The Country Club Pt. 2

  "So that's it now?" Megan asks, as we chat on the phone. It's Monday and my third week at the country club working as a poolside bartender. 

 "What's it now?" I ask, speaking loudly into my phone mounted on the dashboard as I make a right turn.

 "You're a bartender now who slings drinks for lazy uptight housewives." 

 I grimace at Megan's description of my job.

 "I prefer to think of it as making ends meet until my wonderful husband returns to me." 

 "You mean gets out of jail," Megan corrects. I roll my eyes and grit my teeth slightly.

 "You certainly have a way with words," I tell her. Megan sighs. 

 "I'm not trying to be rude, I just hate seeing you in this position. You should be hanging out with those women, not serving them." 

  The light in front of me turns yellow and I decide to slow to a stop instead of chancing it which earns me a loud honk from the car behind me. 

 "It's not a big deal," I say to convince Megan and also myself. "It's not forever. And sometimes it isn't half bad. Yesterday I watched a kid push his mom into the pool and she literally had an emotional breakdown because she said her swimsuit was a material that couldn't get wet. What does that even mean?"

  Megan laughs and I make the turn into the country club driveway. 

"Well how about we do dinner on Friday and you can tell me more about it?" Megan suggests. "I still don't have a car though. Mine will be in the shop for another week at least. So you'll have to drive here. How about Hanbury's?" 

"Ugh, that's half an hour away," I groan as I park my car in the employee lot. 

"I'll get you that dessert you love. The double chocolate brownie with coffee icecream on the side." 

My mouth waters at the thought. 

"Alright, fine," I agree. "That's really the least you can do for making me dress up and drive half an hour."

"You'll survive," Megan assures me. "See you soon." 

 I lock my car and head in to the club. 

"Good morning, Callie," Mr. Taylor says, waving to me as he walks by. "Have a super Monday!"

I wave back to Mr. Taylor wondering what his wife puts in his corn flakes every morning for him to be this chipper at work. 

I head to the bar and busy myself with cleaning and setting up before the bar opens at eleven. Like clockwork, Lorna shows up at eleven thirty and orders a mimosa. 

"I wonder if you could make a mimosa with fruit punch," Lorna says, sipping her drink. 

 My eyebrows crease in confusion and my mouth hangs open for a moment.

"Um...what?" 

Lorna looks up as if surprised that I heard her. 

"Oh, sorry," she says quickly. "I was just thinking out loud. Sometimes when I'm stressed, I try to distract myself with nonsense to make me laugh." 

"What are you stressed about?" I ask with a huff. "Can't decide with six hundred dollar shoes to buy?"

 Lorna gives me a distressed look and I feel guilty because it is obvious she is dealing with something real. At least real to her.

"It's Bethany," she says in a hushed voice. "She's been acting weird lately. Like she is keeping secrets. We have always told each other everything but recently when her phone buzzes, she hides it from me. Like she doesn't want me to accidentally read her messages. And last night she canceled our dinner plans because she said Raymond was working late and she wanted to stay home and make a nice dinner for him."

 I shrug as I wipe down the counter.

"So you're upset that she is being nice to her man?" 

Lorna shakes her head. 

"No, she was lying. One of Raymond's friends tagged him in a picture at a birthday party last night. He was at a bar, not working and not at home with Bethany." 

I pause, mid-wipe.

"So wait, Bethany canceled plans with you to stay in with Raymond but he wasn't home. So you think she was out with someone else?"

Lorna nods again. 

"Exactly. I texted all of our friends thinking I had missed an invite but none of them were doing anything. They were all home. Which means either all of my friends are suddenly lying to me or Bethany was out with..." 

Lorna pauses.

"With a man," I finish for her. 

Lorna takes another sip of her mimosa looking distinctly uncomfortable. 

"And I hate to accuse her of anything but what else could it be? She doesn't have a job so it wouldn't be work related. And she loathes going out alone."

"It isn't too far fetched that she might be with someone else," I admit, keeping my voice low.

"She has been really vocal about how displeased she was with Raymond losing Teddy's case." 

"You're not wrong," Lorna says, "But Ray has lost cases before and she has never acted like this." 

A customer walks up then and orders a glass of white wine. I pour it for her and she goes back to her pool chair.

"Well you can confront her about it," I suggest, and Lorna looks at me as if I told her she should skydive with no parachute.

"I couldn't possibly." 

"Then I guess you just won't know until or unless she clues you in," I say with a shrug. "Either way, there's no reason to stress yourself over this. It isn't your problem." 

 Bethany walks up just then and sits down by Lorna.

"What isn't her problem?" she asks. Lorna looks at me with wide desperate eyes trying to think up a lie.

"She's upset because Carson is having trouble closing a deal with a client at work," I say.

Bethany rolls her eyes.

"Of course he is," she says to Lorna, setting her bag on the counter. "Your husband has the conversational skills of a dead leaf. He wouldn't even have that job if his uncle wasn't the boss of the company."

Lorna frowns slightly at the insult.

"Calamine is right, don't worry about it." I frown this time at the use of my full name. 

"What can I get you to drink?" I ask, forcing a smile. Bethany is about to answer but her phone buzzes. Just like Lorna described, she picks it up and angles herself away from both of us to answer. When she puts it down, she turns back and sees us both staring at her. 

"Just personal family business," she says simply. "What were we talking about?" 

"You were going to order a drink,"I remind her. 

"Ah yes," Bethany says. "How about a mimosa." 

I grab a glass and Bethany absentmindedly watches me make her drink. 

"I wonder," she muses, "if you could make a good mimosa with fruit punch."

The week drags on and finally it is Friday. I put on a knee length black dress that hugs in all the right places and a pair of black heels. I sold a lot of my designer stuff to help with expenses when Teddy first went to jail but I kept a few pieces for what occasional outings I could still afford. 

I get in the car and drive the thirty minutes to Hanbury's. Megan is waiting for me out front with a light blue dress and white strappy heels. 

"It's good to see you looking like your old self," she says, giving me a side hug. "How was the third week of bartending?"

"Not terrible," I say. "But tonight I think I want to talk about literally anything else." 

Megan laughs and we walk inside and are seated quickly. As I browse the menu, Megan talks about work and the stress of being a fitness trainer.

"It's like everyone wants to lose weight without working for it," she says.

"That's why you have a job. You yell at them till they do work for it," I tell her. Megan tilts her head as if considering this.

"You're not wrong," she admits. "I am good at motivating people."

I open my mouth to say something else and as I do, I notice out of the corner of my eye that Bethany is sitting across the dining room at a table for two with a man I haven't seen before. Megan notices me staring and looks over.

"Who is that?" she asks. 

"One of the women from the country club," I tell her. "I told you about my regulars, Lorna and Bethany. That's Bethany. Lorna told me on Monday she thinks Bethany might be having an affair and based on that man not being her husband, I think she may be right."

"Maybe it's a brother or cousin or something," Megan suggests. Just then, the man reaches over, takes Bethany's hand in his and gives it a lingering kiss.

"Maybe not," Megan says. 

I continue to stare and suddenly Bethany's head turns. She scans the room and her eyes land right on me. I blush deeply and immediately hold the menu up to cover my face. 

"Is she looking?" I hiss to Megan. "Is she still looking?" 

"She's kind of...glaring actually," Megan says. 

"Dang it. Alright, I'm going to slip out to the bathroom. If she comes to talk to you, tell her it wasn't me." 

"What?" Megan asks, looking at me like I'm insane as I throw the menu down and all but run to the ladies' room. 

 Once in there, I slam the door to a stall and stand there nervously. I try to imagine in my head how long a conversation between her and Megan would last and when it will be safe to go back to the table.

A few moments later, the bathroom door opens and I hear the sound of heels clicking across the floor. I see a figure stop in front of the stall where I'm standing, the sides of her just barely visible through the cracks in the door.

I stand as still as possible, barely breathing, as if maybe that will make me disappear. 

"Calamine," says the figure's voice. "I know you're in there."

The Country Club Pt. 1

  Monday morning my alarm goes off at six a.m. I sit up with a groan as I turn it off. Today is the day I have been dreading for weeks. The day I start work at the Winding River Country Club. I used to be a member there, me and my husband. But as it turns out, the other members of the club frown on insider trading and apparently, so does the federal government. Now my husband is a member of a very different kind of club for the next five years with the possibility of parole after two and I have been downgraded from member to employee. 

  I guess it was lucky in a way. It turns out when you haven't worked for about ten years, your resume is not super impressive to potential employers and job hunting may leave you frustrated and day drinking at your best friend Charlotte's house several days a week. 

  It was actually Charlotte's idea for me to apply at the country club and whether she suggested it out of the kindness of her heart or just to get me off her sofa and out of her liquor cabinet, I'll never know. But it turns out Mr. Taylor, the man in charge of hiring at the club, always had a soft spot for me and Teddy. Although I think he probably favors me over my criminal husband at this point. 

  So today I begin my new job as the poolside bartender for rich women who spend their afternoons lounging by chlorinated water that they never even set foot in for fear of ruining their hair, and drink heavily to forget that their husbands love money more than them. 

  I walk to the kitchenette of my new-to-me but actually very old one bedroom apartment and stick an English muffin in the toaster. It pops up a minute later not at all toasted. I sigh and take a bite as I grab my keys and head for the door. The pool bar doesn't open till eleven but Mr. Taylor wanted me there early to give me the lay of the land. 

 When I reach the gate, the security guard smiles at me. "First day on the job, Miss Miller?" 

I somehow manage to smile back.

 "Sure is. Good to see you again, Roy," I say, as Roy presses a button and the gates swing open. Instinctively I start driving to the member parking lot and then at the last minute, swerve toward the employee one. 

I finish my English muffin in two big bites and walk toward the clubhouse. Mr. Taylor greets me at the door way too happy for seven in the morning. 

"Good morning," he says. "And way to be on time. Punctuality is the perfect way to start the day." 

"Don't I know it," I respond, trying to sound even a tiny bit enthusiastic. 

"First things first, head over to the desk and William will print up your name tag and then I'll meet you poolside." 

 I walk to the reception area and William is there typing away on his computer. 

"Morning," he says without looking up. "New hire?" 

"Yep, that's me." 

He types a few more things.

"Name?" 
"Callie," I answer. He nods and keeps typing.

"Nice name. Short for anything?"

I pause.

"Um yeah. Calamine."

William's typing stops instantly and he slowly raises his head to look at me.

"Calamine? Like calamine lotion?" 

"Yeah," I say, avoiding eye contact and awkwardly poking at a pen sitting on the desk. "My mom thought the name sounded pretty so she gave it to me. I just go by Callie now." 

William stares at me for a couple more seconds before looking back to his screen. 

"Callie it is." 

My name tag is ready a few minutes later and I take it with me out to the pool area. Another employee is already out there putting towels on the ends of the chairs that none of the women will use because why would they get wet at a pool, and I notice his name tag says Ethan. He smiles and waves as I walk by and I smile back.

"Alright then, Callie," Mr. Taylor says as I come up to the bar. "You told me you've tended bar before so I trust you know what you're doing but I wanted to just go over some pointers. We want to make sure drinks are refreshed before the guest asks. Obviously your first priority is whoever is sitting at the bar but when you have a free moment, walk around the pool and ask if you can bring anyone a fresh drink, alright?" 

 I nod and Mr. Taylor gives me some more instruction on my appearance, "hair tied back at all times", and my demeanor, "always greet them with a smile."

 "And that's about it. Glad to have you on board, Callie." 

 "Thanks, Mr. Taylor. Glad to be here." 

I look down at my phone. 7:35. I was called here four hours early for a ten minute pep talk and now have over three hours to do nothing.

I sit on a bar stool and pull out my phone, losing myself in reels.

  Around 10:45, guests begin to arrive at the pool and when I say guests I mean strictly women who don't work and their only responsibility for the day is to spend their husband's money and look perfect doing it. I see a few familiar faces among the sea of sun hats but nobody acknowledges me. I guess I can't expect them to. I'm a black sheep by association with Teddy. 

  I slink behind the bar and busy myself polishing glasses that are already perfectly clean. A few minutes after eleven, a size zero blonde woman in a pale blue two piece with her hair pulled back in a perfect bun to display the diamond studs in her ears walks up to the bar and sits down.

 "Oh my goodness. Callie!" she exclaims. "I had no idea you were working here now." 

I turn around and look at Lorna who I used to consider a solid acquaintance and almost a friend. We spent hours sitting by the pool gossiping and sipping martinis reapplying sunscreen every thirty minutes just to be safe. That's right. I used to be one of the sun hat wearing, non swimming, day drinking wives. 

 "Hey, Lorna," I answer her, setting down my towel. "I just started this morning. Turns out I needed some extra money after...everything that happened." 

 Lorna shifts ever so slightly on the bar stool.

"Oh of course, darling. I'm so sorry," she says, sliding her sunglasses up to sit on top of her perfect blonde hair. 

"Could you not just use your trust fund?" Lorna asks and then covers her mouth with one hand, her French tips lightly brushing her cheek.

"Oh my, I forgot. It was Teddy's family who had the money."

I force a pained smile but I couldn't blame her for forgetting. Sometimes I tried to forget that I was raised by a father who owned a failing hardware store and a mother who never finished high school and could only get a job working at the town diner. Teddy had been my knight in shining armor carrying me from poverty to prosperity. Now he was sitting behind a very different type of metal. 

"Can I get a drink?" I ask Lorna. She considers it for a moment, then shakes her head. "I'll wait a minute for Bethany to get here. Just a water for now."

 I fill a glass with ice and water and set it in front of Lorna hoping against hope that Bethany's car gets a a flat tire or is maybe struck by lightning on her way to the club. I look up at the sky and see nothing but blue sprinkled with fluffy white clouds. Maybe not the lighting. 

 Bethany's husband Raymond is a defense attorney who chose to take on Teddy's case against the advice of pretty much everyone. When he lost, he was welcomed back to the country club with a million "I told you so"s and hasn't been back since citing a "buttload" of new cases he's working on. Bethany would sooner be parted with her thumbs than lose her lazy afternoons by the pool and so she has continued to patronize Winding River Country Club but keeps a low profile. I have only seen her a couple times since the trial but each time she has given me a look that says the verdict was my fault. As if I should have requested a sidebar and asked the judge to go easy on my husband so as not to upset his lawyer's wife's social calendar. 

  Despite my wishes for a flat tire or some act of God, Bethany shows up a few minutes later, her brown hair cascading down her back in neat waves and her solid black one piece swimsuit clinging to her perfect figure. She comes to the bar immediately and takes a seat next to Lorna. 

"Good morning, darling," she says, putting a perfectly manicured hand on Lorna's arm. "You look amazing." 

  Then her gaze turns to me.

"Good morning, Calamine." 

 Oh yeah, that's another thing. Bethany absolutely insists on calling me by my full name. 

"Good morning, Bethany. Can I get you a drink?" 

"Vodka cranberry please. And one for Lorna." 

Bethany and Lorna had been friends for years but there was definitely a hierarchy in the friendship. If Bethany said, jump, Lorna said, how high and can I get you anything while I'm up there? 

  I make two vodka cranberries and set them in front of the swimsuit clad women. They are lost in chatter and sip on their drinks without acknowledging me. 

Since no other guests have sat down yet, I decide to use this opportunity to walk around the pool perimeter and ask if I can get drinks for anyone. I walk past a couple chairs and pause at one where an older lady in a red swimsuit is sitting reading a book.

"Oh just a soda water for me, dear," she says sweetly. I nod and walk a couple chairs down to a mom who just arrived with her two sons. She is smearing sunscreen on their backs and looks up at me when I ask if she would like a drink.

"Gin martini," she says simply. "Thanks." 

I turn to walk back to the bar and as I do, one of her sunscreen covered children dashes in front of me and yells "cannonball!" before jumping into the pool. I watch in what feels like slow motion as he goes down into the pool and the displaced water comes shooting up. I feel it rain down on me and I stand there, my now wet hair dripping onto my shirt. 

"Chase, will you watch what you're doing?" the mom yells. "You got the drink lady all wet!"

  The drink lady. I have gone from being a bikini clad princess to a bar maid slinging drinks.

Oh yeah. This is the life. 

 

Decisions, Decisions

   Darby looked out the window across the front yard of the house as the sun began to set behind the trees and crickets started their nightly song. George walked up next to her and slid his hands into his pockets. 

  "How long have the three of them been in that room together?" he asked. "And how long before Stephen tries to kill Arthur or the other way around?" 

  Darby snickered and wiped a smudge off the window. 

  "Mary won't let them kill each other," she assured George. "But they have been in there for a pretty long time." 

  "Which one of them do you think she will choose?" George asked. He walked over to the couch and sat down, resting his arm on the back of it. Darby smiled and sat next to him letting her finger run down his thigh. 

  "Difficult to say honestly. They both have their strong suits but also plenty of flaws." 

  "Stephen was flawed enough for Mary to literally run away from him," George commented with a smirk. 

  "You're not wrong. But there are two sides to every story," Darby told him. She paused for a second, then looked up at George.

  "You know you still haven't told me the story of what you did after we parted ways thirty years ago and before you showed up here trying to win me back." 

   George looked down at her with a sparkle in his eyes. 

 "Is that what I have been doing?"  

   Darby nodded and leaned back against the arm of the couch lifting her legs and resting her feet on George's lap.

 "I think we have a couple more hours of quiet before either Stephen or Arthur storms downstairs in a rage so let's hear it, vampire boy. What have you been up to?"

  Bailey found Lee sitting in the backyard under the shade of a tree watching the sunset. She walked up to him nervously, twisting her hair between her fingers. 

 "Did you come to yell at me some more?" Lee asked. 

 Bailey sat down next to him in the soft grass and shooed away a fly that was buzzing in her face. 

 "No I came to let you know that Thomas left," Bailey said. 

 "Darn. Just as we were becoming good friends," Lee said back, his tone dripping sarcasm. 

 "And to tell you I'm sorry," Bailey added. "You didn't deserve to be yelled at. I was upset about losing Thomas and I took it out on you." 

 Bailey sat next to Lee waiting for him to say something be he stayed silent.

 "Alright, I get it," Bailey said, pushing herself to her feet with a sigh. "I guess I didn't expect you to forgive me." She brushed the grass off her pants and turned to walk away.

 "Sit down," Lee said. Bailey turned around and saw him looking up at her, his brown eyes unreadable.

She sat down next to him readying herself to be scolded. Instead she saw Lee's tan hand reach up to her face and grasp her chin gently, pulling her toward him. 

"I forgive you," he whispered as he kissed her.

"So you see, Mary, I was trapped in this monster's dungeon for so many years but I never stopped thinking about you," Arthur told Mary, pointing an accusing finger at Stephen. 

"Monster? I was the one protecting the world from the real monster: you," Stephen shot back. 

Arthur took a step closer and let his fangs descend, hissing at his brother.

"Call me that one more time," he dared. 

"Is this why you called me?" Mary cut in, standing in front of the two vampires with folded arms. "To watch the two of you fight?"

"I called you here to pick one of us," Stephen told her. "Preferably me." 

"If you want a boring life of reading and listening to records, go ahead and choose my brother," Arthur said, pacing back and forth. 

"But if you wish to live as a true vampire should and hunt the less fortunate, choose me. I can help you satisfy your bloodlust like no one else could." 

"Is that so?" Mary asked, her eyes following Arthur back and forth across the room. 

"I can offer you a stable home and a comfortable place to sleep all day," Stephen told her, stepping between her and Arthur. 

"And despite what my brother claims, there is plenty more to do here than read." 

"Oh really?" Arthur asked, shoving Stephen out of the way. "Like what? Dusting? Polishing silver?" 

 This time, Stephen's fangs came out and he stepped up to Arthur, the two of them hissing at each other. 

"Alright, enough of this," Mary declared, pushing the two of them apart. 

"You want me to make a decision, right?" she asked. The two vampires looked at her and nodded. 

"Sit down," she said, gesturing to the sofa. Stephen and Arthur sat down next to each other with plenty of distance between them. 

"Ok then. You wanted my decision," Mary said. "So here it is." 

                                                        PART TWO: COMING SOON 

Brother vs Brother

 "Mary is not going anywhere with you," Steven said, his voice a low growl. Arthur paced the room with an arrogant smirk. 

 "Is that so, brother? Did she make that choice or did you?" 

 "She did," Steven said between gritted teeth. "There's nothing for you here, Arthur. Feel free to leave." 

 "Leave?" Arthur repeated. "You lock me up for twenty years in your dark grimy basement and now you wish me to just leave?" 

  Arthur walked over to Steven and looked him up and down.

"You just don't want me around when Mary arrives because you fear she will choose me," Arthur said. 

Steven's fangs came out and before Arthur could blink, he was slammed against the wall. 

 "Thomas, are you in here?" Bailey called, wandering through the dark shadows of the basement. She heard a weak voice call to her and followed it to see Thomas slumped against a wall holding a hand to his bloody neck. She rushed over and knelt in front of him. 

 "Are you alright?" she gasped, putting her hand over his. 

 "Do I look alright?" Thomas choked, frowning up at her. "How many of you are there in here?" 

 "Please don't lump me in with the rest of them," Bailey pleaded. "I would never act like them."

 "So you have never fed off a human?" Thomas snapped. Bailey looked away biting her lip nervously.

 "I may have at some point," she admitted. "But I would never feed from you." 

 Before Thomas could respond, Lee strolled in casually.

 "How's the little guy doin?" he asked. Bailey turned and glared up at him. 

 "What do you care?" she snapped. Lee put a hand to his chest and gasped in mock offense.

 "I care deeply. He has a lot of potential."

 Thomas looked up at Lee questioningly. 

 "What does that mean?" he asked, and was met with a knowing smile from Lee.

 "No, no," Thomas said, scooting himself away from the vampires across the cold basement floor.

 "You're not making me one of you." 

  Lee took a step toward Thomas licking his fangs but Bailey put herself between them.

"Leave him alone, Lee," she hissed. "You're not putting a finger on him."

"Fine, fine," Lee said, putting his hands up in surrender. "You might wanna patch him up before he bleeds out. I can get the--" 

"Just leave, Lee," Bailey snapped. "I can handle this on my own." 

 Lee took a step back looking slightly defeated. 

"Alright, just tryin' to help." 

Lee left the room and Bailey turned back to Thomas.

"He likes you ya know," Thomas said in a whisper, his neck still dripping blood.

Bailey scoffed as she helped Thomas to his feet.

"Sure he does. And the sky is yellow." 

Thomas chuckled. "I'm just saying what I see. He's kind of a jerk but he likes you. And I think you like him too." 

Bailey stiffened as she led Thomas through the dark basement hallway to the stairs.

"It doesn't matter. You're my priority right now," she told him, leading him up each step one by one.

"That's sweet but Bailey, we both know I can't stay here. I have to get back to whatever is left of my life," Thomas said with a grim chuckle.

"I'm sure I've lost my apartment and my job by now." 

"You can stay here," Bailey suggested, but even as she said it she knew Thomas would never go for it.

"I don't want to be a vampire, Bailey," he told her as they reached the top of the stairs and she led him to the bathroom. She pulled a First Aid kit from the cupboard and pulled out disinfectant and a sterile pad.

"And I don't want to live with vampires as a human."

"So this is it then," Bailey said with a hint of finality as she put a band-aid over Thomas's wound.

"Yeah I think so," Thomas said, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

"I appreciate you saving me but I can't stay here." 

Bailey nodded and Thomas opened his arms for a hug. Bailey walked into them and hugged him back gently, holding back tears. She led Thomas to the door and watched him from a distance as he opened it and stepped into the newly dawning sunlight. A moment later he shut the door behind him and Bailey was alone. 

"Will you two stop with this already?" Darby yelled at Steven and Arthur who were struggling with each other. 

"Dueling over a woman is so two centuries ago. We are better than that now." 

Her words were ignored and the two vampires fell to the floor in their tussle. Darby rolled her eyes and sighed and George walked up behind her.

"This Mary must be quite a prize to have them acting like this," he said, watching as Arthur pinned Steven on the rug. 

"To be honest, I never got the appeal," Darby answered. "But obviously she has something going for her if she's causing centuries old men to act like children." 

"She will never love you," Steven growled up at Arthur. "She loves me. She always has." 

"You're a fool to think that," Arthur snapped back. "She has all but forgotten you by now." 

"I guess we will see about that when she arrives," Steven countered, pushing Arthur off of him.

"I guess we will," said a voice from the doorway. 

Everyone's heads turned to see a curvy woman in a blue dress with long curly blonde hair walk into the room. Arthur and Steven got to their feet brushing themselves off and straightening their clothes.

 Steven took a step toward the woman and held out a welcoming hand.

"Hello again, Mary." 

Past Meets Present

 As soon as Mary's face showed up on the phone screen, Stephen took it into his library and slammed the door shut.

 "Hey, you," he said smiling. "Long time no see."

 Mary's face was still for a moment, her eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion.

"Stephen? Is that really you?" she asked. He nodded.

"It's really me. I'm here. How are you?" 

 "I'm doing alright," Mary answered, still not sure the conversation was actually happening. 

 "How are you...did Lee actually find you?" 

 "You knew he was coming here?" 

  Mary nodded.

  "I told him it probably wasn't a good idea. That it was likely you wouldn't want to get back in touch with me. But he insisted." 

  Stephen's face went blank.

 "You thought I wouldn't want to know that you were alive?" 

 "I honestly wasn't sure," Mary admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "The way I left was...well we weren't exactly on good terms." 

  "I know," Stephen sighed. "That was my fault." 

  Mary shook her head.

  "There was blame on both sides. The real question is what have you been doing since I left? Anything new going on?"

  "Now there's an interesting question," Stephen laughed. "Where do I begin?"

   Darby, Lee and George stood in the hallway while Stephen continued his face time on the other side of the library door.

  "I can't believe Mary is still alive," Darby said, putting her back against the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor. 

  "Why would she keep it a secret from Stephen for so long?" 

   Lee looked down at her and laughed.

  "Is that a joke? You were there the night we left. He was furious. Promised to kill both of us if he ever saw us again."

  "That's just how Stephen gets when he's in a rage."

  "Yeah ok," George scoffed, leaning against the wall and scratching at a worn out spot of paint. 

  "Stephen has definitely never held a grudge. He certainly doesn't have his brother locked up in a room in a basement over a feud that occurred twenty years ago."

    Before Darby could respond, Bailey came storming down the hallway looking like she was ready to end someone. Lee turned his head in her direction and took a step back at seeing the anger in her eyes. 

  "Which one of you was going to tell me that Stephen's more powerful vampire brother is living in our basement feeding off of my boyfr-" she stopped for a second and then corrected herself. 

  "My friend, Thomas." 

    Lee smirked. 

   "Don't let Stephen hear you say his brother is the more powerful one or none of us will be alive to see the morning sun."

   Bailey turned to him, her eyes narrowing.

  "Was that a bad vampire joke?" she hissed. Lee folded his arms and shrugged.

  "Maybe." 

  "Bailey, let's talk somewhere else," Darby said, taking Bailey's arm and gently pulling her down the hall.

  "Stephen is on a face time call with Mary in the library."

  "Mary?" Bailey exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. "Dead Mary? What is going on in this house?" 

  Darby sighed as they walked down the hall, Lee and George following behind them.

  "I'm so glad I came back," Lee said quietly so only George could hear. "This drama is like being in high-school again." 

   "You still remember high-school?" George asked.

   "Yeah. It's only been a hundred years." 

    Darby led the group into a sitting room and motioned for Bailey to sit on the couch. Lee plopped down in an ornate brown leather chair and George lingered at the fireplace running a finger over the mantel.

  "It was about twenty years ago now. Stephen and his brother Arthur came to town together, both hungry for blood and power. They agreed to split the neighborhood in half as it were to stay out of each other's way when they went out to hunt. But that didn't last long. Both of them wanted a bigger piece. And Stephen was convinced that Arthur also wanted Mary. He lured Arthur to the house under the pretense of making peace and then when he arrived, Stephen and Lee overpowered him and forced him into a room in the basement." 

 Bailey turned to look at Lee who waved from his chair with an unapologetic smirk. 

 "Mary was already halfway out the door but Stephen's behavior that night was the straw that broke the camel's back. She left and Lee followed her promising her a better life with him." 

 "And I more than delivered on that promise," Lee chimed in. Darby rolled her eyes and George snickered from the mantel.

 "Anyway," Darby continued, glaring at Lee, "I'm sorry we didn't tell you before but there wasn't really a reason to and none of us new he was feeding off your boyfr- your friend."

  Bailey sighed and leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees.

"So we just leave him down there forever?" 

  Darby shrugged.

"It's not really our place to decide when he is released." 

"Whose decision is it then?" Bailey asked.

 "It's mine," said Stephen's voice from the doorway. Everyone in the room instantly tensed. Lee tried to shrink into the chair he sat in and George suddenly became really interested in something in the corner.

 Stephen walked slowly over to the couch and set the phone down on the coffee table in front of it.

"Why are we talking about Arthur?"

"Why? Because he is imprisoned in your basement and feeding off of Thomas. How am I the only one concerned about this?" Bailey asked, looking around the room at everyone else. They all refused to make eye contact with her. 

 "You don't seem to get it, little vampire," Stephen said in almost a growl. "I'm in charge here. In charge of the house and the basement and whoever lives in the house and the basement." 

  "Is that what you told Mary?" Bailey snapped back. "Is that why she left?"

  The room went instantly silent. Darby and Lee turned to stare at Bailey, their mouths hanging open. George tried to step even further into the dark corner. 

  "I see you've finally grown a backbone," Stephen said, taking a step toward Bailey and towering over where she sat on the couch.

  "I'm not afraid of you," Bailey hissed, looking up at him with fire in her eyes.

  "I'm done letting everyone push me around. I'm not going to tell you what to do with your brother but I want him to stop feeding on Thomas. In fact I'm letting Thomas go." 

  "Are you insane?" Darby cut in, rising to her feet.

  "He's seen us. He knows what we are. He can't leave this house alive." 

  "Well he isn't leaving it dead," Bailey spat back, standing up and staring Darby down. 

  "Girl fight, girl fight," Lee chanted from his chair grinning. 

   "Shut up," Darby snarled. "Bailey you have to know he can't just go back to his regular life now. Not after what he's seen and what's been done to him." 

   "You mean what you did to him," Bailey corrected. 

   "Fine. What I did to him. But that doesn't change that it happened. He can't leave."

    Bailey sighed and sank back down onto the couch.

   "I get it. But I want Arthur to stop feeding on him."

    Stephen waved a dismissive hand like he couldn't be bothered. 

   "Whatever. Take him out of the basement and leave Arthur to die. I have bigger things on my mind right now." 

    "Do these things go by the name Mary?" Lee asked. Stephen frowned at him.

    "I don't want to hear her name in your mouth anymore. She told me what you did."

    "What I did?" Lee asked, standing up and putting a hand over his chest. "You mean how I took care of her? Gave her a life where she could do what she wanted without feeling bad about it?" 

     Stephen's eyes darkened and his fangs began to come out. He rushed toward Lee but before he could get there, George was between them. 

    "You said once you talked to Mary, your fight with Lee was done," he reminded him. "Step down." 

    Stephen stared at George for a few seconds not blinking. 

    "You're right," he said finally, taking a step back. "I don't have time for fighting anyway. Mary is on her way." 

    "She's coming back? Here?" Darby asked, surprised. Lee smirked.

    "You're welcome," he said to Stephen. Darby smacked him in the stomach.

    "Not everything is about you, ya know." She turned to Stephen.

    "When is she getting here?" 

    "Tomorrow morning," Stephen answered. Bailey looked at him and cocked her head to the side.

    "Morning? She can go out in the light?" 

    "Long story. Not the time," Darby said, cutting her off. Bailey folded her arms and frowned.

    "What is she coming back for now? Nostalgia? The doll collection she left behind?" 

    "No, we're going to pick back up where we left off," Stephen told her. "And with no more interruptions," he said, staring daggers at Lee.

     Lee put his hands up in a gesture of innocence. 

    "I don't want her anymore. I have other things in mind," he said, casting a quick glance over at Bailey. She caught his look and blushed deeply. 

    "What is this talk of Mary coming back?" said a deep voice. Everyone in the room went absolutely still. Slowly they all turned to the doorway to see a vampire standing there, blood dripping down his face and off the edge of his chin. Bailey stood up and looked over at him.

    "Whose blood is that?" she squeaked, terrified of the answer. The vampire turned his head and looked her up and down.

   "Some little waif from the basement. Scrawny little thing. Have you all not been feeding him?" Bailey gasped and hurried from the room. The vampire moved to let her go by and then looked back at everyone else. 

   "Stephen. It's been a minute," he said, his boots making a heavy thud on the wooden floor as he stepped forward.

   "It's not been long enough, Arthur," Stephen hissed back. "How did you get out?" 

   "That careless little one who just ran out left the door open." Stephen gritted his teeth.

   "Damn it, Bailey," he muttered. 

   Arthur walked over to Lee who sat in his chair still trying to hide the terror he felt.

   "Good to see you again, Lee. I believe last time we were together, you had a wooden stake to my chest." 

    Lee grinned up at him awkwardly.

   "What a crazy time that was. I'm going to go check on Bailey and her waif," he said, disappearing in a flash. Arthur turned to Darby.

   "And you, sweet girl. I actually have missed you," Arthur said smiling. Darby looked up at his soft green eyes and shoulder length wavy brown hair and couldn't help smiling back. Arthur looked next at George and his brow furrowed. 

   "I don't think I recognize you."

    Before George could respond, Stephen interrupted.

   "Ok, you're out of the basement, Arthur. What do you want?" 

   "What do I want, brother?" the vampire repeated with a smile. "The same thing you want: Mary. And I intend to have her."

Royles Pt. 4

 I woke up the next morning in my tiny bed at Sydney's beach house and for a moment I forgot where I was. Then I remembered. She invited me here under the guise of wanting my company and then stowed me away in the maid's closet. 

 I lay in bed a few minutes staring at the ceiling letting my discontent simmer but then another thought popped into my head. Maybe I was being unfair. Sydney probably had this trip planned for months with a lot of her close friends and I was a last minute addition. Her house, even though it was large, still only had so many bedrooms. Perhaps it was selfish of me to expect her to have a room set up for me and not her previously invited guests. 

  I contented myself with this reasoning and got up, slipping on one of the dresses Sydney gifted me the day before. It was dark blue with small powder blue flowers and hung down to right above my knees. Sure it was last season's fashion but flowers never go out of style. 

  I smiled at my reflection in the mirror on my wall and hurried from my room downstairs to see what Sydney's maids had cooked up for breakfast. When I got down to the kitchen I looked around confused. 

No one was there and no food was being prepared. The coffeepot wasn't even on. It was ten in the morning. Was it possible that no one was awake yet? 

"Are you back from breakfast already, miss?" said a voice behind me. I turned to see Rita, the maid, standing there still in her pajamas. 

"Back from breakfast?" I repeated. 

 "Yes, miss. Miss Sydney and Mister Zach took all of the guests to the brunch restaurant down the street," Rita told me, her look changing from one of surprise to one of pity as the truth of the situation set in. I put on a fake smile and nodded, not ready to lose face in front of Rita. 

  "Right, of course. I forgot to set my alarm last night and I guess I overslept. Silly me. I'll just toast some waffles," I said, walking over to the freezer.

  "I can do that for you, miss," Rita offered. I grabbed a box of strawberry Eggos and shut the freezer door.

 "It's ok, Rita," I said with a real smile this time. "I got it. You go enjoy the morning off. Take a bath."

 "Really, miss?" Rita said with a huge grin as if I'd just offered her the opportunity of a lifetime.

 "Yes, really. I'm alright," I assure her, feeling anything but alright. Rita disappeared quickly and I put my Eggos in the toaster, grabbing syrup from the pantry. My good mood from just a few moments ago was quickly disappearing and I was attempting to mend it with preservatives and sugar. 

  Sure Sydney may not have had a bedroom for me but there was definitely enough seats at the brunch restaurant for me to have been included. Was I giving her the benefit of the doubt when she didn't deserve it?  

   I pondered this question as I consumed four Eggo waffles and just as I was mopping up the rest of the puddle of syrup on my plate with the last piece, I heard the front door open and a cacophony of voices. I finished my last bite and stuck my plate in the sink. Sydney walked into the kitchen surrounded by her posse of friends. They were all talking about some latest TikTok trend. When she saw me, Sydney stopped in her tracks and a look of surprise and what I hoped was regret spread across her face. The other girls got quiet too and I could see them looking from my plate to the syrup still on the counter and piecing it all together. 

  "Oh my gosh, Robin. Did I forget to tell you about brunch?" Sydney gasped. A couple of the girls smirked and some others got suddenly busy on their phones. 

  "It's fine," I replied sweetly. "I found some waffles in the freezer." 

  "Oh well I'm glad you've eaten because you'll need your energy. We are going shopping and someone has to be there to judge our fashion show in the dressing room," Sydney crowed, trying to make it sound like a great opportunity when really it would just be me watching while her and her friends had all the fun. 

  "Unless you'd prefer to stay here with Zach and his buddies while they play volleyball," Alice cut in. 

  "Sometimes they take their shirts off." 

    In all honesty, the thought of seeing pretty much any man shirtless for several hours sounded more fun than watching Sydney try on dresses with her friends but I couldn't exactly say that out loud.

  "Sure, I'll go with you," I told them. 

   Sydney smiled, picking up the syrup from the counter and putting it back in the pantry.

  "That's so good to hear," she said happily, her eyebrows creasing in frustration as she realized two of her fingers were now clinging to each other thanks to a sticky breakfast condiment. 

  "And of course, when we are done we'll get icecream and you will order first to make up for missing brunch," Sydney continued, wiping her hand on a wet rag in the sink. 

  "That sounds great," I replied, feeling slightly better even though sprinkles and hot fudge didn't quite make up for not being invited to a whole meal. I followed Sydney and her friends from the house listening to their idle chatter and wondering if I made a mistake.

   An hour later I was sure I made a mistake and that watching shirtless guys read the phone book would have been more fun than watching Sydney and her friends parade around the dressing room in a fancy shop taking selfies. True to her word, we did get icecream after and Sydney let me pick first but that was where her kindness ended because as soon as we all had our treats, she was lost back in conversation with her friends and I once again ceased to exist. 

  When we got back to the house, the girls disappeared to take showers and get dressed in their new clothes for dinner and a night out. I walked up the stairs too, empty handed and struggling at this point to not let my disappointment show. Zach was going the stairs and smiled when he saw me.

  "Hey, Raven, how was shopping?" he asked, looking down at my hands and seeming confused that they weren't full of bags. 

  "Oh ya know, couldn't find the right fit for me," I answered, ignoring him once again getting my name wrong. 

  "Ah better luck next time," he said, patting my shoulder and giving me a wink. "See ya at dinner, Rachel?" 

  I nodded at the back of his head as he continued down the stairs and then plodded back to my room. I shut the door behind me and sat on the bed staring down at the floor between my feet. Could I handle another four days of this? 

  Before I could decide, my phone vibrated with a message from Sydney. 

  "Dinner in an hour. Wear the nicest thing you have please."

  I read the message over and over not believing my eyes. We had just left a shop full of endless amounts of fancy dresses and I'd not been permitted thirty seconds to shop for myself and now Sydney had the nerve to be passively aggressive about the quality of my clothing? 

  I rummaged through the clothes I brought which were still in my duffel because my tiny room had no closet and picked out a form fitting black dress with shoulder sleeves. I slipped into it and found a pair of sensible heels, threw on some mascara and lip gloss and made it downstairs just as Sydney and Zach were herding their friends out the door.

 "It's gonna be a wild night," Zach was assuring everyone. "There's a new club I've been dying to go to and I can confirm all of you guys will pull tonight."

  This got a rousing cheer from his group of bros in their collared shirts. sleeves rolled to the elbows and shorts looking like they coordinated outfits for family pictures. All of the girls were wearing dresses similar to mine although theirs had the distinction of being this season's while mine was tragically old. Hopefully no one at the restaurant or the bar would notice and add to my shame.

  I caught Sydney's eyes on me as I moved outside with the group. She gave me an appraising look and then a genuine smile. I smiled back instinctively and felt a little better. My good mood continued through dinner where Sydney actually made somewhat of an effort to include me in the conversation. We talked about current events, obviously whatever was hot on TikTok and how excited we all were for the club. I was starting to feel excited too and then after dinner, Sydney pulled me aside as everyone was piling into several Ubers.

 "Hey, Robin. I know clubs aren't necessarily your thing and I want to let you know that if you decided to not come with us, it wouldn't affect your pay at all."

  I stared at her for a second, my mind not comprehending. 

 "My...pay?"

  Sydney nodded. 

  "Yes. The pay I gave you to be my little helper this week. Did you forget already?" she asked with a laugh.

  "The three thousand? I thought that was just to pay my bills so I wouldn't have to work and I could hang out with you instead." 

  Sydney raised her eyebrows so high I thought they might fly up and off her forehead.

  "You...oh, you're such a jokester," she said, putting a hand on my arm and laughing harder this time.

  "You really got me for a second. Imagine me of all people needing companionship so badly that I was willing to pay someone's bills."

   "Yeah, how silly," I agree, fake laughing nervously with her but internally smacking myself for being so stupid. Had I really been naive enough to think that Sydney was paying to hang out with me like I was her favorite celebrity? 

   I got in the Uber behind her and sat silently as it carried us all to the club. All the events of the last two days made sense now. Why I was in the tiny bedroom, why Sydney let me sleep through brunch, why I wasn't shopping with the rest of them. I wasn't a friend, I was an employee. 

  At the club, I climbed out of the Uber feeling awkward and out of place. The music inside the bar was loud but the voice in my head was louder. What was I doing here? The bartender asked if I wanted anything and I absentmindedly ordered a vokda cranberry with lime. She made it and set it in front of me and I stared at it as if it held all the answers to my questions.

  "Hey, I recognize you," said a voice behind me. I turned to see a short blonde girl with glasses and a shoulder tattoo standing there. She was wearing a red dress and black heart shaped earrings. 

 "You're the girl Sydney posted on her story the other day. The poor one." 

  "That's me," I said, holding up my drink and finally taking a sip. "The poor one." 

  "And now you guys are friends and hanging out at the club," she continued. "That's awesome!"

  I looked over at Sydney who was in a VIP area with her friends, completely unaware and uncaring that I wasn't with her.

  "I would pay anything to be friends with her," the girl said, gazing dreamily at where Sydney was seated like a queen amidst all her followers. 

  "Save your money," I told the girl, chugging the rest of my drink. "This is on Sydney," I told the bartender, sliding down off the stool. 

   I took my phone out of my bag and ordered an Uber, then opened my messages to Sydney's and my conversation. 
  I'm Ubering back to the house to get my stuff and then to the train station. Going back to the city. 

I looked at the VIP area where Sydney was sitting to see if she would look at her phone. She didn't and I left the club to wait on the sidewalk for my Uber. As it pulled up, my phone vibrated. I thought it would be a message from Sydney but instead it was a Venmo payment of six hundred dollars. The tagline read "two days of work." I shook my head and put my phone away as I climbed into the back of my Uber. 

  The radio was playing some song by Lorde about people with gold teeth and Cadillacs and I thought how easy it was to be so enchanted by the lifestyle of the rich that you didn't see the person behind the money. Someone who couldn't remember your name or who shamed you for wearing a dress that was perfectly fine just because it wasn't new. I might have been jealous of Sydney before but now I was happy to be myself and content that I'd never be Royle.

Royles Pt. 3

    I stand staring at Sydney, my mouth hanging open and somehow unable to form words. 

 "I um..." I begin, but Sydney laughs and cuts me off.

 "Zach is such a man-whore," she says, walking over to the couch. She sits down and leans back against the cushions.

 "Was it any good?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. Zach reappears from the bathroom and brushes past me.

  "Psh, its the best she ever had, right Rachel?" he says, taking a seat on the couch next to his sister. Now they're both staring at me waiting for my response. 

  "Robin," I say awkwardly. "My name is Robin. And yeah it was great." 

  They both look at each other and laugh and I stand there once again wishing to be swallowed by the floor. Was this normal brother and sister behavior? Talking about each others' sex lives and playing twenty questions with their partners? 

  "Well what a perfect way to end the night then. A perfect party and perfect sex," Sydney announces.

  "Yeah it was a lot of fun," I say, twisting my hands together. I perch on the edge of a comfy chair next to the couch and look at Zach and Sydney. She is leaned back on the couch staring at her phone and Zach is sitting longways with his feet on her lap. 

  "Uh but I should probably get back home and rest. I have to keep looking for jobs tomorrow." 

  "Jobs?" Sydney says wrinkling her nose like I just said something disgusting.

  "Yes. Gotta pay the rent somehow," I say with a little chuckle. Sydney studies me for a second, then smiles.

   "Alright I have a job for you. Be my companion this week. I have shopping with the girls on Monday and then a couple days at our house in the Hamptons. I'll pay you three thousand if you stay till Friday night." 

   My eyes widen and I think my heart stops for a minute.

  "Three thousand dollars to go shopping with you and stay at a vacation house?" 

  "Is that not enough?" Sydney asks, frowning. 

  "No, no that's plenty," I blurt out before she starts to rethink the whole thing. Part of me feels uncomfortable with the idea of accepting pay for such an easy task but I'm not really in a position to turn down money. 

  "Yeah alright. That sounds great," I say agreeably, not able to hide my excited smile. Sydney nods and pulls out her phone, points the front camera at her face and grins from ear to ear.

  "Alright, besties. My new little gal pal Robin has agree to be my companion all week while I do some spring clothing shopping and visit my house in the Hamptons. We had a great time at the party tonight and Robin even got very familiar with my brother Zach," she says, quickly turning the phone to face her brother. He sticks out his tongue and makes a peace sign at the camera, then goes back to his own phone. 

  "That's all for now, friends. Have a fan-fucking-tastic weekend." 

Sydney puts her phone away and I sit there trying to determine if she just implied to thousands of people that I had sex with her brother. 

   

  The rest of the weekend goes by in a blur. Sydney insists I stay with her in her apartment and borrow her clothes which she makes sure I know she is now too small to fit into. We lay around and drink, show each other reels on our phones and watch way too many movies. 

   Before I know it, Monday has arrived and it is time to go shopping for Sydney's spring clothes. I can tell this is a big deal by the fact that she spends two solid hours in the bathroom getting ready. It starts to feel like we are going to a ball to meet princes and not to Saks Fifth Avenue.

  As we walk into the store, Sydney turns and gives me a serious look.

  "Your job while we are here is to be honest about everything I try on. If it looks ugly you have to tell me. Obviously I will look beautiful the entire time," she says, gesturing to herself as if I don't already see the ridiculous amount of make-up she's wearing and the multi-thousand dollar suit. 

  "But some of the clothes may not compliment me and it's your job to let me know," she says firmly. I nod, willing to actually do a little bit of work for my pay.  

   I begin to regret this decision after the third hour of sitting on chairs outside of fitting rooms waiting for Sydney to appear and ask me yet how again exactly how perfect she looks. I try to remember all the synonyms I can for "good" so I have some variety in my responses but Sydney seems happy with any word of praise. Finally just when I think I can't take another minute, she declares that we are done and it's time to go back to her place and pack for our excursion to the Hamptons. 

 "Is it just me, you and Zach going?" I ask. Sydney giggles and shakes her head. 

 "No, when we go to the Hamptons we go big. A bunch of my girl friends will be there and I think Zach is bringing some buddies too. Maybe you get lucky again," she says with a wink, giving me an up and down. 

 "And now that I have all new spring clothes, feel free to go through my closet and pick out whatever you want in the section with the yellow hangers and keep it. The rest we can donate." 

 I freeze for a second while I contemplate what she just said. I can have her old cast-off clothes that are only one year old for completely free. I wonder if this is how members of Oprah's audience felt the time she gave everyone a car. 

 We spend the rest of the day packing way too many clothes for a four day trip but Sydney insists we need at least three outfits for every day. 

"Morning clothes, a swimsuit and cover-up for afternoon pool time and a nice dress for dinner and drinks." 

  I go along with it assuming she knows best. 

  In the morning, Simon shows up at the building and helps us load up all the suitcases. We get in the car and I see Zach sitting there with a guy I don't recognize. 

 "Hey ladies," he says as we get in the car. "This is Seth. Seth, you know Sydney. This is Rachel," he says gesturing to me. 

 "Hi," I say, shaking Zach's hand. "It's Robin actually." 

  Seth smirks and turns to look at Zach.

"Damn, bro. You hit it and then forget her name?" 

  My face instantly blushes scarlet and I lean back against the car seat. Do rich people just tell all their friends about every one night stand they have? I give an awkward smile while Zach brushes off his friend's comments. 

 "Are we ready to par-tay?" Sydney exclaims, and for once I'm grateful for her vapid nonsense. 

 "It's gonna be lit. I heard Brent is showing up with some uh-" Seth pauses and gives me a sideways look like he is unsure if he should continue. 

 "Oh she's cool. I'm paying her to be my party companion this week so she has no complaints. Right, girlie?" she says sounding cheery but also like there's a hint of a threat behind it. I nod.

"Totally cool," I confirm. 

 "Bet. Well Brent is bringing some party favors and maybe even the good stuff."  Sydney and Zach both seem excited about this detail and I sit debating for the rest of the ride which drug exactly is "the good stuff." 

  Once we reach the house, I follow Sydney and Zach inside. He takes Zach one direction to find their rooms and Sydney goes upstairs. The house is beautiful and huge with white walls and blue and yellow accent pieces scattered throughout. The furniture and floors are pristine so obviously someone got here before us and cleaned everything. 

 I follow Sydney into a large bedroom with a king sized bed covered in a black and silver bedspread. 

"This is my room, yours is down the hall, the last door on the right," Sydney says, curtly. My brow wrinkles slightly at her suddenly business-like tone but I turn to head to the room.

 "Before you go, do you mind hanging up my clothes while I shower? I'm so gross from that car ride." 

 We had been in the car for only a few hours but I shrug and start taking clothes out of the suitcases and hanging them in the huge walk-in closet. 

  By the time Sydney comes out of the bathroom, I'm done and she picks an outfit without a word of thanks. I shrug it off, grab my own suitcase and head down the hall to my bedroom. I wonder what kind of furnishings it will have. Excited, I turn the door knob and push the door open. My smile disappears instantly when I look around and see the room is barely bigger than my bedroom in my apartment. The bed is a full sized bed with a worn out blue comforter on it. The only other furniture is a small dresser with only two drawers, a bedside table with a lamp that doesn't work and a trash can. It becomes obvious that she had put me in the room where the maid stays. 

  I shove my suitcase into the corner not bothering to unpack as less than half of what I brought would fit into the dresser. I lay down on top of the bed and it creaks under my weight. Sydney said her friends would be showing up soon to get in the pool so I slip on one of the swimsuits I inherited, a plain black one piece with a bow across the back, put a cover-up on and walk back downstairs and outside. 

  Sydney is laying in a beach chair with a floral bikini on and a huge hat shading her face. Two girls are sitting on the chairs on either side of her wearing string bikinis and their own large hats and sunglasses. They are laughing about something and one of them points at me as I walk over.

 "That's the girl from your live stream on Friday," the other one says. 

 "That's Robin. She is jobless right now, poor thing. I paid her three grand to be my companion this week and help me out." 

 "Is that the one Zach..." the first girl says, but lets the sentence trail off. Does everyone in every part of New York know about me and Zach now? 

  "Alice that's so rude," says the other girl. 

  "Yeah, Alice. Kindly shut up," I think to myself. But outwardly I just smile and shrug.

  "What can I say? He's a hottie," I say, choking a little bit on the last word.

  "Yeah he is," the other girl says. She looks over at Zach who is across the pool talking to Seth and a new guy. She picks up a drink sitting on the table next to her chair and I notice a ring on her finger with a large emerald on it. I can't help but stare for a few seconds. She notices me noticing and turns the ring inward so the gem is in her palm. I look away as if I wasn't just staring. 

  "So Robin, tell us about yourself," she says, acting curious but also looking me up and down like she doesn't know what to think of me or if she trusts me. 

  "She's poor and jobless. What else do you need to know?" Sydney cuts in before I can even say a word.

  "She really is like a robin. A lost little robin that I picked up and saved." 

    Sydney's friends simultaneously bring a hand to their chest and say "aaaww" as if it was the most precious thing they'd ever heard. Sydney gives me a sharp look as if asking for confirmation of what she just said and I nod fervently.

   "Yes she really is great. She let me have her old spring clothes." 

   "Ah. That explains the last season swimsuit," the girl who isn't Alice says.

   "Jamie, be nice," Sydney scolds, gently slapping Jamie's thigh. "Not everyone is blessed like us." 

  The girls all nod self righteously at each other as if acknowledging their respective blessings. I look away and roll my eyes. Maybe I would get more stimulating conversation with the guys.

  I excuse myself and walk over to Zach and Seth and the new guy. They're all standing in the shallow end of the pool so I sit on the edge and let my legs dangle in the water.

  "Hey Reba, meet my friend, Harry," Zach says, gesturing to the new guy.

  "Dude, her name is Robin," Seth corrects, giving Zach a friendly shove. "What's wrong with you, bro?" 

  "Sorry, Robin," Zach says, glancing briefly at me and then immediately turning back to Seth. 

  "I'm like neck deep in pussy this year, dude. Can't remember everyone's name." 

 I sigh and take my cover-up off, slip into the water and push away from the wall. The guys do not notice or question my absence, I can still hear their conversation.

  "My dad says I can have his Maybach when he gets his new Ferrari," Harry tells Seth and Zach. 

  "You're not going to pull any girls driving that around," Zach says, taking a sip of his beer. 

  "I will when they see it go from zero to sixty in five seconds," Harry says sounding slightly defensive.

  "Well when you do pull, try to remember their names, yeah? Otherwise you look like a douche," Seth advises.

  I swim a lap around the pool thinking to myself that Zach and his friends don't just look like douches. 

   The night drags on, more friends show up and true to Sydney's word they definitely "par-tay." Around ten I find myself in a circle of new girls, none of whom take the time to introduce themselves to me but all seem to recognize me as either Sydney's companion or Zach's recent conquest. 

   "You're so sweet for being charitable to her," I hear one of them say. 

   "Sydney is a saint, you know that," another one agrees. And I wonder to myself exactly how much of their time together is spent kissing up to Sydney. They discuss the latest styles in clothes, the content creators they follow online and whatever boy toy they are currently into. None of them ask me a single question or seek to include me in the conversation so I sit on a pool chair sipping on a hard lemonade and listening to the gossip. 

  "It wasn't even a real diamond necklace so I dumped him," a girl in a red swimsuit with hair tied up in a bun says. 

  "What a loser," her friend in a blue and green bikini says. "You did the right thing," she assures her friend. 

 By eleven I have decided I can not listen to any more vapid pointless conversations so I gulp down the rest of my lemonade, grab my cover-up and head towards the house. Sydney is coming from the house and waves at me smiling sweetly.

  "Where ya going, chica?" she asks, as if she hasn't ignored me the entire night.

  "I'm pretty tired so I'm just going to get some rest," I tell her, leaving out the fact that I'm bored out of my mind and no one seems to know or care that I exist. 

  "Oh ok, if that's what you want," Sydney says, with a tone that implies I am making the wrong choice. 

  "I know things are a little wild but that's just how it is when we are out here," she explains. She puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. 

   "Tomorrow will be better. I'll introduce you to everyone and all us ladies will go into town and have coffee and chat," she tells me with a big smile, and for a moment I forget how awful the evening was. 

   "Yeah that sounds great," I say. 

   Sydney lets the hand on my shoulder trail down my arm and lets her smile linger as she walks away from me and back to her friends. Within seconds she is lost in their storm of gossip and I continue to the house.

   I change into sensible pajamas from last season and settle into my tiny creaking bed under the faded blanket. I sigh as I look up at the ceiling. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake. But I don't want to get discouraged after just a few hours. 

  I roll onto my side, close my eyes and convince myself that things, as Sydney promised, will get better tomorrow.