The President's Daughter by David Dower (if you liked this book txt) 📕

you asked for it.” I heard, her retreating footsteps as she walked into my bathroom turning on the tap. A few moments later she returned. “Okay Alice, don’t complain saying I didn't warn you…” She said, ripping my blanket off me.

She wouldn't...Would she?

I gasped. Feeling cold water down my neck and seeping through my pajamas and down the back of my shirt. I shot up from my bed, only to have my legs tangled with my sheets landing on the floor with a big thud.

“Holly? What the fuck?” I hissed.

I hardly swear and when I did, it meant I was pissed. And I was big time.

“What? I told you not to blame me! You knew I was getting the jug!”

“I knew that! But I didn't actually think you would have the guts to actually pour cold water on me at…” I looked at the digital clock resting on my bedside. “Seven o’clock in the morning!” I growled.

She shrugged. “Alice after seventeen years of knowing me, were you really surprised that I spilled water on you? You from all people should know better than that.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why are you here?” I said, my teeth clattering together, due to the cold water down my backside. 

“Get dressed we have to pick up Sarah then we’re heading to the mall, it was a while since our last girls night out.”

I groaned. “Do we have to? It’s the middle of the week! And If I do remember clearly we have school.”  I said, standing up and picking up the sheets that were on the floor after my fall out of bed.

“I do remember.” She retorted back at me. “I also remember that Sarah is the final round of the talent show. That means we need to get her a brand new outfit, we have to outshine that slut.” She said, referring to Ashley.

“Do we have to?” I whined, stomping my feet childishly.

Holly nodded her head. “You have ten minutes to get dressed and meet me downstairs. I am going to try to get Marco to make me some food.” She said, turning around and walking towards the door.

“Holly?” I called out, to her.

“Yes?” She said, turning around to face me before she left the room.

“There’s a little flaw in your plan. It’s a Wednesday, my parents will never let me miss a day of school considering I already missed Monday.” I told her smirking.

“I am one step ahead of you my dear cousin. I already asked your mom and she said sure, she even gave me her debit card and told me to go crazy.” She said, giving me a quick wink before sauntering out of the room.

I let out a groan. “Thanks a lot mother.” I muttered, to myself and walking into the bathroom to get out of these wet clothes.

*

“This is so good Marco.” I walked into the kitchen to the sounds of moaning.

That sounded so wrong.

My eyes scanned the dining room, where my whole family and Holly were sitting and eating. “Slow down there, you’re like a human vacuum cleaner.” I joked to Holly who in return glared at me.

The table sat eight people. I took a seat across from Holly, my mom and dad at the end of the table and Thomas sitting to the left of me.

“Your food.” A lady said, coming up from behind and me and placing a plate that had my breakfast on it which was an omelet in front of me.

I grimaced. I wasn't a big fan of eggs or vegetables, so whoever decided to pair the two together must have been on some type of drugs.

I grabbed the lady’s arm before she could go back to the kitchen. “Um, could you please get me a plate of cookies and chocolate milk?” I asked, hopefully.

The lady smiled in return, she looked to be in her mid fourties. “Sure, Miss Alice.” She said, grabbing the plate she put in front of me a few seconds ago and walked back into the kitchen.

“Cookies and milk is not breakfast.” My head snapped, to my father whose eyes were glued to the newspaper.

“It might not be breakfast, but at least it’s something that I would enjoy.” I muttered.

I looked at Holly who was eating the food on her plate like her life depended on it. “You might want to slow down there Holls.”

She glanced up at me giving me a flat look. “I am sorry, but this food is really good.” She said, her eyes glancing to Thomas and me.

Her eyes stopped at Thomas. “What?” She asked.

I looked over at Thomas; he shrugged his cheeks turning a pink tinted color.

Looks like someone has a little crush…

I smirked, it was a little gross. But, my brother hardly got out I can't really blame him. Holly looked at us in curiosity, she opened her mouth to speak but a plate of cookies and chocolate milk were placed in front of me as I ignored whatever she was going to say, shocing my version of breakfast down my throat.

“So what are you guys planning to do at the mall?” My mother asked, wiping her mouth on the napkin, looking at me and Holly.

“You know go shopping and hang out, the usual.” Holly replied, bringing the cup of orange juice to her lips.

“You get to miss a day of school to go shopping?” Thomas spluttered, looking at us like we were insane. “That’s not fair, I want to go!” He whined, slamming his hand on the table.

“You want to go shopping?” I asked in disbelief. “Yeah, you are definitely not a normal ten year old boy.” I told him, finishing off my cookies and gulping down my cup of milk and rising from my seat.

“Have fun girls.” My mom spoke giving me a genuine smile. “I wish I could go, but your dad and I are flying to England in a couple of hours so I won’t be home when you get back. Stay safe and you, Alice are really lucky Alice that Holly convinced us not to let you guys go without any guards.” She said, looking over at Holly who was talking to one of the maids.

I nodded. “Thanks mom.” I said, walking over to her and giving her a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “Stay safe, love you.” I told her, grabbing Holly from her chair and yanking her up.

“We have to get going. Don’t you remember we have to pick up a certain red head?” I asked her.

Her brown eyes widened in realization. “Sarah!” She yelled, quickly saying goodbye to my mom and dad not before sprinting out of the dining room.

I let out a chuckle and looked over to my dad. “Bye dad, see you Friday.” I wanted, to at least say goodbye, even if I was still mad at him.

He looked up from his newspaper glancing at me before looking back at the paper. “Goodbye Alice, have fun.”

I looked at him for a couple of minutes before saying one last goodbye to my mom and exiting the kitchen trying to hold back the tears that were welling up in my eyes.

I expected him to say something more than that, even an I love you, but he didn't. I might have not said it, but it didn't mean he couldn't have said it.

I walked out of the house, thanking the guards for holding the door, walking to Holly’s car were she was waiting patiently inside for me. I opened the back sear as I got in as she started up the engine and drove towards the gates.

“Why are you sitting back there?” She asked, looking at me from the review mirror.

I shrugged, “So, that way Sarah can sit in the front.”

She nodded her head as she stopped the car waiting for the guards to open up the gates to let her through. My eyes wandered to the tourists standing on the sidewalk outside the gates and on the main road. They were taking pictures of the Whitehouse.

They were a lot of them today, probably waiting for my dad’s car to leave so they can get a picture of him before he flies out to England for the next couple of days.

Did everyone know about my parents leaving but me?

The car lurched forward as the car started moving again onto the busy streets of DC, on our way to Sarah’s house and then a dreadful girl’s night out at the mall.

*                                                                       

“No.” I said, for the fifth time.

Holly and Sarah looked at me with puppy dog eyes. “Please, Ali.” Holly begged, grabbing my arm. “We use to come to Build-A-Bear all the time when we were younger; you love this shop!”

“Come one Ali.” Sarah spoke up, grabbing my other arm. “We will be in there for five minutes the latest and after that we promise we will go somewhere you want to go.”

“Fine.” I huffed, giving in. The girls let out a squeal running into the shop like they were five again. “Children.” I muttered, to myself following the girls into the store.

My arms felt like they were about to fall off due to all the shopping bags I was carrying. It wasn't only my arms that felt like they were about to fall off but also my feet due to all the walking we've done.

Holly and Sarah dragged me to every store known to man. They also made me try on a bunch of clothes, to be honest I thought this whole thing was a waste of time considering I already have enough clothes in my closet to last me a very long time. 

I walked into the shop, the sounds of children screaming and the feet hitting the floor as they ran around the store in search of the things they need to build there bear. I chuckled, at the memory of how my dad and I use to come here all the time when I was younger.

My eyes scanned the shop for Holly and Sarah. I let out a sigh in relief as I saw them at the stuffing station excitement clear in there eyes. I began to walk over there when a lady stepped in front of me.

“Let me guess you lost your child?” The lady spoke.

She looked in her mid twenties, her blonde hair tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head. Her blue eyes looked at me in annoyance.  I looked over at her name tag, it read her name. Hazel.

“Excuse me Ms?” She asked interrupting me from my thoughts.

“Sorry.”

She just nodded in return. “So Miss how does your child look? Age? Name? Hair color? Anything that can give us a clue to find him or her. “

I looked at Hazel in bewilderment. “I am not looking for my child! I don’t even have one, I am seventeen for the love of God!”

Hazel shrugged in return. “Sorry, it’s just that so many teenage girls are becoming teenage moms I thought that could be the only reason your in here.” She said, truthfully.

I gave her a look in disbelief. “I am not a mother.”

“Hey! I don’t get paid to judge just to help!” She said, waving her hands up in surrender and began to walk away.

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I can’t believe she thought I was a mother! Just because someone is in a store that is targeted to kids and not teenagers doesn't mean that they have a kid.

I walked over to Holly and Sarah who were now at the dress up station. “Where have you been?” Sarah asked, looking over at me.

“I've been around.”

Holly looked at me with a questioning gaze. “Are you going to build a bear?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Well you should, make a memory just like you should build a bear.” She said, chuckling at her version of a joke.

I looked around the store, children running around with a new found teddy bear in there