“You can’t do that,” the woman huffs, but I just laugh out loud.
“Oh, I think I can,” I tell her. “Or did you forget who I am? I may use a different name, but that doesn’t change the blood in my veins. So please keep my grade a straight A and I won’t report back to my father.”
“Why would I do that?” She narrows her eyes at me.
“What do you make, Mrs. Robinson?” I ask. “A hundred g’s a year?”
Her face falls, and I know I’ve overestimated her earnings.
“Oh, you poor thing. It’s even lower, isn’t it? That puts you right at the bottom of the food chain. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but I’m at the top.”
I smirk at her crestfallen face. “I’m going to leave now, and you’re going to be nice for once in your life and maybe put in a good word with the staff for me.”
I blink my eyes at her. “We got a deal?”
A silent battle of wits ensues as we stare one another, but I’m shocked myself when she gives me a curt nod. I guess I really do have some power here.
I smile wide before blowing the rest of the girls a kiss and practically skipping back to the changing room. Free at last. It may only be an hour before Kelley picks me up again in front of Eden Falls Prep, but I’m going to use it to blow off some steam – any way I fucking can.
I pull down the scrunchie holding my locks in a tight bun, and my dark brown hair tumbles around my shoulders. A look in the mirror in the changing room reveals a victorious grin on my face. When I’m not utterly miserable, I don’t look so bad at all.
I gather my hair in my fist, pouting at my reflection.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
I turn around at the sound of the masculine voice, paling when I come face to face with a tall boy who towers over me. His shoulders are incredibly broad, and I can see tattoos sneaking up from under his vest top. He can’t be older than me, though.
“Excuse you?” I raise my brows at him. “You’re in the girls’ locker room, in case you haven’t noticed.”
I point at a stray bra dangling from a hook behind him.
“Oh, I know,” he says, giving me an evil smirk. “I came to find you. Wanted to get a better look at Dexter’s newest toy.”
God, there’s that stupid nickname again. Why does it send shivers down my spine? It makes me sick to think Dexter probably uses it with every one of the girls he’s kissed… or slept with. This isn’t grade school, Pandora.
“I’m nobody’s toy,” I tell the stranger with a firm smile. “Do you even know who I am? You’re talking to a Firstborn here.”
“Maybe I should ask you the same.” His lips curl up in a smile. “I’m Lai.”
“Lai?” Finally, the name rings a bell. “Oh.”
He’s one of the Firstborn alright. But his family is… different. His parents weren’t exactly… the same as the rest of us. In fact, Lai’s mom was a call girl. And one of the founding family members knocked her up. Nobody knows who. It might as well have been my father. The notes on Eden Falls I’ve been forced to study said nothing about that.
“Yeah, oh. Finally found your manners, now that you remember me, huh? I may not be as important as you and your man, but I still get a right to what I want.”
“Whatever,” I mutter, turning my back to him even though my heart is beating erratically already. “Do you mind? I’m trying to change here.”
“Oh, I don’t mind at all,” he says, walking over to the bench running the length of the room and sitting down, staring at me hungrily.
He’s like a wolf, poised to attack the first chance he gets.
“Go ahead, Lily Anna.”
“Pandora,” I hiss. “You’re going to get in trouble for staring.”
“You think so?” He laughs at me, making me blush furiously.
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