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she asked. It was no use digging in my heels. I’d get
yelled at for ruining a rug or something. “They will say I raised
an ungrateful child. And poor Alex. How will I face his mother? The
Walkers are one of the most influential families in the city, and
you dump their son? No. No, you are going to go to prom and fix
this.”
    “ I don’t see how my dating
Alex affects you!”
    “ It affects your father,
and I’m married to your father. That’s how it affects me. Alex’s
uncle is on Dartmouth’s Medical Board of Overseers. A most
prestigious position. Your father’s connections to Alex’s family
could give him the boost he needs to be considered for a position
at the school.”
    “ I don’t think my dating
him is going to have any influence on whether Dartmouth likes dad.”
I should feel used. Really, I should. But this kind of stuff was
classic for my mother. I could only inwardly laugh at her antics as
she shoved me out the front door, barefoot.
    “ Aren’t you going to feel
guilty if it could have made a difference?”
    “ No.” I found myself
strapped in the front seat of her Mercedes, and stared glumly out
the window. I missed the sounds of the truck engine, squeaky seats
and Chase humming with the radio. “Dad’s not going to get noticed
by Dartmouth just because he knows someone. It’s based on whether
he’s the right person for the program. I have no control over
anything by dating Alex.”
    She let out a little harrumph and sped
for the spa. I was whisked away by Raphael, the cliché gay stylist
every rich woman needs, to be polished and primped to within an
inch of my life.
    My mother left me alone, thank god, to
get her mud wrap. I could color her gone for the rest of the day,
just like my father. It’s a wonder they never forgot about me, left
me somewhere when I was little. Then again, it might have happened
if it weren’t for the nanny. She watched out for me until I was old
enough to watch myself. Then mom fired her when she and my dad had
an affair.
    So I’d basically been on my own for the
last five years of my life. Living in a perfect pink bubble and
managed by my dictating, self-absorbed parents.
    There were times I wondered if they
remembered they had a daughter. I could have acted out. Drugs,
drinking, sneaking around…they’d never have noticed. I’m not sure
I’d want them to notice me anyway. Every once and a while my
parents would get into a big fight that would last for a couple
days, then they’d stop speaking to each other. Then they’d tolerate
each other, using me as the person to relay messages between them,
and finally they’d make up to keep up appearances. A divorce would
be too scandalous. People might find out about their
affairs.
    Mostly I steered clear of
them.
    The only place I could be myself was at
Grandmas. I couldn’t be myself around my friends. They were like
younger versions of their parents, who were just like my
parents.
    If it hadn’t been for Grandma and
Grandpa, I would have turned out just like them.
    Sometimes I wondered if I’d been
adopted. It would explain a hell of a lot.
    One thing was for sure though, once I
turned eighteen, I’d be moving out. I’m biding my time until then,
but after last night, I don’t think I’d be pretending anymore. Not
going to be the dutiful daughter with the perfect smile, or the
cheerleader who hung out with the popular crowd.
    Nope, things were going to change,
whether I was ready for it or not.
    And all because of a cowboy.
    “ So, what do we want to do
with the hair?” Raphael examined my wet curls after he washed
them.
    “ I was thinking it could be
natural.”
    “ Natural. Like, nothing at
all? Don’t you want me to straighten your frizz?”
    “ No, and it’s only frizzy
because we haven’t formed the curls yet.” I smiled, remembering how
Chase seemed to like my hair curly. “Maybe pin a few pieces up, and
leave the rest.”
    “ Ah, soft and romantic.” He
sighed, glancing at a