The Billion Dollar Girl

(Chapter 32)

Ͼ Ella Castillo Ͽ

I’d almost missed having tests. The pen. The paper. And the silence.

I always do well in tests. I don’t know why. I get full marks in every single exam and come out top every time. I don’t try too hard. I don’t care too much. I don’t even want it. I just do. It was always something I’d relied on. It was what made me different, set me apart from others.

What if I’d lost it?

I tried to shake these thoughts from my head. I had to look for Ash. I’d gone into his homeroom and even checked the roof, but I couldn’t find him anywhere. I had to go back to the ballroom. I’d been thinking about it and I think I’d left my exercise book there – the exercise book with all my notes in. Without it, I would fail tomorrow’s exams for sure. Today, I’d been lucky. Math. It was my forte. Math was simple and logical. Easy.

I wanted to find Ash to tell him where I was going – and hopefully he would come with me. I didn’t want to be one of those dependent women incapable of going anywhere without their “guy”, but I didn’t want to go alone. I always had trouble with foreign places. Maybe that’s why I like tests so much. Because no matter where you have a test, on whatever subject, as long as you have the paper in front of you, it’s the same. My life has always been so unstable, I’d always thought of the exam room as my home.

Sighing, I gave in the hunt and pulled out my phone. It was a new one – some brand with a funny name that Ash had handed me. Originally, his name had been the only contact. Thrown into this new world, I’d slowly collected more numbers, but to be honest, the list wasn’t too big to start with. So all the additions to my phonebook were James’s, Lady Emily’s (because she’d forced me to write it down in case of “Emergency”) and my limo driver’s. I was calling my limo driver now.

A few minutes later, he pulled into the school gates, the glossy black paint gleaming in the sharp winter sun. I got in and told him the address. A few moments later, we were driving away.

***

ῼ Ash Castillo ῼ

I unbuckled myself from the car, pulling off the helmet. I ran my fingers through my hair. My pulse was racing with adrenaline, just like it always did. Half-way through school, I was too annoyed to carry on so I’d hit the track…just like I always did.

I checked the time and immediately hit myself on the forehead. Crap. I’d completely forgotten about Ella. I pulled at my gloves hurriedly, using my teeth when they didn’t give. Finally, I managed to get my hands my phone. I immediately speed-dialed Ella.

She didn’t pick up. Just like she never did.

***

Ͼ Ella Castillo Ͽ

I stood behind a plant, biting my lip. The receptionist was busy talking to an elderly couple. I felt so awkward here, it was unbelievable. Not much had changed since I was last here. The lights were still dazzlingly bright, reflecting too strongly from the over-polished marble floors. The plant I was hiding behind gave me little coverage, but I wouldn’t let it go. Somehow, I really wished Ash was here, next to me. He was way more confident than me.

The elderly couple and the receptionist were having a heated discussion. The receptionist looked like she was losing. Just from the nervous expression on her face, I knew that these people were important. They looked important. The man looked to be around his sixties, in a designer suit with graying hair and a clean-shaven face. His wife looked slightly younger than him, but her hair was already completely grey. I’d always had a sort of respect for elderly women who had enough courage to let their hair turn naturally grey.