Please excuse the unedited preview.
Riane stood in the marble bathroom that was the size of many people's apartments. She brushed down her short red hair and looked in the mirror at the almost boy-like person that stared back at her. All her life, she had kept her hair short and dressed like a boy and most people she met thought she was one, even though they questioned it at times. She even wore the baggiest clothes she could find and the most tight fitting sports bras. Anything to keep her boy image up. The only reason she did it was because she knew her step-mother and father hated it.
It had come in handy throughout high school, everyone pronounced her name like Ryan even though that was incorrect. She never told them the right way to pronounce it as she enjoyed the perks of being considered a boy, which was far more entertaining then what the girls did.
Even her best friend, Blake, thought she was a boy for the first two years they had known each other. He didn’t figure it out until her step-mother had forced them into the pool one summer day and Riane had no choice but to wear her bikini. She would never forget his face as he sat in the water trying to figure out why his friend was wearing a bikini, before it finally dawned on him. She had feared it would change their friendship, instead Blake just continued to be himself. At school, he referred to her as a boy even though they never discussed to keep her secret hidden.
In truth, she didn’t care one way or another. She never told people she was a boy, but if they assumed then she shrugged and went along with it. Of course, she was often told that they thought the heir of the Nairne Corporation was a female to which she would always truthfully reply that she wasn’t. It was her younger brother that was, and most people assumed that younger brother was her. In reality it was her little ten year old brother, Rusty or Russell as her father insisted he be called.
As all mornings began since she started her freshman year of college at Cerulean Harbor, Riane sat at her make-up desk and looked at her favorite letter. It was an acceptance letter from Juliard, where she had planned to go. Throughout her younger years, Riane had been called a child prodigy with her audio graphic memory and her complex composures for the piano. Yet, her father had insisted that she get a degree in something that could be used in the world. Hence she began her studies in business and management, where she would one day be able to work under her brother Rusty in her father’s company.
With a sigh, she put the letter back into it’s envelope, “It’s enough that I was accepted.” She mumbled to herself.
Pulling on her tennis shoes, she headed down the large stairs and past several maids. In the dining room, her younger brother with red hair sat at the table eating his breakfast. There were two dining rooms in their home. One was for large parties with a long table, and the other was for their small family of four. Fresh flowers filled the room in several vases, and in the center of the dark wood table.
Her father, Simon, who also shared their dark red hair was reading his newspaper and drinking coffee. He did not bother to look away from it when she entered the room.
“Morning!” Deidra, her step-mother and Rusty’s mother, chirped. She was a slim woman who her father had met when she was six years old.
“Morning.” Riane mumbled as she sat down at the large table.
“Do you want pancakes or waffles? I’ll go tell the…” She began to stand up.
“Sit down, Deidra.” Simon scolded from behind his newspaper. “If she had come down earlier she would already have her breakfast. Now, she has to wait for the cook to come out or not eat at all.”
Riane gave a sympathetic grin as Deidra sat back down in her chair. The slim, blonde looked like her husband had once again injured her pride. She never said anything when he did, instead she wouldn’t talk for weeks at a time.
“How’s school?” Rusty, her freckled face little brother, asked as he bit into his sausage.
“Fine.” She grunted.
Simon lowered his newspaper and glared at his daughter, “Answer your brother properly.”
“It’s fine, thank you.” Riane said as she returned his glare.
He frowned, “I thought we discussed your attire?”
“No, you lectured me about my attire. I didn’t get a word in.”
He exhaled loudly, “Riane…” He began using the correct pronunciation of Rye-Anne. “You aren’t a little girl anymore, this tomboy look is not acceptable. Grow your hair out and wear more feminine clothes. This is no longer cute.”
“It’s what I am comfortable in. Shouldn’t I be comfy in what I am wearing when I go to school, so I can concentrate?”
He stared at her for several moments, “Grow out your hair and wear more feminine clothing.” He snapped before returning to his newspaper.
Riane looked across the table at Deidra, who was pretending that other people weren’t even in the room with her. She had always been rather immature and flaky. Her arrival into her home was something that scarred Riane’s mind. It happened when she was eight years old and on the very day that her own mother had moved out. Deidra appeared a mere hour later with the newborn Rusty in her arms. Her father and Deidra were married three days later after the divorce was finalized.
She never held it against Deidra or Rusty, but instead she hated her father for everything that had happened. Of course, Simon didn’t really seem to care much for his daughter. After her birth, her own mother had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Simon had wanted a son to take over the company. In fear that he wouldn’t be satisfied with her anymore, Riane’s mother forced her daughter to behave like a boy. In the end that didn’t save her from divorce papers.
“Riane, can you take me to school?” Rusty asked.
“She’s got her own schedule.” Simon answered before his daughter could. “You shouldn’t impose yourself on others.”
“I can take him. We just need to leave earlier…”
“Be quiet.” He looked up at her, “I’m trying to teach your brother independence. Between you and your mother, he’ll never be able to do things on his own.”
Riane didn’t bother to point out that Deidra wasn’t her mother, she had long ago given up on that argument. Standing up, she cleared her throat. “I should get to class then.”
“I’ll be out of town for the next week, so ensure that Russell does his homework. I don’t trust your mother to watch him.”
“Yes.” She said with her hands folded in front of her. Briefly, she looked over at Deidra who was still pretending that no one else was speaking in the room.
“Also, I know it’s only been two weeks since school has started but your grades are atrocious. I want B’s by the time I return.”
“But we don’t have any tests this week, I…”
“B’s.” Simon began to read his newspaper again.
Riane sighed and rubbed her hand over her brother’s head as she left the dining room. It wasn’t until she was in the hallway putting on her jacket did she remember that she hadn’t had breakfast yet. She shrugged, she would have the driver stop somewhere and grab herself something quick to eat.
“Mom!” The eleven year old screamed from down the hall. “Jules keeps sitting on my face when I am laying on the couch!”
Nanette looked at her eldest son with eyes that begged him to deal with it. The tall and tanned older brother with short black hair stood from the table. “Have you eaten yet, Zack?” Bryce asked his younger brother as he walked into the hallway.
Zachary shook his head as he passed his brother to enter the dining room. “I don’t have time this morning. I woke up late.”
“Your call.” He shrugged as he stepped out into the hallway to look for his other brother. Julian was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine when he walked into the entertainment room. Three televisions hung on the wall, and there were countless gaming stations around the room.
Julian was wearing what all three brothers always wore blue jeans and a shirt. Though, Julian often wore shirts with inappropriate images or words on them, while the other two preferred collared shirts. Today, it was a black shirt with a band name and image, which was not nearly as bad as what he usually wore.
“He’s eleven years old and you’re nineteen, do you honestly think picking on him like that is cute or even acceptable?”
Julian shrugged his shoulders, “He’s a senior in high school, he can take it.”
“Doesn’t matter what grade he is in, he is still only eleven. He barely weighs eighty pounds. You have hundred pounds on him, and you are sitting on his face.” Bryce pull his brother’s shoulder length black hair when he didn’t get an answer. “Are you listening to me?”
“No.”
“Pull your hair back and let’s go.” Bryce rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the room.
Julian stood up and checked his clothes over in the full length mirror on the wall. He pulled a hair band from his pocket and put his hair in a ponytail at the base of his neck.
“Mom! We are leaving!” Bryce called out when Julian arrived at the front door.
“Don’t forget your brother!” Nanette yelled from the dining room.
“I’ve got him!”
“She means me!” Zachary stuck out his tongue as he stepped from the dining room in the long hallway. Bryce pulled down his coat from the closet next to the front door and handed it to him.
“What happen to your car?”
Zachary picked up his backpack from the floor as he left it next to the door when he got home from school. “It’s not the car, but the driver. He went in for knee surgery. I told you this last night.” He grumbled to his eldest brother as he opened the door. “I expect him not to listen to me,” He pointed at Julian who was rubbing his teeth with his index finger. “but I thought you would…”
“Ok, I’m sorry.” Bryce chuckled as they walked out to the car and got into the back seat. “We’ll drop you off first.”
Zachary gave a nod and looked over at Julian, who had pulled out a hand mirror from his backpack and was checking over his face. “Is he still trying to get that girl to notice him?”
Bryce nodded as the driver began to leave the large driveway and head towards the gate of their estate.
“She’s noticed me, it’s that she doesn’t like me. There is a difference.” Julian corrected.
“And you think by staring at yourself in the mirror somehow that will make you look less like a dog's ass?” Zachary asked.
“Jealousy will get you no where.” He said brushing off his brother’s comment. “I just want her to see my good looks in full blossom.”
Bryce rolled his eyes, “It’s your attitude and the way you treat others that she hates. It has nothing to do with your looks.”
“No girl can resist a good looking guy for long. Worry about yourself. I’ve seen infants cry at the sight of you.”
“Shit, I forgot my gym bag.” Bryce cursed as he ignored his brother, “Guess I’ll have to wear the spares in my locker.”
“Basketball…” He snorted. “Shouldn’t you be over sports after high school. Only dumb jocks hang onto that crap.”
Zachary glared over at his brother, “He’s trying to keep in shape. Do you even attend any of your classes?”
“First of all, basketball is not a class and second of all, no, I do not and yet I still get A's on all the tests. So, don’t worry about me.” Julian stuck out his tongue. “Bryce is the only moron in this car that needs to go to class to get good grades. I don’t know why you even bothered with high school. You should be in college right now.”
“Mom said I need at least one year of high school for character building. I tend to agree with her.” Zachary pulled a book from his bag.
“Yeah, stop pestering him about it.” Bryce scolded. “I am tired of hearing this conversation every morning.”
“I graduated high school when I was fifteen, and he has the chance to do it at eleven. He should…”
“You also skipped out on college for three years afterward so you could tour the world. You could be a senior this year, but instead you fucked around. You made your choice and he made his, leave him alone.”
Julian put his elbow on the window and made a fist which he rested his cheek on. “Have you talked to Adonia?”
“I told you already she doesn’t like you.”
“Did I ask that?” He snapped his head around to look at his brother.
Bryce stared at him for a moment, “I talk to her whenever I go to practice. She never mentions you expect when to tell me what an ass my brother is. Normally after she’s seen you pick on someone. Usually, her friend.”
He rolled his eyes, “Hey squirt,” He kicked his little brother, “are you going to prom this year?”
Zachary glared up from his book, “I’m eleven.”
“So?”
“What am I going to do pick up my date at the closest elementary school?” He clicked his tongue, “Seriously, don’t you ever think?”
“I am just fucking around with you. Both of you are assholes this morning.” Julian crossed his arms and shoved his back against the seat behind him.
“You shouldn’t have sat on my head.” Zachary grumbled.
“Are you still on that?” He shoved him in the arm.
Bryce retaliated for his younger brother and shoved Julian back, “It hurts to have someone more then twice your weight sit on your head, especially when they have a skinny, bony ass.”
“My ass is perfection! Besides, you used to do it to me and I’m fine.”
“I’m also only three years older than you. We never had that much of a weight difference.”
“Bitch, bitch, bitch. If I wanted annoying people to complain to me all the time, I would keep a girlfriend.”
“Can you even get a girlfriend on your own?” Zachary asked. “Wasn’t the last one set up by mom?”
Julian raised his hand and pretended to back hand his brother, “Ugh, can’t wait to get rid of the two of you for the day.”
Riane made her way outside to the car waiting for her. The large green yard with several bushes that flowered in the spring always lightened her heart slightly. It was mostly because seeing this yard in the morning meant leaving the house and it's occupants behind.
Across the street, she could see the Mitchell residence, but that mansion had been empty for a few years now. She remembered when she was younger, she would try to sneak glimpses of the attractive boys that frequented the home. Now there was no activity, as they had all graduated and moved passed school to work and larger cities.
Hopping into the front scene of the black car, she smiled at her friend, Joe, who had become her driver in the last year.
Joe, or Jolene as she preferred to be called, was her age and had been at her side all her life. Her mother worked in the house as the cook. She had brought her baby daughter with her every day at Riane's mother's request. The two grew up together and she had been her only friend until middle school when she met Blake.
She went to the community college in the next town over, but scheduled her classes so she could work as Riane's driver for extra money. Unfortunately, the scheduling would force her to add an extra year or two before she could graduate.
The brunette had large blue eyes and a friendly smile. Riane was jealous of her friend's femininity, though Joe told her countless times that she had her own as well. It just did not come naturally to Riane, and she used to be proud of her tomboy appearance but she was slowly being eaten away at by her father.
“Morning.” Riane said as she threw her backpack in the back seat and sat down in the front of the car. “Can we stop somewhere?”
“Late for breakfast, again?” Joe asked as she watched her friend shut her car door.
She nodded her head and giggled as she slowly stuck out her tongue briefly. “Late and lectured, as per usual.”
“I've said it before and I'll say it again. Your father is a dick.” Joe began to drive the car to the gate.
Riane chuckled before falling into a comfortable silence as she was driven to school. Joe knew to be quiet so that her friend could prepare herself. Riane hated crowds and mostly people in general. Finding her way through the rushes from one class to another was always a challenge and Joe had been called several times while at school when Riane was having a panic attack.
Joe couldn't really blame Riane for this, as her mother feared losing her in a crowd or allowing other people to watch her. She studied from home until middle school when her father forced her to go to school. Until that day, the mansion had pretty much been all she had known.
She had begged her father to pay for Joe to attend Cerulean Harbor University. It was an elite college that only had around five hundred students at any given time. It was mostly for the young adults whose parents could afford a ridiculous sum for college. However, her father had declined and informed her that Joe's parents would have to pay for such things.
Riane's father refused to believe her anxiety was anything but a cry for attention, and therefore he refused to give it any attention. Luckily, her friend, Blake, was acutely aware of it and tried his best to meet her at all of her classes and walk her to the next.
The university was always well manicured with beautiful tapestries, flowers at every turn, and several areas for nature. There was even a beautiful koi pond in a large garden in the back of the school.
Every student that stepped out of their cars were covered in jewelry, designer clothing, and had their hair done perfectly. Riane never felt like she was one of them and in fact had gone with Joe to outlet stores to purchase her clothes.
As they pulled up to the front of the school, a dark blue car pulled in in front of them. Riane's stomach sunk as she watched the Swithin brothers get out of their car. The older brother, Bryce, seemed nice enough and would often tell his brother to leave her alone, but Julian never did. The two were among some of the people that thought she was a genuine boy.
“Just wait until they go in.” Joe told her friend as she watched Julian greet his friends, Seth and Dalen, at the front gate. Bryce had not acknowledged them and simply walked toward the school's court to his first class.
“They might skip first class with him. I could be waiting out here all day.” Riane told her and took a deep breath. “You'll be here to pick me up, right?”
“I will not be late, I promise.”
She nodded her head, before opening the door and stepping out. She was quick to open the backseat door and grab her backpack. She gave her friend one last look, before shutting the door and turning to face the gauntlet of morons.
Dressed in baggy jeans and a baggy blue and red stripped shirt, Riane hoped that she would go unnoticed as she did most days. However, there were days that it seemed Julian couldn't help but be where ever she was and zone in on her the moment her eyes fell on him.
Today would be the latter, she realized as their eyes met.
“If it isn't Ryan!” Julian shouted as scores of other classmates moved passed them and into the school grounds.
Riane didn't mind that people thought she was male, however the problem stemmed that her voice was very much female. They liked to mock her for speaking like a girl or telling her that she should change her gender because she wasn't given the body of a man. In truth, she could have easily told them she was really a female, but she suspected that upon knowing that information they would only have more ammunition. She much preferred to be teased over lies. At least, they were calling her a girl and feminine.
“If it isn't CHU's very own hermaphrodite.” Julian walked over to him with his friends by his side.
Dalen had long brown hair that fell passed his shoulders that he liked to keep in a ponytail. He was tall and lanky, but seemed friendly enough. He had stood up against Julian a couple times when he had gone too far.
Seth, on the other hand, was a short hair blonde. He liked to work out with heavy weights and he had a body that proved it. Though, he was the shortest one of the group, he was also the meanest.
“Hermaphrodite, really, Julian?” Dalen snorted. “That's so...”
“Yes, Julian. Hermaphrodites can't help it, they were born that way.” Seth added with a sinister laugh, “This is just a girl dressed up as a boy.”
The comment made a small smile come to Riane's face as they didn't know how much that was true, and therefore was not an insult to her.
She tried to push passed them, but they didn't seem interested in letting her go. Both Seth and Julian jumped in her way several times.
“What's the matter? Going to have another attack?” Seth asked and then pretended to cry in an effort to mock her.
She would always regret the day, she melted down in front of them because they caught her in the middle of the school courtyard. So many people surrounding her and they wouldn't let her run. Eventually, she began to feel like she couldn't breath and starting to cry as well. She had asked them to help her and instead the three looked terrified. They ran off and left her in the middle of the crowd, helpless. She had hoped that they would leave her alone after that, but instead they teased her mercifully over it.
“Ryan!” A voice called from inside the gate and Blake appeared from the crowd. “Let's go, man!”
Blake was tall and broad. His hair was golden and his face chiseled. Upon seeing him, Riane forgot all about the two boys in front of her and allowed her heart to flutter. She was quick to rush to his side and say her good mornings. Seth and Julian stood aside as they didn't want to mess with the much taller and larger man.
The three men made their way to the gym and went to hide behind the building after their brief encounter with Riane and Blake. They leaned against a wall as Seth pulled out a joint and began to light it. He took a couple puffs before passing it over to Julian, and then Julian to Dalen. This circle of passing continued while they spoke to one another.
“Did you see Adonia?” Julian asked while holding his breath and then blew the smoke out quickly through his mouth.
Seth groaned at that question as he knew he was going to hear it right away. There was no time that they did not spend apart that wasn't met with the greeting about Adonia. Did they see her? Or his story about his spotting of her. She was an attractive girl, but she had made herself clear on how she felt about Julian.
Dalen shook his head, “No, and what do you care? Everyone knows she has the hots for your brother. You should look towards Ivy, everyone knows you can have her eating out of your hands within moments.”
Seth laughed, “Please, he could have her panties off just by saying hello.” The other two joined him in his laughter, “Seriously, dude. Adonia doesn't want you. She made that pretty clear all of last year, and you are still going to try to hump that tree this year?”
“Yeah, why not? Persistence can pay off.” Julian had been leaning against the beige painted concrete wall, but stood up and walked a couple steps away.
“Why can't you go persistently fuck Ivy, instead?” Seth asked as he made pelvic thrusts towards Dalen, who shoved him away.
“I don't want Ivy. I want Adonia.” Julian said it matter-of-factually as if his friend had just asked him the dumbest question on Earth.
Dalen chuckled. “There it is. It was like this with Anne and Sasha. He pretends that he is all player, but he only ever really wants one girl.”
Seth nodded his head and laughed as he blew smoke out. “Only one vagina can be serviced by this man at a time.”
“Fuck you both!” Julian snapped and offered them both of his middle fingers with a grin on his lips.
“Oh, hey.” Dalen seemed to remember something in that moment. “Your mother called my mother the other day.”
“Yeah, so?” Julian walked over to Seth who was now hogging what was left of the joint. He snatched it away and took another hit.
“So, she was asking about my sister's marriage plans.” Dalen pressed his back against the wall. “When my mom told her that my sister won't be involved in an arrangement, she was upset and asked if we could still get her together with you.”
Julian threw the joint to the ground and raced over to his friend in a fit of faux fury.“What? That fucking troll?”
Dalen put his hands out as Julian rushed over to him and shoved him on his chest. “That's my sister, you are talking about!”
“Sorry, sorry!” Julian threw up his hands as Seth rushed over to save the joint that had been tossed into the wet grass.
“She is not a troll. She's... my sister and I feel weird saying she's pretty so don't fucking make me say it, got it?”
“I'd hit that.” Seth added as he tried to revive the joint but it was too late.
“Thanks.” He fist bumped Seth, then frowned as he turned to him. “Don't touch my sister! I am fucking serious!”
Seth laughed as he put the joint in his pocket to see if he could save it later once it had dried out a little more.
“Fuck your sister!” Julian barked.
“No, he said don't fuck her.” Seth retorted and he and Dalen laughed together, but Julian did seem amused anymore.
“What the hell did you mean by arrangement?” Julian shoved Dalen in the arm in order to get his attention away from Seth and onto him.
Dalen continued to chuckle, “Arrangement. Arranged marriage.”
Julian froze in place for several seconds, “Wait, what? Bryce doesn't even have one of those and he is the heir. Why the hell would I need an arranged marriage?”
Seth shrugged his shoulders, “Dude, it is no big deal. I have one. I've met her like twice. She's nice and when the time comes we don't even have to go through with it. Think of it like a back up plan in case you don't get Adonia to fall head over hells.”
“I don't care if you have one! Why does my mother want me to have one?” He turned his attention to Dalen who shrugged.
Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his cellphone and hurry to call his mother. It went to voice mail and he began to yell into the phone. “Mother! Are you trying to set me up in an arranged marriage? Are you deranged? Call me back now!”
“The way you speak to your mother.” Dalen slowly shook his head. “My mother would drive down here, find me in class, and beat me within an inch of my life in front of all the other students.”
“Shut up, Dalen! My mother is trying to force me to marry someone! That warrants yelling!” Julian looked down at his phone but there was no call or message. “Call me back!”
They watched Julian pace back and forth for a while, before Dalen turned to Seth. “You never told me that you were in an arranged marriage.”
Seth shrugged, “It wasn't a big deal to me. Like I said, she's nice. Are your parents considering one for you?”
He shook his head, “No, they think they are outdated and worthless, besides I don't think my parents really care if I marry rich. They much prefer me to just have a wife that I love, I think.”
“Call me!” Julian yelled once more.
“How ideological of them.” Seth replied as he pulled some cologne from his coat pocket and sprayed himself, he then offered it to Dalen who used it as well.
“Cologne, Julian?” Dalen offered.
“No, I told you before I don't want to wear the same cologne as you two. It makes it seem like we come back here and cuddle with each other!”
Dalen and Seth shook their heads as they watched Julian yell at his phone some more before throwing it into the grass.
“That'll help.” Dalen sighed as Julian moved to fetch his phone. “Want to stay here and watch his hissy fit or go to class?”
Seth thought about it for a moment, “Let's get to class. Hissy fits are a dime a dozen.”
The two began to leave and Julian turned on his phone to see if it still worked. When he turned around to tell them it was alright, they were already in the distance with their backs firmly towards him. He shrugged it off and walked over to his backpack that was on the ground. Sitting down beside it, he began to implement his plan of sending his mother an ungodly amount of texts.
Riane stood in the marble bathroom that was the size of many people's apartments. She brushed down her short red hair and looked in the mirror at the almost boy-like person that stared back at her. All her life, she had kept her hair short and dressed like a boy and most people she met thought she was one, even though they questioned it at times. She even wore the baggiest clothes she could find and the most tight fitting sports bras. Anything to keep her boy image up. The only reason she did it was because she knew her step-mother and father hated it.
It had come in handy throughout high school, everyone pronounced her name like Ryan even though that was incorrect. She never told them the right way to pronounce it as she enjoyed the perks of being considered a boy, which was far more entertaining then what the girls did.
Even her best friend, Blake, thought she was a boy for the first two years they had known each other. He didn’t figure it out until her step-mother had forced them into the pool one summer day and Riane had no choice but to wear her bikini. She would never forget his face as he sat in the water trying to figure out why his friend was wearing a bikini, before it finally dawned on him. She had feared it would change their friendship, instead Blake just continued to be himself. At school, he referred to her as a boy even though they never discussed to keep her secret hidden.
In truth, she didn’t care one way or another. She never told people she was a boy, but if they assumed then she shrugged and went along with it. Of course, she was often told that they thought the heir of the Nairne Corporation was a female to which she would always truthfully reply that she wasn’t. It was her younger brother that was, and most people assumed that younger brother was her. In reality it was her little ten year old brother, Rusty or Russell as her father insisted he be called.
As all mornings began since she started her freshman year of college at Cerulean Harbor, Riane sat at her make-up desk and looked at her favorite letter. It was an acceptance letter from Juliard, where she had planned to go. Throughout her younger years, Riane had been called a child prodigy with her audio graphic memory and her complex composures for the piano. Yet, her father had insisted that she get a degree in something that could be used in the world. Hence she began her studies in business and management, where she would one day be able to work under her brother Rusty in her father’s company.
With a sigh, she put the letter back into it’s envelope, “It’s enough that I was accepted.” She mumbled to herself.
Pulling on her tennis shoes, she headed down the large stairs and past several maids. In the dining room, her younger brother with red hair sat at the table eating his breakfast. There were two dining rooms in their home. One was for large parties with a long table, and the other was for their small family of four. Fresh flowers filled the room in several vases, and in the center of the dark wood table.
Her father, Simon, who also shared their dark red hair was reading his newspaper and drinking coffee. He did not bother to look away from it when she entered the room.
“Morning!” Deidra, her step-mother and Rusty’s mother, chirped. She was a slim woman who her father had met when she was six years old.
“Morning.” Riane mumbled as she sat down at the large table.
“Do you want pancakes or waffles? I’ll go tell the…” She began to stand up.
“Sit down, Deidra.” Simon scolded from behind his newspaper. “If she had come down earlier she would already have her breakfast. Now, she has to wait for the cook to come out or not eat at all.”
Riane gave a sympathetic grin as Deidra sat back down in her chair. The slim, blonde looked like her husband had once again injured her pride. She never said anything when he did, instead she wouldn’t talk for weeks at a time.
“How’s school?” Rusty, her freckled face little brother, asked as he bit into his sausage.
“Fine.” She grunted.
Simon lowered his newspaper and glared at his daughter, “Answer your brother properly.”
“It’s fine, thank you.” Riane said as she returned his glare.
He frowned, “I thought we discussed your attire?”
“No, you lectured me about my attire. I didn’t get a word in.”
He exhaled loudly, “Riane…” He began using the correct pronunciation of Rye-Anne. “You aren’t a little girl anymore, this tomboy look is not acceptable. Grow your hair out and wear more feminine clothes. This is no longer cute.”
“It’s what I am comfortable in. Shouldn’t I be comfy in what I am wearing when I go to school, so I can concentrate?”
He stared at her for several moments, “Grow out your hair and wear more feminine clothing.” He snapped before returning to his newspaper.
Riane looked across the table at Deidra, who was pretending that other people weren’t even in the room with her. She had always been rather immature and flaky. Her arrival into her home was something that scarred Riane’s mind. It happened when she was eight years old and on the very day that her own mother had moved out. Deidra appeared a mere hour later with the newborn Rusty in her arms. Her father and Deidra were married three days later after the divorce was finalized.
She never held it against Deidra or Rusty, but instead she hated her father for everything that had happened. Of course, Simon didn’t really seem to care much for his daughter. After her birth, her own mother had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Simon had wanted a son to take over the company. In fear that he wouldn’t be satisfied with her anymore, Riane’s mother forced her daughter to behave like a boy. In the end that didn’t save her from divorce papers.
“Riane, can you take me to school?” Rusty asked.
“She’s got her own schedule.” Simon answered before his daughter could. “You shouldn’t impose yourself on others.”
“I can take him. We just need to leave earlier…”
“Be quiet.” He looked up at her, “I’m trying to teach your brother independence. Between you and your mother, he’ll never be able to do things on his own.”
Riane didn’t bother to point out that Deidra wasn’t her mother, she had long ago given up on that argument. Standing up, she cleared her throat. “I should get to class then.”
“I’ll be out of town for the next week, so ensure that Russell does his homework. I don’t trust your mother to watch him.”
“Yes.” She said with her hands folded in front of her. Briefly, she looked over at Deidra who was still pretending that no one else was speaking in the room.
“Also, I know it’s only been two weeks since school has started but your grades are atrocious. I want B’s by the time I return.”
“But we don’t have any tests this week, I…”
“B’s.” Simon began to read his newspaper again.
Riane sighed and rubbed her hand over her brother’s head as she left the dining room. It wasn’t until she was in the hallway putting on her jacket did she remember that she hadn’t had breakfast yet. She shrugged, she would have the driver stop somewhere and grab herself something quick to eat.
---***---
“Mom!” The eleven year old screamed from down the hall. “Jules keeps sitting on my face when I am laying on the couch!”
Nanette looked at her eldest son with eyes that begged him to deal with it. The tall and tanned older brother with short black hair stood from the table. “Have you eaten yet, Zack?” Bryce asked his younger brother as he walked into the hallway.
Zachary shook his head as he passed his brother to enter the dining room. “I don’t have time this morning. I woke up late.”
“Your call.” He shrugged as he stepped out into the hallway to look for his other brother. Julian was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine when he walked into the entertainment room. Three televisions hung on the wall, and there were countless gaming stations around the room.
Julian was wearing what all three brothers always wore blue jeans and a shirt. Though, Julian often wore shirts with inappropriate images or words on them, while the other two preferred collared shirts. Today, it was a black shirt with a band name and image, which was not nearly as bad as what he usually wore.
“He’s eleven years old and you’re nineteen, do you honestly think picking on him like that is cute or even acceptable?”
Julian shrugged his shoulders, “He’s a senior in high school, he can take it.”
“Doesn’t matter what grade he is in, he is still only eleven. He barely weighs eighty pounds. You have hundred pounds on him, and you are sitting on his face.” Bryce pull his brother’s shoulder length black hair when he didn’t get an answer. “Are you listening to me?”
“No.”
“Pull your hair back and let’s go.” Bryce rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the room.
Julian stood up and checked his clothes over in the full length mirror on the wall. He pulled a hair band from his pocket and put his hair in a ponytail at the base of his neck.
“Mom! We are leaving!” Bryce called out when Julian arrived at the front door.
“Don’t forget your brother!” Nanette yelled from the dining room.
“I’ve got him!”
“She means me!” Zachary stuck out his tongue as he stepped from the dining room in the long hallway. Bryce pulled down his coat from the closet next to the front door and handed it to him.
“What happen to your car?”
Zachary picked up his backpack from the floor as he left it next to the door when he got home from school. “It’s not the car, but the driver. He went in for knee surgery. I told you this last night.” He grumbled to his eldest brother as he opened the door. “I expect him not to listen to me,” He pointed at Julian who was rubbing his teeth with his index finger. “but I thought you would…”
“Ok, I’m sorry.” Bryce chuckled as they walked out to the car and got into the back seat. “We’ll drop you off first.”
Zachary gave a nod and looked over at Julian, who had pulled out a hand mirror from his backpack and was checking over his face. “Is he still trying to get that girl to notice him?”
Bryce nodded as the driver began to leave the large driveway and head towards the gate of their estate.
“She’s noticed me, it’s that she doesn’t like me. There is a difference.” Julian corrected.
“And you think by staring at yourself in the mirror somehow that will make you look less like a dog's ass?” Zachary asked.
“Jealousy will get you no where.” He said brushing off his brother’s comment. “I just want her to see my good looks in full blossom.”
Bryce rolled his eyes, “It’s your attitude and the way you treat others that she hates. It has nothing to do with your looks.”
“No girl can resist a good looking guy for long. Worry about yourself. I’ve seen infants cry at the sight of you.”
“Shit, I forgot my gym bag.” Bryce cursed as he ignored his brother, “Guess I’ll have to wear the spares in my locker.”
“Basketball…” He snorted. “Shouldn’t you be over sports after high school. Only dumb jocks hang onto that crap.”
Zachary glared over at his brother, “He’s trying to keep in shape. Do you even attend any of your classes?”
“First of all, basketball is not a class and second of all, no, I do not and yet I still get A's on all the tests. So, don’t worry about me.” Julian stuck out his tongue. “Bryce is the only moron in this car that needs to go to class to get good grades. I don’t know why you even bothered with high school. You should be in college right now.”
“Mom said I need at least one year of high school for character building. I tend to agree with her.” Zachary pulled a book from his bag.
“Yeah, stop pestering him about it.” Bryce scolded. “I am tired of hearing this conversation every morning.”
“I graduated high school when I was fifteen, and he has the chance to do it at eleven. He should…”
“You also skipped out on college for three years afterward so you could tour the world. You could be a senior this year, but instead you fucked around. You made your choice and he made his, leave him alone.”
Julian put his elbow on the window and made a fist which he rested his cheek on. “Have you talked to Adonia?”
“I told you already she doesn’t like you.”
“Did I ask that?” He snapped his head around to look at his brother.
Bryce stared at him for a moment, “I talk to her whenever I go to practice. She never mentions you expect when to tell me what an ass my brother is. Normally after she’s seen you pick on someone. Usually, her friend.”
He rolled his eyes, “Hey squirt,” He kicked his little brother, “are you going to prom this year?”
Zachary glared up from his book, “I’m eleven.”
“So?”
“What am I going to do pick up my date at the closest elementary school?” He clicked his tongue, “Seriously, don’t you ever think?”
“I am just fucking around with you. Both of you are assholes this morning.” Julian crossed his arms and shoved his back against the seat behind him.
“You shouldn’t have sat on my head.” Zachary grumbled.
“Are you still on that?” He shoved him in the arm.
Bryce retaliated for his younger brother and shoved Julian back, “It hurts to have someone more then twice your weight sit on your head, especially when they have a skinny, bony ass.”
“My ass is perfection! Besides, you used to do it to me and I’m fine.”
“I’m also only three years older than you. We never had that much of a weight difference.”
“Bitch, bitch, bitch. If I wanted annoying people to complain to me all the time, I would keep a girlfriend.”
“Can you even get a girlfriend on your own?” Zachary asked. “Wasn’t the last one set up by mom?”
Julian raised his hand and pretended to back hand his brother, “Ugh, can’t wait to get rid of the two of you for the day.”
---***---
Riane made her way outside to the car waiting for her. The large green yard with several bushes that flowered in the spring always lightened her heart slightly. It was mostly because seeing this yard in the morning meant leaving the house and it's occupants behind.
Across the street, she could see the Mitchell residence, but that mansion had been empty for a few years now. She remembered when she was younger, she would try to sneak glimpses of the attractive boys that frequented the home. Now there was no activity, as they had all graduated and moved passed school to work and larger cities.
Hopping into the front scene of the black car, she smiled at her friend, Joe, who had become her driver in the last year.
Joe, or Jolene as she preferred to be called, was her age and had been at her side all her life. Her mother worked in the house as the cook. She had brought her baby daughter with her every day at Riane's mother's request. The two grew up together and she had been her only friend until middle school when she met Blake.
She went to the community college in the next town over, but scheduled her classes so she could work as Riane's driver for extra money. Unfortunately, the scheduling would force her to add an extra year or two before she could graduate.
The brunette had large blue eyes and a friendly smile. Riane was jealous of her friend's femininity, though Joe told her countless times that she had her own as well. It just did not come naturally to Riane, and she used to be proud of her tomboy appearance but she was slowly being eaten away at by her father.
“Morning.” Riane said as she threw her backpack in the back seat and sat down in the front of the car. “Can we stop somewhere?”
“Late for breakfast, again?” Joe asked as she watched her friend shut her car door.
She nodded her head and giggled as she slowly stuck out her tongue briefly. “Late and lectured, as per usual.”
“I've said it before and I'll say it again. Your father is a dick.” Joe began to drive the car to the gate.
Riane chuckled before falling into a comfortable silence as she was driven to school. Joe knew to be quiet so that her friend could prepare herself. Riane hated crowds and mostly people in general. Finding her way through the rushes from one class to another was always a challenge and Joe had been called several times while at school when Riane was having a panic attack.
Joe couldn't really blame Riane for this, as her mother feared losing her in a crowd or allowing other people to watch her. She studied from home until middle school when her father forced her to go to school. Until that day, the mansion had pretty much been all she had known.
She had begged her father to pay for Joe to attend Cerulean Harbor University. It was an elite college that only had around five hundred students at any given time. It was mostly for the young adults whose parents could afford a ridiculous sum for college. However, her father had declined and informed her that Joe's parents would have to pay for such things.
Riane's father refused to believe her anxiety was anything but a cry for attention, and therefore he refused to give it any attention. Luckily, her friend, Blake, was acutely aware of it and tried his best to meet her at all of her classes and walk her to the next.
The university was always well manicured with beautiful tapestries, flowers at every turn, and several areas for nature. There was even a beautiful koi pond in a large garden in the back of the school.
Every student that stepped out of their cars were covered in jewelry, designer clothing, and had their hair done perfectly. Riane never felt like she was one of them and in fact had gone with Joe to outlet stores to purchase her clothes.
As they pulled up to the front of the school, a dark blue car pulled in in front of them. Riane's stomach sunk as she watched the Swithin brothers get out of their car. The older brother, Bryce, seemed nice enough and would often tell his brother to leave her alone, but Julian never did. The two were among some of the people that thought she was a genuine boy.
“Just wait until they go in.” Joe told her friend as she watched Julian greet his friends, Seth and Dalen, at the front gate. Bryce had not acknowledged them and simply walked toward the school's court to his first class.
“They might skip first class with him. I could be waiting out here all day.” Riane told her and took a deep breath. “You'll be here to pick me up, right?”
“I will not be late, I promise.”
She nodded her head, before opening the door and stepping out. She was quick to open the backseat door and grab her backpack. She gave her friend one last look, before shutting the door and turning to face the gauntlet of morons.
Dressed in baggy jeans and a baggy blue and red stripped shirt, Riane hoped that she would go unnoticed as she did most days. However, there were days that it seemed Julian couldn't help but be where ever she was and zone in on her the moment her eyes fell on him.
Today would be the latter, she realized as their eyes met.
“If it isn't Ryan!” Julian shouted as scores of other classmates moved passed them and into the school grounds.
Riane didn't mind that people thought she was male, however the problem stemmed that her voice was very much female. They liked to mock her for speaking like a girl or telling her that she should change her gender because she wasn't given the body of a man. In truth, she could have easily told them she was really a female, but she suspected that upon knowing that information they would only have more ammunition. She much preferred to be teased over lies. At least, they were calling her a girl and feminine.
“If it isn't CHU's very own hermaphrodite.” Julian walked over to him with his friends by his side.
Dalen had long brown hair that fell passed his shoulders that he liked to keep in a ponytail. He was tall and lanky, but seemed friendly enough. He had stood up against Julian a couple times when he had gone too far.
Seth, on the other hand, was a short hair blonde. He liked to work out with heavy weights and he had a body that proved it. Though, he was the shortest one of the group, he was also the meanest.
“Hermaphrodite, really, Julian?” Dalen snorted. “That's so...”
“Yes, Julian. Hermaphrodites can't help it, they were born that way.” Seth added with a sinister laugh, “This is just a girl dressed up as a boy.”
The comment made a small smile come to Riane's face as they didn't know how much that was true, and therefore was not an insult to her.
She tried to push passed them, but they didn't seem interested in letting her go. Both Seth and Julian jumped in her way several times.
“What's the matter? Going to have another attack?” Seth asked and then pretended to cry in an effort to mock her.
She would always regret the day, she melted down in front of them because they caught her in the middle of the school courtyard. So many people surrounding her and they wouldn't let her run. Eventually, she began to feel like she couldn't breath and starting to cry as well. She had asked them to help her and instead the three looked terrified. They ran off and left her in the middle of the crowd, helpless. She had hoped that they would leave her alone after that, but instead they teased her mercifully over it.
“Ryan!” A voice called from inside the gate and Blake appeared from the crowd. “Let's go, man!”
Blake was tall and broad. His hair was golden and his face chiseled. Upon seeing him, Riane forgot all about the two boys in front of her and allowed her heart to flutter. She was quick to rush to his side and say her good mornings. Seth and Julian stood aside as they didn't want to mess with the much taller and larger man.
---***---
The three men made their way to the gym and went to hide behind the building after their brief encounter with Riane and Blake. They leaned against a wall as Seth pulled out a joint and began to light it. He took a couple puffs before passing it over to Julian, and then Julian to Dalen. This circle of passing continued while they spoke to one another.
“Did you see Adonia?” Julian asked while holding his breath and then blew the smoke out quickly through his mouth.
Seth groaned at that question as he knew he was going to hear it right away. There was no time that they did not spend apart that wasn't met with the greeting about Adonia. Did they see her? Or his story about his spotting of her. She was an attractive girl, but she had made herself clear on how she felt about Julian.
Dalen shook his head, “No, and what do you care? Everyone knows she has the hots for your brother. You should look towards Ivy, everyone knows you can have her eating out of your hands within moments.”
Seth laughed, “Please, he could have her panties off just by saying hello.” The other two joined him in his laughter, “Seriously, dude. Adonia doesn't want you. She made that pretty clear all of last year, and you are still going to try to hump that tree this year?”
“Yeah, why not? Persistence can pay off.” Julian had been leaning against the beige painted concrete wall, but stood up and walked a couple steps away.
“Why can't you go persistently fuck Ivy, instead?” Seth asked as he made pelvic thrusts towards Dalen, who shoved him away.
“I don't want Ivy. I want Adonia.” Julian said it matter-of-factually as if his friend had just asked him the dumbest question on Earth.
Dalen chuckled. “There it is. It was like this with Anne and Sasha. He pretends that he is all player, but he only ever really wants one girl.”
Seth nodded his head and laughed as he blew smoke out. “Only one vagina can be serviced by this man at a time.”
“Fuck you both!” Julian snapped and offered them both of his middle fingers with a grin on his lips.
“Oh, hey.” Dalen seemed to remember something in that moment. “Your mother called my mother the other day.”
“Yeah, so?” Julian walked over to Seth who was now hogging what was left of the joint. He snatched it away and took another hit.
“So, she was asking about my sister's marriage plans.” Dalen pressed his back against the wall. “When my mom told her that my sister won't be involved in an arrangement, she was upset and asked if we could still get her together with you.”
Julian threw the joint to the ground and raced over to his friend in a fit of faux fury.“What? That fucking troll?”
Dalen put his hands out as Julian rushed over to him and shoved him on his chest. “That's my sister, you are talking about!”
“Sorry, sorry!” Julian threw up his hands as Seth rushed over to save the joint that had been tossed into the wet grass.
“She is not a troll. She's... my sister and I feel weird saying she's pretty so don't fucking make me say it, got it?”
“I'd hit that.” Seth added as he tried to revive the joint but it was too late.
“Thanks.” He fist bumped Seth, then frowned as he turned to him. “Don't touch my sister! I am fucking serious!”
Seth laughed as he put the joint in his pocket to see if he could save it later once it had dried out a little more.
“Fuck your sister!” Julian barked.
“No, he said don't fuck her.” Seth retorted and he and Dalen laughed together, but Julian did seem amused anymore.
“What the hell did you mean by arrangement?” Julian shoved Dalen in the arm in order to get his attention away from Seth and onto him.
Dalen continued to chuckle, “Arrangement. Arranged marriage.”
Julian froze in place for several seconds, “Wait, what? Bryce doesn't even have one of those and he is the heir. Why the hell would I need an arranged marriage?”
Seth shrugged his shoulders, “Dude, it is no big deal. I have one. I've met her like twice. She's nice and when the time comes we don't even have to go through with it. Think of it like a back up plan in case you don't get Adonia to fall head over hells.”
“I don't care if you have one! Why does my mother want me to have one?” He turned his attention to Dalen who shrugged.
Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his cellphone and hurry to call his mother. It went to voice mail and he began to yell into the phone. “Mother! Are you trying to set me up in an arranged marriage? Are you deranged? Call me back now!”
“The way you speak to your mother.” Dalen slowly shook his head. “My mother would drive down here, find me in class, and beat me within an inch of my life in front of all the other students.”
“Shut up, Dalen! My mother is trying to force me to marry someone! That warrants yelling!” Julian looked down at his phone but there was no call or message. “Call me back!”
They watched Julian pace back and forth for a while, before Dalen turned to Seth. “You never told me that you were in an arranged marriage.”
Seth shrugged, “It wasn't a big deal to me. Like I said, she's nice. Are your parents considering one for you?”
He shook his head, “No, they think they are outdated and worthless, besides I don't think my parents really care if I marry rich. They much prefer me to just have a wife that I love, I think.”
“Call me!” Julian yelled once more.
“How ideological of them.” Seth replied as he pulled some cologne from his coat pocket and sprayed himself, he then offered it to Dalen who used it as well.
“Cologne, Julian?” Dalen offered.
“No, I told you before I don't want to wear the same cologne as you two. It makes it seem like we come back here and cuddle with each other!”
Dalen and Seth shook their heads as they watched Julian yell at his phone some more before throwing it into the grass.
“That'll help.” Dalen sighed as Julian moved to fetch his phone. “Want to stay here and watch his hissy fit or go to class?”
Seth thought about it for a moment, “Let's get to class. Hissy fits are a dime a dozen.”
The two began to leave and Julian turned on his phone to see if it still worked. When he turned around to tell them it was alright, they were already in the distance with their backs firmly towards him. He shrugged it off and walked over to his backpack that was on the ground. Sitting down beside it, he began to implement his plan of sending his mother an ungodly amount of texts.