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  “Kihanna Evers,” I say back.

  “So your dad is Mark Evers?” she asks like she’s unsure.

  I nod. “Yep.”

  She glances down at my dress. “Is this a Valentino? I love it. It’s just that the girls all wear white, so I decided to wear black this year.”

  I look at her beautiful black dress. I have no clue what designer it is, and I honestly don’t care.

  “Cool,” is all I say. I really don’t like this girl. She acted like I was a piece of gum stuck to her designer shoes until she knew who I was. I don’t want a friend like her, and I really don’t care to converse with her.

  “So you were poor before you came here, right?” From the look on her face, I don’t think she has ever said the word poor before. I really don’t know how to respond, but thankfully I don’t have to. I feel a hand go around my shoulder. I look up to see Ty.

  “Jacqueline, she hasn’t had enough alcohol to talk with you.” He puts a glass of champagne in my hand and whispers in my ear, “Trust me, you’ll need this.”

  I know what Ty is saying. He’s apologizing for judging me. I can’t stay mad at him, because really, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy. He’s just privileged. I can’t fault him for that.

  Jacqueline rolls her eyes at Ty’s comment. “Like you’re any better, Ty. Just because your dad is a senator doesn’t mean your shit doesn’t stink.”

  Ty shrugs. “Maybe my shit does stink, but at least I’m not a washed up wanna-be.”

  “Whatever.” She twirls around on her heels and walks off.

  “Guess she didn’t have a good comeback,” I comment once she’s out of earshot.

  Ty laughs. “Sorry about earlier. I was wrong about what I said. I do think you’re different than the rest of us. It’s just easy to lose sight of who you are. Don’t lose yourself, Kihanna. You’re special.”

  I’m really not sure how to respond to his comment, so I just say, “Thank you.”

  He doesn’t say anything, and it kind of feels awkward. I take a sip of the really disgusting champagne. “So you’ve met the school bitch. She thinks she’s awesome because she used to be an actress. Her dad is a plastic surgeon, which explains why she came back from summer last year suddenly a D-cup.” He shakes his head. “She has two friends, who are basically her clones — Malika Sparks and Bay Young. You’ll know them when you see them. They’re the ones following her around like lost puppies.”

  “I feel like my head is spinning. There are so many people I have yet to meet, and it’s already hard to keep everybody straight,” I admit.

  He smiles. “Well, I’m Ty.”

  I roll my eyes. “I know you.”

  “Good. I’m basically the only person you need to know,” he says, flashing his perfect, white teeth.

  “And I know Gabriel Johnson. I’m going to a pool party at his house tomorrow night. I think he’s supposed to be here tonight too.”

  “He’s around here somewhere,” Ty says. “I’ll be at the party tomorrow too. I have to admit, I’m kind of excited about seeing your body in a bikini.”

  I feel my face grow warm. I haven’t exactly thought about the whole swimsuit part yet. I guess pool party hadn’t exactly sunk in. “Ugh, yeah, I definitely won’t look like Jacqueline.”

  “Good. I like real women.” He winks, and my heart flutters. Gah. Why am I letting him have such an effect on me?

  Somebody calls Ty’s name.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Kihanna Evers,” he says as he walks off.

  “Later.” I give my champagne glass to a waiter walking by and go back into the foyer. I see Toby walking outside with a skinny redhead. I spot Gabe, who is talking to a group of people. My dad is talking to Mike Newman, and Veronica is talking to some lady I don’t know. I feel very awkward, because in this moment, I know that I don’t fit in here. I mean, I knew it before, but at least I wasn’t completely alone. I could ignore the fact that I’m a freak. I kind of wish there was somewhere to hide, though I’m sure there would be if I looked hard enough. This house is massive.

  I decide to just head outside. Maybe I can at least hide and take my shoes off. My feet are killing me in these heels. How do they handle wearing such high shoes all the time?

  I escape out the front and walk around to the side of the house. I take off my shoes and sigh dreamily as my bare feet hit the cool grass.

  “Are you trying to hide?” I hear somebody ask.

  I open my eyes and see a very attractive black guy walking toward me. Seriously, why is everybody around here so attractive?

  “Yes,” I answer, holding up my shoes. “These shoes are killing my feet.”

  “Ah, I see. Why did you wear them if you knew they would hurt?”

  “I didn’t have a choice in the matter. My stepmother doesn’t trust me to dress myself. Not that I blame her. I kind of screwed that up at our family brunch last Sunday.” Why am I admitting all this to a stranger? Must be the shoes.

  “You must be Kihanna Evers.” He laughs, and I look at him questioningly. “Gabe told me about family brunch, and you look a lot like Mark. I figured you had to be the prodigal daughter.”

  “Yes, well, I’m feeling very much like Cinderella right now. Is it midnight yet?”

  “I’m Jason Bridges,” he introduces himself.

  “It’s nice to meet you. You already know me, but I’m Kihanna, the long lost daughter.” I accept his handshake. “So why aren’t you in the party?”

  “Probably the same reason you’re not.”

  “Your feet hurt, and you don’t know anybody so you feel kind of awkward?” I ask.

  He laughs. “Something like that. Let’s just say I don’t exactly belong here.”

  I glance at his suit and back up at him. “You look like you belong here to me.”

  “So do you,” he says, pointing at my dress.

  “Touché.” I bow to him jokingly. “So tell me, Jason Bridges, why are you at this ritzy millionaire party if you don’t belong here?”

  He shrugs. “My parents are rich. My dad owns a bunch of successful night clubs around the world.”

  “I guess everybody around here is rich.”

  “You guessed correctly.”

  Great. “So will I be going to school with you?”

  “More than likely. We all go to the same private school,” he answers.

  I can’t help but roll my eyes at this. “So basically I will be going to school with all rich people too. Please tell me I get to meet some normal people sometime.”

  “There are some scholarship kids at the school, but they’re all really smart.” He laughs. “So yeah, you really are stuck with the rich kids.”

  Suddenly, Gabe’s warning comes to mind… Welcome to the life of the elite. He really meant it. Once you’re in, there’s no way out.

  “It’s not all that bad,” he quickly clarifies. “I just hate these fancy parties. I’d rather be kickin’ it with my friends. I’d much rather drink beer than champagne.”

  I nod, like I know exactly what he means, but I don’t. I don’t drink, ever. That sip of champagne was the first alcohol I’ve ever tasted, and I’m not impressed. “I’m not much of a champagne kind of girl either.”

  He looks at me for a second, like he’s studying me. “Let me guess, you a whiskey sour kind of girl…”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Actually, I have no clue what kind of girl I am. I usually stick to Dr. Pepper.”

  “Damn, girl. I am going to corrupt you,” he says, almost seductively. “I’m thinking I will start you out on Dr. Pepper and rum. It goes great together, and I am really good at mixing drinks.”

  “How old are you?” I question.

  He laughs hard for a second. “I’m seventeen. Damn, you really are innocent. Are you coming to Gabe’s party tomorrow night?”

  I nod, almost scared, because I’m not sure I want to be corrupted.

  “Good. I’m going to get you shit-faced.”

  “Shit-faced?” I quest
ion. That doesn’t sound so good.

  “Don’t worry. It’ll be fun,” he promises.

  Fun. Right.

  His phone goes off, and he busts out laughing. He holds out his phone for me, and I see a picture of Toby and the redheaded girl he was with earlier. They’re both naked and on the roof. I have to shake my head.

  My phone goes off, and I look down to see a text from my dad.

  Dad: We are leaving now. Meet us out front.

  I turn to Jason. “Well, that’s my cue. I guess I will see you at Gabe’s party.”

  “Later, Kihanna.”

  Later indeed.

  I am in over my head.

  Saturday, August 22

  11:43 AM

  Old man.

  I had fun on the limo ride home. Pretty much Toby got yelled at the whole way back, but it didn’t faze him at all. On the way to our rooms that night, he hit on me. Seriously, Toby has no shame and absolutely no class. I can’t help but wonder about his biological father, because he is nothing like Veronica. Well, either that or Veronica is good at hiding her wild side.

  I woke up early on Saturday because I thought Dad and I were going to hang out, but he had an “emergency” at the office. He said he would be back “as soon as possible.” It’s been three hours since then, and I still haven’t heard from him. So instead, I’m hanging out with our butler, Nicholas, while he changes light bulbs.

  “He will call,” Nicholas says as I check my phone for the one-hundredth time. “Your father is a very busy man. He’s been around a lot more this past week than I have ever seen him before.”

  I sigh. “I came here to get to know him, and I feel like he doesn’t care. There is always some kind of work emergency, or a dinner party, or anything that is more important than me.”

  “He loves you.”

  “I know, but he needs to realize there is more to love than expensive cars and money. I need him.”

  Nicholas looks down at me. “Might I suggest you talk to Mr. Evers and tell him how you’re feeling?”

  “I have talked to him, and he promised to spend the day with me to make up for ditching me all week. I might as well have stayed home with my mom. I miss her.” I feel a little sad thinking about her. We always get season passes to our favorite theme park, and we go at least once a week. We also go to water parks, we float down the river in an inner tube, or we bike around the lake. Since mom is a teacher, so she’s off all summer. We also try to take a one-week vacation every summer, and always to a new place. This year, we were going to go on a cruise for the first time. That obviously isn’t going to happen now.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Evers.”

  “Please, Nicholas, for the one-thousandth time, call me Kihanna.”

  “My momma taught me never to call a lady by her first name. It’s disrespectful,” he counters.

  “It’s not disrespectful if she asks you to call her by her first name. And I’m still trying to get used to my new last name,” I explain.

  “You are stubborn. Just like your father,” Nicholas says, shaking his head.

  “So I was wondering… Do you think my dad knows that Toby smokes pot in his room?”

  Nicholas looks at me for a second. “It really isn’t any of my business, and if I may be honest with you, it really isn’t any of yours either.”

  He’s right. It really isn’t my business, but I can’t help my curiosity.

  “Don’t you have a pool party to get ready for?” he asks.

  I look at the time. “The pool party doesn’t start until eight o’clock. So I’ve got a while.”

  “Maybe you should make some friends. You’re too nosy,” he says, laughing.

  That is what I love about Nicholas. He always speaks his mind. “Hey, if you wanted me to leave you alone, all you had to say was ‘get lost’.”

  He shakes his head. “You don’t need to be hanging out with an old man like me anyway.”

  “You’re right. I should just go hang out with Toby,” I joke. I turn to walk back to my room. “And you’re not old!”

  I hear him laughing as I head up the stairs. Nicholas isn’t that old. He just turned fifty-five years old last month, and he’s pretty spunky for his age. A couple days ago I saw him on a ladder cleaning the chandelier. I offered to help, and when I did I learned that he is into extreme sports — like skydiving and snowboarding.

  But I can’t help but think he’s right. I do need to make friends. I am starting school next week, and I have zero friends, unless you count Toby, which I don’t.

  So that’s my goal tonight — make friends.

  I can do this.

  I hope.

  7:39 PM

  Pool parties: NOT FOR SWIMMING

  “Rule number one, never get in the water,” Veronica explains as Marco curls the last strand of my hair.

  I’m confused. One, I thought pool parties were for swimming. Why are there even rules for a high school pool party? Two, I thought Marco was her personal assistant, not personal stylist. Do all personal assistants fix hair?

  “Why shouldn’t I get in the water?” I ask her.

  She looks at me with a ‘you should know this’ look. I suddenly feel stupid for not knowing.

  “Because,” she explains. “You don’t want to get your hair wet. You also don’t want to ruin your make up or your shoes.”

  I look at the teal leather pumps that Veronica picked out for me to wear. Seriously, who wears high heels to a POOL PARTY? I will probably be the only one, and I will look stupid.

  “You look beautiful,” Marco says, as I look at myself in the full-length mirror. I want to cover up my body. I am not used to being this exposed.

  “Thanks. So what kind of bikini is this? Is this a Valentino, or whatever?”

  “It’s a Dolce and Gabbana,” Marco answers.

  “Right.” I nod my head, like I know what he’s saying. The truth is, I feel like he just spoke French to me. “So, does this Dolce and Gabbana person have a cover-up?”

  He shakes his head. “You don’t need a cover-up. The point of a pool party is to flaunt your body. Make the boys drool.”

  I laugh and think about what Jason Bridges told me. He wants to corrupt me. Why do I feel like I’m more corruptible in this bikini?

  “Don’t listen to Marco,” Veronica quickly protests. “Seriously, you’re too beautiful for a teenage boy.”

  “So you think I should go for somebody older? Like a college guy?” I ask, biting my lip.

  “Yes.” She pauses, then quickly shakes her head. “No. I’m just saying, you should wait. You’re fresh meat, so every guy is going to hit on you. You shouldn’t go for the first guy you hook up with.”

  “Hook up?” I feel my face grow warm. “I look like a prostitute in this, don’t I? I should change.”

  Veronica sighs. “That’s not what I meant either. I’m sorry, Kihanna. I’m not very good at this whole mother-daughter thing.”

  For a minute, I think I should be offended by her comment. I have a mother. But she knows that, and I don’t think she meant anything bad by it, so I let it slide. “Just so you know, I don’t plan on hooking up with anybody anytime soon.”

  “Good. You should wait as long as you can.”

  Marco clears his throat. “Well, if that will be all, Mrs. Evers, I will be leaving now.”

  “Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” As soon as Marco leaves my room, Veronica turns to me. “Have fun tonight.”

  “Thanks.” I turn to look at myself in the mirror as Veronica walks out of my room. I feel less intimidated now. It’s amazing how hearing that you’re beautiful from somebody else makes you feel exactly that… beautiful.

  I am thin, I always have been, but I have nice boobs. They’re the perfect size for my body. I don’t really have much of a butt, but I still look nice in my swimsuit. My legs are thin and look really long in these heels. I think I finally understand why girls torture themselves. It’s all about vanity, especially in Mountain View.


  8:21 PM

  Memo to self – never get in the hot tub.

  I arrive exactly twenty-one minutes late for the pool party. Not because I’m trying to be fashionably late, but because I get lost. I end up taking the wrong exit off the freeway. By the time I actually arrive at Gabe’s house, my hands are shaking and I’m freaking out just a little bit. I actually contemplated going home, but I found it. Thank God.

  When I arrive, of course, there is valet parking. Only here would there be valet at a freaking high school party. I hand my keys to a guy who barely looks old enough to drive. He’s smiling as he looks at my car.

  “If you hurt my car, I will shoot you. And I’m from Missouri, so I know how to use a gun.”

  The smile quickly fades from his face. I laugh silently to myself as I walk through the gate that leads to the pool.

  I have to admit — I like having power, and that is something money gives me.

  “Kihanna! You came!” I hear Gabe call out to me as I walk through the gates that lead to his massive pool. There is a huge rock waterfall, a water slide, and a bridge that goes over the pool. There is also a huge hot tub that is currently occupied by three guys, and two topless girls. (Memo to self — never get in the hot tub. I don’t even want to think about what has gone on in there.)

  When my name is called, half of the party looks up at me. I suddenly feel like I’m on display. First impressions are everything, and what happens in this moment defines how everybody will see me forever. I must make a good impression.

  I feel someone’s arms go around my waist, and before I even have time to process what is going on, I am in the water. I push myself up through the water, and look up to see Jason Bridges jump in beside me.

  I’m pretty sure that my hair, makeup, and shoes are all ruined, which means I broke all of Veronica’s party rules.

  When Jason comes up from the water, I splash him. I want to be mad, but I can’t. I actually start laughing, because I didn’t expect this, but I like it. I thought tonight would be more like the black and white party last night — uptight, prim, and proper. Here, we are all just a bunch of teenagers wanting to have fun before school starts.