The President's Daughter by David Dower (best ebook reader for ubuntu .txt) 📖

gone for?” Thomas asked, my parents as they shrugged on a light coat.

“A week at the most, we will be back next Sunday and I expect nothing to be broken.” She said, looking at Thomas. I stifled a laugh, but she soon turned to me with a glare. “And no one in this house making world headlines or trending on twitter.”

Thomas let out a snort, “You were trending for two days, with the hashtag ‘Alice gets arrested.’”

I rolled my eyes, “At least people know me.”

“Not in a good way.”

“Look, just listen to Melinda and Robert and nothing will go wrong.” My mother, said trying to assure herself rather than us.

“You are not allowed to leave the house under any circumstances. You got me kids?” My father said, looking at me in particular.

I just shrugged, it was like I was in lock down. The last day I left the house was Friday and that was only to clear out my locker from school.

“What if there is an emergency?” Thomas asked, suddenly.

“Like what?” My father asked, Thomas narrowing his eyes.

“Like someone might have possibly hacked into some confidential records and the FBI is tracking the hacker as we speak?” Thomas mumbled, looking down at his shoes to avoid eye contact.

I widened my eyes, as my mother let out a shriek. “You did what? Thomas Justine Montclair, what on earth did you do?”

My brother let out a groan, as he tilted his head back. “You honestly couldn’t have given me a boy’s middle name?”

I stifled my laugh, as I looked away knowing if I made eye contact with Thomas I was going to burst out laughing.

“Your mother and I were expecting another girl. And your mother really loved the name Justine.” My father explained, trying to explain the rationale of picking Thomas’ middle name.

He nodded his head, “Because that makes so much sense.”

“I will be calling Ricky when I am on the plane to let him know that all of your electronics including your computer is confiscated while we are gone. We will be having a serious chat about this hacking business you have going on because frankly it is unacceptable.” My father told Thomas in a strict tone.

I let out a few chuckles, “What is unacceptable is that a ten year old can hack into confidential records and that doesn’t scare you guys at all? Knowing that if he could do it, then anyone can.”

“There is no way he could get into them without leaving a trace.” My father said.

I shrugged, as my mother came around to give Thomas both and I hugs and a kiss on the cheeks. “Be good.” She said, to the both of us.

I shrugged, grabbing the dress in my hands. “It’s nice. But, I don’t think I am going to prom. Considering the whole population of the school thinks I am a liar.”

Sarah sighed, her hands clutching her light pink dress as she admired it in the mirror. “I knew you were going to say that.” She said, turning to face me. “But, don’t you think maybe you should go. You have never been to a school dance and isn’t prom like ever girls dream? I know it is mine.”

I glanced at the dress in my hand. “But, my parents.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Screw what your parents think. They aren’t always going to be there to shelter you every single step of the way, are they?” I shook my head, no. “Exactly. So get your ass into that dressing room and try the dress on this instant.”

My eyes widened, I have never heard Sarah swear before. And when it came out of her mouth it sounded so foreign.

I listened to her, nevertheless. Stripping my clothes off and pulling the white dress over my head. When I had put it on, I walked out of the changing room unzipped.

“Hey could you zip me up?” I asked, Sarah. Who was still admiring her pink dress in the mirror. She walked over to me, as I pulled my hair up to let her zip me.

Ever since the last time I had cut my hair, it has grown significantly. My dark brown hair was now past my shoulders and I could finally tie it into a proper ponytail.

Once she was done, I turned to face Sarah. “So what do you think?” I asked, twirling around.

She gasped. “It looks beautiful.” She said, softly.

I smiled as I walked to the mirror. The dress had fit me perfectly, it was beautiful and hugged all the curves of my body. It also had a small train which I admired.

“You have to get it.” Sarah said, grabbing my hair from the back and placing it all on one side. “And you have to go to prom. Gavin won’t be able to take his eyes of you.” She let out a slight snort, “What am I saying? Gavin always had his eyes for you and only you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to go to prom, but I didn’t want to be in more trouble with my parents that I am in now.

“I’ll take it.” I said, as I continued to look myself in the mirror.

I heard Sarah let out a squeal from behind me. “Great! I will let the sales lady know.” Sarah said, disappearing of to the front of the store, still in her prom dress.

“This is for you Gavin,” I whispered. “And only you.”

I wanted to make things right with Gavin. I know he hated me for lying when he was being honest with me, yes he did just use me for a stupid bet which I am still pissed off about. But, knowing that he and the rest of the school peg me as a liar and most probably a scamp. Is something I don’t want to be known for and by going to prom to make everything right is what it takes. Then God dammit, I am going to prom and there is nothing my parents can or do that will change my mind.

He let out a snort, as his attention went back to the screen. “I am good, thanks.”

“How about this? You get to spend a day with two prodigies that go to that brainy school in central DC.” I said, remembering the conversation I had when I first met Sarah and she told me about her two brothers. I am aware that they were two years older than Thomas but something told me that they were going to get along just fine.

“You mean Worthington? The Worthington?” Thomas asked, his jaw dropping open and his eyes wide with shock.

I tilted my head, “I think so.”

“You are aware that it is one of the toughest prodigy schools in the entire country. To get in you are might as well be the next Einstein.” Thomas said, still clearly in shock.

“Okay. Look, will you accompany me or not? Because we need to get moving, my friend.” I said, glancing at the time on my phone.

“Okay. But, how in the world are you going to change Ricky’s mind. He knows that we aren’t allowed to leave.”

I waved my hand in dismissal, “Don’t worry. I got this.” I said, as we left Thomas’ room.

“That’s what I am afraid off.” I heard Thomas mutter, from behind me.

*

“Thanks for coming with me again, Alice.” Sarah said, rummaging through dresses.

“No problem. Ricky was persistent on letting me leave the house when he heard my excuse.”

Sarah stopped rummaging through dresses when she looked at me with raised eyebrows. “What’d you do?” She asked, hesitantly.

“I told him I leaked through my mattress.” I said, smirking. “Told him it was the time of the month and I was out of tampons and pads so he insisted that he drives me to the local mall to get whatever I needed.”

“He didn’t think of driving you to the drugstore or something?” Sarah questioned.

I shrugged, “I don’t think so. He seemed kind of in a panic when I told him what happened.”

“Then how did you get your brother out of the house?” She questioned.

“Well, at first I was going to make up another stupid excuse for Thomas. But, as I was leaving the house Thomas followed and when I had asked if he could come with, Ricky didn’t even bat an eyelash. He was just too frantic to get both of us out of the house as fast as possible. I am pretty sure he thinks that I was going to die of a menstrual cycle.”

Sarah chuckled, “That was very cruel of you.”

“Don’t even go there, you are the one who needed me.”

She rolled her brown eyes, “It doesn’t even matter at this point. As long as the twins and Thomas remain at that tech shop by the front we could shop for hours. Jake and Justin love that store, something about the latest models and gadgets.”

I snorted, knowing that Thomas was going to now make that store home. Just like he did with the pantry at home, he labeled all of the foods or well the ones that he liked his. And if there was anything missing that had his name on it. Trust me, when I say Thomas will know. Sometimes I think that he had installed a secret camera in there, I am just not a hundred percent sure where considering the pantry was very large.

“Why don’t you try on this?” Sarah asked, holding out a white chiffon dress out to me. It was a pretty dress and had a V-neck cut out something that I usually wouldn’t wear, because my father deemed anything that had a V-neck as inappropriate.

“Sorry, I am still under lockdown.”

“You’re kidding me? Will this lockdown continue into prom?”

“Prom?”

I could imagine her nodding her head, “Yeah. Why else do you think I want to go shopping? I hate it, the only reason I am going is because Andy asked me to prom and I have absolutely nothing to wear.”

Shopping wasn’t exactly my thing and I doubt my parents would even let me go to prom. “I am sorry Sar, but I don’t think I can go. My parents just left and I doubt anyone would let me go.”

“Please?” Sarah begged.

I sighed, “Why can’t you just ask Holly or something?”

“Holly’s not going either.”

“Why’s that?” I questioned, curious.

“That’s the weekend she is packing up for Montana. She is leaving with her dad the following week.” Sarah explained.

I bit my lip, I still didn’t understand why she is moving with her father. Didn’t she have a choice in the matter?

“Sarah how come her dad won the right to keep Holly? Nothing is wrong with her mother, she is perfectly fit and capable to care for Holly.”

Last time I checked, Aunt Teddy was a very successful Business Woman. I didn’t understand it wasn’t like she was unable to care for Holly, she was. She has been for the last seventeen years.

“Holly’s parents are both fit to care for her. Her dad had decided he wanted to move back to his hometown in Montana and wanted Holly to come with her, while her mother was planning on staying here in DC. The judge allowed her to choose who he wanted to pick, because she is over the limit.”

“And she picked her dad.” I mumbled.

“Yeah,” Sarah said.

“Why?” I questioned, “There is only a month left a school anyways.”

“She wanted to escape everything.”

“And by everything you mean, me.” I told Sarah.

I could imagine her giving me a pitiful look, “I am sorry Ali.”

“It’s okay.”

It was quiet for a few minutes, I was too consumed in my thoughts to say anything. I couldn’t believe Holly would leave the place she grew up just because of one stupid fight. Over a stupid boy. Okay, Ben wasn’t stupid but you get me.

“I will go shopping with you.” I said, not caring that my parents grounded me. This was important to Sarah, it was important to me. Plus she was the only one who wasn’t mad at me.

“You will?” Sarah asked, excitement clear in her voice.

I nodded,