A Girl in Town

3071 words
In a small town called Breelum, everyone knew when the Smiths moved in. For a town which had close to no newcomers for the last century, their names soon became viral among the curious Breelums. Before they had even arrived, the town was already filled with rumours about them. You can hear the word “Smiths” everywhere. From somewhere as professional as a court to somewhere as causal as a grocery store. They seemed to be in everywhere, yet they haven't even arrived. The Breelums were excited, scared. worried and concerned. The clerk from the court, a complete nerd, said, “The Smiths have got to be secret agents sent by the federal government to spy on us! Big Brother is onto us now, beware of it. Stay away from the Smiths!” The lady from the real estate firm, who was said that she helped the Smiths with their house said otherwise,” They are just some nice people wanting to find a new home to settle down in! Plus, they gave me lots of tips, and I mean A LOT!” The rumour started here and there and it’s rolling bigger and bigger like a snowball, even the lunch ladies from the school started a pool to bet on different theories. At last, the Smiths were here, and all eyes were on them.

At the very center of the town, there was a high school. “Ring…. Ring…..” Miss Cormier walked in room 422 with joy. Behind her was a young girl, around 16, with short brown hair, wearing a dark blue t-shirt and a black jacket. She looked down at her black jeans and thought, “Not bad for my first day…”

“Good morning everyone,” said Miss Cormier with her IAMSOEXCITED#superhighpitch voice. “First, let’s welcome our new student.” The class clapped, some of them looked at Regina with an interested smile.

“Hi! My name is Regina Smith,” said Regina. “I moved to Breelum last week and I hope we would all become good friends in this coming semester. Thank you.”

“Ok, thank you, Miss Smith, for introducing yourself to the class. As Miss Smith had said, I also hope you all enjoy being friends this year…”

Someone raised their hand. “Yes, Mr Cooper,” Miss Cormier said, “What do you want to ask?”

“Well,” said the boy called Mr Cooper with a slight hesitation, “I just want to ask Regina a question that I believe many of us in this room would want to ask. Why did you move here? I mean there’s nothing special here that, I don’t know, have the magic to drive your family here! Then what’s the story behind all this? What’s the real reason for moving here?”

All 24 pairs of eyes looked at Regina instantly, including Miss Cormier's.

“I want to say that my family and I moved here out of our own desire. Plus, why we move here had nothing, and I mean NOTHING to do with any of your stupid theories so back off people!"

The class soon descended into silence and Miss Cormier immediately said, “Well... I believe there are no more questions for Miss Smith now. Miss Smith, please take a seat over there.” Regina quietly walked to her own seat and sat down. Everyone near her seemed to slightly move away from that new girl. The class soon ended with a sense of awkwardness in the air.

At last, break time came and a girl with a red ponytail walked towards Regina, who was still in her own seat. “Hi! I’m Lisbeth, Lisbeth Rosa,” said the girl with red hair and offered a handshake with a lovely smile. Regina looked at her and decided that she should make some nice friends ever since her “speech” that morning and especially if she wanted to... She shook hands with Lisbeth and Lisbeth took a seat next to Regina.

“Are you ok? I mean I’m sure that Isaac didn’t mean to upset you but…It’s just that everyone wanted to know why you guys moved here, because it’s been like a half a century or so …”

“I’m fine. It just that what happened in my past, I want to leave them where they are. Sorry for flipping out, I just want to keep things to myself…”

“That’s all right, really. I will let the others know not to ask you about it and everything will be just fine! I think you will do great here… Hey, let me tell you more about our class so you know them more. They are all nice people but sometimes, they can be really annoying like Isaac. Well, nobody is perfect... Oh!” Lisbeth suddenly stopped talking.

“What's wrong?” asked Regina.

“Em... There's someone you must remember. It's Delphine Hudson. The Hudsons are like the royals in here. They are rich and super important and famous in this town. Within the Hudsons, Delphine, daughter of Hugo Hudsons, is like the princess and is very famous in our school. The Hudsons give donations to the school every year so even the principal values the Hudsons very much. So... whatever you do, just don't get on her nerves, ok? What you did this morning can get you a detention if you did that to Delphine!”

Meanwhile, Delphine Hudson and her best friend, Cosima Duncan were talking about Regina Smith.

“OMG, what was she thinking? Getting all tensed up in the classroom. Isaac was just asking a question politely. She's tots over reacting.”

“Yeah! Tots!!” said Cosima, “FYI, what do you think about her and all those theories about her family? Why do you think they move here?”

“What?”

“I'm on team AGENT, you?”

“Me? I'm not into those silly theories, ok? She seems... just fine I guess... We'll see…”

That night at the Hudson Mansion, Delphine was having dinner in the dining room with her maid, Sheila, her mother, her mother’s maid and the chef.

“Mum, I met the new girl, Regina Smith, today at the school…”

“Oh, I ran into her mum, Mrs Smith at the grocery store today. An amazing lady, really, but just not very smart if it’s up to me to say. How about the daughter? Um… Regina?” said Mrs Hudson, cutting her steak.

“Regina? She’s pretty good I guess… We didn’t cross our paths today… I think I will know more about her later…”

“Are you guys talking about the new family, the Smiths?” Mr Hudson walked in in his sports wear.

“Did you meet any of the Smiths today?” asked Delphine, curiously.

“Yes, I did Delphine. Mr Smith is such a marvellous man. Do you know that they use to live in California? Apparently, Mr Smith did really well in financing… I got some mails the other day, from his old employers, saying how well he is at his job.“

“Did you guys talk today? I mean like why they moved here?" asked Delphine. “It’s just that Isaac asked about it in the class and Regina… she doesn’t really want to answer that and… “

“Oh sweetie, haven’t you heard? “asked Mrs Hudson.

“Heard what, mum?”

“Nat! Delphine don’t need to know about thing like that, especially something so… horrible!” scolded Mr Hudson. “What happened happened in the past, telling Del about it will only haunt her and will do nothing good at all!"

“I’m not a 3-year-old anymore dad! I can handle whatever mum wants to tell me about the Smiths!”

“Well… A good friend of Regina’s, Rachel I think, died in a fire along with some other kids at school. They said that a psycho arsonist did it and killed himself in that fire too. It hit Regina so deep that her parents decided to move away from their old place, you know, letting the past go…” said Mrs Hudson, cautiously.

“Oh, really?” said Delphine, wiping her mouth with a towel, hiding her smirk behind.

“Time’s up guys! Hand in your work!” said Miss Cormier. “I know this is a diary and I hope you have all treasured the last 1 hour in it. I won’t read it but I will give this back to you at the end of the year.”

Out of curiosity, Delphine wanted to know what Regina wrote in her diary. After the lesson, Delphine volunteered to help Miss Cormier to put the diaries into envelopes and wrote the names on it. She went through 11 piece of diary before finding Regina’s. The name “Rachel” caught Delphine’s eyes, along with words saying how sorry she was, and how regret she was. “Is there more to the story than an arsonist setting a fire and killed her friend? What if… what if Regina had something to do with Rachel’s death and it’s eating her alive?” thought Delphine.

With all those Regina-secret in Delphine’s head, Delphine not only didn’t expose it to everyone, she wants to remain them a secret, a secret only she knew.

Few months flew by and those stupid theories about the Smiths seemed to had faded away. Days in Breelum were just as normal as those before the Smiths came, but a storm was coming and no one knew.

“Um… Regina?” asked Delphine, along with Cosima. “We are just wondering if you can get us 2 tickets to the art gallery next week? The one your mum work at? You can count it as a favour I…”

“I can’t. The tickets have already sold out. I can only get 2 tickets for me and Lizzy. Sorry, I… “said Regina.

“Cosima, can you get me something to drink, I felt really thirsty all of a sudden.” said Delphine, bossing Cosima away. “Oh, Regina. You are new here, so I’m going to forgive you for rejecting me just now because you don’t know. You see, when I ask for something, I get that something. And when I ask you, politely for 2 tickets, I’m expecting 2 tickets in my locker by tomorrow morning. Are you clear?”

“But… but I don’t have the tickets! Even though I want to give it to you, I can’t give you something I don’t have!”

“Dearie, you still don’t get it don’t you. I’m not begging you to get me the tickets, I’m technically blackmailing you to get me the tickets or else everyone will get to know all about Rachel and how sorry you are! I don’t care how you get the tickets but you are getting them for me!” said Delphine. She turned away and joined Cosima, leaving Regina alone.

The next day, Delphine found 2 tickets in her locker with a note saying, “Plz don’t tell anyone.” Delphine knew she had got Regina right in her palm. Again and again, Delphine ask Regina for all kind of thing, and Regina delivered them all till it’s too much.

“Regina, I want to meet the new artist in town, Tom Sullivan. I want 15 minutes with him in private. “said Delphine.

“I can’t. My mum have banned me from the gallery for asking too many tickets. There’s no way…”

“And I thought we had came to an agreement that you get what I want and I will keep your secret secret!”

“But…”

“No buts.” said Delphine. “I’m now going back to classroom and tell everyone about Rachel. Good luck with that!”

Delphine marched in like a Queen, stood in front of the class and said, “Hey guys, guess what! Regina and her family moved here because Regina’s friend Rachel died in a fire and Regina got something to do with it!”

“Come on, Delphine!” said Lisbeth.

“Regina already feel bad enough about it! Rachel saved her from the fire by pushing her out of the building. She can’t help to think of she had tried to save her, she would still be alive now!” said Isaac, surprisingly.

Suddenly, everyone started saying how poor and miserable Regina and retold the story about how Regina was saved, how she used to be so close to Rachel. They all knew the story, and they all knew that each other knew.

Regina walked in slowly, crying. “I really miss Rachel, she was my best friend! Why didn’t I try harder to save her? Why?”

The class move toward Regina, comforting her. All of a sudden, Delphine became the bad guy as Regina was just the poor girl with an awful past.

After some time, Regina walked pass Delphine, sobbing, but left a note. “Guess what princess, wondering how they all know? That’s a secret I won’t tell, at least not to a spoiled brat. ^^"

Next day, Regina didn’t come to school. And everyone was talking about what happened the other day.

“What is wrong with you?”, Cosima said, “Regina has a history, so what? What were you thinking? Saying something like that… Regina is a very nice and kind person. Remember all those tickets she gave us?”

“Well, I was kind of blackmailing with this so she would give us the tickets! Do you really think she is so good that she would willingly gave up her tickets just so we can go?”

“What? You are using this horrible thing and you held it against her? That’s probably the most shocking and scariest experience she ever had! How could you? You are such an awful person!”

“Me? ME? The person who is basically the reason why you are wearing those shoes and clothes? What! You think your dad just happened to do so well and get a big promotion? I asked my dad to promote your dad and if it wasn’t me, your dad would still be in that little office!”

“Enough with that! You are just making me sick! I can’t believe I didn’t see this for all these years!”

“What do you really want to say, Cosima Duncan!?”

“What I want to say, Miss Delphine Hudson, is that I’m done with you and that I feel so bad for Regina that I’m going to be her friend instead of yours.“

“Fine! I’m telling you this, I don’t need you but you need me. You couldn’t survive for a week without me.”

“That’s a bet I’m willing to take!”

Cosima stormed out of the classroom, leaving Delphine alone in shock…

After that stunning talk with her ex-best friend, Delphine spread the word that no one should be friends with Regina or the Hudsons would go against them. Still Regina became more and more popular like a new rising star while Delphine lost the glamour of being a Hudson, like a falling star which had done shining. It didn’t take long for the story which Delphin Hudson, princess of the Hudsons once believed Regina Smith was responsible in a murder spread out. From there, Delphine was no longer the princess but a lunatic, a nutjob and a freak.

Deep down, she knew that there was something wrong with that mysterious Regina Smith but she didn’t dare say it. Whenever her parents asked her about school, she would just put on a smile and told them how wonderful things have been and how much her friends adored her. What happened with Cosima and changed her. You couldn’t see that proud, pretty, popular princess again. Who’s now just a girl with a pretty face, pretty accessories, and a lonely soul. Every time she saw her old friends hanging out with Regina, she saw joy among them. Next to them she also saw a girl on the floor crying for her loss, for the fall of her glamour.

A year had passed and a new semester began, Delphine decided to ease her pain for once and try to be happy, though she couldn’t find any happiness in her life. She stepped out of her private car and arrived at school.

“It’s a new day, a new year. But not a new beginning…”, she thought, as Sheila handed her her bag.

“Hi, Delphine!” a hand patted on her shoulder. She turned and saw Cosima’s smiling face.

“Em.. Cosima??”

“What?” said Cosima.

“I thought you are with Regina, Regina Smith?!”

“Regina Who?? Who are you talking about?? Come on! We are going be late!!” Cosima ran into the school, leaving Delphine looking confused.

Delphine went into the classroom, tried to search for Regina Smith, who would usually sit on her table chatting with others. But she couldn’t find her! No one around her seemed to be talking about the missing Regina. And all her old friends seemed to be her friends, again!

She asked Lisbeth Rosa, Regina Smith’s best friend since day one, “Em… Where’s Regina? Regina Smith?”

“Who’s Regina, Delphine? I…. I don’t know who you are talking about…”

“Nevermind, my bad.” Delphine walked away and went back to her seat, processing what she found out. “First, all my friends are back again. Second, I’m popular again. And third, no one knows who Regina Smith is! What happened?”

That night, Delphine took an hour to fall asleep. Her mind was packed with Regina Smith and what had happened. But a second she fell asleep, someone turned on the light and yanked her out of her bed. “Did you miss me?” A familiar voice said. Delphine opened her eyes and…

“HOLY CRAP! Wha.. What.. are you doing in my room? How did you even get in here?”

“The same way how I made the whole town forget about me, and the Smiths,” said Regina, sitting on Delphine’s favourite armchair. “But first, you need to stop all the yelling cause there’s no point in me taking any risk of being seen. Besides, I have something you desired, something you want... Don’t you want to know why I choose you, why you lost your mojo, and how on earth did the whole town forget about me, the poor girl they’ve known for an entire year?”

Delphine nodded desperately, “Yes, yes, I want to know how! I need the answer to all this!!”

Regina smiled, “Just as I thought... Then, are you sure you really want to know how? No spoiled brats can know the secret, remember?”
“I will do anything for the truth. JUST FREAKING TELL ME HOW!!!”

In a small town called Surfonn, there was a high school. A teacher walked into a classroom with a young girl behind her. The teacher entered the room and said, “Good morning everyone. Let’s give our new student a warm welcoming.” The blonde girl smiled and said, “Hi! I’m Delphine, Delphine Hudson.”