The Price of Popularity Pt. 02

Chapter 04: Mia begins to become Ashley’s servant

Saturday morning, quite early, Mia’s phone was ringing incessantly, and it took her a moment to realize where she was and what was happening. With a groggy voice, she mumbled a weak “Hello?” into the phone.

“Good morning, Mia. It’s Ashley,” the voice on the other end of the line was so chipper that Mia felt her heart race. She had always been intimidated by Ashley’s perfect looks and effortless charm.

“Hi, Ashley,” Mia replied, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“I need your help setting up for the party tonight,” Ashley said, her tone oozing with expectation. “Can you come over to my house this morning?”

Mia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Ashley, the most popular girl in school, was asking for her help, specifically? She tried to contain her mix of excitement and confusion as she replied, “Yeah, of course, what time?”

“I need you to be here in an hour, okey?” Ashley asked. “And make sure you wear something light. You’ll be doing a lot of moving around. You can bring your party dress and accessories in a bag. I don’t want you to ruin it while we’re setting up. You can take a shower and change right before the party.””

Mia felt a twinge of nervousness as she wondered what she would be doing. She had no idea what Ashley’s party was going to be like or what kind of work she would be doing. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to be doing some kind of dirty work or what.

“Okay, I’ll be there in an hour, no problem Ashley” she said, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice.

Mia took a deep breath as she emerged from her bedroom, scanning her closet for the perfect outfit to wear for the day ahead. Her eyes darted from one hanger to the next, searching for an ensemble that would make her feel confident, stylish, and at ease all at once.

After trying on several different combinations, Mia finally settled on a pair of high-waisted shorts that hugged her curves in all the right places and a flowy, loose-fitting tank top that showed off just the right amount of skin. She added a touch of makeup to accentuate her natural features and brushed her long, chestnut hair until it shone in the light.

As Mia made her way to the front door, she heard her mother’s bubbly voice before she even saw her. “Well, well, well, look at you!” her mother exclaimed, her eyes widening with excitement as she took in her daughter’s appearance. “Where are you off to so early, my little star?”

Mia rolled her eyes slightly, already bracing herself for her mother’s well-meaning but often overbearing advice. “I’m going over to Ashley’s to help her set up for the party tonight,” Mia replied, her voice tinged with reluctance.

But her mother’s face lit up with joy, and Mia could sense the pride emanating from her. “Oh, that’s wonderful!” her mother gushed, clasping her hands together. “You’re going to do great, Mia. Just remember, be proactive and do everything Ashley asks of you. Show her that you’re there to help and be a team player.”

Mia nodded, trying to hide her apprehension at the thought of being at Ashley’s mercy. She knew how important it was to impress the popular girl and her clique, but she also knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. “I know, Mom. I’ll make sure to do everything right,” Mia replied, forcing a smile.

With a deep breath, Mia stepped out of the house and into the bright, sunny day ahead of her. As she made her way to Ashley’s sprawling house, her mind raced with thoughts of what was to come.

Mia took a deep breath before getting out of the Uber, her heart pounding with excitement and nerves. She had never been to such a nice house before, and the thought of being part of Ashley’s inner circle made her feel both thrilled and apprehensive.

She paid the driver and stepped out onto the curb, clutching her schoolbag tightly. As she looked up at the house, she couldn’t help but be awed by its sheer size and elegance. It was a two-story home with large windows and a modern design that stood out among the other houses on the street. The front garden was beautifully manicured, with flowers in full bloom and a fountain in the center.

Mia checked the address on her phone again just to make sure she was at the right place. The thought of showing up at the wrong house and embarrassing herself made her nervous.

As she walked up to the front door, she could hear the sound of music and laughter coming from inside. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

After a few moments, the door swung open and there stood Ashley, looking even more stunning, even just wearing a pair of tight jeans and a white tank top. “Hey, girl!” she exclaimed, pulling Mia into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. We have a lot of work to do before the party tonight.”

Mia smiled nervously, feeling a rush of excitement mixed with trepidation. She was eager to be a real part of her inner circle and show her best attributes to Ashley, Kimmy, and Carol, but she was also afraid of making a mistake and being cast out of the group.

“Come on in,” Ashley said, grabbing Mia’s schoolbag and leading her into the house. “Let’s get to work.”

Ashley walked with a sense of entitlement, her body language exuding confidence and superiority over Mia. She threw the bag on the sofa, not even bothering to be gentle with it. Ashley turned to Mia, expecting her to follow without a word. Mia felt a pang of anxiety as she trailed behind Ashley, feeling like a mere servant in this big house.

“Okay, so my parents are out of town, and they have no idea about this party, which means I couldn’t ask our daily employees to help out. That’s why I need your help with a lot of tasks,” Ashley explained as she led Mia through the living room and towards the backyard.

Mia nodded attentively, not wanting to disappoint Ashley or be seen as incompetent. She had a feeling that this was her chance to prove herself to Ashley and her friends, and she wasn’t going to mess it up.

As they stepped outside, Mia’s eyes widened at the sight of the massive backyard. The pool area alone was larger than her entire house, with luxurious lounge chairs and a pristine blue pool. However, the beauty of the space was marred by the piles of leaves scattered everywhere, the litter on the floor, and the dog poop that dotted the grass.

“Your first task is to clean all this up. I need you to take out all the leaves from the pool, sweep the floor and also clean up all the dog poop from the grass.,” Ashley ordered.

Mia couldn’t believe that she was being asked to clean bathrooms so soon after arriving, but she kept her expression neutral and agreed to the task at hand.

“Yes, of course. I’ll get right on it,” Mia said, almost sounding like she was addressing her superior officer.

Ashley’s perfectly manicured finger points lazily towards the door leading to the closet, her tone dismissive as she informs Mia of the location of the cleaning supplies. “All the cleaning stuff is in there. Just make sure you don’t mix up the chemicals, or we’ll have bigger problems than just a dirty house,” she quips, her eyes scanning Mia’s appearance with a judgemental glare. “I’ll be in my room, doing more important things. Just let me know when you’re done,” she adds, not bothering to hide the disdain in her voice, before sashaying away with a flip of her long, golden hair.

When Mia is about to ask for directions to Ashley’s room, right before the words can even form on her lips, Ashley cuts her off with a smug smile. “You’re too smart to not figure it out by yourself,” she says with a hint of sarcasm, not bothering to glance back as she disappears into the opulent house.

With a heavy heart, Mia trudges towards the closet, dreading the tedious task that lies ahead. She can already feel the ache in her muscles and the blisters forming on her palms. The thought of spending the whole day scrubbing every nook and cranny of the mansion fills her with a sense of despair, but she knows she has no choice.

As she grabs the cleaning supplies, Mia can’t help but curse Ashley’s name under her breath. She hates how the blonde socialite thinks she’s better than everyone else, just because she comes from a wealthy family, is astonish beatiful and everyone at school would eat shit just to be friends of her. Mia grits her teeth and shakes her head, determined to finish the first “job”, no matter how unbearable it might be.

Mia starts picking up the leaves from inside the pool using a net and dumping them in a nearby garbage bag. While doing her job, she couldn’t help but feel irked by Ashley’s condescending behavior. Keeping her head down, Mia tries not to let her emotions get the best of her.

As she continues working, Mia notices that Ashley’s room has a direct view of the pool. It crosses her mind that Ashley might be watching her every moves. Shrugging off the thought, Mia pastes a fake smile on her face, hoping to make everything around the pool look presentable. “Great, now I even have to pretend that I’m happy doing these shitty chores”, Mia grumbled

Finally, Mia moves on to the most unpleasant task of all – picking up the dog’s poop. Trying not to throw up, she uses a plastic bag to pick up the mess, wishing she was anywhere else but here. With a deep breath, Mia stands up, taking a quick scan around the area to make sure she hasn’t missed anything. She then heads inside the house to let Ashley know she’s done.

As Mia made her way into Ashley’s room, she was met with the scent of burning marijuana, and Ashley was holding a joint, chit-chatting with a guy on the phone.

Ashley’s seductive voice oozed through the room, “Mmmhmm, you know I love it when you talk dirty to me. Don’t forget to bring the good stuff when you come over later, I need to get high before we get down and dirty.”

Mia couldn’t help but cringe at the sound of Ashley’s vulgar conversation, feeling like she had just walked into a porno set. Ashley waved her over to her bed, motioning for her to take a seat. “Hey there, newbie. Don’t mind me, I’m just talking to my man. You should try it sometime, it’s fun,” Ashley said with a chuckle.