Chapter 1 [Part 1]

LIVING IN A world surrounded with golds and diamonds, Danaelya knew that any woman would fight just to be in her shoes. But as she stares at herself in the mirror, face painted with make-up, wearing another thick layered mask over the other, she knows that just like any other girl she is willing to give up her life just to have a normal one.

"All done, miss," her hair-dresser said.

She took one final look in the mirror. Her hair was left to cascade behind her back in waves, like an ocean only reflecting brown. Her eyes were accentuated by her eyeliner and her lips were made simple with pink. She was not fond of make-up but she knows better than to show up bare.

"Thank you, Felicia." The attendant bowed and left quietly as she finalized getting ready for school.

Before she went out of her room, she ironed her face first, making sure that there was no ounce of emotion being shown. Then she replaced it with a small smile, that kind of smile where it tells people that she is friendly but not friendly enough to make friends.

"Oh, you look beautiful," her mom gushes.

"Thanks, Mom," she replies, kissing her mom on the cheek. She makes a move to sit but her mother stops her.

"Hmm? I thought you're on a diet?" Her mom gushes. "I have made a special sandwich there for you. You can eat that as your breakfast, right? Since you do not have a very big appetite, that should do, hmm."

No, I can't. I'm starving to death and all I wanna do is stuff my face in that plate. But she didn't say any of that nor did she raise any complaints. Instead, she stayed quiet and bid her goodbye.

"So, tell me, what did the princess do this past vacation?" Reagan asked, Danaelya's best friend, once she got into the bus.

She shrugs. "Just the usual routine. You know that my mother would never let me go to my Auntie's in the province, right?" She sighs.

"Well, at least you have a mother looking after you," Reagan said, her voice was set in an even tone. Danaelya opened her mouth to say something but Reagan continued, "But you are right, she is hell-bent crazy obsessed with your looks."

"And thank gods she is only concerned with the way I look. I don't know what I would do if she ever gets crazy about my grades too."

"Oh, you traitor, do not start me with those grades of yours. It's not like they are at their worst or anything."

"Still not the best."

"Who the heck cares about being at their best. We are all trying here. What matters is we try, each and everyday we try. Other people do not even try."

That comforted Danaelya even just a little bit. She leaned on the window and watched the scenery as they drove to her school. 

At their school, kids were already flocking the gates when they arrived. "Gods, here we go again," Reagan mutters.

Studying in an elite school and being an elite, she is used to this. Being watched all day, not just by her bodyguards but probably by everyone in the world. Her family as well as the other elite families are one of the most important houses on earth. Everyone is willing to fight for what she has, and she knows that she should be thankful and yet, she can't find it in her to be grateful.

The moment they entered the premises of their school, the gates were shut and everyone outside wearing different uniforms from different schools were being shunned away by the school guards. Still, even inside their school, Danaelya and Reagan made quite the spectacle. Since both came from two of the top 10 most valued families in the world, their own classmates and schoolmates reek of awe and envy.

Danaelya shows her dazzling smile as always while Reagan just continues to be her usual brooding self. Danaelya had always known that she was beautiful. She has this natural dark skin that every girl would kill to have. Her eyes are the common brown except that it shines and seems to change colors when hit by sunlight. Her lips aren't the full lips that everyone wants but it has its own beauty. Small with the right amount of thickness and is naturally pinkish and redish like it cannot quite choose between the two colors so it just decided to have both.

Although everyone tells her that she is indeed a beaut, Danaelya does not believe it entirely. Somehow, inside her there is an insecure little girl that does not believe every word they say. This little girl who hides every time someone makes a comment about the way she looks, scared of what they are about to say. The little girl who is scared to look bad. The little girl who can't look in the mirror and tell herself confidently that she's beautiful. The little girl who just wants to live in a world where she can be free from everyone's criticizing eyes. The little girl who, despite every encouragement she tells herself that she's unique and beautiful and different, still wants to reach the standard the society has set for people like her.

Inside their school, really inside their school, the two girls noticed that students were crowding a particular corner. They exchange glances, no need to question what it was, they already know. They elbowed their way through the buzzing people. Everyone around them is either happy or regretful but never in between. Once out and face-to-face with the large screen she blows out a sigh of relief.

There, sitting third on the overall ranking of their school, is her name shining in gold and beside it is the crest of her Family. A capital letter N designed as its own musical note. She scans the rest of the ranking and was not surprised that there are two people who were tied on number 1.

I.U.E's (International University for Elites) official overall ranking:

Rank 1.5: Angelyn Faye Camarro

Rank 1.5: Ma. Amara Martinez

Rank 3: Danaelya Cara Y. Ninuendo

Rank 4: Giovanni Jesse Hemmingway

Rank 5: Aiden Jax Hemmingway

Rank 6.5: Reagan Velasquez

Rank 6.5: Felix Dela Marquez

Rank 8: Art Shweider 

Rank 9: Agatha Lestia

Rank 10: Leonardo Jacinto

Rank 11: Justine Blake

Danaelya looked for Faye, and sure enough Faye was eyeing the ranking with regret, anger and shame. Her hands were balled into fists at her side. Anyone who doesn't know Faye would think that she just cannot accept the fact that there is someone who can compete with her but they didn't know it was far more than that.

Maybe Reagan wasn't right. Everyone cares for being at their best. And that is why we are all fighting and competing against each other. Cause you can never be at your best if there is still someone who is better than you or someone who is just as good as you.