A hated rival

( Chapter originally made by Ewong in www.writing.com )

There, standing in front of the two sisters was Hayley Bell. Hayley was in Lauren's class, and had an older sister who was in Diana's grade. Her family was one of the lucky ones, owning a home at the top of the mountain, where they fires didn't manage to climb due to the wind blowing them the other way. Hayley's family thought it would be a good idea to extend a hand to any family beneath them (literally and financially) to come stay with them until they either got a new place or until their house was rebuilt.

The only problem was that Lauren and Hayley shared some history. Lauren, being thin and fit, wanted to try out for cheerleader a couple years ago when they were starting high school. The cheer captain chose Hayley because she was "more mature" (read: had boobs) however, in the intervening years, Lauren had her growth spurt, and was now just as endowed as Hayley, if not bigger. However, the cheer squad didn't take auditions from juniors, so her jealousy was palpable. Now, seeing Hayley's family prosper when hers was in a rough patch didn't make things better. However, Lauren's parents didn't know Hayley, so took her smile and offer at face value.

"That is so kind of your folks to offer shelter to the victims. Though I'm not sure we should take advantage of you when there's clearly worse off families." Lauren's father said.

"Nonsense! With me and Lauren and Diana and my sister Katie, we should get along just fine! Line best friends!" Hayley assured, though Lauren saw through the false sincerity.

However, her family was sold on the idea, and they were led outside to a car, waiting to sleep them to their "temporary" home. The large SUV was able to hold their suitcases on the back, and have room for Lauren's family in the back and Hayley sat up front next to the driver. None of them realized the driver was a chauffeur until Hayley addressed him by name.

"Steve, let's go home." she smiled.

The drive was short, but somewhat heartbreaking as they had to drive past the devastation of the community and even past the wreckage that remained of their home before turning a corner to see just a few yards away, we're pristine homes, seemingly untouched by misfortune. Then, at the end of the street, shining like a beacon in the setting sunlight, was the Bell residence. It was a large mansion that had a U-shaped driveway the size of a large front yard. A Greek fountain was the centerpiece of the lawn, and was impressive as they drove around it before stopping in front of the main house.

"Steve will take your bags to the guest rooms. Lauren and Diana will be in one room, and of course you folks will have a large room with an en suite bathroom to yourselves. Your daughters will be sharing the downstairs half bath and the shower upstairs." Hayley explained to Lauren's parents as they entered.

Steve took the rolling luggage in stride and walked off as Hayley led them from the foyer into the living room that had a grand fireplace. It's walls were covered with bookcases holding many different books from classic literature to historic memoirs and contemporary fiction and even smattering of poetry. It was here that Hayley's parents received them. Her father was a man of similar age to Lauren's, however Mrs. Bell seemed to be not much older than Diana and Hayley's sister Katie. The man sat in a leather upholstered easy chair, his feet on a smiliarly styled ottoman while his wife say on his lap. They both seemed enthralled by whatever he was flipping through on his tablet. They looked up and greeted their guests and introduced themselves.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Perter Bell, and this is my wife Jenny. Yes, she is half my age, and no, she isn't the biological mother of my daughters. She, unfortunately was taken from us upon Hayley's birth. I was so broken, I didn't think I would love again. Then this woman entered my life and pieced me back together. Without her, I probably wouldn't be here today. In fact, I would have been in your position. With her financial advice, I was able to afford this house and everything that came with it. She got along well with my girls, and we were married not long after Hayley finished middle school." the man said.

"I'm Daniel, and my wife Tanya. My daughters Lauren and Diana seem to know your girls, so I hope they become fast friends now." Lauren's father said, shaking the other man's hand.

The Bells showed Lauren's family around. They had their bedrooms upstairs, a workout room, a pool outside with a Jacuzzi. The kitchen didn't have a chef, but it had so many gadgets it almost was like it was able to cook everything for you. There was an entertainment room that had their television and home theater for watching movies. Once they were shown to their rooms, they began unpacking.

Diana was busy putting her things away when Hayley went to check on them. Seeing Lauren lying on her bed made her curious.

"How come you're not unpacking? I assure you I don't mean you and your family any harm. You can rest easy here. We want you to feel welcome." Hayley said, only half meaning it. She wanted to exploit any weakness she could, just for fun.

"Well, funny story. My suitcase is in Indiana, my jokester sister placed my suitcase in the wrong car, so when we were dropped off at the airport, I didn't have my bag. At least they know about it and should be sending it here as soon as we give them the address." Lauren said.

"So, all you have is what you're wearing?" Hayley had to stop herself from smiling.

"Yeah, that's it! So I have nothing to unpack...yet." Lauren explained.

"You know what? In that case, why don't you come up to my room? I don't mind sharing it, and I'm sure Diana would love to have her own privacy." Hayley said.

Before Lauren could protest, Steve was helping Hayley and her father move the bed from the downstairs guest room to Hayley's room. After some rearranging, the two girls were situated. Lauren thanked the Bells for their hospitality, and sat on her bed as Hayley rearranged her closet at an attempt at being accommodating. In her head, Hayley was thinking of how to sabotage Lauren's wardrobe further. She could give her the wrong address, which would prolong it's arrival. However, if she received it, she could destroy it or hide it and everyone would assume it had gotten lost.

In the end, Hayley decided...