You got to be joking

Madeline woke up, groggy and confused, only to realize with a sinking feeling that she wasn’t in California anymore. Gone were the carefree days of waking up late, attending school whenever she felt like it, hanging out with friends, shopping, and attending glamorous parties.

"Now, I know what you’re thinking," Madeline mused to herself as she stretched lazily. "Rich people have the luxury of doing whatever they want, right? Well, *duh.* And that’s exactly the kind of life I had back in California." She smiled, still half-asleep, lost in the dreamy memory of laughing with her friends at a poolside party. Life was *perfect* back there.

But then, without warning, she rolled too far to the edge of the bed and *thud!*—she fell to the floor with a loud scream, "Aaah!"

Emma, who was in the middle of brushing her hair, came rushing in, her brush tangled halfway in her hair. "Madeline! What happened? Are you okay?" she panicked, her voice full of concern.

Madeline, still sprawled on the floor, looked up at Emma in surprise. For a second, she almost appreciated the concern. But then she scoffed, "Oh please, get off me," with a face full of disgust, clearly unimpressed by Emma’s sudden burst of compassion.

Emma stood up straight, letting out a long sigh. "Why am I even helping her?" she muttered under her breath. Regaining her composure, Emma crossed her arms and said, “Fine, have it your way. But don’t be late, Madeline. This isn’t California, where you can waltz into school whenever you feel like it.”

Madeline gave Emma an eye roll of Olympic proportions. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she mumbled.

Emma raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. “Oh, and don’t even think about skipping class. You’ll kiss goodbye to New York faster than you can say ‘shopping spree.’”

Madeline froze, her eyes widening. She knew Emma was right. If she messed up here, her parents would have her shipped off somewhere even worse—like, God forbid, a school without a mall nearby. "Ugh, fine. I’ll go," she grumbled, dragging herself off the floor.

Emma watched her with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Welcome to reality, Madeline," she thought. It was going to be an interesting few weeks having her around—*very* interesting.

Emma packed her course books, her mind already drifting to Alan waiting downstairs. She grabbed her bag and paused for a moment as she heard her dad’s voice talking to Alan. *He’s here already*, she thought, smiling to herself. But as she walked down the stairs, her smile froze.

There, standing in the hallway, was *Madeline*—dressed prim and proper, ready for school. Emma blinked in disbelief. Was this the same girl who used to roll out of bed at noon and saunter into class when she felt like it? Now she looked like she had stepped straight out of a prep school catalog.

Madeline, meanwhile, was staring at Alan with wide eyes, like she’d never seen anyone like him in her entire life. Her usual air of smug superiority had faltered for a moment.

Emma’s father, standing between them, cleared his throat. "Alan, Emma, taking care of Madeline is your responsibility now." His tone was casual, but the weight of his words hit the room like a boulder.

"Wait, *what*?" Alan and Emma exclaimed in unison, their faces mirroring the same shock.

Madeline’s expression shifted from surprise to absolute disgust. “*Excuse me?*” she spat, horrified at the thought of having these two “babysit” her.

Emma shot her father a bewildered look. "Dad, you *can’t* be serious—"

Her father gave a nod, as if the decision was final. "I am. She’s family, and you two need to look after her while she’s here."

Alan, trying to hold back a laugh, leaned toward Emma and whispered, "Well, this just got... interesting."

Emma, fighting the urge to groan, rolled her eyes and muttered back, "You have no idea."

Madeline crossed her arms, glaring at both of them. “Don’t get any ideas, you two. I’m not a *charity case.*”

Alan raised his eyebrows, smirking at Emma, "This is going to be fun."

Emma sighed heavily. It was going to be a *very* long day.

“Wait!” Madeline shouted, dramatically throwing her arms up. “Aren’t we taking your brand new car?”

Emma shot her a sharp glare but couldn’t resist the sarcasm bubbling up. “Oh sure, *Ms. Queen*, I’ll have your royal chariot brought around right away.”

Alan practically doubled over laughing, struggling to keep his composure. “I can’t with you two,” he chuckled. Emma joined him, their laughter bouncing off the walls of the street.

“Ugh,” groaned Madeline, rolling her eyes as if she couldn’t be more annoyed. *Great*, she thought. *Now I look like I’m stuck with a pair of clowns.*

Since the school was only a short walk away, they decided to hoof it. Madeline, of course, complained the whole way. But as they neared the campus, something miraculous happened. Her eyes widened, her usual bored expression falling away as she stared at the towering gates of Eddington High.

Inside, it was even more impressive. The marble floors gleamed, the hallways stretched like something out of a royal palace, and the cafeteria—oh, the cafeteria—looked like it could serve five-star meals. Madeline tried to keep her cool, but her jaw was practically on the floor.

“This… is… incredible,” she muttered under her breath, forgetting for a moment that she was supposed to be too cool to care.

Alan smirked, nudging Emma. “Look at her. It’s like she’s stepped into a movie or something.”

“Alright, Madeline,” Emma said, snapping her back to reality with a mischievous grin, “enough gawking. It’s time for class.”

“Fine,” Madeline sighed dramatically, but she couldn’t quite hide the sparkle in her eyes.

As they strolled through the halls, Alan teased Emma about something trivial, making her swat at him in mock annoyance. Meanwhile, Madeline interrupted, “I want a juice.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “A juice? Really?”

Madeline, her eyes twinkling, insisted, “Yes. And make it quick.”

They swung by the cafeteria, and the moment Madeline took a sip, her face lit up. “This is *fantastic*!”

Alan grinned, watching her. “Well, of course. You’re at Eddington, the land of perfection.”

Madeline, realizing she’d let her guard down, quickly reined in her enthusiasm, trying to look unimpressed. But Emma had seen it, and she couldn’t help but laugh under her breath.

When they finally made it to class, Mrs. Murphy, their stern homeroom teacher, asked Madeline to introduce herself. She gave her usual cool, aloof introduction, barely paying attention.

Afterward, Mrs. Murphy motioned for Emma and Alan to come over. “Is she your cousin?” she asked, eyeing Madeline like she was some sort of exotic animal.

Alan cleared his throat. “Well, technically, she’s Emma’s cousin. But I’ve been, uh… tasked with helping take care of her.”

Mrs. Murphy raised an eyebrow and peered over her glasses. “Ah, yes, your father called about her earlier. There’s one little issue, though.” She paused dramatically. “She has no academic record here.”

“What?” Emma and Alan said in unison, eyes wide.

“She can only attend classes if she passes the entrance test,” Mrs. Murphy continued as if dropping a bomb. “I’ll give her two months to prepare. And here’s the kicker—you two are responsible for making sure she passes.”

Both Emma and Alan stared at Mrs. Murphy, slack-jawed. Alan was the first to speak, but only barely. “Wait, what?”

Mrs. Murphy smiled sweetly, too sweetly. “Yes, you heard me. But don’t worry, you don’t have to attend classes with her—just make sure she succeeds. After all, it’s your *job*.”

Emma blinked, then turned to Alan, who was just as dumbfounded. They both said at the exact same time, “*You’ve got to be joking.*”

Alan let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “I think we just got drafted into the most impossible mission ever.”

Emma sighed dramatically, throwing her head back. “This is literally a nightmare.”

Meanwhile, Madeline, who had heard every word, crossed her arms and smirked. “Oh, don’t worry,” she said with a sly grin. “I’m sure you two will *love* babysitting me.”

The look on Emma and Alan’s faces? Pure horror.

Madeline thought to herself, *Wow, this place is awesome,* her eyes soaking in every inch of Eddington’s grand halls and luxurious surroundings. She could already picture herself ruling the place, making friends, and attending glamorous events.

But then Emma snapped her back to reality. "Hello? You’re stuck with us at home for two months. You’re *not* going to school until you pass the entrance test. Understood?"

"What?!" Madeline’s fantasy of effortlessly enjoying life at Eddington shattered into a million pieces. Her jaw dropped as she stared at Emma in disbelief.

Alan, seeing her face, couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath. “Looks like her Eddington dream just crashed and burned,” he whispered to Emma.

Emma sighed, shaking her head. “Yep, and we’re the unlucky ones stuck cleaning up the mess.”

Madeline stood there, still reeling from the news, her mind racing. *No Eddington? No palace life?* She wanted to scream, but all she could manage was a long, defeated groan.

Alan and Emma exchanged glances, both letting out a deep sigh. It was going to be a long two months.

Emma thought to herself, *Or should I say, a long two months with the devil.* She shot a glance at Madeline, who was still processing her dashed dreams of ruling Eddington. Alan caught her eye, barely containing his laugh as he whispered, “Yeah, it’s going to be a joyride.”

Madeline, oblivious to their quiet exchange, was still fuming. "No school? Stuck at home with *you two*?" Her voice had a mix of disbelief and horror, as if she had just been sentenced to the worst punishment imaginable.

Emma smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Yup. Just you, me, and Alan. Cozy, right?”

“Cozy? More like a nightmare,” Madeline muttered under her breath, arms crossed.

Alan leaned in closer to Emma and whispered, “We’ve survived worse, right? How bad can two months with *her* be?”

Emma let out a small laugh. *Oh, this is going to be worse than any exam I’ve ever taken,* she thought. Two months with Madeline would test every ounce of her patience.

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