• Chapter 2
    Sunlight filtered through the bedroom window. The shafts of light lay across the blanket of Jackie’s bed, distorting as they fell across her unmoving form under the blanket. Her chandelier glittered in the sun, and birds chirped as they welcomed the morning. Little robins landed on the windowsill and sang at the top of their puny lungs, almost saying Rise and shine!
    The body under the blanket rustled, and the little birds watched curiously. Jackie sat up in her bed slowly. Her eyes blinked and her hands balled up into fists and wiped them. The robins contemplated the odd creature’s movements, looking at one another in an inquisitive manner. Then she swung the quilt from her body and stepped out from the bed, her silk pajamas adorned in dancing black-and-white sheep sliding from side to side. The birds, frightened, took flight.
    Jackie looked up at the windowsill and caught sight of a passing tail of a bird. She smiled. They always watched her, every day. Was there something wrong with what they saw? Probably, she thought, and grimaced. It was always that way. Animals looked at her with that weird look, saying What a freak. She continued on through her room in a half-shuffle, half-walk towards the door.
    She swung open the door and stepped out into the open hall. It was as empty as ever, even with all of the expensive furniture. It really had no point to it- there was no…person in it. Her grandfather ordered an interior designer to design the space. None of the room was his idea. It just didn’t feel very homey.
    Corners here and there covered the hall. They branched off into other corridors, leading to spare rooms, bathrooms, and an office. Jackie passed two and took a right down the third. She walked down to another door and creaked it open. Her grandmother and grandfather lay in a queen sized Vividus bed. A cream color enveloped the room, and large glass windows on either side of the back side of the room. Crown mold trimmings finished the look off, not to forget a brass-stained night stand lamp, an antique designer wardrobe and cabinet, and a large wall unit. It stretched across the whole wall and was made of a wooden material, shipped from some far off land. Behind a closed cabinet in the large wall unit was a 60 inch plasma flat screen TV. Another Chihuly chandelier, similar to the one found in the living room, hung on the high ceiling. It was a room fit for a king.
    Good, they’re asleep, Jackie thought, creeping out the door and running to the kitchen. She ran her fingers along the granite countertop island in the center of the room as she passed it. She came to a halt at the stainless-steel stove and took a look at the time on it. It said seven thirty. Jackie turned around and walked to the pantry and took out a box of pop-tarts. She grabbed a package out of it, and then placed it back. Whipping around, she went to the fridge and swung it open.
    It smelled faintly of vanilla, an odor Jackie had grown used to. In the corner on a shelf on the side of the door, there was a small mug filled half up with hot chocolate from the night before. She grabbed it and stuffed it into the microwave. Setting it to 20 seconds, she walked over to the stool in the dining room and sat down, contemplating whether or not to open the pop-tart package she still held clutched in her hand. She leaned back, still thinking. Without realizing it, Jackie fell over and let out a yelp of surprise.
    Strong hands caught her and lifted her up. Jackie flipped her head around to find it face-to-face with a large-muscled, tough faced man. Oh, it’s Max, she thought disappointedly. He was a large man, at 6 foot 5. He wore a fancy suit that he had practically thousands of. His large muscles bulged out of the suit, and his rock hard abs made him seem like the perfect candidate for a Terminator movie. His black hair was cut at his neck, and it was slightly shaggy and leaned over his eyes. His face was almost impassible, like a puzzle you just can’t solve, unless you have the wits to unlock it. He looked down at Jackie disapprovingly, then crossed his arms and sighed.
    “How many times to I have to tell you not to lean back in your chair? You know that if you get hurt, none of us could live without you.” He growled. Jackie drummed her fingers to her lips nervously. She knew he would say that, but the way he said it just gave her the heebie-jeebies.
    “Oh, I know that, Max. I was just putting a little excitement into my life.” Jackie then purposely leaned back in her chair, then leaned forward.
    Max sighed. “There really is no getting through to you, is there?” Jackie grinned.
    “Oh, well. I might as well be- what is that?” Max was interrupted by a loud beeping.
    “Oh! My hot chocolate is ready!” Jackie jumped up from her chair and quickly ran over to the microwave, opening it and grabbing the cup with her bare hands. She ran over to the table with the steaming hot drink and set it down quickly.
    “Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!” she repeated as she shook her hands to cool them down. Max let loose an amused chuckle, then his face went back to the usual impassive look he always had.
    Jackie waited a few minutes for the hot chocolate to cool down. The time passed by quickly without a word, and just as the clock struck seven thirty six she grabbed her mug and lifted it to her lips, letting the steaming hot liquid flow down her throat in a soothing fashion. A smile spread across her lips at the warm sensation that filled her up with energy.
    Max, all the while, sat watching Jackie get hyper from drinking hot chocolate and laughed inwardly, amused by her movements. Then he got up and walked out of the room. Then he suddenly turned around, remembering something.
    “You remembered it is a Monday, right?” Max started. “That means school is back. I checked online, and you have a test today. Are you ready?”
    Jackie laughed out loud, and the look on Max’s baffled face made her laugh even harder. He was always so…well…bodyguard-ish, and when it came to school, he was like another parent she never had. She needed that right now.
    Max put on his serious look and stared at Jackie. She didn’t flinch, as she was used to this stern look. The over-worked bodyguard always did that, so it wasn’t new.
    “Well?” His fingers drummed the table impatiently.
    “Uh…yes! Of course I am. Have you ever seen me get a bad grade on a test?” Jackie asked. “Don’t answer that question.”
    Max finally cracked a grin. “Alright. But make sure that in the car you don’t get hurt when stepping out.” He turned and walked back out of the room.
    Jackie faced back towards the table and finished off her hot chocolate. She placed it in the dishwasher, then grabbed her pop-tart and ran to her bedroom. She slipped on an expensive designer dress, filled with intricate designs. The dress fit her form perfectly, and made even her seem like the definition of elegant. Jewels ran up and down a design on the side of the dress, with curved and straight lines. There were more jewels where along the collar. She slipped on a pair of Gucci pumps, blood-red to match the red dress she wore. Then she grabbed a matching purse, stuck her wallet and iphone in it, and grabbed her designer backpack and left the room.
    To any other person, having an iphone, super expensive designer dress and a gorgeous house may seem like a dream come true, but Jackie just wore it because her friends insisted on seeing her in it. Jackie always rolled her eyes at the idea that they always brought up- that she was stunningly beautiful. Beautiful, Jackie thought. I think they’re looking at someone else, because I am ANYTHING but beautiful. She straightened out her dress in an irritated fashion and walked off to the bathroom.
    Actually, it shouldn’t be called a bathroom. More like a professional salon shop. There were multiple chairs lined up along a long room, with mirrors in front of them. Supplies for hairstyling filled the shelves in front of the mirrors. A professional hair designer was sitting in a love seat, filing her nails and looking in a mirror, as if marveling her own hair she styled. Her blonde hair with brown highlights fell lightly across the left side of her face in bangs, and lay to rest at shoulders-length. She wore a shirt that said “I love designing”, and her pants matched with inscribed letters that said “Fashion feva”. Beyond all of the designing equipment was yet another room, a large private bathroom with top-of-the-line toilets, a shower, a large granite counter-top sink, and a large bath tub/spa.
    Jackie stepped inside the “salon shop” and walked up to the hair stylist. She continued looking in the mirror as Jackie approached her.
    “Would you like something, dawling?” She chewed a large piece of gum and popped it in a bored manner.
    “Yes, I need you to fix up my hair.” Jackie replied.
    “Oh.” The stylist said. “That is something that I can do.” She put down her obscenely large mirror and walked over to one of the designing booths. She laid her hair down on the chair. “Let’s get started.”
    Jackie walked over and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. The stylist brushed her long bangs aside and grabbed some utensils.
    “Prepare to be amazed.”
    The work started. Jackie closed her eyes and breathed in and out, listening to the other stylist, who muttered things like “Perfect”, “That’s the spot”, and “Gour-geous!”. Finally, after seemingly years, she finished.
    “Open your eyes and see another person.”
    Jackie obeyed and her big, blue eyes stretched open wide at what she saw. The figure staring at her had long, dark locks with tints of natural blonde in them, in a beautiful contrast. Part of the hair was pushed to one side in lopsided bangs that fit with her look. The rest of her hair was tied back in a red, satin bow. It flowed down her back like a waterfall, shimmering with the slightest movement.
    She stood up and spun around, her dress and hair moving in synchronization. Wow, she thought, and spun around once more, to make sure it wasn’t an illusion. Then she went up to the stylist, took out her coach wallet, and took out a couple of twenty dollar bills.
    “Here. Thanks for all of your work.” Jackie handed the stylist the money. The stylist accepted the money with wide eyes.
    “F-for me?” she stammered.
    “Of course. I really could thank you much more, but I have to be going. You understand, correct?”
    “Yes, of course.” The stylist replied. Then she stuffed the money in her back pocket and scuttled away to her chair again, but a little more enthusiastic.
    Jackie smiled. She loved to see people happy, even if it wasn’t her. She walked to the private bathroom and looked at her watch. Nine o’clock. That gave her enough time to brush her teeth thoroughly and put on some make-up. She grabbed her toothbrush, wet it, put on toothpaste, and brushed her teeth, careful not to get anything on her dress.
    After she was done, she pulled out a wooden drawer and looked through it. She grabbed some mascara, lipstick, and eye shadow. She avoided the blush, as she had a natural one. She applied the make-up and then exited the room. All of this took her ten minutes.
    Jackie swung her bag over her shoulders again and headed for the door. Her stomach growled, and she realized she hadn’t eaten her pop-tart she put in her backpack. Oh well, I’ll just eat it in the car. The Gucci pumps echoed through the halls, and finally ended as she swung open the front door. Her driver was already waiting in the car, a.k.a. limo, reading a Star magazine. He caught a glimpse of Jackie and started up the car, placing his magazine on the chair.
    She walked over to the car door, opened it, and stepped in. The leather cushioned her as she sat down. She crossed her legs and requested for her favorite music to play- Beethoven. The orchestra started, and she relaxed in her chair.
    The day is absolutely perfect, she thought as she chewed on a pop-tart she had grabbed from her backpack. The day, unknown to Jackie, was about to take an unexpected turn.