Chapter 2: Don’t Believe Everything

Nothing is always as it seems. Everyone hides something and our brains can play tricks on us. Sometimes you have to take another look or change your view to a different angle. People say seeing is believing, but not everything you see is the truth.

This 'mantra' of mine ran through my head as I stood in my room, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The girl staring back at me is the complete opposite of who I really am. The girl in front of me sported a short jet black wig and thick-rimmed glasses. Her face was caked with badly applied makeup. She wore the prescribed and mandatory uniform the school forces everyone to wear. This consisted of a navy blue blazer with a basic white button-up, a knee-length skirt, and a scuffed-up pair of loafer.

"Just one more year." I reminded myself.

I just had to keep this disguise of mine for another year. Don't get me wrong, I love my life laying low and away from the public. It's just that I am not a big fan of the persona I adopted when my father let me stay under the radar.

I walked out of my room with the same boring old backpack I have used for the past three years. As I headed towards the open floor planned kitchen slash dining room, I was immediately hit with the smell of bacon.

"Ready for your the first day of your last year in high school, Grace?" My brother taunted, as he put finished cooking the bacon and turned off the stove.

I rolled my eyes at his statement. The reason for my brother's taunting is because Grace is not my real name. My real name is Adelaide Isla, known affectionately as Addy. I go by Grace Wilson to stay undercover. For the past three years, the world thinks Adelaide Isla is in some snobby boarding school in Switzerland. The truth is, I am still in the small little kingdom, Privaria, I have called home for the last seventeen years of my life. I live with my second-eldest brother, Liam, in a four-bedroom, two-story house in an upper-middle-class neighborhood.

You might wonder why exactly I am in the situation. This started around twelve years ago. My mother ran away when I was five years old after a huge fight with my father in the middle of the night. At about 14 years old, my mother running away took its toll on my mental health and my father agreed to let me live the rest of my teenage life in secret as to not put too much pressure on me. It worked out for the better because Liam just turned 19 and was moving out. I moved in with him under the condition that I go to school at one of the most prestigious private schools in the kingdom, Privaria Elite Royal Academy. Children of politicians, CEOs, royalty, and basically anyone who is rich and famous go there.

My father is a big-shot businessman who happens to be an Earl and a close friend of the crown prince. My father's status made it easier for me to be able to keep up this charade. The only people who know about this 'scheme' other than my father and Liam is our trusted family butler, Gordon, my eldest brother, Charles, my best friend in the whole entire world, Sunshine Roberts, and finally my school principal, Hilary Duke.

Grabbing a piece of bacon for myself, I took a bite out as I prepared my lunch for school. My schoolmates normally just buy the food prepared by the world-class chefs in the cafeteria, but to keep up with appearances, I come from a poor family and only got into the school thru scholarships. Ergo, I cannot afford lunch from the cafeteria.

After I finished making my sad excuse for lunch, I sat down to have a proper breakfast with Liam. He had finished more than half the bacon while I was busy and was now quietly starring at his phone. I filled my plate with the rest of the food and began to dig in. Liam suddenly decided that it was the perfect time to start up a conversation.

"In all seriousness though, are you ready for your last first day in high school?" He asked as he finally looked up from his phone.

I shrugged my shoulders as I finished chewing the food in my mouth. "I am ready to ditch the dorky disguise more than anything," I replied honestly. "It has been hard keeping it up."

After chatting some more, I finished all the food on my plate and put it in the sink. I then grabbed my bag and headed out.

"No 'goodbye' for your dear brother?" Liam feigned heartbreak.

"Bye," I said flatly as his phone began to ring.

I stepped out of the house and looked around before heading towards the bus station. I did not want anyone to catch me coming out of a house that was supposed to be way above my social status because I was supposed to be poor.

After waiting a while at the bus stop. The bus arrived right on time. I got on board and flashed my school ID. As I sat at the back of the bus, I caught someone in the corner of my eye. When I turned my head to look fully out the window, the person was gone. My mind must have just been playing tricks on me.

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