109. First Friendship

“Xandra, why do the other kids avoid you?” Skye asked one day.

They sat under the same tree for lunch. It became their spot since Alexandra always picked it. A few weeks had already passed since they met. The young miss felt more at ease that someone else could eat her lunch. She didn’t need to throw the leftovers away just to avoid being scolded.

At the girl’s question, Alexandra glanced around the backyard. She caught a few eyes aimed at their direction. Some immediately averted their stare and whispered to each other. The scene felt familiar for the young miss. It seemed like it didn’t take long for this school to be infiltrated by rumors and gossip about her.

“Oh, well, most kids don’t like me,” Alexandra explained. She didn’t sigh. She didn’t cry. Her expression remained neutral as she continued to eat her grapes.

“But why?”

“They don’t like how adults like to praise me.”

“Praise you?” Skye raised an eyebrow.

The young miss shrugged, “That’s what Emily said.”

Alexandra finished off her grapes. She really didn’t want to talk more about her situation. At this point, she already got used to it. Even the teachers had said good things about her achievements in school so far. She merely smiled and thanked them for their compliments then, moved on to the next school work to be done.

“That’s too bad. They’re missing out on delicious food” Skye laughed. The young miss smiled at her words. She’d never heard them from someone outside her house before.

“My mother would like to ask you if you’d like to come over to our house after school,” Alexandra said. She almost forgot about it… again. Her mother would not only scold her but she’d also confiscate her books if she had.

The girl’s eyes went wide, “Today?”

Alexandra quickly shook her head, “No. Anytime you’d like.”

“I’ll ask about it later at home” Skye replied enthusiastically, “I think they’ll let me but it wouldn’t be right to not inform them first. Would tomorrow be a good time?”

“Yes.”
The next day, Jeffrey picked up two girls from school. The mistress of the house had become curious about the girl who spent her lunch break with the young miss. The news absolutely thrilled her and she couldn’t wait to meet her daughter’s new friend. Peeking at the rearview mirror, the butler watched the two girls. Both of them stared out of different windows. While the young miss stayed impassive, their guest looked absolutely delighted by the view.

The car soon drived through iron gates and parked into an estate. The place could be compared to a refurbished castle grounds. Fields of grass surrounded the house that loomed with its towers. Some parts had been replaced by modern design but the Greenwoods had always taken pride in its aesthetic appeal.

“Wow, you’re a princess” Skye breathed out, gaping at the house. The front looked like it jumped out of a story book—except the doors weren’t made of thick solid wood and chains.

Alexandra led the way up the stairs and into the house. She nodded her head at every servant they passed by. Skye kept one foot away from her, following her example. Most of the interior had the ambiance of a modern house. The only indication about its castle-like structure were the columns and pillars supporting it from around its walls.

“You may stay in your room, young miss. I’ll drop by to bring you some snacks” Jeffrey informed them. He did a bow before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Thank you, Jeffrey” the young miss said politely then, she turned towards Skye, “This way.”

Together, they climbed a flight of stairs and passed many rooms until they reached the end of the corridor. When she had been old enough, her parents gave her a new room as a birthday present. She could pick any of them. Alexandra liked to have open windows so she purposely chose one that was at the corner side of the floor. They provided her light that could cover the entire room.

She loved it.

Opening the door, they saw two large windows situated at two different walls. A canopy bed made of pink sheets and pillows covered most of the room’s center. Underneath it was a circular rose carpet. A bookshelf leaned against the corner of the room while another wider shelf contained various toys and dolls. Another wall had a small fireplace built in. The young miss rarely used it. Her closet had been built inside the walls and provided another room for her clothes. The bathroom also had the same position but away from the closet.

In truth, the room next to her bedroom had been demolished to be used as her wardrobe and bathroom.

“Yup, you are a princess” Skye sighed dreamily.

Alexandra chuckled, “Would you like to play with the dolls?”

Jeffrey knocked on the door and came inside with a tray raised up on hand. His eyes met two girls draped in bed sheets and sat on two chairs next to each other. A necklace of pearls had adorned on top of black hair while a small tiara had been pinned on brown hair.

On the floor, several toys and dolls sat in a half moon positions, facing the two girls.

“Your majesties” the butler greeted them, conducting a low bow, “I have me a bowl of fries, two hamburgers and two sodas from the kitchen of golden arches.”

“You may leave it at the table, Jeffrey” Alexandra covered her mouth with her hand. Of course, their butler knew exactly what they were doing at one glance. It amused her to see him play along.

“Many thanks, kind butler” Skye nodded at him.

Jeffrey made one last bow before the royal pair and quietly left the room.

“I don’t know about you but those burgers smell so good” Skye’s stomach grumbled from the fragrance engulfing the air.

The young miss could also feel her stomach do the same, “Then, let’s eat, your majesty!”

They moved the tray over to the bed where a portable bed table stood. They sat across from each other, the food in between them. Each girl took one burger and one soda. Skye popped the straw into hers and raised it up, “Cheers, my good woman!”

Alexandra quickly mimicked her example and clinked her plastic cup against Skye’s, “Cheers!”

Their stomachs filled with delight and juicy burgers. The soda fizzed into their throats, quenching their thirst and cooling their tired bodies. They made sure not to stain the bed or they’d be scolded. The necklace on Skye’s head fell off and landed on her shoulders. She

“Your house is great,” Skye said, taking a fry, “And these pearls look so pretty.”

She popped the fry into her mouth and held the necklace with both of her hands. They weighed heavier than she’d thought and they gleamed like a number of moons strung together. If she looked close enough, she could almost see the inside. As if its opaque color was endless.

The young miss put down her burger to glance at the girl. Inside, she felt glad that her mother decided to invite Skye. They had fun playing pretend with the dolls as their subjects. As she thought on it deeper, she realized it should be Skye who she should be thankful for. If not for her, she’d spend days at school alone. She wouldn’t be here in her room having a good time.

It warmed her to see the sparkle in Skye’s eyes. She rarely beheld such a sight—at least, not in close proximity. At that moment, the young miss felt drawn to this expression. She wanted to see more of it and she wanted to protect it.

“You can keep it,” Alexandra told her.

Skye snapped her head towards the young miss, “What?”

“It’s yours.”

“But why?”

Alexandra smiled, “Isn’t it normal to give gifts between friends?”