. I smoothly turned off my AirPods and removed them from my ear. I inserted it into my uniform's side pocket.

"New classmate..." That's the words I heard from Miss Lyra after I turned off my Air pods. We seem to have a new classmate. A beautiful blond girl came beside the teacher and introduced herself. Like Jesu, she looks like Korean but when she spoke, her accent was... Wow!

"Hello, everyone. I am Rosie Ava Young, your new classmate. I hope we can get along. Please take care of me." She said with her Australian accent. I am not sure but it sounds to me it was an Australian accent.

Nice. Sexy. What did I just say?

"Don't worry, Rosie. I will take care of you," Cookie, my Playboy classmate butted in. Typical of him.

My classmates teased them and Rosie just smiled. Pretty girl, I must say.

"You are drooling," Jesu whispered.

"What? No," I denied it. I was just appreciating a pretty girl.

"Yeah, right," She teased but gladly she stopped.

The teacher asked Rosie to sit near in front of our seat. Then I am not sure if I had seen it right because I saw a quick smirk that Rosie gave in the direction of the bully’s seat. My eyes went straight to Jenny who is now looking down and seems to be distressed.

I might just know Jenny for three years now but we live together and I practically know everything about her. She's just easy to read and she's just acting tough and mighty in front of everyone at school.

However, why does she seem to be not comfortable seeing Rosie? Do they know each other?

After that quick smirk, Rosie put back her friendly smiling face. Uh-oh, she seems to be troublesome. Another two-faced person.

I know I should not judge quickly but I have seen her kind before, but I hope I am wrong with my assumptions.

The first class was smooth as ever. Miss Lyra was amazing as usual. This year, she's our Math teacher. I heard Miss Lyra was really an amazing teacher and I have proven that she was actually not only awesome but intelligent as well. You can say that I excel academically and I catch up effortlessly and unexpectedly I actually learned a lot from the teacher.

I was really focused on the lecture and forgot about the surroundings. I love studying, I love learning. I may not be good at extra-curricular activities but you can rely on me when it comes to academics.

After the class, English was the next subject. It was the same room so we stayed on the same chair we had. I was doodling in my notebook when I felt that someone was staring at me. I looked at their direction and saw Jenny looking at me. I restrained myself from smiling and waving at her especially that she was not actually looking at me. She was looking at the person in front of me that was chatting with Jesu.

Jenny was intensely looking at Rosie. More like glaring. I saw her balling her first as well. What is going with her?

I was distracted for a while with Jenny's behavior but before the next class started; my step sister went back to her two-faced character. The cool, high and mighty, Jenny.

I know she's already weird but she was cutely weird for me. But now? It was not cute at all. It was a scary Jenny that I rarely see.

I will ask her later at the house. There's definitely fishy going on.