Wicked Princess - Ashley Jade
Prologue
I gesture to the shoebox containing my new ballet slippers. “Are you sure you got the right ones?”
If they aren’t the same exact ones Julianna has, it will only give her more ammo to make fun of me.
Mom sighs heavily as she brings her cell phone to her ear and hands the lady at the counter her credit card. “Positive.”
She’s been on edge more than usual today.
Probably because of the fight she had with my older brother Cole this morning.
Evidently, he wanted to join the peewee football team, but Mom told him no because he’s failing all his tests at school.
Annoyed, I look at Cole’s twin, Liam.
“Why does Cole always have to ruin everything?”
I expect him to agree because Cole irritates him even more than he irritates me, but Liam simply shrugs.
Thanks to Cole starting with Mom and putting everyone in a bad mood, everything felt off today.
I didn’t like it.
“Can we get some ice cream?”
Liam wrinkles his nose in disgust.
He claims ice cream is too cold and should be banished from the planet.
I wholeheartedly disagree.
“Come on,” I groan, turning my annoyance on him. “I stopped eating meat for you, don’t make me give up ice cream too.”
Three months ago, he decided he wanted to become a vegan in order to save animals. However, he soon realized he loved cheese too much, so he settled on becoming a vegetarian instead.
Because I love him—and because the video he made me watch of cows being slaughtered gave me nightmares—I agreed to join him.
But ice cream is where I draw the line.
Liam crosses his arms defiantly. “It’s too co—”
“No, it’s not—”
“Would the two of you stop fighting,” our mother snaps as she hastily signs the receipt and throws her phone in her purse. “We are not getting ice cream.”
Wow.
“But, Mom—”
“Bianca, please.” She gestures to the shopping bags full of leotards. “One more word out of you and so help me God, I’ll return everything I just bought.”
My mouth drops open in shock.
Not only was it her idea to go to the mall today for my new ballet slippers and leotards—she never, ever yelled at me.
Although she loved all her children, it was well known that I was her favorite, and Liam was a close second.
Ever since I could remember, the three of us always had a strong connection.
As if on cue, Liam reaches for my hand.
Cole could be such a big, fat jerk sometimes.
Some days he was so mean she’d end up staying in her bedroom for days at a time.
She claimed she was sick, but we all knew better.
Mom wasn’t sick. She was sad.
Too bad Jace—our oldest brother—wasn’t here.
He always knew the right things to say and what to do.
Given our father was at work all the time, it felt like Jace was more of a dad to me than our actual father was.
However, I only had one mom…and right now she was mad at me.
Which made me sad.
Her expression softens when she looks at me again. “Bianca.”
No. This wasn’t fair.
I wasn’t like Cole. I never told her I hated her or fought with her.
I always told her I loved her…because she’s my favorite person.
I thought I was hers too.
Unclasping my hand from Liam’s, I storm out of the store.
“Bianca, come back here,” she yells behind me, but I pick up my pace.
In one fell swoop, she grabs my arm. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re not my favorite person anymore,” I inform her through tears.
“You don’t mean that, baby girl.”
She was right. I didn’t.
Our bond was unbreakable.
But still, the way she treated me before hurt. A lot.
Like Liam, I was sensitive too. Only unlike him, I didn’t put my weakness on display.
Because my mother told me I needed to be strong.
Stronger than she was.
Spinning me around, she wipes my tears away with her hand. “I love you.”
I look down at the floor, unwilling to meet her gaze. “Love you too.”
The wall of ice I built thaws as she wraps her arms around me.
She always smelled like warm vanilla and coconut, and her hugs were the best thing in the world.
Like a cocoon.
“You still want that ice cream?”
I nod, clinging to her like a koala.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Liam sulking.
I loved my brother more than anything, but he had this annoying habit of wanting everyone to conform to his way of thinking.
Deep down, I knew it was because of his anxiety, but sometimes I ran out of patience.
My mom always understood it though.
Nine times out of ten she was able to stop