"The internet has ruined children! You've all got too much initiative within you! How could you do this to me?" Blair sniffles, chewing on her nails. "What about consent? I did not consent to this!" she cries, "This is insanity!"
"Insanity is you right now," Maisie says, rolling her eyes at the pathetic ball of trembling grief pretending to humanspeak.
"Pleaseeee, I said I'm sorry but this is the best chance you've got to leave this Tier Three Town and start fresh! Don't you want better things for yourself?" Annalise whines, rolling at the foot of Blair's bed. After the initial joy of her sister wining the scared Charmity Lottery worn off, Annalise spent the next eight hours grovelling at the feet of her family. She had taken all the opportunities to sign up for her sister ever since Blair had been sixteen and it was three years later that her earnest work paid off.
Only for her sister to vehemently reject the golden opportunity with utter coldness.
"I'm happy the way I am! I like it here!" Blaire argues.
"What about us? Do it for us?" Annalise insists, blackmailing Blaire with quivering doe eyes.
The ravenette groans and turns her head. "Would you want me to do it for you, mumma?" Blaire asks, looking up to face her mother.
The older woman is standing by the window, sneakily peaking behind the blinds. Rabid dogs under the guise of Human Reporters snarl and huff illegible words from the foot of the apartment building. Camera flashes snap like thunder striking and Mirabel is quick to let go of the blinds. She places a hand over her heart, sighing, "There's only so many days we can take off until you make a decision, darlin'." She walks up to her older daughter and gently pats her head, "I only want you to be happy."
Blair pushes her lips in a line. The burden of happiness weighs her heart more than Annalise and Maisie's collective whines. Her mind wanders back to Annalise's smile, every time Mirabel would bring fried chicken. It would only happen thrice a year since fried food was considered a delicacy in Tier Three Town. Her mother worked as a volunteer nurse at the local veterinary and a part-timer at the flower shop. She used to work as a cleaning lady when Blaire was still in school, tirelessly exhausting her limbs to afford a better education and life for her children.
Her family deserved better than what Blaire was able to give…but, now that fate had handed out an opportunity served on a silver platter, it'd be too foolish to sleep on it.
Baire looks up at her mother and smiles.
Mirabel's brown hair is greying at the crown and smile lines have begun to captivate her face. Yet, she glows youthfully in her eyes.
"She's smiling! She's smiling! Is it a yes?!" Annalise giggles, pointing at Blaire's face.
Before the ravenette could reply, the doorbell rings.
"I'll see to it," Mirabel says and heads towards the door.
"Stop shouting before she changes her mind! Of course she'll say yes! What else can she even say?!" Maisie scoffs, glaring at her childhood friend.
Mirabel opens the door to find a well-dressed young girl standing in the middle of their dingy hallway. She's tall and slender, with a deep set of emerald eyes and a calm smile. "Good Morning," she enunciates with an eloquence uncommon to a Tier Three Town.
"Um…did you call a friend over? There's a young lass at the door," Mirabel calls to her kids, taken aback by the scent of freshness emanating off of her front door.
"Huh? A friend?" Annalise questions in rhetoric as she gets up along with Maisie, who's muttering, "What other friends you have than me?"
"Ah, Madam, I believe you're mistaken, I—"
"AHHHHHHHH! IT'S THE COURTNEY DE MARLO!" Annalise shouts as soon as she's at the door. Her dark eyes sparkle, starstruck by the golden halo surrounding the young girl's head.
Courtney smiles and curtsies, ever so slightly, "Hello, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Head Girl at Charmity Academy and I am here to escort a Blaire Winston."
"Oh! it's so nice to meet you!" Annalise exclaims, barely containing her scream.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance…?" Courtney utters, confusion lacing her brows. "You look quite young, I must confess," she frowns, staring down at Annalise.
"She not the one yer looking for," Maisie utters, appearing behind Mirabel. She places her head on her Godmother's shoulders and smirks.
Courtney eyes the girl up and down before cringing internally.
Maisie had a thing for neon coloured hair streaks and an extravagant overuse of fur, irrespective of the season, which did not abode well with the general consensus, especially during first meetings. She was loud, never broke off eye contact and her ungrounded confidence within herself was a reason of insecurity to anyone with a sense of consideration.
"My apologises, um, we should make haste," Courtney feigns a smile in Maisie's direction.
"Still not the one yer looking for." Maisie snorts and calls for Blaire, "Make haste, she says, her horses cannot hold on!"
"Maisie!" Mirabel snaps, playfully hitting the younger girl's head. "Forgive her, please, do come insi—"
"No, please!" Courtney replies sooner than common consideration, "I would hate to intrude like that," she says with a scrunched nose.
"Can I have an autograph instead?" Annalise giggles.
"Why yes, sure, of course."
Meanwhile: Blaire, the unwanted participant in the activities of her own life, rolls off the sofa and stands up straight. "I can do it. All I have to do is survive three to fours years in a strange place and my family can have a peaceful life moving forward. No more robber infested town, no more eating bread and milk two times a day and totally more clay! I can do it! All I have to do is lay low and graduate!" she nods, patting her chest as she makes her way to the door. "Okay! Let's do this! I'm in!" she all but screams as she reaches the door, startling the other four.
Courtney supresses a laugh in her throat. Her eyes narrow at Blaire's wildly-pulled-in-a-wannabe-bun raven locks, the purple hemmed black and white sweater dress and baggy black pants. Her face is littered with acne spots and the bags under her eyes exhibit nothing but a siren announcing: the new semester is going to be a wild ride!
"Blaire?" Courtney questions.
"It is I!"
As soon as the confirmation rolls in, Courtney passes a small nod to her right. It was unnoticeable to an unobservant eye, but the reporters hiding at the end of the hallway dash towards the open door. Suddenly, camera flashes blind the commoners' vision and a violent storm of questions forces Mirabel to shut the door in Courtney's face.
"This is bad!"
"What about my autograph?!"
"What about first impressions?!"
.
.
.
An hour later, a much presentable looking Blaire bids adieu to her family as she follows Courtney down the dingy hallway. Two bodyguards escort them to the pickup car, keeping reporters away from pulling at the girls' hair. Blaire drags along a hefty iron trunk with her, clunking and rattling all the way down four flights of stairs.
"You know you'll be getting everything at the Academy, right? Books, clothes, food, daily necessities, Charmity provides it all." Courtney comments as she watches Blaire round the car and haul the case into the trunk. Her hands are folded over her chest and her face wears a visible grimace at the odd sounds Blaire makes during the process.
"Umm, uh, yes? Oh, sure, I did—not—surely know that, yeah, that's just my stuff."
"Of course," Courtney utters and heads inside the car. Any further interaction with the lottery girl would cost her braincells, she deduced after an entire minute of knowing her.
Blaire looks up and waves a final goodbye to her family and friend. "See you soon! Take care of yourselves!" she shouts over the crowd.
A teary-eyed Mirabel waves back, shouting, "Don't skip meals! Eat well! Don't work too hard! Remember to be happy!"
"Bring me everyone's autographs!" Annalise shouts, waving frantically.
"Stay away from trouble!" Maisie shouts back.
"I'll try!"
Blaire gets inside the limousine and takes the seat opposite to Courtney. It was her first time being inside a car and she couldn't help but rub her palms over the silky-smooth seat covers underneath.
"This is expensive," she laughs, only to be stared at in return. "Sorry," she says, licking her lips.
Courtney gives Blaire a once-over before taking her phone out of her coat pocket. She opens a group chat titled, 'Charms' and begins texting frantically:
Girls. Girls. GIRLS.
Lottery girl is a total insanityyyyy.
Cannot wait for ya'll to unravel this packaged mess!
Oh my, oh my, show me what she looks like?
She's tier three, I heard.
My, we're getting a literal turd in our system!
Courtney looks up to see Blaire's head resting against the backrest at an awkward angle that leaves her mouth open and nostrils flared up. She's barely able to control a laugh as she snaps a picture and sends it on the group chat.
Soon enough, every sentient being on the Charmity Academy campus knew exactly who the lottery girl was.
Even the Crown Prince.