Chapter 2: A Different World

I am Daphne Rose. I live in the city of The Pines. I'm seventeen years old and a nursing student at Summit University, one of Emerald City's lesser-known institutions. I was born in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Hospital in Sapphire City, nine miles from where I now live, on March 1, 2000, at 11:22 p. m.

I'm just a regular girl, but there's someone who thinks highly of me as if I'm exceptional. Alexander Pierce is his name, but I call him Alex for short. I'm not sure why he puts me on such a high pedestal. There's nothing particularly remarkable about me. In fact, you might be disappointed if you saw me right now. I was born into a poor family. My father is a fisherman, while my mother works as a seamstress.

My parents have many children. They did not believe in family planning at the time, which may be clear at this point.

My parents used to believe that babies were God's blessings that’s why they never used any contraceptives.

Anyway, I'll tell you about my brothers and sisters.

I'm the fourth child in eight children. Simon, my older brother, is twenty-five years old. He works in the construction industry. He is tall, tanned, and strong. His hair is long and straight.

Because he disliked studying, he dropped out of high school at the age of seventeen. He was always a varsity basketball player while he was still in school. He had a reputation for being a ladies' man. He had a number of girls drooling over him. He had numerous girlfriends. However, I don't see the hype. He is, nevertheless, friendly and helpful.

Simone is my elder sister, and she is twenty-two years old. She has straight blonde hair that complemented her pale skin and dark brown eyes.

Simone, like Simon, did not complete her education. She formerly worked as a model. She stopped working after marrying a wealthy American man. She is lovely, engaging, and has a cheerful demeanor.

Rico is a twenty-year-old young man. He has a pale complexion and is tall and lean. He has a short quiff haircut. He completed his psychology degree and is now employed as a school counselor.

Many of his female friends and schoolmates liked him when he was still in school. In high school, he was elected as the campus crush. He also competed in a male pageant in college, winning the first place. Despite the fact that he is admired by many ladies and gays, he is devoted to his lovely girlfriend, Elizabeth. Rico is bright, sincere, and generous.

Serenity, my younger sister, is sixteen years old. Her skin is fair, and she has a slim physique. Her diamond-shaped face was framed by her wavy blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders. Her brows, which are her best feature, are thick but well-shaped.

She recently graduated from high school and intends to pursue a scholarship to study Nutrition at a prestigious university. She is lovely, but she is reserved. She is a quiet person who enjoys drawing and reading.

Anthony is fourteen years old and is a sophomore in high school. He has a slim body and warm ivory skin. He has a curtain haircut. He is intelligent, inquisitive, and friendly. He enjoys going for skates in the neighborhood and making friends with other skaters. He also enjoys playing badminton.

Nevaeh is a sixth-grader who is twelve years old. Her skin is creamy and she has a slim figure. She has a delicate face and light-blonde hair which she wears in two braids. In her class, she is known as the muse. She has always been an honor student. She is pretty, intelligent, and pleasant to be around.

Enoch is a fourth-grader who is nine years old. He has fair skin and is of average height and build. His short hair has a side fringe that complements his oval face, medium-sized eyes, small nose, and small lips. He is a patient, brave, and imaginative person. He enjoys drawing and playing football with his friends.

When I was still living in Brookville with my parents, our home is close to a crystal-clear, gleaming brook. It's a two-story wooden home with a lawn and trees all around it. To be honest, it's not exactly a lovely home; in fact, it's quite the contrary.

It may appear acceptable from the outside. However, due to its age, it is filthy on the inside. With only two faded sofas and a modest glass table, the living room was sparsely furnished. There was a television without a cable connection.

The kitchen was cramped and unwieldy. The table was filthy, the cabinets were filthy, and the walls were paper thin. There's one window with old-fashioned thin green curtains.

Because we only had one bathroom, we often argued over who would be the first to use it. We didn't have a shower or a heater, so we showered with a pitcher and a bucket of water. To clean ourselves, we used sachets of shampoo and soaps.

For all ten members of our large family, we only had five bedrooms. There were two people in each room. So, in a nutshell, we lacked privacy. Our dining room's chairs and table have seen better days.

I lived in a filthy, uncomfortable run-down house. But Alex still thinks I'm a princess. He worships me excessively.

Madison, my best friend, called me on the phone.

"Hey there, girl!" Madison greeted me with enthusiasm.

"Hello, Maddy," I said cheerfully.

"Let's go to the mall," she offered, "and we'll meet up with our friends."

“Sure!" I replied, trying to keep up with her zeal.

“Sweet! I'll pick you up at your place," she said. Maddy is the only one of my friends who has come to see my inexpensive flat here at The Pines.

I insisted, "No, let's simply meet in the mall." When I said "no," my voice was a little loud, and my apartment was a shambles. I didn't want her to see it, so I didn't show it to her.

I quickly took a bath. I used a white towel to dry myself after I bathed. Then I put on a pair of pants and a plain T-shirt.

We met at a nearby mall. "Let's head to the Fortress!" Madison suggested.

“What? You didn't tell me about this," I said, shocked.

"Of course, I kept it a secret from you. It's because, unlike planned excursions, spontaneous trips occur."

"All right," I admitted nervously, "but I should have dressed prettier." Despite the fact that, to be honest, I don't have any nice clothes.

She offered, "I'll lend you my dress. I brought up an extra dress."

I felt embarrassed. "No, you shouldn't do that. My clothes are fine."

"Nonsense, girl! I insist!”

"If you say so.”

"Hop in!"

I boarded Madison's opulent limousine. I was with our four female friends.

Madison offered me her extra dress and shoes. She instructed me to put it on in the back right away. The door was shut behind me so that I could change clothes in peace. It was a sequined light blue dress. It's a little too showy for my tastes, but Maddy didn't want me to look dowdy in the Fortress's gorgeous and costly city. She also gave me a matching pair of heels.

"There, we're done," our other friend Aaliyah beamed as she applied glam makeup to me. "You look like a person now," she joked. I examined myself in the enormous mirror that Aaliyah had given me. "Wow, I'm so shiny!" I said, “I had flecks of glitter in my eyes." To be honest, they made me appear gorgeous.

"That's the whole point, Daphne!" Aaliyah laughed girlishly. We're going out to a bar to dance with some hot guys!”

My friends were my fairy godmothers, and I felt like Cinderella. My female friends are all wealthy, and I am a poor girl. We connected in some strange way.

They were all university friends of mine. I'm going to tell you about them.

Madison is a blonde with a beautiful figure and tanned skin. She is a fellow student in the same class as me. She is social, outgoing, and joyful. She was in a peach dress and silver heels. We don't have much in common, but we love and treat each other like sisters.

Aaliyah is a mocha-skinned brunette. She's our other classmate. She exudes self-assurance, sociability, and charisma. She was in a red dress and matching heels. She was also wearing a silver necklace with an A.

Nathalia is a rosy-pale redhead with a tall, thin physique. She is a varsity member of our university's Taekwondo team. She is vivacious, friendly, and loyal. She was in a green dress and a pair of nude flat shoes.

Jessica has a porcelain complexion, black hair, and monolid eyes. She is the school newspaper's editor-in-chief. At first, she is shy, quiet, and restrained. When you get close to her, however, she becomes communicative and expressive. She was dressed in a small black dress with heels that matched. Her lipstick was a bright pink that complemented her skin tone.

Bethany has hazel skin, deep-set eyes, and medium blonde hair that is straight. She is pursuing a degree in Mass Communication. Madison and I were in the same General Psychology class with Bethany. She's the life and soul of any gathering. She was in a lilac cocktail dress and orange heels. Every time she planned to dance with a hot guy, she sprayed on Chanel number 5 perfume beforehand.

We sang to and listened to late-2000s pop and rhythm and blues during our journey.

We headed to a posh bar after we arrived in Fortress city. My friends drank alcohol before dancing and flirting with attractive guys. I, on the other hand, did nothing but dance and drink beer.

A FEW DAYS LATER

My family and I traveled to Happy Island, a water park. It has a large public swimming pool with numerous slides. In the summer, children clearly enjoy these types of parks with playgrounds. In this water park, my younger siblings had a great time swimming, playing, and sliding. To pass the time, my adult siblings, including myself, swam, played, and slid. We were abruptly transported back to our childhood. Because this was the only resort we could afford to rent, we did everything we could to make the most of it. Following that, we dined in a delicious and reasonably-priced restaurant.

We stayed at a low-cost hotel. There was a karaoke machine in the room. We sang our hearts out to our favorite songs. My parents sang songs from the ’70s to ’80s by David Bowie, Elton John, Queen, Abba, The Carpenters, Michael Jackson, Bryan Adams, Madonna, Crystal Gayle, and Sade. My siblings and I sang the hits from the late ’90s to the late 2000s by The Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, 98 Degrees, Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, and Lana Del Rey. We had a great time singing these hits from the various decades.

When my younger siblings and my parents had gone to bed, my older siblings and I drank bottles of cheap cold beer and ate calamari, chicken lollipops, cheese sticks, and cheese fries. Then we talked about what’s been happening lately in our lives outside the home since most of us older children had moved out and we wanted to catch up with each other. We also talked about current events and the movies we have seen. Later on, we talked about stories of our love life. I love my family members and I’m glad they are doing well.