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This one is for Jamie.
Chapter One
Quinn
Rolling over, I let out a sigh when I noticed Harlyn’s name lighting up my phone. She was the only one who knew me for the real me, and sometimes I hated that. My natural default was bitch, and it kept everyone in check. I was also one of the richest teenagers in Silvercrest, born into a family where money was more important than family. They had a name for us, The Society, hushed whispers, secrets, and more money than we knew what to do with. My phone started ringing, Harlyn was calling me again. I could only ignore her for so long before she would show up at my door.
“What do you want? You do realize it’s only eight o’clock, right?” I groaned.
Laughing, she sounded too chipper when she answered me, “Yeah, hooker I know. Now bring your ass downstairs and open the door. I brought coffee and bagels.”
Hanging up on her, I padded across the plush white carpet to slip on my white sundress. My mother hated when I wore white, so I did it often just to piss her off. I hadn’t even made it down the stairs when Harlyn began knocking on the door. Silvia, the housekeeper, was nearly there when I called out, “It’s okay Silvia, I’ll get the door. She won’t die from waiting, or maybe she will and do us all a favor.”
The glare she gave me when I opened the door let me know she heard. Good, I needed to keep her in line since sometimes she forgot her place. I don’t bother to welcome her in, instead I open the door and walk away. She’ll follow, she’s like a puppy that needs to be trained. Placing the coffee cups on the counter, Harlyn drops her ass onto the plush barstool. My mother will hate it when she sees. Those stools are only used for decoration much like eighty percent of the house. Pulling a muffin from the bag, I sigh, if I do manage to eat this all then a purge session will be in order later. This bitch knows my weakness is chocolate chip muffins, and she knows it will go straight to my ass. Winking at me, Harlyn sips her coffee and picks at her own muffin when I push mine away. We have a party coming up and I can’t afford to look like a cow.
Opening the coffee cup, I look inside and smell it. One can never be too sure that she didn’t poison me. Rolling her eyes, she takes the cup and swallows a mouthful. “Seriously Quinn, if I was going to kill you it wouldn’t be with coffee. I wouldn’t waste the money.”
Breaking off a piece of muffin, I smile at the sound of my mother’s heels clicking across the floor. The Wicked Witch is alive and well. “Good morning mother,” I call out as she groans.
“Penelope Quinn. You know that color isn’t flattering, and that processed food will make you fat. You can’t go around looking like… Harlyn here, who obviously doesn’t care how much she weighs.”
I don’t know how Harlyn does it, but somehow she acts like she didn’t hear the snide comment. “Good morning Mrs. Raynor.” She’s one of those people that believe in killing with kindness. I say just kill them and be done with it all.
Picking at the muffin in defiance of my mother, I contemplate shoving it down her throat in order to shut her up. Mother doesn’t return the sentiment, and I almost want to call her out on it, yet I don’t because Harlyn is a big girl and can handle herself when she needs to. It’s why we are friends after all, the way she commands respect and her generally happy demeanor. Smiling until my mother leaves the room, Harlyn smirks as she takes a sip of coffee, “You know she’s just pissed that she has to pay for her figure whereas you don’t.”
I can’t figure out her angle and it frustrates me, is she really paying me a compliment or is she being passive aggressive in her own way? Deciding it’s just a compliment, I offer her a smile, it’s rare coming from me. Usually I only smile when I’m being a bitch to someone or when Sebastian is around. Taking another sip of the coffee, I pull out my phone and slide it across the counter to her, “I like this style. What do you think?” Harlyn’s mouths the word wow and I know that it’s the dress I’ll wear to the ball. Taking my phone back, I grin, “I’m going to pick it up in a bit if you want to come along.”
Pouring the rest of the drink in the sink, I glance at the muffin and toss it in the trash instead of biting into it like I want to do. I can’t afford to gain weight, otherwise between my mother and The Society, I would be given cold stares and harsh punishments until I became what they wanted. The perfect version of who they needed as the face of The Society.
Chapter Two
Sebastian
Fucking hell. Glaring at my father’s back, I wait for him to continue with his demands. This entire life we lived was poison, the slow killing kind instead of the quick sting of a scorpion and instant relief as you croaked. “You will attend, and your whore will not be allowed. Am I clear?” he snapped. Nodding, I died a bit inside, “Perfectly.”
Grinning as if he wasn’t just threatening me five minutes ago, he waved me off, his own whore walking into
