The School Queen

Elena smiled gracefully at the students circled around her.

They squealed, and the sound of their fawning could be heard throughout the courtyard.

"Of course we want to be just like you! Can we call you Big Sister?"

"Good grades, beautiful, top of the sports leagues. Tell us your secrets!"

Elena was used to this. She was in her second last year at school now. Every year, after the school prizes were distributed, her juniors would crowd around her and beg her to tell them how she rose to her position. Belle of the campus, top of her grade, everything she touched seemed to turn to gold - the whole world her oyster. She looked around at them seriously.

"Let me tell you." Elena stated in a clear voice, her posture becoming straighter, her eyebrows furrowing defiantly.

"There is no secret. If you want something in life, you must grasp it with your own two hands! Good things don't come without hard work and preserverence."

The students looked up at her admiringly and nodded, taking her words straight to heart. When they got back to their dormitories that night, they were going to study like their lives depended on it.

Sensing that the School Queen wanted to leave, the students hurriedly made excuses.

"Ah, before that, you need to eat to have energy to study well!"

"I suddenly remember I left my school notebook in the library."

---

Elena was grateful. She really did have somewhere to be, but she didn't have the heart to turn away the students that were praising her and sincerely asking for advice.

The truth was. She needed to go to her part time job.

Because Elena had one fatal flaw.

She was poor.

Not poor in the sense that her family were able to draw a salary, pay for basic expenses, and live humbly. No.

Her family was so poor they could barely afford the run down 2 bedroom apartment her whole family of four squeezed into.

They were so poor, everyday as a child, her family would share a single half loaf of bread with a watery vegetable soup.

To attend this illustrious boarding school, she had studied and studied until her fingers fell off from fatigue. And still that wasn't enough.

To gain a scholarship in this economy, she needed it all. Good at sport, academics, and the arts. Only the very best could expect a full scholarship. And so she worked even harder, exercising alone in her room, and then signing up for open Tennis competitions until she was finally picked up by a junior talent scout. In her free time, she practiced music, and learned fine art.

And her hard work paid off. At the age of 11, she attained a scholarship for one of the best schools in the country. Being boarding only, she was going to miss her family, but at least it was one less mouth to feed.

She was going to use this opportunity well! One day she would be rich, and her impoverished family could live in contentment for the rest of their lives. She would make sure her little brother had the money to attend a good school, without having to work so hard like she did.

Elena made her way back to the dormitory and carefully packed her backpack with a waitressing outfit, an old wig that looked tattered and dull, and a set of unfashionable glasses. This part about her, she had always kept very secret.

Every Saturday, all the students had permission to visit family. As long as they were back before midnight, the school did not monitor the older students too carefully.

During this time, Elena found herself a part time job and took the 30 minute train journey to a little restaurant in the countryside. She would don the black wig, and wear glasses to obscure her appearance - just in case anyone were to recognize her.

After all. If she was caught, she would be reprimanded severely and would have to quit. But how could this school full of daddy's little darlings and lavish princes possibly understand. Money was everything.

When you have too much, you take it for granted. But when you have too little, you realize the whole world revolves around it.

And money doesn't grow on trees. One day, she would leave school and her scholarship would run out. She couldn't rely on getting a scholarship for university. She would try, but she needed a backup plan.

Working part time didn't get her much. But something was better than nothing.

****

Some time later, Elena was getting dressed in the train station at the quiet country village. This was the place she donned her disguise.

She walked into the bathrooms a pretty, 5' 11" young woman with ash brown fine wavy hair, a confident posture and bright fresh amber eyes. But 5 minutes later, what walked out was a black haired girl with thick unappealing glasses, hunched over and shuffling awkwardly, making her appear shorter and frumpy.

Observers might think she was going overboard with this act - but they didn't know what the consequences would be if she was caught. Better to make absolutely sure there was no chance.

The bell tinkled overhead as she minimized her presence and made her way inside. She was surprised to find the whole restaurant was full, and there were even customers waiting in the entrance for a table to become available.

This restaurant served very good food, but it had always been quiet and out of the way. She was confused as to how it had suddenly transformed into a busy High Street shop.

As she reached the double doors to the kitchens, the owner of the restaurant stepped out - a small lady with greying hair and a mass of fine lines around her eyes betraying her age.

"Elena - good good. We are really busy today! Hurry up and start serving the guests."

Her eyes shifted nervously around the room.

"If I had known we were going to be so busy, I would have hired more staff."

Elena, still keeping up with her act, almost whispered in a timid and weak voice.

"What happened Mrs Farrell? Why are we so busy?"

The lady clicked her tongue and brought her hand worriedly to her cheek.

"You would think it is some great luck. Some famous food critic ate here last weekend, and left a stellar review of our food. But we simply don't have the preparation to handle this many customers at one time."

Elena could see the stress building in her boss' eyes and she suddenly felt the need to reassure her. It was technically out of 'character', but she couldn't leave this poor hard-working lady without some hope.

She punched her one fist into the other palm and rolled up her sleeves in an exagerated manner.

"It's ok, Ma'am - just leave it to us! Who do you think the employees of this proud little restaurant really are."

It seemed her sudden change in demeanor shocked Mrs Farrell, and for a moment her widened eyes stayed glued to young girl in front of her. She didn't know why, but the little girls words somehow filled her heart with fighting spirit!

She beamed at Elena. She always knew this quiet plain-looking girl was kind hearted and diligent. She had made a good choice hiring her - especially as Saturdays were always their busiest nights.

"Right, of course. You don't need to tell me any more. Off with you and get to work!"

The old lady affectionately pushed Elena by the shoulders into the kitchen and hurried off to work the reception.

****

The work had been back breaking. Elena's feet ached as she made her way back to the train station. Despite her body's complaints, she was incredibly happy!

$100 in tips! Just from one night of work. Of course she also got paid hourly, but her salary as a part timer was fair, but meager. There was no doubt she got far more from a good night of tips.

She was so excited about her new found wealth, she temporarily forgot to maintain her act all the way into the small station's public bathrooms.

As she confidently stepped around the corner of the ticket station onto the platform, a puff of smoke suddenly sent her eyes stinging and her lungs burning.

Realizing she had almost walked into someone leaned up against the wall smoking, she stepped further into the platform, not forgetting to cast them a harsh glare while she coughed violently.

She may have almost walked into them, but they shouldn't even be smoking on the platform! It was illegal.

But her expression quickly warped as she looked more carefully at the boy languidly puffing at his cigarette. He had met her glare with a despondent glance, as if to say, 'And what are you going to do about it'.

But that isn't what had shocked her...

This boy went to her school.

As quickly as she dared, she faced forward and made her way to the doors of the public toilets and went inside.

By the time she closed the door behind her, her heart was a mess.

What was he doing here!?

In all her time working at the restaurant, she had never walked into another student, teacher or even support staff of the school.

But it didn't take long for her to compose herself. It didn't matter. Not only was it very unlikely he recognized her, but this student was the worst of the worst!

He was the love-child of his father - a prominent and famous surgeon, as well as an old-money Duke - and the hired au pair. Among the aristocracy and nouveau riche that attended our school, his background was infamous. And what's more, he was totally useless!

If Elena was the school Queen, he was everything opposite. Grades - laughable. Sport, music, the arts - non attendance. How he even maintained his position at this luxurious school, she had no idea. Even if they mostly took the rich, they still had standards to maintain!

The thought comforted her further. No one at her school was on his side. Even if he did recognize her by some miracle, there was no way anyone would put much stock in his words if it was her word against his.

Yes that's right. She would shamelessly deny it if he spread this around when they returned.

Carefully removing her disguise and packing it all away into her backpack, she opened the door and poked her head out tentatively.

Just in case, she would only come out when the train arrived at the station, and make sure to get into a different carriage to him.

As the train rumbled up and came to a stop, the boy threw his cigarette onto the floor, crushed it under his feet, and paced forward leisurely through the now open train doors.

Elena slipped out onto the platform, and in two large steps was through the doors of the adjoining carriage and seated comfortably.

But what she didn't know, was that the boy knew exactly who she was from the moment she'd glared at him on the platform.