FALLEN

A girl in her late teens tossed endlessly in her bed on a chilly Monday morning. Apparently, she wasn't ready to let go of her bed yet. She looked at her wall clock which displayed 7:15 and hissed.

"I wonder why the daybreak chose today of all days to spread it's fluttering wings in a twinkle of an eye." She muttered to herself and yawned.

"I think...."

"Dazzling!!" A female voice shouted from the kitchen not too far from her room.

"Oh great! am so in trouble." She muttered before answering. "Yes Mum!"

"We won't be going to school today I guess?"

"I'm almost through mum!" She replied coming down from her bed.

"We both know that's not true. You are probably still enjoying the coziness of your bed, or you just left it, so which of them?" Her mum asked coming out the kitchen.

She smiled at her mum's unbeatable ability of sniffling things out. No matter what, she just couldn't be outwitted.

Remembering what awaited her she sighed. Never had she dreamt of ditching her dream college, but her father's new job as a secretary in the Ken's dynasty necessited it. The job offered her a scholarship in the Ken's prestigious college, a college owned by Ryu Ken, her father's employer and the owner of Ken's dynasty.

"How I hate those big schools filled with rich and pompous kids, I wonder why it's a must that I go there."

She heard her mum's footsteps and rushed to grab her towel, in a flick she had already removed her pyjamas and wrapped the towel around her body. She stood near her wardrobe, staring unblinkingly at the door, probably waiting for the Tigress to appear.

Caramel opened the door and stepped inside, meeting her daughter's stares. "Do you know that your fellow students are probably on their way to school right now?"

"Only those going to the school they love." She replied and faced down, clasping her hands together.

Knowing the direction of the conversation, Caramel sighed.

"Baby I thought we have talked about this? Your dad doesn't have a choice and so do I, it's a mandatory welcome bonus."

"So they can have the full authority to toss the person around their fingers?" Dazzling asked gesturing with her fingers, what she meant by the word 'toss'

"Dazzling please, can we drop this?" Caramel looked pleadingly at her daughter, but she wasn't done yet.

"The free house and car wasn't enough for them to showcase their affluence, pride and exploitation, they had to add a scholarship to that stupid colleges of theirs, to the list. Are we even going to breathe in this house mum?

"Caramel raised both hands resignedly. "We are going to breathe baby, just take your bath and go to school."

Coming closer to her she added. "It can't be that bad. You know that's the only job you dad can get at the moment, we need to pay bills baby and we don't know if another one will come."

Dazzling exhaled and smiled at her mum whose face has already contorted in a frown.

"Anything for you and Dad. Hell, my dream college was Crestwood thanks to Ken's dynasty for taking it away."

Dazzling scrawled and caramel laughed.

"How sure are you, that they are not also characterized by class system like Ken's college?"

"Hundred percent, I did my research before applying, plus they have part time jobs for students finding it hard to pay tuition, yeah" Dazzling met her mum mock stares.

"And you were just about planning on applying for one, yeah?" Caramel was already stiffling a laugh

"You know me so well mum. Hold on, are you Mocking me?"

Dazzling arched a questioning brow and Caramel burst into laughter.

"No baby, I can't mock you, it's just that your facial expression was funny." Caramel touched her daughter's cheeks and she retreated feigning a frown.

"I'm sorry babe, okay let's look on the bright side."

"What bright side?" Dazzling stared at her mum. "Maybe you were meant to attend bigger schools Ken's college, as my princess that you are." Dazzling rolled her eyes.

"Indeed, I am." This elicited another round of laughter.

Caramel touched her cheeks lovingly. "Show them what you have got, baby." She darted her eyes around the room and back to Dazzling.

"Hope you are enjoying your new room?"

"I would have, if it was daddy's sweat but it's all good, I will live." She answered with a shrug.

"Now I need to prepare so I can start early to process the registration into my department."

Caramel flicked a teasing glance at her. "Look who's on about starting early, weren't you under your duvet a while ago? I can see how you are not enjoying the room with you still on the bed till 7."

Dazzling rolled her eyes with her arms crossed over her breast. "Mum!!!" She shouted.

"What!!!" Caramel replied in the same tune.

"Can I take my bath now?" She asked with a slightly raised eyebrows.

"Not until you admit that you are enjoying the proceeds from your father's employment, this room for instance, the prestigious college and the car you drive around the..."

"Mum!!!!!!" Dazzling shouted but this time a bit higher than the former.

"Okay fine, you don't need to yell, already on my way out." Holding the door knob she turned and saw her daughter stiffling a laugh, she smiled.

"It's funny huh?" Dazzling burst into laughter. "Payback is a b*tch mum."

Caramel nodded. "I can see that."

"I will be down in a few minutes mum."

"Breakfast in thirty minutes, so you have twenty-five minutes to be done. Meet me at the dinning dear."

"Thanks mum." Dazzling smiled at her mum. Caramel smiled back and left the room.

Dazzling hopped into the bathroom and under the jet spray, as the water ran down her body, her mind drifted. She doesn't like the new job her dad landed. The last thing she needed was her dad being ordered around like a robot. Sadly, that was as they were already in their

house, under their scholarship and using their cars.

Blame it on Dreams that fired her dad as a result of the frame up organized by his co staff.

Dreams treated her dad like a king because of his competence in secretarial jobs, his unwavering ability to get huge contracts for them with his gift of eloquence and charisma.

He was to be promoted as a General manager by month-end. This elicited envy from some of the staffs interested in the position, hence the frame up.

Ken's dynasty employed him few weeks after he was fired, with their tickets to exploitation in the guise of mandatory welcome bonus. She scoffed 'As if it's going to change the way they discriminate against the middle and lower class.'

"Ken's College had better be safe for human existence, if not am declining."

"Dazzling! Don't tell me you are still under the shower!!" Caramel shouted from the dinning breaking into her thoughts.

"D*mn! this noisy water for outing me."

She hopped out of the bathroom in her towel, water dripping from her hair. She tied her other towel on her head to aid the drying.

Minutes later she was standing in front of her dressing mirror, checking out her outfit of black jeans trouser, a white crop top and a white heeled sandal; her eighteenth birthday gift from her mum.

Despite the fact that they were not moneyed her parents made sure she always looked exceptional, one of the reasons she treasured them with all her heart.

Satisfied with her looks, she looked around her room and nodded satisfactorily. She rushed out of the room with her white designers handbag and her school credentials.

Being a minute late would cost her breakfast and she wasn't about to face that school with an empty stomach.

Caramel was already seated at the dinning, she heard her daughter's footsteps and turned.

"You know you are a minute late, baby."

"Pardon me mum, it took a while before my hair could dry, it won't happen again." She pleaded as she sat down close to her mum.

"It had better not. By the way you look stunning. I dare say, I made a great choice in buying that outfit for you."

"Yeah mum and am forever grateful to you and dad. She replied with a smile.

"Let's eat so I can drop you off, I will also make a stop at your dad's office and drop his breakfast."

"I miss having breakfast with dad." Dazzling frowned.

Caramel touched her shoulders. "Cheer up baby, atleast we still eat dinner with him."

"That's on rare occasions mum."

"Baby it's not your dad's fault, let's just bear with him okay?" Dazzling nodded.