Ew. The mere thought is disturbing.
I smile politely in response and return my attention to the food, picking up another spoon and helping myself to the crème d’oignon soup.
“Daughter.” I look up at my father who is sitting at the head of the table, with Bryony and me flanking him. “Bryony asked you to do something.”
“Wh-what?” I stutter, blushing the moment father narrows his eyes at me. “Sorry. Thanks for the tip…”
I turn to Bryony. She got her lips injected this morning and I can still see the little pinpricks where the needle went into her tender skin.
“Mom.”
“Good.” Father smiles, returning to his meal with a pleased smile.
I swallow thickly and stare at the creamy concoction in front of me. It smells divine, but I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.
“Father, I want to go to a party next week.”
We all turn to face my little half-sister, Tatianna.
Since I’ve arrived here a week ago, she’s gotten two maids fired, chopped off half of her strawberry blonde hair, and gotten a belly button piercing which our father discovered on the first day and made her take out. Oh, and she decided we all must call her Tianna and refuses to answer to anything else because the new nickname is ‘her new identity’. Talk about spoiled.
“Next week?” Father raises his brows at her, giving a good-natured chuckle. “School’s only just started, Tatianna.”
She lets out a huff of air when he calls her that but doesn’t object.
“It’s kind of like a start of school party,” she blinks, her thick lashes laden with mascara.
She looks like a living doll, that girl, and she creeps the fuck out of me. She’s only sixteen but already more trouble than I could be if I tried.
“Everyone’s going to be there.”
“Who is everyone?” her mother speaks up, and Tatianna rolls her eyes instantly.
I’ve noticed my half-siblings barely listen to their mother. All they give a shit about is getting in trouble, getting drunk and/or high and fucking up things for other people. They occasionally follow father’s rules, but most of the time, they’re total wildcards.
“Like, all the boys?” Tianna addresses her mom. “Dexter, , Caspian, Julian and Lai. I pretty much have to be there.”
“Me too.” Brazen speaks up, shrugging when we all look in his direction. “Someone’s gotta take care of Tianna.”
Yeah, as if. I know for a fact he’s going to ignore his sister all night while they both do things no teenager should be doing. But there’s a chance here, and I’m not about to miss it.
I want to go to that party, I realize. I need to find out more about Dexter. I need to make these people think I fit in here, so I can use it to my advantage wh
en I finally get away. Besides, I need a reason to leave the house. I’m going crazy here.
“Oh, me too.”
Now, every head turns in my direction, and father gives me a doubtful look.
“You want to go to a party?” father asks.
“A party you’re not invited to?” Tianna grits out.
“Well, Dexter’s going to be there,” I shrug carelessly. “The rest of the Firstborns, too… And obviously, it won’t be as exclusive since you’ll be there.”
I offer her a saccharine-sweet smile. In the span of a short few days I’ve already discovered how to get to her, and I love it. She looks away, obviously offended.
“Fine, I don’t see why not,” father says, tapping his lips with a cloth napkin. “I will have Kelley take you all there and pick you up after.”