Chapter 8 We need you to act as a replacement

Scarlet kept tapping the table with her index finger. She was getting impatient as the three of them sat at a coffee table without uttering a single word. A waiter walked up to them.

"What would y'all like?" The waiter asked.

"I'll have black coffee." Mr Gabriel said

"I'll have an expreso." Summer added and on looking at Scarlet, the waiter had cold sweat. She looked like she could kill with that glare.

"Nothing!" Scarlet finally said and without wasting time, the waiter dashed out of their presence.

"That girl is so scary"

"They look like twins. Why can't she be as lovely as the other girl?"

"You know what they say, when there's good, there's always bad. I guess we're seeing that for ourselves now"

Scarlet got annoyed with the way people kept whispering in the background. She slammed her hand on the table.

"If you aren't gonna say anything, don't waste my time." Scarlet said with quiet but heavy tone.

Mr Gabriel watched her for a sec before clearing his throat.

"Ahem! Sorry to keep you waiting! The reason why I have called an audience with you, is to ask you for a favor." He said and Scarlet listened quietly. She was eager to know what kind of favor will drive a wealthy man to look for her. "The thing is..." He continued "My daughter here is a very famous ice skater and has won the three years worldwide ice skating championship."

"Sorry, never heard of her." Scarlet said with a not so impressed look.

"That doesn't matter now. What matters is that she is injured and can't skate for at least a year. She's made it to the semifinals, but now she won't be able to participate"

"So...?"

"So, we need you to act as a replacement. A substitute!"

Scarlet could not believe her ears.

He was actually hoping for her to be a substitute when she didn't even know the first thing about ice skating. She scoffed.

"Is this some kind of joke?" She looked at them clearly taking it as a joke but on seeing that both father and daughter were serious, she had no choice but to believe it. "Its not a joke, fine! But of all the people in the world, why did you pick me? A simple nobody!"

"You're not a simple nobody!" Summer bloated out all of a sudden. "You've made quite a name for yourself in roller skating and skate boarding. People call you a living legend on skates." She stated proudly. Scarlet was surprised.

How was it that she knew so much about her. Has she ever watch her skate before?

"She's right! You're most suited. You two even have similar resemblance."

"Okay, let's say that we do look alike. But, I don't know the first thing about ice skating." Scarlet pointed out.

"Its no big deal!" Summer said. "You've got great stamina. Great agility. Quick steps and profound skills. All you need to learn are just ice skating moves and how to move gracefully." She listed with an expectant smile.

Hearing all this did make Scarlet think for a while. She was indeed great. She could do all things concerning skates and would probably excel with ice skating but acting gracefully?

Now that's one thing she couldn't afford.

"Sorry! I appreciate the offer but, I'm better off without it!" She declined straight away.

Summer couldn't believe that she declined it without a second thought. Scarlet stood up ready to leave but Summer caught hold of her jacket.

"Please, give it a second thought. I've always dreamt of breaking the record of three consecutive wins. Due to this accident, I have no choice but to look for you. Please help me out, live out my identity for a year. Any thing you want will be yours, I promise you that!" Summer pleaded. Hearing this Scarlet snickered.

"Just as I thought. You rich people think of no one but yourself. You don't even consider what the other person feels and wants. You can't always give people what they want, so give up. You rich people are shameless." She concluded and tugged her jacket out of Summers hold.

"That's not what I meant..." Summer tried to defend her words but ended up angering Scarlet.

"Save it for the next person you offer to be your 'substitute'!" Hearing those words from her was like falling in a fiery furnace. "I'll see myself out and oh..." She turned to glare at them "...don't follow me from now on." She said and finally left the shop.

"How can she be so arrogant? This is an opportunity of a lifetime." Summer was clearly annoyed.

Mr Gabriel just stared at her as she left. She indeed acted arrogantly but in a way, she was right.

They didn't try to consider what she might want. She may be poor but that didn't mean she was after money. He sighed. There were indeed things in this world that money couldn't buy.

Scarlet arrived home safely. She entered her room and closed the door.

Who do they think they are? What do they think of themselves? Do they think that they can buy everything in this world? So what if she couldn't attend the semifinals. Its not like she was destined to win.

Blitzen crawled over to her side and she picked her up.

"Blitzen, if other cats asked you to be someone you're not, will you do it?" She asked the cat and it meowed. "Exactly! Why would anyone want that? Its so unbelievable how this rich people think sometimes but..." She pauses on remembering something. "...his parents were rich. Was this how they treated him when he was with them? A piece of commodity for their own gain?" She hugged Blitzen close to herself. "I don't know what to do now! Alex, I miss you!"

A drop of tear rolled down her cheeks and landed on the floor.

"I am so lonely, Alex. Why aren't you here to comfort me? Why are you taking so long to come back to me?" She asked without answers and just then, there was a loud thunder clash.

It scared Blitzen that she jumped out of Scarlet's embrace. She stood up to look at her face in the mirror and then thought of Summer. Indeed, she was an exact replica. All she needed were blue eyes and there, she would be Summer.

"What a waste?!" She punched the mirror. Luckily, she had been wearing leather gloves and so the broken pieces of the mirror didn't hurt her at all. "Why do I have to share an appearance with a rich brat like her? Its kinda great that my eyes are scarlet as well, then, I don't have to look entirely like her." She snickered.

The rain had already started pouring hard and from the looks of it, the electricity would go out soon. Before that happened, she had planned to take a snack and then take a nap. Of course, she didn't forget to feed Blitzen.

The next  day was Saturday. Some students were unlucky to have classes on a Saturday but luckily for her, she had no class and planned on trying out a few new moves she thought would be great. But on getting down, she met her mom talking to Mr Gabriel. She got furious.

'I thought I told them not to follow me, ugh!' She suddenly didn't feel like having breakfast and wanted to just leave them be.

She made eye contact with Mr Gabriel but pretended not to see him and headed straight for the door.

"I'm going out mom." she announced and was halfway to the door when her mom stopped her.

"Halt!" Her mom yelled and she had no choice but to obey. She turned to discover the expression on her mom's face.

Not the type you see everyday. It looked like she was worried about something. Was this guy threatening her? She clenched her fists tightly but couldn't do anything as her mom had given her the halt command.

"What's this?" She demanded.

"I come with the same offer. Please reconsider!" Mr Gabriel requested.

"There's nothing to reconsider. If you want me to do this and get paid with wealth then sorry, I refuse." She stood her ground.

"Then what do you want? We can always help you get it!"

"You think its easy. There's only one thing I want in this world but I doubt I can ever get it. None of you, not even you..." She pointed at her mom "...can give it to me!"

'What does she mean?' Mr Gabriel thought "What would that be?" He asked

"The love of a family!" She snapped to their surprise. "That's it! I want a family to love me and that's impossible. Seriously, is that too much to ask?" She was clearly directing the question to her mom. Her eyes became teary all of a sudden. Not wanting them to see her cry, she headed upstairs."I won't go out today. Call me once they're gone!" She requested as she ran up to her room.

She slammed her door to everyone's hearing. She dropped on her bed and hugged her pillow tightly.

Blitzen walked up to her, rubbed its head against her watery cheek and meowed.

"I know, I'm crying!" She sniffed. "This sucks! Life sucks!"

Her mom didn't know what to say or react at all. It was true that she cared the least about her but, it didn't mean she didn't care at all. Sure she was lacking in motherly duties towards her but everything she did had a reason.

*sigh* "The worst comes to worst. Whatever happens is bound to happen." She said to herself and looked up to face the confused Mr Gabriel. "You have my consent in this under one condition." She said

"Let's hear it!"

"Adopt her when all this is over!" She said to Mr Gabriel was surprise. How could she come up with such a condition? She clearly saw the shock in his face and added. "If you don't agree, its fine. Just use the door and look for a better replacement." She said and didn't even seem to mind her words. It felt like she was chasing her own daughter out of her life.

Mr Gabriel was reluctant and thought for a while. He doted on his lovely daughter so much and was willing to find the best candidate to act as her substitute while she recuperate.

Wouldn't it be too much to just adopt a girl because of this reason? They could just find someone who didn't have such a request. But there was no one as great as Scarlet. Was it necessary? But thinking back at it, he did feel a familiar connection between himself and Scarlet. It was like she was his own daughter.

After much thought he finally decided. He felt like she was really pitiful and didn't want her talents to go to waste. If she was not happy with the way she was living, he would surely help her out.

"Fine!" He said "I will adopt Scarlet once all this is over."